retrogaming

Iron Maiden – Speed Of Light

August 31, 2015 By Ms. ausretrogamer

Iron Maiden has a new album ‘The Book Of Souls’ coming out this Friday (4 September 2015). Check out the awesome retrogaming-themed single ‘Speed of Light’ in which Eddie the Head travels through a nostalgic wormhole where he battles his way through iconic platform, run’n gun, fighter and first-person shooter video games.

After you are done watching the music video, have a crack at the Speed Of Light Game!

Video source: Iron Maiden on YouTube

Source: Iron Maiden via Laughing Squid

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Ms. ausretrogamer
Co-founder, editor and writer at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

Follow Ms. ausretrogamer on Twitter

Top 30 C64 Games Of August 1988

August 24, 2015 By ausretrogamer

1988 was my favourite year of the 1980s. I was still playing arcade machines that had come out a year or two before ’88, like Bubble Bobble and Double Dragon, but the new machines hitting our shores were just so impressive – Power Drift, Galaxy Force, Chase H.Q., Ninja Warriors, Dragon Ninja, P.O.W., Vigilante, Cabal, Ninja Gaiden, Forgotten Worlds, Operation Thunderbolt, we could literally go on for another couple of paragraphs! I just wish someone invented a time machine already!

1988 was also a gaming bonanza on the C64. There were great original games, film tie-ins and arcade conversions aplenty. If you were wondering what the top 30 C64 games were this month (August) in 1988, take a peek below, we promise it will send a nostalgic shiver down your spine. Oh, and in case you were wondering, Aliens was our favourite movie on VHS at the time. 1988 was a darn good year!

chart source: Zzap!64 August 1988 issue

You Don’t Know Jack! Interview with Jack Tramiel from PC’89!

August 15, 2015 By ausretrogamer

Considering that August is all about the Commodore 64 (#C64Month), we thought we would revisit an interview with Commodore (Ed: and Atari Corp.) founder, Jack Tramiel (born: Idek Trzmiel). The interview took place at Darling Harbour in Sydney, Australia, while Jack was here to officially open the PC’89 exhibition. As per usual, Jack is candid in his responses and provides us with an insight into his early life that shaped him as a ruthless businessman. If you are a Commodore fan (Ed: or an Atari fan), grab yourself some popcorn and read on……

Presenter: Jack Tramiel is here in Australia to open the PC ’89 exhibition at Darling Harbour which starts today, and he’s given us a little bit of time in the studio this morning. Good morning.
Jack Tramiel: Good morning.

Presenter: We work our guests hard when they come to Australia and you’re finding that out, aren’t you?
Jack Tramiel: I do yes.

Presenter: You’ve had a very busy time.
Jack Tramiel: But I’m enjoying it.

Presenter: Are you?
Jack Tramiel: Yes.

Presenter: Well I’m glad to hear that. In fact we’ve got a line of Americans in this hour of the program which is interesting because it’s a lot of people from your part of the world making their way to our shores. Commodore 64 is big here, it’s big just about everywhere isn’t it?
Jack Tramiel: Yes it is.

Presenter: Did you really invent it?
Jack Tramiel: No I’m not the engineer. I’m a businessman, but I do know what the public wants and I know how to bring technology and people together. And by living in Silicon Valley where the technology was born I know it’s available, I know how to bring like I said people together and sell volume to bring the price down that the average person can afford to buy. In this we’ve made the 64 so successful.

Presenter: Commodore started out as a fairly small company I think didn’t it? What did they start out as?
Jack Tramiel: Well I founded Commodore and that was in 1955 in Toronto Canada.

Presenter: Where did you get the name from?
Jack Tramiel: From the back of a Opal Commodore of a car.

Presenter: It was as ordinary as that was it?
Jack Tramiel: I was sitting in a taxi cab and I was trying to get the name for the company which I was building, and I was really looking to make it call it General, I’d just come out of the army and I was in the army for three years and seven months, so I was looking for something strong, so I was looking for a name like General which I couldn’t get because it was taken. Then I was looking for a name like Admiral, and that was taken, and as I was talking to a friend of mine in the cab right in front of me this car with the name Commodore. I said well let’s try this one.

