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Bartronica: Lair Of The Barcadian

04/08/2015 By ausretrogamer

bartronica_HDRAfter a hard days work, where does one go to quench their thirst and get a fix of gaming nostalgia? That’s an easy one to answer – you make your way to Bartronica, a city barcade establishment at 335 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.

Nestled between Elizabeth and Queen (streets), the barcade is in the perfect spot in Melbourne’s Central Business District. The entry to Bartronica is via downward stairs, and upon entry, the establishment is revealed in all of its glory, beginning with the well stocked bar. Speaking of which, there are plenty of beverages which would definitely quench your hard earned thirst. As you down your drink, you notice the upright arcade machines; NBA Jam, Street Fighter II, The Simpsons, Mortal Kombat II, Golden Axe and 1943, and these are just the tip of the iceberg – there are plenty more upright machines jostling for your attention. It doesn’t end there, the venue also has driving and shooting cabinets plus six great pinball tables to get you flippin!

For those seeking comfort, Bartronica also has cool lounges for you to sit and take a load off. If you like to play from the comfort of the lounge, there are old school consoles from Sega and Nintendo which are free to play! The consoles provide a fun way to challenge your friends in some awesome multiplayer gaming action, like Super Mario Kart 64, all while kicking back and sipping on a drink.

With their wonderful hospitality, Bartronica makes everyone feel welcome – it is the kind of place where you would visit quite frequently, on your own or with friends. So the next time you are in the city and in need of a watering hole with a twist, then head on over to Bartronica, you’ll have a blast!

Entering the lair of the barcadian
bartronica_Street

Anticipation builds, one step at a time!
bartronica_stairs

Hello Bartronica!
bartronica_entry

What is your poison?
bartronica_bar

In the driver’s seat, Bartronica owner – Josh Flamank
bartronica_Josh_driving

What to play first?
bartronica_arcades

TMNT it is!
bartronica_TMNT

A row of beauties begging to be played
bartronica_arcades_old

Retro Domination’s Daz Retro hits Ninja Gaiden
bartronica_Daz_NinjaGaiden

Daz Retro gets hacking on Golden Axe!
bartronica_Daz_GoldenAxe

Behind the bar
bartronica_behind_the_bar

Working up a serious thirst!
bartronica_shots

Taking a load off with Super Mario Kart 64!
bartronica_lounge_N64

Run out of coins? Don’t stress, whack in some notes
bartronica_Change

The view from the deck
bartronica_play

Hello Lisa!
bartronica_Simpsons

Getting some 16-bit action
bartronica_free_console

Playing some Sonic from the comfort of the plush lounge
bartronica_Lounge_Sega

Cool light artwork!
bartronica_artwork

Golden Axe immortalised on the wall
bartronica_art_GoldenAxe

Hang on a second, there’s pinballs over there!
bartronica_arcade_pinballs

There they are – glorious pinball!
bartronica_pinballs

Demolishing Demolition Man
bartronica_DemolitionMan

Retro Domination’s Matt Cawley gets flippin on Fastbreak!
bartronica_Matt_Pinball

Matt has silver ball fever!
bartronica_Matt_pinballin

Drinking + playing = a good night
bartronica_patrons_playing

Action aplenty!
bartronica_more_play

Retro Domination Street Fighter II Battle: Daz Retro vs Matt Cawley!
bartronica_Daz_Matt

Venue: Bartronic – Arcade Bar
Address: 335 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

 

Filed Under: Pinball, Retro Gaming Culture Tagged With: !Arcade!, barcade, Bartronica, nintendo, pinball, Retro Gamer, retrogaming, sega

Cramer’s Pinball Tournament: It’s Hotter Than July!

29/07/2015 By ausretrogamer

Cramers_July28_TitleWhoa! Time flies when you are having fun! It seems like yesterday that we attended the inaugural Cramer’s Pinball Tournament, but alas, that was over a month ago!

Well, the second Cramer’s Pinball Tournament rolled around this past Tuesday (July 28). Once again, tournament director Scott Kellett put on a wonderful competition at an equally awesome venue. Not only did we have the influence of pinball on the bar menu, Scott also worked tirelessly to upgrade the cameras near the competition area (thanks also to Dr. Curlytek) to ensure that all the flipping action was beamed to the big screen so that no one missed the wizards in action.

As per usual, the competition was fierce, but the social aspects of such pinball tournaments is always the winner on the night. In the end there were four left standing (from 27 participants): teenage pinball sensation, Jordan Tredaway, Wal Dickie, Daniel Luth and Mr. Pinball himself, Scott Kellett. There were a few nail biting moments on the scoreboard, but the eventual champion and last wizard standing was, (Ed: drum roll please!) Scott Kellett – well done on a fantastic win, Scott!

