Retro Gaming

Five Video Games To Play In Winter

June 27, 2013 By ausretrogamer

For those of us that like to spend time indoors, read on. When the temperature plummets, these old favourites will make you feel like you are enjoying the winter splendor without the chill factor. Sit back and relax, and have a crack at these great winter games:

Winter Games [C64]

Epyx could do no wrong in their ‘Games’ series. Winter Games is no exception. Eight great events to beat your friends in – from skiing, jumping, skating to bobsledding. Just like the other ‘Games’ series, make sure you stay for the closing ceremonies.

Mario Kart 64 [N64]

Mario Kart 64 (MK64) is by far the slickest and well rounded Mario Kart incarnation. It is easy to pick up and play, with varied tracks, surfaces and obstacles. The perfect winter track in MK64 has to be Frappe Snowland. Pick your favourite Nintendo character and get driving, slipping and sliding.

NHL ’94 [SNES] / Hit The Ice [PC-Engine] / Blades Of Steel [NES]

What is a winter video games list without some ice hockey thrown in! Instead of one hockey game, we have chosen three retro classics: NHL ’94 [SNES] for the realism, Hit The Ice [PC-Engine / TurboGrafx-16] and Blades Of Steel [NES] for some ‘not so serious’ ice hockey shenanigans.

Frostbite [Atari 2600]

This one is a bit of a Frogger rip-off. Frostbite extends the Frogger concept by introducing an architectural element to the game – you, as Frostbite Bailey, must avoid all sorts of animals and other pesky obstacles to get to the other side and build your igloos.

Tecmo Super Bowl [NES]

Culminating with the Super Bowl in the northern hemisphere winter, Tecmo Super Bowl is the perfect football game to blast away those winter blues. This is the finest example of an American football game on any 8-bit machine. Forget ‘4th and Inches’ on the C64, this is better. “Set! Blue 80, Blue 80, Hut-Hut!”.

There is nothing better than enjoying games with a tinge of winter from the comfort of your own armchair. Which video games will occupy your time this winter?

PS: If you are lucky enough to be in the opposite season, then check out the five best games to play during summer.

How To Pick The Perfect Video Game

June 25, 2013 By ausretrogamer

I was stunned to find that this “How To Pick The Perfect Video Game” flowchart was created by Mike Brunson of online gaming company, Silver Oak Casino.

Mike has plotted a decision tree with modern and retro video games covering most genres. Go through the flow and find out which game you end up on.

Click on the image to see the full flowchart

Created by: Mike Brunson [Silver Oak Casino]

Retro Gaming: Hobby or Money Pit?

June 23, 2013 By ausretrogamer

Are you one to count all the money you spend on your hobby? Are you in it for the enjoyment the hobby provides or the money it may make?

Hardcore collectors seek to procure ‘Complete In Box’ items as a hobby, with a view that the item will appreciate in capital value due to its condition and desirability amongst other collectors or retro gamers. I personally buy gear to play with, not to have it sit in a box and gather dust.

By definition, hobbies don’t need to generate money. For that reason, I never keep track of how much I spend on retro gaming – It would probably freak me out! I also have a very understanding partner and she encourages me to embrace and enjoy my chosen hobby.

With finite disposable income, we have to pick and choose what we can afford and what we will leave for those more affluent. I do get emotional sometimes over certain ‘hard to get’ items and push myself beyond set limits, but luckily this seldom happens.

I judge the worth of the items I buy according to the nostalgia and enjoyment they bring, not by their monetary value. Heck, sometimes it is just the thrill of the chase that brings me joy – even if I leave empty handed. I do not have regrets about any items I have procured over the last 30 years. I just wish I had kept most of the gaming gear I had as a kid, but I’m sure that could be said for most of us, and there is no point crying over spilt milk.

