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A Nostalgic Set of Mix Tape Cassette Kitchen Sponges

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Do you wanna rock your kitchen with this set of nostalgia inducing kitchen sponges?

Being from a certain generation, we love cassettes, so the look of these classic mix tapes cassette sponges are right up our alley! The detail on the cassettes are so cool, with mix tape graffiti style scrawling on each sponge with clever titles like; “Spruce Springclean”, “‘NSink”, “Sponge N’ Hoses”, and “Greasy Boys” – so punny!

The mix tapes cassette sponges are sold as a pack of four inside a retro-style boombox case! Let’s just say that this will make cleaning more fun!

image source: genuinefred



Leonard Nimoy Is Introduced to the Magnavision VH-8000 LaserDisc Player in 1981

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Ah, love seeing one of our fave Trekkies, Spock (the late Mr. Leonard Nimoy) getting in amongst it when it come to video games, even if it is quite cheesy!

A long time ago, in our own galaxy, Leonard Nimoy – the Magnavox spokesperson, is guided and introduced to the Magnavox Magnavision VH-8000 LaserDisc Player by a cheesy white rock that blinks and beeps as a means of communication in this 1981 demonstration.

The mustachioed Nimoy, his white clothing and the Star Trek inspired theme music just ooze that 1980s vibe! Say cheese!


source: Watcher3223



Simon Dragon – The Best Double Dragon Clone!

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Thanks to peeps like Friends of Bernie’s on Twitter, we find out some really cool stuff that we may have missed otherwise, like Clauio Cimini’s SIMON DRAGON!

So who or what is SIMON DRAGON? If you have played Double Dragon, then you know what to expect! SIMON DRAGON stars one Simone Bonino, an Italian bodyguard that it entrusted by his clients to provide them safe passage to the exclusive party at Sentimento Terrace. Along the way, Simone encounters a lot of obstacles, bad dudes and dudettes that he punches and kicks out of the way to ensure his clients aren’t late to the party of the century!

SIMON DRAGON is an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G Double Dragon clone that beat’em up fans will relish!

Go and kick some baddie a***!!!!

image source: Itch.io

 



Atari returns with the new Atari VCS on June 10

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’80s video gaming icon Atari targets the living room with the Atari VCS — a completely modern gaming and video computer system!

Bluemouth Interactive today announced 10 June as the Australia/New Zealand retail on sale date for the Atari VCS, Atari’s modern video computer system that blends the best of PCs and consoles. The Atari VCS is the company’s first new hardware product in 25 years, which retails for AU$849.95 / NZ$899.95 and is currently available for preorder from JB Hi-Fi, EB Games, Catch.com.au, The Gamesmen, and Mighty Ape for NZ residents.

“We’re so excited to bring this reimagined ’80s icon back in a completely modern way to everyone’s living rooms with the Atari VCS,” said Bluemouth Co-Founder and Managing Director David Provan. “The system brings a hit of nostalgia to fans with its classic arcade titles, but also complete versatility to play newer games and stream all in the same place.”

“June 10th is a day that eager Atari fans have been waiting for. The Atari VCS has been well-received by our early-adopter community and we are thrilled that more people will have an opportunity to enjoy Atari’s Video Computer System in their homes.” said Michael Arzt, COO of Atari VCS and Connected Devices.

“We appreciate the strong support of Bluemouth and their retail partners, including EB Games, JB HiFi, The Gamesmen, Amazon Australia and Catch.com.au during this exciting launch.”

The Atari VCS offers something for every gamer, starting with over a dozen titles from popular independent game developers — including Boulder Dash Deluxe, Danger Scavenger, Guntech, Jetboard Joust, Sir Lovelot, Something Ate My Alien, Tailgunner, Atari’s Missile Command: Recharged, and more — with new titles to launch on the Atari VCS store through the year. The Atari VCS also comes preinstalled with the Atari VCS Vault, an exclusive collection of over 100 arcade and Atari 2600 classics, fully optimised for use with the Wireless Classic Joystick, with its rumble and LED light effects that give retro favourites new life.

To coincide with the launch of Atari in Australia and New Zealand, Antstream Arcade is launching for Australian gamers, giving players access to a massive library of classic arcade games. Dubbed as the Netflix of retro games, Antstream opens up a catalogue of over a thousand carefully curated games to choose from, providing Atari users in Australia an expansive gaming experience. Antstream is currently live in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

The Atari VCS includes Chrome as its built-in browser, allowing full access to Google’s Workspace apps for productivity use such as checking emails and social media, catching up on work, or streaming content. The Atari VCS’s unique PC Mode is compatible with Linux, Windows and Chrome OS operating systems, among others, making the system a versatile two-in-one device. The Atari VCS is compatible with most PC peripherals including keyboards, mice and game controllers to create a flexible home game system.