On a night like this, pinball is the winner, so congratulations to everyone that participated and to all the new players, we hope to see you at the next pinball tournament!

A big thanks to Scott Kellett, Luke Marburg, Wal Dickie, Stacey Borg, Cramer’s Hotel and Cashbox Amusement for another great tournament! Roll on next month!

The board says it all!
Cramers_July28_Board

Scott makes final camera adjusments
Cramers_July28_setup

A Pinball Wizard must eat before battle!
Cramers_July28_MENU

A new registrant is always welcome into the pinball family!
Cramers_July28_MattC_reg

Light, Camera, Action!
Cramers_July28_Metallica

Matt Cawley – Deep in concentration
Cramers_July28_DeepConcentration

ausretrogamer EIC, Alex Boz, with matching red sneakers tries his luck on AC/DC Luci!
Cramers_July28_ausretrogamer

The crowd builds! This is the best part of pinball’n
Cramers_July28_crowd

More devilish action! 
Cramers_July28_MattMcC

Fierce competition!
Cramers_July28_comp

With a massive score, Scott Kellett (SMK) is crowned the Grand Champion!
Cramers_July28_Winner

Till next time…….
Cramers_July28_NextTime

 

Filed Under: Retro Gaming Culture Tagged With: Cramer's Hotel, Cramers Pinball Tournament, pinball, Pinball Comp, Pinball Events, Pinball Tournament, Pinball Wizards, retrogaming

Pixel Alley: The Place To Be

24/07/2015 By ausretrogamer

PA_titleOn a windy Tuesday evening, we headed to Pixel Alley, an awesome barcade in Fitzroy, and a pinball tournament broke out!

Organised by Luke Marburg, the inaugural Pixel Alley Pinball Tournament pitted players in a head-to-head format, with players being eliminated after two losses. With twenty two players competing on the Iron Man and Monster Bash tables, the competition was fierce, but always friendly and lots of fun – these pinball tournaments are always a great social event. With any competition, there could only be one winner, and for this tournament, Martin Robbins (MTO) cleaned up big time. Martin was unbeatable, especially on Monster Bash – he was setting successive (huge) high scores on the table! I must admit, watching Martin smashing those flippers incessantly was quite mesmerizing – the dude is a full-on pinball wizard. With a $100 bar tab and a Pixel Alley tee, Martin walked away quite satisfied with his win. We definitely can’t wait for the next tournament at this wonderful establishment.

Pixel Alley Pinball Tournament table 1: Iron Man
PA_IronMan

Tournament table 2 (which is now my all-time fave!): Monster Bash
PixelAlley_MonsterBash

The competition heats up!
PA_pinball1

Apart from the pinball action, these tourneys are awesome social gatherings!
PA_pinball2

Tournament Manager, Luke Marburg ensures everything is above board
PA_Luke

Before we leave you to gaze at some of the photos from Pixel Alley, we wanted to tell you all that this place has something for everyone – from old school arcade machines, deluxe driving games (Ed: Daytona 2 anyone?), pinball and pool tables, to an indoor Bocce court, this place is amazing. Oh yeah, the walls are adorned with great gaming artwork, which adds to an already great atmosphere. Did we mention there is a food caravan upstairs? Yep, you read that right. So, if you haven’t already hit Pixel Alley, put it right up the top of your “must visit” list for next time you are in town!

Pixel Alley, the place to be at!
PA_action

Cool wall art!
PA_wallart2

More cool wall art!
PA_wallart

I wonder who would win this battle?
PA_wallart3

I really, really like the framed gaming art in this place!
PA_wallart5

I wanna take this one home. Surely no one will notice…
PA_wallart6

Oh yes, another one I wanna take home….
PA_Pong_art

The well stocked bar to quench a player’s thirst
PA_bar

One of the great arcade games – The Simpsons!
PA_TheSimpsons

If The Simpsons isn’t your thing, then Mortal Kombat II might be
PA_MortalKombat

Don’t worry about the Iron Bartender, I want to flick that light switch!
PA_IronBartender

Pixel Alley is full of surprises! Time to grab a bite
PA_Caravan

Time to go old school!
PA_Tapper

Finishing the night with some DK Junior action!
PA_DK

Filed Under: Pinball, Retro Gaming Culture Tagged With: barcade, IFPA, IFPA Tournament, pinball, Pixel Alley, Pixel Alley Pinball Tournament, retrogaming

Coin-Op Hits: July 1993

15/07/2015 By ausretrogamer

CoinOpHits_HeaderCast your mind back to mid 1993, when arcade parlours were a place you could go to and get your fix of unparalleled gaming experiences from industry heavyweights like, Sega, Taito, Atari (Ed: Yep, Atari!), Namco, Midway, Konami, Capcom and Data East (to name just a few). Throw in brilliant pinball tables from Data East, Williams and Gottlieb, and you start missing those days – Ah, if only there was time travel!

