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Back to the Future: Classic Gaming at PAX Aus 2025

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Old-School Was Cool at PAX Aus 2025 🎮✨

We saved the best of PAX Aus 2025 till last 😉 Because as much as we love the new, shiny, RGB-filled world of gaming, our hearts will always belong to the pixel-packed past. The Classic Gaming area once again felt like coming home – a warm hug of CRT glow, joystick clicks, and the unmistakable chime of 8-bit magic.

Every corner was a trip down memory lane: old-school computers, consoles, handhelds, and pinball machines all humming in harmony. There’s just something about playing retro games on their original hardware – the tactile clunk of inserting a cartridge, the flicker of a cathode ray screen, the rush (and rage!) of losing your last life. No emulator can replicate that kind of nostalgia.

And those display cabinets? Chef’s kiss. They were packed with rare and droolworthy treasures, including the ultra-obscure Apple/Bandai PiPP!n ATMARK dev unit and PiPP!n @World, plus the Sharp Famicom Titler AN-510 and the elusive Sharp FamicomStation (aka Famicombox). Retro hardware heaven!

Of course, the silverball scene was just as strong, featuring pinball machines that just landed on Aussie shores – like Pinball Brothers’ Predator and Jersey Jack Pinball’s magical Harry Potter. Picking a favourite was near impossible, but as lifelong ‘80s Arnie fans, Predator definitely got our thumbs-up, with Labyrinth and Dune hot on its heels.

There’s truly nothing like the Classic Gaming area at PAX Aus — it’s where the roots of gaming are celebrated, preserved, and most importantly, played. Here’s hoping it returns in 2026 to remind us once again why the classics never die.

image source / copyright: ausretrogamer.com

Pop Culture Temptations

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It is quite dangerous working near cool pop culture stores in Melbourne. Within a stones throw from the office, we have Minotaur, All-Star Comics Melbourne and  ZiNG Pop Culture tempting us with their wares.

With mid-year sales going on right now, the temptation is unbearable – sorry wallet…

 

Pinball: What Would Be Your Dream Theme?

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*** POLL CLOSED on May 9, 2018 ***

OK, it is time to head to Utopia where everything you want is there, including every pinball machine that doesn’t exist!

Having said that, in an ideal world like Utopia, which one of these pinball themes would you like to see made?

For the record, we would love an original Masters Of The Universe based pinball theme, with the player assuming the role of Prince Adam who has to become He-Man to free Eternia from the evil clutches of Skeletor! The playfield would be complete with Snake Mountain and Castle Grayskull interactive toys, left and right orbits and a couple of ramps to get the pinball juices flowing. Oh yeah, the artwork would have to be done by Alex Ross, with the below masterpiece as the backglass art!

source: sideshowtoy

This time around we will give you all more time to cast your very important vote – the poll will close on Wednesday, May 9! Spread the word and vote now or forever hold your peace.

We just hope Stern Pinball and/or Jersey Jack Pinball are reading this 😉