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THEVIC20: The Wonder ColourComputer of the 1980s Returns

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Did you miss out on getting your hands on full sized  THEC64 micro computer? Well you are in luck, as you now have an opportunity to fill that 8-bit micro colour computer void!

Full sized version of the 1980’s home computer THEVIC20 will be available in October 2020

Well folks, another timeless classic has been given a new lease of life with the launch of a full-sized version of the VIC-20. Developed by Retro Games Ltd. and distributed by Koch Media, THEVIC20 is a fully licensed reimagining of the early 80’s bestselling home computer.

Following its launch in 1981, the original VIC-20 home computer went on to become the first computer of any kind to sell one million units, and even now still holds a special place in the hearts of its former owners. It’s back again almost 40 years later to tickle your nostalgia!


source: THEC64

The full sized THEVIC20 has a full working keyboard, comes with an updated micro switched classic joystick which plugs into one of the four USB ports, and connects to any modern TV via HDMI. It features three switchable modes – boot straight into original VIC-20 BASIC , C64 BASIC or switch to the Games Carousel and play one of the 64 built in games in 50Hz or 60Hz, with optional CRT Filters/Screen modes. 

As well as the classic VIC-20 and C64 BASIC modes, the pre-installed 64 games include such VIC-20 and C64 classics as – Arcadia and Laser Zone (VIC-20), California Games, Paradroid and Boulder Dash (C64); plus all new additions like Metagalactic Llamas, Subspace Striker, Mega Vault and Gridrunner (VIC-20); topped off with the recently released shoot ‘em up Galencia (C64) and classic text adventure Planet of Death (C64) to let you relive the glory days of true keyboard gaming! You can even load and save your own VIC-20 and C64 games via USB flash drive as well as access multi-disc titles.

THEVIC20 Games Menu Carousel

Selectable 50Hz or 60Hz screen refresh and pixel filter options such as pixel perfect, CRT and scanline emulation

THEVIC20 variant of the THEC64 will hit stores on October 23rd 2020 with a suggested retail price of £109.99/€119.99/~AU$199.99.

For those of you wondering what you get in the THEVIC20 box:

  • THEVIC20 ColourComputer
  • 1.5m / 5 foot wired USB micro switch classic joystick (with added function keys for game specific modes)
  • a USB charging cable and USB AC power adapter
  • HDMI cable (1.2m / 4 foot in length)

THEVIC20 INCLUDED GAMES LIST

VIC-20

Abductor, Andes Attack, Arcadia, Bewitched, Blitzkrieg, Brainstorm, Catcha Snatcha, Connect 4, Encounter, Frantic, Frog Chase, Gridrunner, Harvester, Headbanger’s Heaven, Hell Gate, Laser Zone, Martians, Matrix, Mega Vault, Metagalactic, Llamas Battle at the Edge of Time, Psychedelia, Snake, Starquest, Subspace Striker, Tank Battle, Traxx, Wacky Waiters, Zor.

C64
Alleykat, Bear Bovver, Boulder Dash, California Games, Chips Challenge, Cyberdyne Warrior, Cybernoid II, Destroyer, Firelord, Galencia Mini, Gribbly’s Day Out, Heartland, Impossible Mission, IO, Iridis Alpha, Jumpman, Mega Apocalypse, Nebulus, Netherworld, Paradroid, Pitstop II, Planet of Death, Robin of the Wood, Speedball 2, Spindizzy, Street Sports Baseball, Street Sports Basketball, Summer Games II, Super Cycle, Sword of Fargoal, Temple of Apshai Trilogy, The Arc of Yesod, Uridium, Winter Games, World Games, Zynaps.

image source: Koch Media Ltd.

Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX – A Legend Reborn

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We woke up today to great news that our fave ex-Sega mascot, Alex Kidd, will be getting a new lease of life on modern consoles!

Yep, you read that right, the classic and awesome Sega Master System game, Alex Kidd in Miracle World is being brought into the 21st century, titled Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX! Slated to be released early in 2021 on PC, Switch, Xbox and PlayStation, we honestly can’t wait to reacquaint ourselves with Alex on a modern gaming platform.

We love the brand new visual style, but we are even more chuffed and excited that it will have a retro mode to experience classic Master System Alex Kidd. This new version of AK will feature new levels, modes, and alternative boss battles – all based on the iconic Master System game. So if classic ‘80s platforming is your jam – and it should be, then you will need Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX in your life.

A legend has truly been reborn!

PS: While we wait for this to be released, we’ll keep playing Alex Kidd in Miracle World on our Master System 😉


source: GameTrailers

 

 

The Rise and Fall of Centuri Inc.