Just in case you were wondering what arcade machines and pinball tables we were most enamoured with in July 1993, take a peek below, there won’t be too many surprises! Which machines were your favourite(s)?

UPRIGHT (Arcade)

NBA_Jam 1 NBA Jam (Williams)
2 Title Fight (Sega)
3 Mortal Kombat (Midway)
4 Lethal Enforcers (Konami)
5 Street Fighter II CE (Capcom)
6 Super Chase (Taito)
7 Terminator 2 (Midway)
8 Fighter’s History (Data East)
9 Steel Gunner (Namco)
10 Golden Axe II (Sega)

DELUXE (Arcade)

VR_sega 1 Virtua Racing (Sega)
2 Suzuka 8 Hours (Namco)
3 Stadium Cross (Sega)
4 Lucky & Wild (Namco)
5 Race Drivin’ (Atari)
6 Moto Frenzy (Atari)
7 Galaxy Force (Sega)
8 Mad Dog II (ALG)
9 X-Men (Konami)
10 Hard Drivin’ (Atari)

PINBALL

Twilight_Zone 1 Twilight Zone (Midway)
2 Jurassic Park (Data East)
3 Addams Family (Midway)
4 Creature/Lagoon (Midway)
5 White Water (Williams)
6 Rocky & Bullwinkle (Data East)
7 Star Wars (Data East)
8 Dracula (Williams)
9 Terminator 2 (Williams)
10 Street Fighter II (Gottlieb/Premier)

 Source: Replay Magazine

Filed Under: History Tagged With: !Arcade!, charts, coin-op, coin-op charts, pinball, retrogaming charts, Top 10 charts

Dreamy Custom Pinball Tables

26/06/2015 By Ms. ausretrogamer

featured

After the Australian 2015 Timezone Supanova Pinball Championship Victorian State Final and Cramer’s Pinball Tournament, we have gone a bit pinball mad! Although we love the traditional tables, we are in awe of these amazing custom machines.

They call this table ‘The Goonies’

Mike Johnson from Orlando, FL has built a beautiful custom The Goonies pinball table for the film’s 30th anniversary (yes, 30th anniversary!). It’s really hard to believe no one has made one before.

goonies


Video source: Cinereelists on YouTube
Source: Kotaku UK

Order that pinball table a red cap and a speedo

Wes Anderson has designed a new cafe in Milan, called Bar Luce and it’s gorgeous (no surprise!). Most beautiful of all are the custom pinball machines based on The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and short film Castello Cavalcanti.

wes andersonImage source: sissirossi on Instagram

The pinball machine that really ties the room together, or ‘f**k it, let’s play pinball’

The Big Lebowski custom pinball table is not only fantastic (it will feature original movie clips and movie quotes in the game), but is soon to be available to buy from manufacturer Dutch Pinball!

Backbox Translite artwork
4Image source: The Big Lebowski Pinball


Video source: Dutch Pinball on YouTube

Wow, so pinball, such flippers

See our previous post about how an old Baby Doll table was saved from the scrap heap and converted into Internet Meme Ball.

Meme_Ball_table2Image source: Liberty Games

Bite my shiny metal balls

This one-off Futurama: Space 3000 table was made in a mere 6 months by Evan K. from Seattle using the shell of an old Superman machine and a Futurama Space Pilot movie poster – wow! Check out how he did it.

Futu

FuturImage source: Special When Lit

Don’t cross the flippers!

Brian Stahl, or ‘Betelgeuse’ as he’s known on forums, built this amazing custom Ghostbusters table in 14 months from a worn out Flash Gordon machine. The soundboard contains over 40 quotes and music from the movie. Why has this not been made before?!


Video source: superiorcrown on YouTube
Source: Gameroom Junkies Poscast

Everything about this pinball table is awesome!

