AUSRETROGAMER

The Pop-Culture E-Zine

You are here: Home / Archives for Retro Gamer

Retro Gamer

R-Type III and Super R-Type Return with the Ultimate Collector’s Package

By

Since we are on an R-Type kick (Ed: check out yesterday’s story), we thought we might as well continue rolling with more (great) news relating to this venerable shoot’em up.

Retro-Bit® is set to package two of the most iconic and critically-acclaimed IREM® shoot ’em ups together in one 16-bit cartridge for the first time this month (August) with the release of R-Type®III and Super R-Type® Collector’s Edition.

First released in 1991 alongside the Super Nintendo Entertainment System®, Super R-Type® was hailed as “easily the best Super NES® shooter on the market” by Electronic Gaming Monthly (September, 1991) and “an outstanding piece of work” by GamePro (November, 1991). It sees the formidable R-9 once again go up against the evil Bydo Empire in seven intense stages inspired by the 1989 arcade game R-Type II®.

Three years after the series’ explosive Super NES® debut, the Bydo Empire returned in R-Type III®: The Third Lightning. Named “the best shoot ’em up to appear in a long time” by SNES® Force (March, 1994), the popular action game puts players in control of the most powerful and versatile R-series vessel yet — the R-90 Ragnarok. Equipped with Round, Shadow, and Cyclone Forces of power, as well as the ability to warp between dimensions, R-Type III was an epic fight for Earth’s survival.

Bundled together for the first time ever, R-Type III and Super R-Type Collector’s Edition will include a 16-bit cartridge that can be played on the Super NES®, Super Famicom and select Retro-Bit® consoles. The exclusive hard embossed collector’s box will come loaded with a full-colour instruction manual featuring original artwork, R-Type branded notebook, exclusive sticker collection and an individually numbered certificate of authenticity, along with art prints by the world-renowned artist Paul “OtaKing” Johnson from his R-Type fan-inspired anime collection. Retro-Bit has also collaborated with FiGPiN® to create a limited edition R-Type pin set.

“R-Type is back with the limited edition collector’s package gamers have been asking for,” explains Ron Pang, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Innex Inc. “We’re taking two of IREM’s most iconic 16-bit shooters and offering fans the ultimate collection of exclusives, high-quality content and value at an attractive price. R-Type III & Super R-Type Collector’s Edition and Holy Diver are just the first of many possible exclusive releases from Retro-Bit® Publishing.

“Shoot ’em up fans looking to take the fight to the Bydo Empire will need to act fast, as production will be limited to only 2,900 units in North America and 2,800 in Europe. The first one-thousand units in each region will come with an exclusive Galactic Blue cartridge. R-Type III and Super R-Type Collector’s Edition is currently available for pre-order and will retail for USD$59.99 when it begins shipping in late August.

More information can be found at Retro-Bit.com/r-type.

We may have to get in touch with Retro-Bit to see if we could have this cartridge in time for PAX Aus 2018!

source: Retro-Bit

 

Retrospective: Weird And Retro Kombat at Timezone

By

Who remembers Timezone?

Timzone was the place that first blew my mind with Mortal Kombat. It was a Sunday morning last century (crap I’m old!) when we walked into Timezone in the Capitol Centre (now called Dandenong Plaza) to see a group crowded around an arcade machine. That was the day I got instantly hooked on the digitised fighter that was the original Mortal Kombat.

As we watched the bloody challenge to completion, we were treated with a Sub-Zero Fatality! My mind was instantly blown. That led to a lot of coins fed into that machine until my fave fighter of all time arrived some time later: Mortal Kombat II – and the rest, as they say, is history.

Here I have two of the super rare Mortal Kombat II Collector Kards that I got from Timezone in Dandenong back in the day, along with a super-kool TZM (Timezone Magazine) issue No.8 (May 1994) that was kindly gifted to me by Aaron ‘blahjedi’ Clement at PAX Aus 2017.

Anyone else remember these?

– Serblander / Weird and Retro

source: Weird and Retro via Facebook

 

One Hour of 1980s Video Game Commercials

By

Enjoy a trip down memory lane with Dave Freeman’s hour long compilation of 1980s video game commercials from the Video Game Commercial Archive that was released on DVD in 2007.