The Atari VCS PC/console hybrid is designed as a multimedia PC and home game system to delight a whole new generation of gamers and creators. The Atari VCS is powered by an AMD Raven Ridge 2 APU and Ryzen GPU and comes equipped with 8GB DDR4 RAM and a 32GB hard drive with the option to customise and upgrade both RAM and storage. Atari VCS All-In system bundles also include a Wireless Classic Joystick and the all-new Wireless Modern Controller designed for both retro gameplay and the latest PC game titles.

For more information on the Atari VCS, visit atarivcs.com.

Source: Media Release (including images) supplied



Commodore Computer Sales 1977-1996

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We love these time-lapse sliding charts, so when we found this one based on sales of Commodore computers, we knew we had to share them with you all.

It is no surprise which Commodore computer ends up on top pretty much from 1982 to 1996, but the others were a bit of a surprise (which we won’t spoil).

Are you keeping up with the Commodore? 😉


source: Sven Dännart

NOTE: The creator (Sven Dännart) has advised that some of the figures are estimates, so take all of this with a grain of salt. It’s still cool though.



Obscure Commodore Controllers

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We cherish our Commodore gear, from the Commodore 64 and Amiga 1200, to our Commodore watches, joysticks, CD32 and the obscure and gorgeous CDTV (aka: Compact Disc Television / Commodore Dynamic Total Vision).

Speaking of the Commodore CDTV, we particularly love its obscure controllers, the game pad that doubles as a remote control and the CD1200 trackball – both using good ole fashioned infrared (no Bluetooth here – Ed) for that true wireless gaming experience. There is also the CDTV keyboard, but that ain’t no controller, well, sort of.

The CD1200 trackball is peculiar in that it also has two DB9 joystick ports on the front so that you can hook up you fave joysticks, like the TAC-2, to play your Amiga games in comfort. However, the use of “C” batteries to power it in wireless (IR) mode is not that environmentally friendly at all. The remote control / game pad on the other hand uses “AA”, which means we can use our Eneloops for a more enviro friendly gaming session.

What obscure Commodore gear do you have? Hit us up on Twitter or our Facebook page now!

CDTV Remote Control

CD1200 Trackball

CD1200 Trackball – joystick ports

CDTV – Keyboard et al



EVERCADE Retro Games Console – Review

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Evercade review
  • Product: EVERCADE Premium Pack – handheld + 3 classic gaming collections (37 titles)
  • Price: AU$159.95
  • Store: PixelCrib

A couple of years ago, we were quite excited to tell you all about a mysterious new handheld console that was like no other – the EVERCADE!

The EVERCADE handheld system was touted to be able to play multi-game retro games on physical cartridges from leading games publishers and console platforms. Since this news broke in early 2019, the EVERCADE has gone on to become quite popular since its release, garnering fanfare and glowing reviews from reputable online media outlets. Now it was our turn to take the EVERCADE for a spin and tell you what we think! First and foremost, some good news for our Australian readers, the EVERCADE is now locally stocked at PixelCrib!

PROS

 CONS
+ Officially licensed games on cartridges
+ Priced competitively
+ Expanding library of game carts
+ Collectability
+ Build quality		 – Arcade games (so far) are console ports
– Wait is too long for new cartridge releases
– Screen needs to be angled at times in poorly lit areas
 – Wish it came in black

Upon opening the package and holding the unit, our first impression of the intriguing EVERCADE was that it looked and felt like a much more expensive handheld – not quite like the Nintendo Switch, but that system commands a much steeper price. For the introductory price (AU$159.95), the EVERCADE Premium Pack definitely packs quite a lot; great build quality and three gaming cart compilations included to get you playing right away!

The EVERCADE Premium Pack is exceptional value

From a physical perspective, the D-pad and four face buttons feel great – with the buttons spaced well apart with no lag. We didn’t experience any hand fatigue or cramping while playing on the EVERCADE, so the experience was quite positive. The shoulder buttons weren’t used in any of the games we played, so we can’t really comment how well they fair with extensive gameplay – they definitely felt good when pressed, with a satisfying tactile click.



No handheld is complete without a good screen, and the EVERCADE’s 4.3″ display is no exception, with bright vivid video. However, we did find that we had to angle it at times when playing in a darker or a poorly lit room, but this small niggle was improved somewhat by bumping up the screen brightness to maximum. Oh yeah, the other screen option is the aspect ratio, with the EVERCADE providing both 4:3 (traditional ‘square’) 16:9 (scaled widescreen) – we found both screen ratios to be playable, with no discernible stretching when going from square to full-widescreen, so choose what best suits you.

The cartridges slot in from the top, behind the unit, with their top rounded shape completing the look of the EVERCADE. There is something quite satisfying when inserting and clicking in a cartridge. The EVERCADE’s volume buttons, 3.5mm headphone jack and mini-USB port are on the bottom, which are all well within reach. The top of the unit has the slide on/off switch, cartridge slot, shoulder buttons and mini-HDMI which allows for connectivity to a new TV with up-scaled graphics to HD (720p), making the old school games look pretty good on any new big screen TV. Obviously Full HD or higher would’ve been even better.