An awesome life-size LEGO pinball machine with a fully automatic reloading system made by ElectryDragonite.

lego


Video source: ElectryDragonite

By now you should be thoroughly inspired, our dream table would be Pulp Fiction (just imagine the quotes and music alone!) – what would yours be? Let us know on Twitter using #dreampinball.

pulp fictionImage source: Miramax

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

msausretrogamerMs. ausretrogamer
Co-founder, editor and writer at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

Follow Ms. ausretrogamer on Twitter

 

 

Filed Under: Pinball, Retro Gaming Culture Tagged With: APL, Castello Cavalcanti, Cramers Pinball Tournament, custom pinball, dreampinball, Dutch Pinball, Futurama, Ghostbusters, Internet Meme Ball, Lego, LEGO Pinball, Meme Ball, pinball, Steve Zissou, The Big Lebowski, The Goonies, The Life Aquatic, Wes Anderson

Cramers Pinball Tournament: A Flippin’ Success

15/06/2015 By ausretrogamer

Cramers_bar_titleThe Cramers Pinball Tournament (an IFPA endorsed competition) was run and won, and boy, did we have a lot of fun!

The competition was stacked with players from all age groups and experience. The wizards all had a crack on the Cashbox Amusements supplied Metallica Premium Road Case and AC/DC Luci pinball machines to qualify for the top eight and the finals. The play was frenetic and exciting – lots of bumping, slamming and tilting going on. To ensure the crowd could enjoy watching the pinball action from the comfort of the Cramer’s Hotel lounge chairs, a camera was rigged up to the overhead projector – a stroke of genius.

The tournament generated lots of interest in the media, from local newspapers, websites, radio stations, and even national commercial TV stations!  The Channel 7 morning show, Sunrise, had a cameraman videoing all of the action for a segment on the show the following morning. Watch the video (at the bottom of this article), which also features an interview with tournament director, Scott Kellett.

Cramers_Scott_interview

Like all good things, the tournament had to come to and end. Congratulations to Greg Quinn on becoming the inaugural Cramers Pinball Tournament winner. To all the other participants, well done for playing hard! We get the feeling that the pointy end of the winner’s circle is going to become crowded in upcoming competitions.

These tournaments don’t just spontaneously appear out of nowhere. There are hard working people behind the scenes that make it all happen. It’s people like Scott Kellett that should be applauded and recognised, so for that, we thank you Scott, for a job well done. A big thank you to Cashbox Amusements for the all important pinball machines, and last, but by all means not least, Cramer’s Hotel for having us at their venue. Can’t wait to participate at the next Cramers Pinball tournament – speaking of which, keep July 28 free!

The Tournament Control deck – let the registration begin!
Cramers_controldeck

The tournament area is abuzz! 
Cramers_area

Even the menu gets the pinball treatment! Anyone for some TNT Wedges?
Cramers_Menu

Oo’er, the prizes!
Cramers_Prizes

The Cashbox Amusements supplied Metallica table!
Cramers_Cashbox

Getting in a bit of practice before the tournament.
Cramers_Practice1

Cramers_Practice2

The Wal Dickie Lego Pinball – I hope Stern make this one!
Cramers_Lego_Table

Great recognition from the Cramers Pinball Tournament!
Cramers_ARG

Scott Kellett calls for the official start of the tournament!
Cramers_Start

Dr Curlytek (Stacey Borg) gets flippin on AC/DC Luci
Cramers_DrC

More tournament flipper action on AC/DC Luci.
Cramers_ACDC

National broadcaster, Channel 7, getting up close and personal!
Cramers_ch7

Teenage pinball sensation, Jordan Tredaway showing everyone how Metallica should be played!
Cramers_Jordan

Cramers_Jordan_2

Yours truly’s fancy footwork being videoed
Cramers_arg_playing

Announcing the finalists!
Cramers_announcing

Nick Hamhougias bumps his way to the top 4 finalists!
Cramers_Nick_H

A top 4 finish for Jordan Tredaway – a future Australian pinball champion in the making!
Cramers_Jordan_top4

The top 4 [L to R]: Jordan Tredaway, Brian Shleibs, Nick Hamhougias, Greg QuinnCramers_Finalists_top4

Cramers Pinball Tournament winner: Greg Quinn
Cramers_Winner_GregQuinn

Filed Under: Retro Gaming Culture Tagged With: Australian Pinball League, Cramers Pinball Tournament, IFPA, IFPA Tournament, pinball, Pinball Wizards

Twin Galaxies Arcade and eSports Event Centre

02/06/2015 By ausretrogamer

TwinGalaxies_Title_1Just in case you have been off the grid in the last week or so, there have been some major announcement in the gaming world. No, we are not referring to Splatoon, which was released to much hype, but the other big news of the day was about the Twin Galaxies Arcade and eSports Event Centre.