This video is jam packed with so much nostalgia, it will make you giddy!


source: Dave Freeman

 

Old School Gaming is Back On Your SNES and Super Famicom!

By

There is no stopping the retro gaming renaissance!

If you still have your Super Famicom or Super Nintendo (SNES) handy, then you’ll be happy to know that there are games being re-released on Nintendo’s 16-bit powerhouse!

First cab off the retro gaming rank is the side-scrolling beat’em up, Super Double Dragon / Return of Double Dragon. This exclusive title is available in Japanese (Super Famicom) and English/US (SNES).

This legendary series follows the young twin brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee, who run a martial arts dojo. Their friend Marian disappears, so we reckon you know the rest of that story of what they need to do to save her.

The player controls either of the (suped-up) Lee brothers. There are seven stages including a strewn of extra stages so your fighting reflexes will need to be sharp. Don’t fret, as your fighters have 30 special moves with power gauges to engage in powerful techniques. Oh yeah, if fighting cleanly doesn’t work, then you can throw items such as barrels, stones, knives, bombs, and boomerangs – woohoo, we love dirty fighting!

If you want some action for your Super Famicom / SNES and you are ready to rescue Marian, go ahead and pre-order Return Of Double Dragon!

Pre-Order Links:

  • Super Famicom – Return Of Double Dragon (Expected to ship: Jul 19, 2018)
  • SNES – Return Of Double Dragon (Expected to ship: Aug 21, 2018)

image source: Play Asia

 

Retro Gamer 182: Sega Mega Drive Overload

By

If you are a Sega Mega Drive (Sega Genesis) fan, then issue 182 of Retro Gamer is your mag to indulge in some 16-bit nostalgia.

From all the inside information on how Sega’s magnum opus came to be, to its developers that made it sing and become a classic console.

The regular features are back, from the Classic Moments, Minority Report to Hardware Heaven and The Uncoverted to name just a few, this issue of RG is jam packed to satisfy your retro gaming lust!

This issue is also accompanied with an Essential Mega Drive games guide and stickers, so if you are a fan of Sega’s 16-bit game changer, then there is no excuse to miss this issue – go grab it now!

 

Evolution Of The Ausretrogamer Fun Factory

By

This post has been a long time coming!

Not content with the home office acting as our games room, Ms. ausretrogamer came up with the idea to transform the garage into a fun factory – a place where all of our retro gear would be setup to be played and enjoyed.

Once the overall design was pitched, it took a while for me to come around to convert the garage into a gaming space. The garage was basically going to provide an idyllic setting for all of our computers, consoles, arcade and pinball machines in the one space so that they could be enjoyed by anyone at anytime – no more fetching stuff out of cupboards and wiring them up to be used!

With the garage already sporting painted walls and ceiling, the next step was to make it secure from the elements – we didn’t want dust to come in and damage the delicate old school gear. Once the garage was secure and weather tight, the interior design was kicked off by Ms. ausretrogamer. Her eye for detail and use of space was second to none! I must admit, I had trouble picturing how the whole thing would look like, but I should not have had any doubt. Ms. ausretrogamer’s vision for the room was exactly what both of us had wanted, I just didn’t know it till I saw it done!

The games room, now called the ‘ausretrogamer fun factory‘ started taking shape once we relocated the computers, consoles and the Dreamcast kiosk on one side, the cupboards holding the precious software on the opposite side and the larger items (pinball and arcade machines) utilising the rear of the room. Every inch of the room was used to its fullest extent – no waste of space in this fun factory!

The ausretrogamer fun factory has evolved over the last few years, with old items making way for newer old items, with the overall design and function remaining true – which is an ideal space for friends and family to get together and have fun!

All great ideas start with a mess!

Starting the building process

Starting to take shape

Getting the console area setup using a Data Centre grade power-strip!

Testing 1, 2, 3 – we have POWER!

Getting the artwork setup

A comfy chair is a prerequisite!