Presenter: And that was it?
Jack Tramiel: And that was it.

Presenter: What a wonderful story, I love it, I love it. We’re back in 1955, let’s go a little bit further back, life started for you in Poland, is that right?
Jack Tramiel: Yes I was born in Poland, I was born in 1928, in 1939 the war started and that’s the time when I to a certain extent left Poland. Auschwitz was still in Poland but it was not Poland for me.

Presenter: When you were in Auschwitz?
Jack Tramiel: Yes.

Presenter: For how long?
Jack Tramiel: I was in the camps altogether for five years and a few months.

Presenter: And then America?
Jack Tramiel: Then I spent two years in Germany from April 10th 1945 till November 19th 1947. In November 1947 I left Germany and went to the United States.

Presenter: Did you have a lot of money?
Jack Tramiel: I had absolutely no money at all when I arrived in the States, I’m Jewish, that’s the reason I was in camp, and a Jewish organisation paid for my ticket and they also gave me 10 dollars spending money. And when I arrived I was in a hostel like which was done by the Jewish Immigration Association and for three weeks I had to find my own way and I started to work for whatever job I could find. But when I did arrive in New York I did not believe that I’m in the United States.

Presenter: Why?
Jack Tramiel: Because it was just like being back in Poland, same language, the area I was in it was lots of immigrants and it had the same smell of pickles and of herring and all that which was very nice but this is not what I came for. And I made a decision that the United States was extremely good to me, I was liberated by the Americans and I felt I wanted to learn more about America so I joined the army.

Presenter: Where did you fight, or did you not fight? Did you go to Korea?
Jack Tramiel: No I didn’t go anywhere.

Presenter: You just joined the army?
Jack Tramiel: I joined the army and it did me a lot of good to learn all about America because it was a peopledom. Washington State, from California, from Texas and from New York and black and green and white – all kinds of different people, and I found that America is not New York City only, there is much more to it. Then I left the army and after two years and the Korean War started and I was recalled, but I was still lucky that I was not shipped to the front and there the second time around I made a decision that I’d better learn a trade, and the army gave that opportunity to start repairing office equipment like typewriters and adding machines etc. And before I left I was in charge of the First Army Office Equipment Repair Department which we had something like 25-thousand pieces of equipment in there for repairs. And when I left the army I actually continued working in the same field.

Presenter: And that was the genesis of your interest in computers?
Jack Tramiel: Correct. And so during the day I was working in an office equipment repair shop, at night I was driving a cab to be able to feed my family and after a while I decided I’d better use my allowance which I received from the United States Army I was entitled to borrow 25-thousand dollars from the bank with a government guarantee. And I actually took that money and I started my own business, my own little shop. And after I had done that I found that New York City in which I was in the Bronx, it was just a little too big, people were too smart and 25-thousand dollars which is not enough. And my wife had lots of family, she’s also a survivor, also from Poland, and she had a lot of family in Toronto and we used to go there every once in a while, so we decided to move to Toronto. And there I repaired again the typewriters and adding machines in a company by the name of Sears Roebuck liked my services and they asked me if I’d possibly could find a way how I could assembly a typewriter for them. Being young enough and foolish enough I figure it’s an easy task, as long as you have money you can do almost anything. Well I get 176-thousand dollar loan from Sears and I started to try to find a license to build typewriters. Well no American or West European country or company wanted to give me a license, so I wound up getting a license from Czechoslovakia.

And I actually brought 50 technicians over the counter, we started building typewriters. And we built so many that we could not sell them all in Canada and I had to start exporting them back to the States and that’s the way Commodore started.

Presenter: That’s a fantastic story and it tells me because you haven’t said this, but it tells me that you’re a man of great determination, that you don’t think that any obstacle can get in your way. Do you feel that?
Jack Tramiel: I don’t feel that. When I look back you know there must be something you know. In the camp that I told you I was in there was 10-thousand people in 1944, and we moved from Auschwitz to Hanover and when the war came to an end of these 10-thousand there was only 60 left.

