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HIGH SCORE – A New Netflix Docuseries Tracing The History of Classic Video Games

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If you have Netflix, then mark August 19th on your calendar to watch HIGH SCORE, a new 6 part documentary series tracing the history of classic video games.

Narrated by the voice of our favourite video game plumber, Charles Martinet, this docuseries traces the history of classic video games, featuring insights from the innovators who brought these worlds and characters to life.

We have watched a plethora of documentaries on the history of video games, so we expect to hear some of the same stories, but that isn’t a bad thing at all. With Netflix behind this documentary, we are assured of high production value!

We can’t wait to watch this to get our nostalgia hit! Get Ready!


source: Netflix

 

Iconic SEGA Akihabara Building 2 To Close Soon

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It looks like we will never cross this one off our bucket list 🙁

SEGA’s Building 2 (formerly known as SEGA GiGo / Akihabara GiGo) is set to close on August 30th. Building No. 2 opened on the southern edge of Akihabara in October 2003, becoming a favourite for arcade video game enthusiasts and gaming nostalgia-seeking peeps.

It would seem that the current world health crisis has hit the Electronic Town quite hard, with a big downturn in visitor numbers. SEGA hasn’t as yet provided any formal reason for the impending closure, except for this post and the sign below, which reads (translation by SoraNews24):

image source: Arcade Otaku via Twitter

“Notice of Closure

Thank you for your continued patronage.

We are sorry to announce that this branch, Sega Akihabara Building 2, will be closing.

Our last day of operations will be Sunday, August 30.

The entire staff wishes to express, from the bottom of our hearts, our sincere gratitude at the loving support you have given our establishment for so many years.”

If you have visited SEGA’s Building No. 2, we would love to hear your stories (and see some pics), so please share them with us on Twitter or Facebook!

image source: That Damn Pixel / header image: Google

 

Building Miniature SEGA Arcade Machines

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The amount of talent and knowledge some people have is beyond comprehension. One particular person got our attention on Twitter, gaug888. gaug888’s miniature Sega arcade machine creations are beyond amazing! Not only are they faithful miniature recreations of their bigger arcade brethren, they also play the arcade video games they are based on – totally mind blowing!

The meticulous level of detail of these miniature creations are off the charts. We reckon Yu Suzuki would be quite impressed too!

PS: If you want to check out the complete and documented log of gaug888’s miniature creations, head to Togetter now.

image source: gaug888 via Togetter

 

SEGA Announces the Game Gear Micro

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Do you remember us gushing last week with the news that SEGA may re-enter the console market? If you recall, we speculated on some pretty cool console concepts that SEGA may have brought to us SEGA starved fans.

Well, it seems that the wait is over! SEGA has blindsided us by announcing their Game Gear Micro, harking back to their popular 90s handheld, the Game Gear. The Game Gear Micro will be 40% smaller than the original and will come in four colour variations, each one with their own four pre-loaded games.

The list of games per Game Gear Micro variant:

  • Game Gear Micro (Black): Sonic The Hedgehog, Puyo Puyo, OutRun, Royal Stone
  • Game Gear Micro (Blue): Sonic & Tales, Gunstar Heroes, Sylvan Tale, Baku Baku Animal
  • Game Gear Micro (Yellow): Shining Force Gaiden, Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya, Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict, Nazopuyo Aruru no Rou
  • Game Gear Micro (Red): The GG Shinobi, Columns, Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible, Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible Special

Oh yeah, in addition to these four coloured variants, there will also be a Game Gear Micro Smoke a limited edition unit which can be added to a framed display to showcase the 5 variants (as part of the Deluxe (DX) pack from the Sega Store). If you are a SEGA collector, you may want to jump onto this!

Specifications:

  • Body size : Width 80 mm x Height 43 mm x Depth 20 mm
  • Screen size : 1.15 inches (240×180 pixel)
  • Audio output : Monaural speaker, 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack
  • Power supply : 2 AAA batteries (sold separately), USB micro terminal power supply

image source: Sega 60th Anniversary

The four Game Gear Micro variants will be released on October 6 (coinciding with the original Game Gear’s 30th anniversary) via Amazon (JP), Rakuten Books and the Sega Store with a suggested retail price of ~AU$70. If you don’t have the means to pre-order from these sites, then keep an eye on Play Asia, as they will have them available soon!

Sega Celebrates its 60th Anniversary with a New Console, Maybe

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Well, well, well, the internet went into a mini meltdown with the news circulating that maybe, and this is a big MAYBE, Sega will reveal a new console next week! If this news is true, then we honestly can’t wait, and neither can our Dreamcast – it needs a rest!

Just in case you think we’ve gone bonkers in self isolation, the news broke this week that Japanese digital technology journalist Zenji Nishikawa had hinted at a “huge scoop” during a YouTube live stream. Zenji’s news is set to be published in the June 4 issue of Weekly Famitsu, so mark that date in your diary.

