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NES Classic Hoodie: Now You Can Wear The Power!

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Merchoid, the videogame merchandise specialist, has revealed their new official ‘Nintendo NES Classic Hoodie’.

Inspired by the classic gaming console, which saw a limited re-release last year, the hoodie is available to preorder from Merchoid now for £44.99/€54.99/$54.99 and ships in September (shipping is free to anywhere on the planet!). Featuring clean lines, body panelling, two front pockets and NES button detailing on the front, its elegant design will ensure it becomes an instant classic.

Merchoid’s Community Manager Jessica Adams says of the new hoodie “Re-enter an 8-bit 80s wonderland, where Mario is king, gloves are controllers and some of the best gaming experiences are a cartridge push away. And what better way to embrace your 80s nostalgia than representing your favorite console in one stylish hoodie? Now you’re playing with power!”

The ‘Nintendo: NES “Console Inspired Hoodie’ is available to preorder from Merchoid.com now.

Key features of ‘Nintendo: NES Console Inspired Hoodie’.

  • New design based on the NES Console
  • Available to preorder from Merchoid.com now for £44.99/€54.99/$54.99
  • Officially licensed by Nintendo
  • Releases September 2017

source: Merchoid

 

Line Defense: The Mobile Arcade Game That Blends The Past With The Future

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Whoa, this newfangled arcade game Line Defense (Ed: not Defence!) melds the playing mechanics from two classic Atari games, Missile Command and Breakout. Line Defense was released almost a year ago (August 2016), so if you haven’t picked it up, then grab your Android or iOS device and hit download immediately. Oh yeah, did we mention that Line Defense is free? Well, what are you waiting for – go and get it and play it!

As massive fans of Missile Command and Breakout, we can say that the Legal Radiation game dev team have definitely blended the past with the future. For those of you that want to know the main features before you dive in, here is what Line Defense will deliver:

  • Simple one finger swipe control
  • Unique bonuses, power-ups, bosses & Motherships
  • Collect crystals and get special upgrades for your line (cannons, radar, shield power etc.)
  • 20 colourful maps & a challenging hardcore mode
  • Unique Mini Games for extra fun
  • Amazing original soundtrack with dynamic in-game music.
  • Easy to play – no tutorial needed!
  • Includes 50+ achievements
  • Gamecenter Leaderboards Support


source: Legal Radiation Team

 

Neohabitat Reawakens Lucasfilm’s First MMORPG

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It seems that we may have been living under a rock all this time! We are the first to admit that we aren’t massive fans of adventure or RPG style games, but when the C64 is involved, we always sit up and take note!

Now cast your mind back to 1986 when Lucasfilm Games (LucasArts) began previewing their new online game Habitat (developed a year earlier) in magazines of the time. If you are lucky enough to remember, you’d recall that the game looked bloody amazing, a cross between an adventure game and something akin to an online chat room. If your recollections are a bit fuzzy, then think of a multiplayer SCUMM game before Lucasfilm were anywhere near releasing Maniac Mansion! Then, the game went into a closed beta and didn’t see the light of day till 1988, when it was scaled back as Club Caribe. Ah, you would be forgiven in thinking that the game was lost to the sands of time. But wait, there is a new ending to this story.

Before we get swept away by the nostalgic tide, let us give you the good news – Neohabitat have reawakened the original Lucasfilm Habitat server, which is now available for anyone and everyone to play online – for free! How awesome is that! It will feel familiar to those accustomed to the SCUMM-like interface, complete with cross hairs with a modern twist, which ain’t a bad thing at all.

Who would have thought that we’d be playing an MMORPG in 2017 that was made over three decades ago! It is indeed a great time to be a retro gamer!

source: Bobby Blackwolf on YouTube

Concept art for the box cover of Lucasfilm’s Habitat game. Source: Wikipedia

 

Steam Greenlight: Lode Runner Legacy

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“Lode Runner Legacy” Infiltrates Steam Greenlight
Classic platformer returns with fiendish new challenges

When Tozai Games announced that the classic platformer series Lode Runner was on Steam Greenlight, we had to take note! “Lode Runner Legacy” is the latest edition in the classic Lode Runner series, a masterpiece of action puzzle gaming first introduced in the U.S. in 1983 by creator Doug Smith. This new version features all of the high-adrenaline gameplay Lode Runner is known for with an updated Voxel visual style and powerful editors that let players create their own Runners and items. The Steam Greenlight campaign can be found here.