Presenter: 60 individuals?
Jack Tramiel: 60 individuals from 10-thousand people. I was one of those 60. So from there on, nothing was difficult to me.

Presenter: No, having survived that.
Jack Tramiel: Right. So I believe when a person has a goal, when a person is willing to work hard, the person does not want to become rich the same day but he looks at it in the long term, he can make it. The key is to give first and receive after. We live in a society today that’s just the opposite.

Presenter: Everybody wants to take, take, take don’t they?
Jack Tramiel: Right now.

Presenter: Instant gratification?
Jack Tramiel: But if you are willing to invest your time, your effort and you’re willing to serve society, society will reward you in time.

Presenter: Extraordinary, an amazing story. And you’ve got a very happy face. Are you a happy person do you think?
Jack Tramiel: Well a very happy person because I, I’m just looking at that in 1945 I was reborn, I don’t look back, I do remember but I don’t have any hate in me. I have built a company, I have built a family, I have three sons and four grandchildren and they all know about my background and about success and they’re all working together with me, my three sons are part of my company, and we are very happy with what we’ve accomplished.

Presenter: Well welcome to our country, I hope you have a happy stay, and I hope they don’t work you too hard, not in this humidity anyway.
Jack Tramiel: Thank you.

Interview source: commodore.caImage source: 8bitlegends

Press Play On Tape: An MSX Master Class

August 11, 2015 By ausretrogamer

If your knowledge of MSX is a bit sketchy, then you must listen to episode 5 of the PRESS PLAY ON TAPE podcast! Our special guest, Tony Cruise (Electric Adventures), gives us (and all of you guys) a master class in all things MSX – things that you wouldn’t have otherwise known or been able to find easily on the net!

The publisher of choice for this month was Konami, chosen by Daz. Daz gave special instructions to Alex Boz – to ask the community about their favourite Konami games, but alas, Alex gave everyone a bum steer – surely Daz will exact his revenge next month? Listen to episode 5 now, we guarantee you will learn something new!

PRESS PLAY ON TAPE podcasts are available on iTunes and Podbean

Coming To America

August 7, 2015 By ausretrogamer

It’s been a while since we had a holiday – our last proper trip was to the Gold Coast (where we spent a lot of time at Timezone Surfers Paradise) almost 2 years ago. So we are well overdue for a vacation!

Although we have been to the US before and visited some great retrogaming tourist attractions (e.g. San Francisco’s Musée Mechanique, the Nintendo World Store in NYC, plus 8Bit & Up and Video Games NY) there are more than enough places left to visit to justify a return trip. This time we will be concentrating on the West Coast.

Los Angeles
Once we hit LA, we do what all tourists do, go on a TMZ Hollywood Tour to check out where the celebs hang out. Also, while in the US, attending a live taping of a show is a must – we will be ticking @Midnight off of our bucket list too (Ed: Hope Stacey Borg will be watching!). And no trip is complete without a feed and gaming session at Dave and Buster’s (in Hollywood).

Anaheim (a.k.a. Disneyland!)
When we think of Anaheim, we think of Disneyland! With a 3-day pass, surely we will get to experience everything that Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park have to offer! Then we’ll hit the Games of the Boardwalk and the ESPN Zone Sports Arena in the Downtown Disney District.

Once we are done with Disneyland, we’ll be checking out the Exodus Escape Room – Sherlock’s Study and Trap Room, and hopefully Video Game Geeks and Phat Collectibles. I get the feeling we should have booked an extra day or two…

Las Vegas
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas! Nah, we don’t subscribe to that saying, we will be happy to share our Vegas experience with you all! I know that Alex is really looking forward to hitting the Pinball Hall Of Fame and then going retro gaming shopping at A Gamer’s Paradise store. We will have to be careful not to exceed our luggage limit!