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Remember Centuri? Not really? We bet it will ring a bell when you watch this two-part series (on Centuri Inc.) and realise you probably played one (or more) of their licensed video games a fair bit at your local arcade joints.

Cassandra Chiles-Quirk (aka: Vintage Arcade Gal) has done a stellar job in encapsulating the highs and lows of this once great company of the golden age of arcade video games.

The Rise & Fall of Centuri – Part 1

The Rise & Fall of Centuri – Part 2

source: Vintage Arcade Gal

 

Same Same But Different Name

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Why, oh why do publishers change names of games for different regions of the world?

That is the million dollar question. They will give you all sorts of reasons and excuses, but it all boils down to the marketing teams and what they think will work in their segment.

We think these games would have an identity crisis if they were human. Actually, some games are known by more than two different names ! C’mon, that is absurd, no matter where you are from.

Here is a list of well known classic video games that are known by various names around the world. You be the judge of which region names you prefer. If you know of others that aren’t on the list, hit us up on Twitter or Facebook:

Game Name Also Known As (AKA)
Bare Knuckle Streets of Rage
Life Force  Salamander
Contra Gryzor, Probotector
Bad Dudes  DragonNinja, Bad Dudes vs DragonNinja
PC Kid Bonk
Jet Set Radio  Jet Grind Radio
Devil Crash Devil’s Crush, Dragon’s Fury, Devil Crash MD
Another World  Out of this World, Other World
Ninja Gaiden Shadow Warriors
Two Crude Dudes Crude Buster
Buggy Boy Speed Buggy
Green Beret  Rush’n Attack
International Karate  World Karate Championship
Stunt Car Racer Stunt Track Racer
Winter Olympiad 88  Winter Challenge
Slap Fight Alcon
International Karate +  Chop ‘n Drop Karate
Microprose Soccer  Keith van Eron’s Pro Soccer
Driller  Space Station Oblivion
The Sentinel  The Sentry
Nebulus  Tower Toppler
Pipemania  Pipe Dream
Rock ‘n Wrestle  Bop ‘n Wrestle

 

 

PAC-MAN Tamagotchi Has Officially Launched

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Waka waka waka waka waka waka

To celebrate the iconic yellow pill muncher’s 40th anniversary this year, Tamagotchi and PAC-MAN have teamed up to bring fans a new virtual pet experience – PAC-MAN TAMAGOTCHI!

The Tamagotchi device stars PAC-MAN as the virtual pet character with iconic PAC-MAN features – see further below!

Officially released on March 15th, PAC-MAN Tamagotchi is now available on store shelves. This is perfect for on-the-go entertainment – it fits easily into pockets or bags and it even includes a wearable key-chain allowing kids or their parents to tend to their PAC-MAN Tamagotchi wherever they go!

PAC-MAN Tamagotchi Features:

  • Raise and nurture your Tamagotchi character with the help of PAC-MAN
  • PAC-MAN will save your Tamagotchi character from the ghosts and bugs
  • Feed your Tamagotchi rice or PAC-MAN’s favourite, cherries
  • Raise your Tamagotchi character from egg to baby to adult
  • 7 adults included, which is determined by how you take care of your PAC-MAN Tamagotchi character
  • Two fun mini-games: play the Pac Game and the Catch Game!
  • Two different shell styles to choose from
  • Two PAC-MAN mazes to choose from; yellow and black
  • Battery (LR44) included
  • No WiFi needed

The PAC-MAN Tamagotchi also comes in a Deluxe Assortment that includes a PAC-MAN case to protect your device! Join the PAC and get ready to commemorate PAC-MAN’s 40th Anniversary as a pop culture and video game icon!

Available from:

  • Amazon (US)
  • Big W (Aus)
  • EB Games (Aus)

image source: Tamagotchi US

 

Arcade Archives P.O.W. PRISONERS OF WAR

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Oh yeah! One of our favourite SNK arcade games from the late 80s, P.O.W.: Prisoners Of War, is now incarcerated on the Nintendo Switch and PS4!

This side-scrolling beat’em up was a staple for us in the arcade. Once you lit the fuse to break free from your jail cell, then all hell broke loose as you punched, kicked, jumped and shot your way out to freedom by taking out the enemy’s main base and their leader. Getting to the chopper didn’t get better than this. The best part of the game was having a buddy with you (Player 2) to play co-op and cause as much havoc and mayhem in your prison break adventure!