“Lode Runner endures because its combination of action and puzzle-solving never goes out of style,” says Scott Tsumura, co-founder of Tozai Games. “For this new edition, we’ve included a suite of game editors that allow players to customize to their hearts’ content and create their ‘one and only Lode Runner.’ We hope longtime fans and new players support this updated edition of ‘Lode Runner Legacy’ on Greenlight.”

In Lode Runner, players manipulate “Runner” to infiltrate the evil empire and recover stolen gold while avoiding enemies and minefields. The ingenious balance of puzzle and action gameplay from the original game is alive in “Lode Runner Legacy,” along with many new features that offer a fresh Lode Runner experience to both new players and returning fans alike.

Lode Runner’s frantic action takes place in static, maze-like levels, where a single player dodges enemies while running and climbing platforms to reach and claim stacks of gold. Jumping and shooting foes is forbidden, but blocks can be blasted to access lower platforms or trap pursuing enemies. Winding through ever-increasing levels of complexity is not for the faint of heart.

Key features of Lode Runner Legacy include:

  • Adventure Mode: Sneak through the evil Empire and bring back stolen gold!
  • Puzzle Mode: It’s all puzzles, all the time. No enemies allowed.
  • Classic mode: Play the original 150 levels in 3D!
  • World Levels: An outstanding collection of user-created levels.
  • Level Editor: Create your own levels and share with other fans.
  • Character Editor: Design your own Runner and enemies.
  • Item Editor: Create custom gold items.
  • Online Rankings: Compete against other fans in global standings.

New in this edition:

  • Varying level sizes
  • More technical bonuses
  • Deadly enemies
  • Challenging new AI
  • FPS camera view

“Lode Runner Legacy” is expected to launch this summer. For more information, visit the Tozai blog.

source: Tozai Games

 

Tips And Tricks To Get The Most Out Of Your NES Console

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Be warned peeps, this tips and tricks video will void your old console’s warranty!

The Ben Heck Show team go under the hood of the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) for a complete teardown with tips and tricks on how to breathe new life in the venerable Ninty console.

The team start by disabling the lockout chip (yay!) and also give the cartridge loading bay care and attention as it’s one of the common failures, partly because it functions like an old VCR player! Ben also provides anecdotes from his time at Funcoland (now Gamestop) and also gives us other possible mods for the NES.

So what are you waiting for, grab the screwdriver and start taking apart that grey Nintendo shoe box!


source: The Ben Heck Show


Luftrauserz Cleared For Landing On The C64

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Change your soiled trauserz peeps, as RGCD is busily flashing C64 cartridges with Paul Koller’s Luftrauserz game. Yep, you read that right, the awesome shoot’em up Luftrauserz is coming to the venerable 8-bit micro! Work is also being done on the game’s manual and case inserts which we must say, look absolutely amazing. We’ll hopefully get word on the release date very soon – we’re betting that this game will sell like crazy!

While we are on the C64 news bandwagon, RGCD are also relaunching their out of stock games, which is great news for all of you that missed out on awesome games like Powerglove, C64anabalt, Super Bread Box and Bomberland. These relaunched titles will have improved cartridge labels (see below) and newly designed printed manuals. We reckon we’ll have to hit up RGCD for a few C64 carts for the Classic Gaming Area at PAXAus 2017!

source: RGCD

PAC-MAN X ORLINSKI: Perfect Art

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Released in Japanese arcades on May 22 1980, Namco’s PAC-MAN has just celebrated his 37th anniversary!

When Toru Iwatani, creator of PAC-MAN, had pizza for lunch, he took one piece from the whole pizza and there it was – a circle with an open mouth!

The best ideas often come from the simplest life experiences. Mr. Iwatani didn’t know he would leave such a mark in the video game industry when he was eating his pizza. Yet, 37 years later, PAC-MAN is still one of the most archetypal characters in gaming. As well as changing the face of arcade games back in 1980, Namco also managed to create an icon in popular culture.

For PAC-MAN’s 37th anniversary, Neamedia has just unveiled a Kickstarter for a series of beautiful sculptures designed by Richard Orlinski with support and license from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe.

The collection will be available in 3 versions. A yellow 25cm version, a golden chromed version of the same size, and an exclusive 1 metre version limited to 37 units. Added to that, different stretch goals will unlock special rewards such as a PAC-MAN metal figure, artwork of the original PAC-MAN sketches and a limited-edition art book.