TwinGalaxies_1

After being in the wilderness for what seems an eternity, Twin Galaxies has come out and announced the rebirth of Twin Galaxies Arcade! The 120,000 square feet purpose-built gaming centre will be the home for eSports World Championship tournaments, large presentations and conferences,  and the official home of the “Museum of Pinball” and Twin Galaxies “Arcade Expo”.

The private facility, which is partnered with Guinness World Records, also has a full outdoor live concert area, fibre optic internet for live broadcasting and multiple console stations equipped with everything from the latest modern gaming systems through to the older stuff like the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) and Nintendo Entertainment System.

TwinGalaxies_2a

It seems that Twin Galaxies has positioned itself to be the de facto organisation of gaming tournaments and competitions, much like the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and their Olympics! Go here to read more about the Twin Galaxies Arcade and eSports Event Centre.


TWIN GALAXIES ARCADE & eSPORTS EVENT CENTER from HDFILMS INC on Vimeo.

source: Twin Galaxies

Filed Under: Announcements Tagged With: !Arcade!, eSports, gamer, pinball, Twin Galaxies, Twin Galaxies Arcade, Twin Galaxies Arcade and eSports Event Center

Cramers Pinball Tournament

27/05/2015 By ausretrogamer

Cramers_HDR_titleAttention all pinball wizards and potential pinball wizards! If you want to participate in a local International Flipper Pinball Association (IFPA) sanctioned pinball tournament, then diarise June 11!

Scott ‘Skott’ Kellett (Tournament Director) will host the inaugural pinball tournament at the Cramers Hotel in Preston. Registration opens at 5:30pm with a $10 entry and all machines set to free play to hone in on your flipper skills. The official tournament commences at 7:00pm, with great prizes on offer, like tickets to PAX Aus 2015. Another bonus for participants is that they will receive IFPA points and gain a world ranking! With a great specials bar and menu on the night, it promises to be an all-round awesome evening.

Tournament: Cramers Pinball
Date: 11 June 2015
Where: Cramers Hotel – 1 Cramer Street, Preston VIC
Entry fee: $10
Registration time: 5:30pm
Tournament start time: 7:00pm
Tournament pinball machines: Metallica Premium and AC/DC Luci

For more details on the tournament and to register your attendance, go here.  We hope to see you at Cramers!

Are you ready?
Metallica_START

Let’s get it on!
Cramers_Flyer

The tournament tables are waiting!
Cramers_Pinball_Comp

Filed Under: Announcements Tagged With: Cramers Pinball Tournament, IFPA, IFPA Tournament, pinball, Pinball Tournament

Willy’s Arcade: A Home Entertainment Nirvana

29/04/2015 By ausretrogamer

WillysArcade_TitleWhen you dream of having an arcade and pinball parlour integrated in your home, Gary McTaggert’s Willy’s Arcade is surely the perfect blueprint.

The former Valve programmer has the most awesome home arcade setup we have ever seen, from the classic arcade cabinets (Ed: which there are a lot of!) and pinball machines, to the fantastic nerdy artwork adorning the walls, and that oh-so-brilliant diner in the kitchen – it is truly the stuff of dreams!


Source: GaryMcT via Cheezburger

Filed Under: Retro Gaming Culture Tagged With: !Arcade!, Art, Home Arcade, pinball, Retro Gamer, retrogaming, Willy's Arcade

Good Clean Fun: Pinball At The Laundromat

26/04/2015 By ausretrogamer

Laundry_pinball_title

A Brooklyn (New York City) laundromat has turned what used to be a mundane chore, into something to look forward to. Peter Rose, owner of Sunshine Laundromat & Cleaners has installed an awesome array of pinball machines among the washers and dryers. And why not? You’ve already got a pocket full of change!

To top it off, Peter is also seeking a liquor license so he can really spice things up at his laundromat. I hope this takes off in Australia too. You never know, next time you hit the laundromat, you may be playing on a Twilight Zone pinball table! Now that would be something.

Wash ‘N Play!
Laundry_pinball_6

I wish our local laundromat looked like this!
Laundry_pinball_1

Peter Rose, owner of the laundromat, chats to a happy customer
Laundry_pinball_2

Source: The Wall Street Journal (photos by Adrienne Grunwald for the Wall Street Journal)

Filed Under: Pinball, Retro Gaming Culture Tagged With: barcade, laundromat, pinball, pinball wizard, Sunshine Laundromat & Cleaners

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