We will also be packing a heap of coins to check out the casino amusement centres at New York-New York (The Big Apple Roller Coaster and Arcade), MGM Grand (West Wing Bar Arcade Lounge), Excalibur (The Fun Dungeon) and Circus Circus (Midway Arcade). We’ll even hit the arcade and gaming booths at Insert Coin(s) on the old Vegas strip.

Our non-gaming fun will involve the Zombie Burlesque and a tour of the classic Vegas signs at the Neon Boneyard. Last but not least on our Vegas hitlist, is the underground arcade joint, Flipperspiel Wunderland!

Vancouver
After Vegas, we will be venturing across the border into Canada to check out the wonderful city of Vancouver. While researching of the things to see and do, I stumbled upon the Movieland Arcade. I know we are both looking forward to this one.

We will be cramming a fair bit into our short stay in Vancouver, but places like Pub 340 (for some Karaoke fun!), EXP Restaurant and Bar and Golden Age Collectibles are high on our ‘to do’ list. And of course, no trip to Vancouver is complete without going to Gastown for some live music, board games, pool, darts and video games!

Seattle
Last on our whirlwind trip is beautiful Seattle. We will be getting more silver ball fever by visiting the Seattle Pinball Museum and then hitting the barcades like John John’s Game Room and Vidiot to quench our thirst and unwind with some games.

Our sweet tooth and gaming appetite will surely be satisfied at the quirky Full Tilt Ice Cream parlour. If that isn’t enough, then I reckon a bite and more gaming at Gameworks will satisfy our hunger.

There are a number of cool museums in Seattle, we’re looking forward to visiting the EMP Museum of Music – SciFi – Pop Culture, the Living Computer Museum and the Museum of History and Industry. Maybe we’ll also check out Pike Place Market for some arts and crafts.

A highlight for Alex is sure to be the Boeing Tour, while I’m looking forward to the carnival themed Unicorn & Narwhal bars and the Rock Box Karaoke Rooms and Bar. To finish up, Alex and I will be downing some hot dogs and frosty beers while playing the arcade machines and classic pinball tables at Shorty’s Arcade & Pinball. Oh boy, it will be quite difficult leaving Seattle, but all good things must come to an end.

Well, there you have it. I didn’t realise our itinerary was so packed with wonderful things to do and see in North America – we both can’t wait to get there! Rest assured, there will be plenty of photos (and maybe a few videos) from the places we visit, so stay tuned (and don’t forget to let us know about other cool places we could visit in these cities)!

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Ms. ausretrogamer
Editor and Researcher at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

Follow Ms. ausretrogamer on Twitter

Street Fighter The New Challenger: Ryu

August 6, 2015 By ausretrogamer

Attention Street Fighter fans: The highly successful The New Challenger (T.N.C.) 01: Ryu figure from BigBoysToysHK is reaching its last and final run and is about to release soon! Make sure you do not miss out and orders yours now, and use the LASTCHANCE4RYU code for a further $8.00USD discount upon checkout! It’s a win win!

This stylized Ryu sits on a custom diorama representing his Street Fighter II: The World Warriors stage and is depicted with his iconic Hadouken stance; the Hadouken actually lights up by pressing the Street Fighter button on the diorama stand (Ed: Oo’er!)! As well, for every press of the button, the official soundclip of Ryu shouting “HADOUKEN” will be played! This is truly a great collector piece. Grab it while you can!

image source: Play Asia

Bartronica: Lair Of The Barcadian

August 4, 2015 By ausretrogamer

After a hard days work, where does one go to quench their thirst and get a fix of gaming nostalgia? That’s an easy one to answer – you make your way to Bartronica, a city barcade establishment at 335 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.

Nestled between Elizabeth and Queen (streets), the barcade is in the perfect spot in Melbourne’s Central Business District. The entry to Bartronica is via downward stairs, and upon entry, the establishment is revealed in all of its glory, beginning with the well stocked bar. Speaking of which, there are plenty of beverages which would definitely quench your hard earned thirst. As you down your drink, you notice the upright arcade machines; NBA Jam, Street Fighter II, The Simpsons, Mortal Kombat II, Golden Axe and 1943, and these are just the tip of the iceberg – there are plenty more upright machines jostling for your attention. It doesn’t end there, the venue also has driving and shooting cabinets plus six great pinball tables to get you flippin!