Specs

  • CPU: 1.2GHz Cortex-A7
  • Display: Horizontal 4.3-inch LCD screen, 480 x 272 pixels
  • Power: 2,000-mAh rechargeable battery
  • Ports: 1 x mini-HDMI out, 1 x 3.5mm headphone jack, 1 x micro-USB (charging)
  • Media: cartridges

Once you insert the game cart and turn on the unit, the interface is quite easy to use and follow. Games are started by pressing the start button and then within the game, you have the in-game menu which allows the user to load (a saved game) or save your current game, change the aspect ratio, language or quit the current game. The save game is a welcome feature, as it gives you the ability to see more of those harder retro classics without the need to restart from the beginning – it doesn’t feel like cheating. You can keep playing for up to 4 – 5 hours on the EVERCADE before it needs recharging – we just we wish it lasted longer.  But hey, you can play and charge if you want to keep going!

As eluded earlier, the Premium Pack comes with three cartridges; Namco Museum Collection 1 (11 games), Interplay Collection 1 (6 games) and the Atari Collection 1 (20 games). With 37 games to select from, you’ll definitely be kept busy right off the bat. We were quite chuffed to see that Blaze Entertainment secured the first ever western localisation of Mappy Kids on the Namco Museum Collection 1. There are now some 18 cartridges you can either buy or pre-order for the EVERCADE, so there is something for everyone! For the record, we can’t wait to grab the Atari Lynx and Data East Collections for now, as they are packed with games we know and love. The newly announced Codemasters Collection will be a winner too (released later in 2021).

With a number of well known publishers onboard, the EVERCADE isn’t short on game carts, with many more to come. Add the newly announced EVERCADE VS console into the mix and an ever-growing user base, and all of a sudden the value proposition for the EVERCADE becomes quite attractive. In the world of digital downloads, it is great to have a system that you can buy official physical game carts, with their cool game boxes and actual colour manuals – remember those?! The collector in us is quite giddy and satisfied with the collectable elements that the EVERCADE provides.

Verdict

The EVERCADE may not be for everyone, but its secret is in the use of officially licensed games released on physical media. With this key differentiation, we feel that the EVERCADE sits on its own in a category full of emulation-capable handhelds with not-so-official licensed games. With an enticing price point for the unit and games, the EVERCADE provides great value. If you haven’t done so, check out the EVERCADE and its growing library of games and then decide if it is for you – we bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

 

 

Disclosure: EVERCADE Retro Games Handheld System was provided by PixelCrib for this review.



The Mini Vectrex VideoSystem

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We know this is OLD news, but who doesn’t like seeing this again?

Back in late 2018, the National Videogame Museum (NVM) in Texas (USA) tracked down the much rumoured Mini Vectrex VideoSystem. Once it was found that this was a working system, the NVM secured it as part of their Vectrex archive, ensuring all could see this lost treasure on display!

GCE designed and developed the Mini Vectrex just after being purchased by Milton Bradley in 1983. The mini system was to offer a slim alternative, much like contemporary mini console revisions of video games systems from the past. Now imagine if this actually made it to retail stores……….

We definitely could never get sick of watching the Mini Vectrex in action!


source: National Videogame Museum

 

New He-Man related Documentary, ‘Faking Filmation’ is now LIVE on Kickstarter!

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Faking FilmationWhen we got the email from Rob McCallum about a new MOTU related doco, we sat up and took note. We had previously backed the Power Of Grayskull documentary, which was darn awesome. So when Rob’s email advised us of the new Faking Filmation Kickstarter, we knew we had to jump on it right away!

The Faking Filmation documentary delves in the history of cartoons, with lots of attention to Filmation – the pioneering animation studio that helped start ‘Saturday Morning Cartoons’ and revolutionised weekday afternoon cartoons with He-Man and She-Ra.

But wait, there is more! This new project tackles all that cartoon goodness and wraps it around the story of He-Man mega fan, James Eatock, who has spent the last 3.5 years crafting his own unofficial He-Man cartoon called, “The Return of Faker.” James was just about to release the unofficial cartoon when he was hit with a cease and desist letter preventing him from doing it. Now, he’s on a mission to overcome this obstacle and share it with the world – how awesome is that! 

If you want more Masters of The Universe documentary content, or a look at cartoon history, or you just want to see James’ amazing work (and his process to pull it off), then jump on the Faking Filmation Kickstarter right now!

Faking Filmation Kickstarterimage source: Faking Filmation via Kickstarter

 

June is Atari Month!

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Attention our fellow Atarians (fans of the old Atari),

The month of June is fast approaching and you all know what that means – it’s !

To celebrate 49 years of Atari, we are asking you to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and get writing about your affinity for this iconic brand.

This is your opportunity to let your writing juices flow! To get you started, check out Matt Lacey’s Atari story from the last time we ran for Atari’s 42nd anniversary.

Once you are satisfied with your written masterpiece, just submit it to us here. The most entertaining submissions will be immortalised on ausretrogamer.com!

There is no word limit, so go for your life (just keep it clean)! Article submissions are opened from now till June 25 2021. That means you have (almost) 3 months for your submission, so get cracking you awesome Atarians!