With the intoxicating allure of nostalgia, we embark on replaying games we enjoyed as children. We like to recapture that exhilarating feeling when whacking that chunk of plastic into our favourite console(s). For that reason, the joy of playing old video games will always be priceless to me.

Ten Of The Best Games: PC-Engine

June 20, 2013 By ausretrogamer

Yet Another Best Games List!

I am often asked to list my favourite games for different systems. Such queries have led to the creation of my “Ten Of The Best Games” series.

The first cab off the rank is NEC’s PC-Engine. I am sure there will be an uproar about certain games being left off the list, but hey, that is the beauty of gaming, we all have our own tastes.

Here are the ten best games to play on the PC-Engine (TurboGrafx-16):

	Title: Bomberman’93 AKA: – Genre: Action Rating: 91%
	Title: PC Genjin AKA: PC Kid / Bonk’s Adventure Genre: Platform Rating: 90%
	Title: R-Type AKA: – Genre: Shoot’em up Rating: 93%
	Title: New Adventure Island AKA: Genre: Platform Rating: 93%
	Title: Battle Lode Runner AKA: – Genre: Puzzle Rating: 89%
	Title: Devil Crash AKA: Devil’s Crush Genre: Pinball Rating: 93%
	Title: Galaga ’88 AKA: Galaga ’90 Genre: Shoot’em up Rating: 90%
	Title: Kyukyoku Tiger AKA: Ultimate Tiger/Twin Cobra/Tiger Heli Genre: Shoot’em up Rating: 91%
	Title: Super Star Soldier AKA: – Genre: Shoot’em up Rating: 90%
	Title: Don Doko Don AKA: – Genre: Platform Rating: 90%

Notable mentions that would make any top PC-Engine games list:

° Gomola Speed	° Street Fighter II: Champion Edition
° Splatterhouse	° Bloody Wolf
° Dungeon Explorer	° KLAX
° The Legend of Hero Tonma	° Legend Of Valkyrie
° Lode Runner	° Momotaro Katsugeki (aka: Peachboy)
° Out Run	° Parasol Stars
° Parodius	° 1943 KAI
° Raiden	° Shinobi
° Soldier Blade	° Space Harrier
° Ninja Spirit	° Ys Book I & II [CD]
° Dracula-X: Rondo Of Blood [CD]	° Seirei Senshi Sprigan [CD]

Five Video Games To Play In Summer

June 13, 2013 By ausretrogamer

When the temperature soars outside, there is only one thing to do – turn on the air-conditioner and grab a video game that will keep you cool and simulate that summer experience.

Australian Retro Gamer digs deep into the old video games library and pulls out five titles perfect for some summer gaming delight.

Wave Race 64 [N64]

Grab your jet-ski and hit the waves. This early N64 title has realistic water effects and an array of differing environments and courses that will keep your heart racing. Play on your own or call a friend over, you will have an absolute ball. Bonsai!

California Games [Lynx]

When you think of California, you think of sun, surf and lots of obscure sports, right? California Games on the Atari Lynx brings four events which will have you playing till the batteries run out. Connect the Lynx to a power outlet and have some fun in the sun.

Virtua Tennis [Dreamcast]

With all the Grand Slams being in summer, it is perfectly natural to pull out your Dreamcast and start playing Virtua Tennis – the best tennis video game ever, period! Practice makes perfect, and the mini games are equally entertaining as blasting your opponent on clay, grass or even hard courts.

Summer Games II [C64]

No summer games list can be complete without Epyx’s seminal favourite. From the triple jump to the cycling event, grab seven of your mates, a sturdy joystick and have some fun! Make sure you watch the closing ceremony fireworks – a perfect touch to a perfect game.

Out Run [PC-Engine]

Jump in your red Ferarri, crank up the stereo, swing past your girlfriend’s place and hit the road. Feel the wind in your hair as you race down the highway to make it to the next checkpoint. Make sure you enjoy those cool and refreshing tunes along the way.

Well, there you have it. These are just a few video games to keep you cool this summer. Which video games will you play?