For those seeking comfort, Bartronica also has cool lounges for you to sit and take a load off. If you like to play from the comfort of the lounge, there are old school consoles from Sega and Nintendo which are free to play! The consoles provide a fun way to challenge your friends in some awesome multiplayer gaming action, like Super Mario Kart 64, all while kicking back and sipping on a drink.

With their wonderful hospitality, Bartronica makes everyone feel welcome – it is the kind of place where you would visit quite frequently, on your own or with friends. So the next time you are in the city and in need of a watering hole with a twist, then head on over to Bartronica, you’ll have a blast!

Entering the lair of the barcadian

Anticipation builds, one step at a time!

Hello Bartronica!

What is your poison?

In the driver’s seat, Bartronica owner – Josh Flamank

What to play first?

TMNT it is!

A row of beauties begging to be played

Retro Domination’s Daz Retro hits Ninja Gaiden

Daz Retro gets hacking on Golden Axe!

Behind the bar

Working up a serious thirst!

Taking a load off with Super Mario Kart 64!

Run out of coins? Don’t stress, whack in some notes

The view from the deck

Hello Lisa!

Getting some 16-bit action

Playing some Sonic from the comfort of the plush lounge

Cool light artwork!

Golden Axe immortalised on the wall

Hang on a second, there’s pinballs over there!

There they are – glorious pinball!

Demolishing Demolition Man

Retro Domination’s Matt Cawley gets flippin on Fastbreak!

Matt has silver ball fever!

Drinking + playing = a good night

Action aplenty!

Retro Domination Street Fighter II Battle: Daz Retro vs Matt Cawley!

Venue: Bartronic – Arcade Bar
Address: 335 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Pastfinder: A Long Lost C64 Gem

August 3, 2015 By ausretrogamer

Why has it taken me almost 30 years to discover and play Pastfinder? I mean, I love shoot’em ups, so this game should have been on my radar back in the 1980s. Anyway, it is never too late to enjoy a great game, and let me say from the outset, Pastfinder is a beauty.

What’s there not to like, you are thrown thousands of years into the future on a baron planet with high radiation, you have an awesomely powerful spacecraft (called a Leeper) that is able to walk the landscape (the articulating legs look great!) and fly high to blast enemies and also drop-off supplies to the bases that desperately need them.

Pastfinder is a classic vertical shmup with a twist (think of Zaxxon, but in a vertical attribution instead of isometric) – the clever gameplay of flying and walking the landscape to avoid obstacles, together with tight controls, makes this an absolute blast! Yep, that pun was fully intended! Play this now on your C64, you won’t regret it!

image source: Lemon64

15 Critical Events in Video Gaming: 1958 to 1999

August 1, 2015 By ausretrogamer

When someone asks you to nominate key events in the video gaming industry, you immediately start to think Atari, which is partially correct – they did introduce us to the first mass market console, but other critical events occurred years before Atari came on the scene. Here are 15 critical events in the video games industry from 1958 to 1999 that you may have known or not known about:

[1958] The world’s first interactive video game ever invented was Tennis for Two by American physicist William Higinbotham (father of the nuclear bomb!). A simple concept of ‘Pong’ simulated on an oscilloscope created to alleviate boredom for library patrons.

[1972] Ralph Baer releases the world’s first home video games system, the Magnavox Odyssey. The Odyssey marks the birth of the first generation of home video gaming systems.

[1972] Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney found Syzygy, which later becomes Atari. Atari first tastes success with Al Alcorn’s Pong, followed by the commercially successful Atari VCS / 2600 home video gaming console.

[1975] The MOS6502 8bit microprocessor is unleashed to the fledgling home computer market. Its competitive price ensured that it (and it’s variations) would find a home in popular computers and consoles, from the Apple II, Atari, to the Commodore 64 and the Nintendo Entertainment System.