If you want to grab yourself a piece of PAC-MAN history, then head to Kickstarter now!

source: Neamedia – PAC-MAN X ORLINSKI Kickstarter

 

Supanova Comic-Con and Gaming 2017: Melbourne

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Can you believe that Supanova is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2017! Since it started in Sydney all those years ago as comicfest! entertainment expo, Supanova (as we lovingly know it these days) gets bigger and better every year.

This past weekend, Supanova Comic-Con & Gaming Expo came to Melbourne and it definitely did not disappoint. This year’s event at the Melbourne Showgrounds was markedly bigger than the last, which meant there was lots more to see and do, and a lot more space to move around in and meet up with fellow attendees.

We were wowed yet again by the brilliant cosplay on show and for the first time in Melbourne, we even got to play some retro games in the Epic Retro Gaming Lounge. And for those Supa-fans that wanted to check out some cool foam-based toy blasters, the Hasbro’s NerfHQ area was the place to be at to sample the Accustrike, their most accurate Nerf dart!

There were also lots of exciting screenings in the AnimeLab Theatre from hit shows like Sailor Moon Crystal, Terra Formars, Attack On Titan and Beyond the Boundary to name a few. There was also a special event screening of The Osiris Child: Science Fiction Volume One at the Film Ink Theatre on the Friday. If you preferred to check out the seminars, then you weren’t let down, with a myriad of topics from well known artists and actors.

Oh yeah, Supanova always tends to pull in the big name film and TV actors, and this year they went all out by having David Boreanaz of Bones, Angel and Buffy The Vampire Slayer fame in attendance. For us, we were quite chuffed to see our childhood hero, Lee Majors – the Six Million Dollar Man.

If you didn’t get the chance to attend Suponova in Melbourne, then check out some of the pics we took from this most awesome event!

Michael Lanzer – The Puppet Creation Lab

First time Supanovians: Phil and Kristy!

1951 Queen of Hearts by Veldrath Custom Embroidery and Cosplay (Bree Frost)

Ms and Mr Ausretrogamer – we hope to see you all back at Supanova in 2018!

GoldenEra: The Untold Story Behind The N64’s GoldenEye 007

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Hands up those of you that haven’t played GoldenEye 007 on the Nintendo 64. If you have put your hand up, then we strongly urge you to rectify the situation and play this game at this instant – it is that damn good!

For the rest of you, we all know how awesome and revolutionary Rare’s game was on the N64. GoldenEye 007 was so good, that it created the template for all First-Person Shooter (FPS)  games that proceeded it, even till this day!

We would love to know more about the team and what went on in making this landmark game, but we all know how secretive Rare is, especially its enigmatic founding brothers, Tim and Chris Stamper. But, we are happy to report that our prayers have been answered!

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of GoldenEye 007, Melbourne based, Roller Coaster Productions is aiming to create a documentary on this influential console shooter, with the aim of exploring the untold story behind the game. The film, aptly titled GoldenEra, will examine how a young and inexperienced team were trusted to work on such a huge licence, how the game continued in spite of its cancellation, and most importantly, how they motivated each other to surpass all expectations and create a game that would shape the genre and delight players for years to come. GoldenEra will also delve into personal anecdotes from the game’s developers, critics, fans and celebrities – discussing how it shaped them and their lives. This documentary will celebrate the game that revolutionised the way we play together, in our lounge rooms and bedrooms with friends and family around the world. GoldenEra’s crowdfunding campaign and teaser trailer have already launched on IndieGoGo, so go and take a look and back it if you can!

GoldenEra – The untold story behind the game from Drew Roller on Vimeo.

We are quite confident in the pedigree of the GoldenEra filmmakers, Drew Roller and Narayan Pattison, with both having extensive content creation and film making experience, so this documentary is in very good and experienced hands. We’ll eagerly watch this IndieGoGo campaign!

source: GoldenEra Documentary

 

Coolate Vectrex 3D Printed LED-Lit Controller

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We’ve been on a Vectrex kick lately, from having a beautiful boxed system donated to us, to the cool custom controller overlay to pimp out our older and tired looking Vectrex controllers. We adore the retro gaming splendour that is the Vectrex!

While we are on this vector kick, we’ve found out that there is a smart cookie out there that has used their 3D printing skills in fabricating a Vectrex controller, decked out in great colours and LED-lit analogue sticks! It’s a bit rough around the edges, but it’s still damn cool.

PLEASE TAKE OUR MONEY!

source: eBay

source: Coolate