We are quite chuffed to now be able line up our coins to play P.O.W. Prisoners Of War on our Switch, either on the go or on our humongous LCD TV to take in all that raster graphics goodness!

Title: Arcade Archives P.O.W. PRISONERS OF WAR
Platform: Nintendo Switch™/PlayStation®4
Price: from US$7.99 / £6.29 / AU$10.50
Players: 1-2

image source: HAMSTER Co. Arcade Archives

 

Arcade Raid Over Dubbo

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Have you ever dreamed of raiding a warehouse full of arcade machine we used to play back in the day?

Well, that dream is now a reality, thanks to Dubbo Arcade and Amusements! From looking at the photos on their Facebook page, we reckon they may have pretty much what most of us are after, either an old school arcade machine from the 80s or 90s, those hard to find arcade game boards, Hankin cocktail tables, or perhaps a jukebox or a pinball machine to tickle your nostalgic nerve.

Whatever you are after, we reckon a visit to Dubbo may be in order 😉

image source: Dubbo Arcade and Amusements via Facebook

 

Metroid: Mother Brain Is an Iconic Villain

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Metroid’s Mother Brain is considered one of the most diabolical she-villains in video game history.

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with defeating Mother Brain every time I put my Metroid cartridge into my Nintendo Entertainment System. It took me a while to finally defeat her, and when I did, I wondered if Mother Brain had a backstory. How did she get to possess such vast power?

When I would play the original Metroid, I found Mother Brain fascinating. In later Metroid games, we got a little backstory on Mother Brain, but none of it seemed that imaginative. The original design of Mother Brain was the best. All of the designs in later games, especially in Super Metroid, when Mother Brain looked like a brain with a grotesque chicken body, were slightly extreme and almost silly. In the original Metroid, Mother Brain was captivating and menacing by just sitting in a glass jar, controlling the game like a puppet master. When I would defeat Mother Brain, my imagination would run wild. Was what we saw in the jar her original or real form?

image source: Samolo via Deviantart

Metroid was not the easiest game to beat. It took me several tries before I finally completed the game. I wasn’t an expert at the game like my brother. It took him just a day or two to defeat Mother Brain. Then he would usually move on to another game and beat that before me as well.

In the video game magazines of the time, like Nintendo Power, they never really went into much depth when it came to the iconic, she-villain. But the early games didn’t tell as much about Mother Brain either. It must’ve been a boring existence, just sitting there in a protective glass jar, ruling the planet, hoping that a bounty hunter wouldn’t come along and destroy you. However, she did have an army of henchmen protecting her. Villains in other major games at the time were primarily male and mostly on the beefy side.

Mother Brain was engrossing because she was so different from all of the other heavy villains in video games. Mother Brain is one of the reasons Metroid is a classic NES game.

image source: metroid.fandom.com

 

Sega Mega Drive 16-Bit Watch

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Don’t blame us for showing you this, it is all Since Spacies fault!

When we saw Brian’s (aka: Since Spacies) tweet about this Game Glorious Mega Drive watch, we were literally throwing money at our screens, about AUD $19.50 (to be exact).
Don’t get too excited though, Game Glorious has opened pre-sale orders for this watch (and other Mega Drive related items) which will be showcased in their booth at the Tokyo Game Show 2019 event starting this week (September 12th – 15th).

image source: game.watch.impress

 

Star Wars The Retro Collection Action Figures

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NOTE: The pre-orders have sold out! If you are interested in this collection, please ensure you subscribe to get notified when they are available. The original story follows below.

How fast can you say, “WANT!”? Well, we can tell you how fast we said it for these new (old looking) Star Wars Retro Collection Action Figures – it was exactly 0.0001 seconds, that’s how fast.

Inspired by the original 1978 Kenner Star Wars 3 3/4-inch action figures, these Star Wars The Retro Collection Action Figures (part of wave 1) are a must get for anyone with an ounce of nostalgia for the old school figures they once had or lusted after back in the day. Packaged on classic 6-inch by 9-inch cardbacks with faux ageing, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between these and the original Kenner figures – at least these are cheaper! Oh yeah, each figure has 6 points of articulation and an accessory for you to pose them in their iconic stance from the original movie – we love Darth Vader’s and Luke Skywalker’s retractable telescopic lightsabers!

So what do you get in the Star Wars The Retro Collection Action Figures Wave 1 Case? The case includes 6 individually packaged action figures:

  • Darth Vader
  • Luke Skywalker
  • Stormtrooper
  • Princess Leia Organa
  • Chewbacca
  • Han Solo

The force is strong with these action figures!

[via: technabob]