[1978] Tomohiro Nishikado of Taito introduces the world to Space Invaders – the arcade game that sparked a renaissance for the video gaming industry. This was the game that started the golden age of the arcade.

[1979] Activision is founded by former disgruntled Atari programmers, David Crane, Larry Kaplan, Alan Miller, and Bob Whitehead. Activision becomes the world’s first third-party developer

[1979] Milton Bradley releases the “Microvision” – the first portable video games system. The Microvision was also the first portable console to use interchangeable game cartridges. The designer Jay Smith later went on to create the vector based home console, the Vectrex.

[1981] Nintendo releases the arcade game Donkey Kong, and introduces us to Jumpman, the little Italian plumber who we now know and love as Mario.

[1982] Dawn of the 8-bit home computer gaming system — it started many a schoolyard arguments across Europe and Australia. The Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and the ZX Spectrum were all the rage. The Commodore 64 would reign supreme.

[1983] The North American video games market crash of 1983 brought the industry to its knees. A combination of too many consoles and inferior software products which the market could not sustain, resulted in the capitulation of the nascent industry. Once a leader in the market, Atari becomes a major causality and would never taste success again.

[1989] The world’s first 16-bit colour handheld is unveiled. Drawn on a napkin way back in 1986 by the men that created the Amiga, the Epyx Handy eventually became the Atari Lynx, some 3 years after that fateful napkin doodle.

[1991] Sega releases Sonic the Hedgehog. A new mascot to identify Sega and to compete with Nintendo’s own Mario. Sonic was well received by the gaming community. Due to Sonic’s popularity, the franchise is still going till this day. Ironically, Nintendo now have exclusive rights to the Sonic franchise to produce games for the Wii U.

[1992] Mortal Kombat debuted in the video arcades and home consoles shortly after. It was the first video game to spark controversy among mainstream media and authorities, which then pushed the notion for an age classification system for electronic entertainment worldwide.

[1994] After the failed attempt in creating a CD addon for the Super Nintendo, Sony decides to go it alone and create their own console. Once Sony released the PlayStation, their dominance was assured and they went on to surpass the traditional video gaming heavyweights, Sega and Nintendo.

[1998-99] After poor sales of the Sega Saturn in the west, Sega produces their swan song, the Dreamcast. The console sold respectively but was outshone by the success of the PlayStation 2. The Dreamcast was known for great arcade ports and exclusive games like Jet Set Radio, Space Channel 5 and Daytona USA 2001.

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This article was written in collaboration with the ausretrogamer team, Dave Kudrev (Retrospekt) and Daz (Retro Domination) for news.com.au. Image source: Supplied

Cramer’s Pinball Tournament: It’s Hotter Than July!

July 29, 2015 By ausretrogamer

Whoa! Time flies when you are having fun! It seems like yesterday that we attended the inaugural Cramer’s Pinball Tournament, but alas, that was over a month ago!

Well, the second Cramer’s Pinball Tournament rolled around this past Tuesday (July 28). Once again, tournament director Scott Kellett put on a wonderful competition at an equally awesome venue. Not only did we have the influence of pinball on the bar menu, Scott also worked tirelessly to upgrade the cameras near the competition area (thanks also to Dr. Curlytek) to ensure that all the flipping action was beamed to the big screen so that no one missed the wizards in action.

As per usual, the competition was fierce, but the social aspects of such pinball tournaments is always the winner on the night. In the end there were four left standing (from 27 participants): teenage pinball sensation, Jordan Tredaway, Wal Dickie, Daniel Luth and Mr. Pinball himself, Scott Kellett. There were a few nail biting moments on the scoreboard, but the eventual champion and last wizard standing was, (Ed: drum roll please!) Scott Kellett – well done on a fantastic win, Scott!

On a night like this, pinball is the winner, so congratulations to everyone that participated and to all the new players, we hope to see you at the next pinball tournament!

A big thanks to Scott Kellett, Luke Marburg, Wal Dickie, Stacey Borg, Cramer’s Hotel and Cashbox Amusement for another great tournament! Roll on next month!

The board says it all!