Top 5 Games Charts: March 1996

June 7, 2013 By ausretrogamer

March 1996 saw the release of the brilliant Coen brothers movie, Fargo. In the same month, we were bopping away to Take That’s “How deep is your love” (we did?!) and the Prodigy’s “Firestarter” (that’s more like it!).

The Sega Mega Drive and Saturn were embroiled in their own 16-bit vs 32-bit war, while Nintendo’s SNES was being stretched to it’s maximum capability.

These were the top games that had us glued to our consoles in March 1996:

	1) Donkey Kong Country 2 (Nintendo)
	2) Yoshi’s Island (Nintendo)
	3) Killer Instinct (Nintendo)
	4) FIFA Soccer ’96 (EA)
	5) Street Racer (Ubisoft)

	1) FIFA Soccer ’96 (EA)
	2) Premier Manager (Sega)
	3) Sonic & Knuckles (Sega)
	4) Micro Machines ’96 (Codemasters)
	5) Mickey Mania (Sony)

	1) Virtua Fighter 2 (Sega)
	2) FIFA Soccer ’96
	3) Firestorm: Thunderhawk 2 (Core Design)
	4) Virtua Cop (Sega)
	5) Daytona USA (Sega)

Retro Gaming Hair Salon

May 30, 2013 By ausretrogamer

For my next haircut, I am visiting Ruben and Bobby’s hair salon in Denmark. Not only will I get a stylish haircut, but I can enjoy their shrine to retro gaming and vintage toys! Hit play and let the nostalgia wash over you.

Video Source: Copenhagers
Image Source: Ruben og Bobby

Top 5 Games Charts: May 1987

May 12, 2013 By ausretrogamer

Back in May 1987, Mannequin was released and Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” was rocketing to number one on the music charts. On the video games front, the Spectrum, C64 and Atari XE/XL computers were lavished with quite a few awesome games.

These were the top five games on each platform for the month of May 1987:

	1) Park Patrol (Firebird)
	2) BMX Simulator (Codemasters)
	3) Gunship (Microprose)
	4) LA SWAT (Mastertronic)
	5) Micro Rhythm (Firebird)

	1) Leaderboard (US Gold)
	2) Bomb Jack II (Elite)
	3) Paperboy (Elite)
	4) Olli and Lissa (Firebird)
	5) Gauntlet (US Gold)

	1) BMX Simulator (Codemasters)
	2) Colony (Bulldog)
	3) Green Beret (Imagine)
	4) Gun Law (Mastertronic)
	5) Silent Service (Microprose)

SuperByte 2013: Chiptunes, Retro Gaming and 8-Bit Art

May 7, 2013 By ausretrogamer

Back in 2012, a musical and cultural festival was held in Manchester – SuperByte 2012. This event had all day micromusic (chiptunes) and retro gaming aplenty. The festival turned out to be the largest of its kind in the UK and attracted visitors from all over Great Britain and mainland Europe.

For 2013, SuperByte is back and bigger than ever! From 13 to 14 September 2013, the UK and international chiptune community will descend on Jabez Clegg in Manchester for two days of live music, visual arts, retro gaming and heaps more. SuperByte 2013 is going to be huge!

Get your SuperByte 2013 tickets now.

Event: SuperByte 2013 Festival
When: September 13 – 14 2013
Where: Jabez Clegg, Manchester

Top 5 Games Charts: August 1985

April 9, 2013 By ausretrogamer

While Madonna’s “Into the groove” was rocking the number one spot on the music charts in August 1985, there were some awesomely great games in the charts of that month for the C64, Spectrum and Amstrad. Here is a hit of nostalgia:

	1) The Way Of The Exploding Fist (Melbourne House)
	2) Elite (Firebird)
	3) Hyper Sports (Imagine)
	4) Frankie Goes To Hollywood (Ocean)
	5) Tour De France (Activision)