Fun Factory MK I – console area

Fun Factory MK I – panoramic view

Fun Factory MK I – the pinball and arcade machines area

Fun Factory as it is TODAY! There have been quite a few moves and changes!

Fun Factory – the current pinball and arcade area. Fun times ahead!

If you intend on using any of the photos from our Ausretrogamer Fun Factory, please credit them back to this article – thank you.

 

SEGA Space Harrier Model Sneakers

By

Holy cow! These SEGA Space Harrier MODEL runners (sneakers if you are from the North) have totally blown our minds!

Just take a good hard look at these sweet-as-f* runners! To say we love the Sega Space Harrier MODEL runners would be a huge understatement! Even if you are not a Space Harrier fan (Ed: say what?), you have to admit that these are pretty damn cool. We wonder if Yu Suzuki has a pair *pondering*?

image source: Anippon

 

Retro Handheld: Burger King Game Boy Color

By

This is an old one, but we thought it was still worth repeating, in case you missed it the first time around.

If you were lucky enough to have had a meal at Burger King in 2000, you may have been handed a plastic replica of the Game Boy Color which had analogue games built in.

Fast forward a decade and a half and that cute little Burger King Game Boy Colour toy with its analogue games has been DIY hacked with a Raspberry Pi Zero stuffed inside, morphing it into an awesomely cool and working Game Boy Colour emulator! Wish we were this clever.

[original story and images via Technobob]



Bucket List Entry 24: Galloping Ghost Arcade

By

Our Bucket List keeps getting longer and longer, so we thought it was time to revisit it and take stock of what’s in it. Upon going through the all important list, we had to bump the Galloping Ghost Arcade up the list, because you know, it has a ton of awesome retro arcade games (and a couple of pinball machines) we want to play!

We will be crossing off Bucket List : Galloping Ghost Arcade in the near future – it’s a done deal!

image source: Galloping Ghost Arcade website & Facebook

 

Review: Sol Divide – Sword of Darkness

By

System: Nintendo Switch
Available: Switch eShop
Price: AUD $9.99 / USD $7.99

Zerodiv’s reputation to recreate awesome old school games on the Nintendo Switch is pretty much set in stone now (Ed: take that HAMSTER!). Their meticulous conversions of Psikyo’s games on the Nintendo Switch console are second to none. With a plethora of shoot’em ups under their belt, their latest Psikyo conversion is another shmup, but this time, it doesn’t involve space ships or souped up choppers – this one is refreshingly different!

Think Forgotten Worlds (to an extent) with a fantasy setting a melee and spell casting gameplay mechanic and you’d be pretty much on the money with Sol Divide – Sword of Darkness. Oh yeah, the standard graphics are also a departure with the use of CGI pre-rendered models turned into sprites and backgrounds – which actually look pretty good on the Switch.

The ever important gameplay will always be a deciding factor when playing these kind of games. Sol Divide plays like a regular horizontal scrolling shmup where you fly around the screen and using your attack button to fire and another for melee attacks. Combos are done by repeatedly hitting the melee attack button and a direction, whereas pressing both attack buttons casts a spell. Speaking of spells, there are eight of them you can learn in your quest – fire, freeze, thunder, meteor, slow, wind and fire body. There is also an extra character-exclusive spell making for a total of eleven distinct ways to unleash hell. Spells will cost mana to cast, however they can be refilled by way of melee attacks or pickups from fallen foes. Spells can quickly be cycled and selected by using the ‘L’ and ‘R’ shoulder buttons, making it a greater experience than the arcade game single button cycling.

As per the other Zerodiv Psikyo conversions, Sol Divide offers plenty of customisation such as filters and mucking around with the arcade-like DIP switches to personalise the gaming experience, like making it easy as pie or hard as hell with infinite continues!

So is Sol Divide – Sword of Darkness a worthwhile addition to your digital Switch games library? If you like horizontal-scrolling shoot’em ups with fighting and some light-on RPG elements thrown in the mix, then there is enough unique features in this game to warrant its place in your games library. Sword and vengeance starts now!

Disclaimer: Sol Divide – Sword of Darkness was kindly provided by Zerodiv for this review.