We wish!
source: nerdbacon

For those of you (and us) that want to know what Zenji said, here is the English translation (via Gematsu):

“My column in next week’s issue of Famitsu is crazy. I got a huge scoop… It’s a world premiere article. And an exclusive. It may not be Nikkei or Weekly Bunshun, but if you want to know if it’s a scoop that big…it totally is! It’s a scoop from a game company that everyone loves. An insane scoop. Last year, Wired got the exclusive story on PlayStation 5, right? Other media didn’t. It’s that level of a scoop. I interviewed a certain company’s executive and technical staff, it’s really revolutionary… really, it’s a revolution.

It’ll be in Famitsu next Thursday. I already sent in my manuscript, so the proofs are being made now. It’s a scoop on a level that when the story comes out, other media will make a fuss to the company like, “Why didn’t you let us cover it?” Maybe people will say, “Who was the first to break that story?,” “It was Zenji Nishikawa, right?” It’s a scoop as major as the PlayStation 5 scoop. I just wanted to say that in advance.

I can’t say [anything more] here, but it’s OK for me to tease it (laughs). I was told that it’s OK to do so at various meetings. It’s being talked about in other places. Just not by the media. It’ll rile up the games industry.”

So there you have it folks. Lots of details to speculate on, so we have our fingers crossed that Sega do re-enter the hardware realm to shake things up (and run some cool ads like they used to)!

We Wish Mk II
source: NationStates

source: Sega 60th Anniversary

 

The Internet Arcade – Online Classic Arcade Gaming

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Are you sick of mucking around with MAME to get your classic arcade gaming fix?

Well, if you didn’t know, the Internet Archive has you sorted with their Internet Arcade. The Internet Arcade is a web-based library of classic arcade (coin-operated) video games from the 1970s through to the 1990s. You can play all of these classics in your browser, with the emulation being in JSMAME, which is part of the JSMESS software package.

So no more stuffing about configurations and chasing questionable ROM files all over the net, the Internet Arcade has you sorted with well over 1,700 games! Well, don’t sit there and stare at this, go and play some classic arcade games.

 

SEGA Master System: A Visual Compendium – Book Review

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It is fair to say that when it comes to visual compendiums, no one does it better than Bitmap Books. We love all of our visual compendiums in our library, and it looks like that this new one based on Sega’s 8-bit console, the Master System, will compliment the series perfectly.

Back in the mid 80s, it was all about the Commodore 64 and Amiga when it came to gaming. Consoles were an afterthought during this period, till Sega released their Master System in the west. Known as the Sega Mark III in its home country (Japan), the western version (Master System) made a decent splash once it hit the market towards the end of 1987. The Master System grabbed our attention back then due to Sega’s arcade pedigree, with their arcade conversions looking and playing much better than their equivalent on the 8-bit micros. It is unbelievable to think that the Master System had a massive following in the west (bar North America), where the NES played second fiddle to it. This visual compendium is for all those folks that transitioned from their 8-bit computers to Sega’s venerable 8-bit beast. Even if you didn’t own the Master System, if you got to play on it, then this book will bring back a lot of memories by inducing that lovely drug we call nostalgia.

This visual compendium is a tribute to the amazing pixel art, product design and graphic design associated with Sega’s classic 8-bit console. Having the official backing and license from Sega, this is the first book of this kind to be released for the Master System. As the title suggests, the visuals are the main focus, with 200-word soundbites of text accompanying each single game spread. With around 200 games covered in this tome, you are sure to get an eye-full of nostalgic candy. But wait, there is more! There are a series of larger features and interviews with developers and artists, like Mutsuhiro Fujii, Takashi Shoji, Steve Hanawa and Rieko Kodama to name just a few, ensuring a good mix of words with gorgeous visuals.

With any published Bitmap Books tome, you are assured of holding a premium quality product in your hands, from the lenticular heavy board slipcase, spot varnished cover, printed lithography and vibrant colours throughout, the standard is nothing short of high! Oh yeah, each book also comes with a set of old school 3D Glasses – now that is cool!

If you are (or were) remotely interested in the Master System or you actually played on one (or was lucky to own one back in the day), then this visual compendium is for you! We highly recommend this awesome book.

The lowdown:

  • Title: SEGA® Master System: A Visual Compendium
  • Publisher: Bitmap Books
  • Front & Back Cover: Hardback, sewn binding, spot varnish cover and spot varnish dust jacket
  • Pages: Gatefold pages, Lithographic print
  • Slipcase: 3mm protective board slipcase with lenticular fascia
  • Pages: 432 (cover to cover)
  • Bonus: 3D Glasses
  • Retail Price: AUD$69.95 from Pixel Crib

Disclosure: SEGA Master System: A Visual Compendium was provided by Pixel Crib for this review.

 

Game Over: Hardest Video Games Ever

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Even though I have been gaming for over three decades, I am still your average gamer. The 80s arcade games definitely toughened me and sharpened my skills, but there were some games that no matter how sharp I was, I could never beat them.

The following list of wickedly difficult games is an admission of sorts that I never got to see the end credits. Heck, I don’t even think I saw more than a few levels (without cheating) on any of these games.

What are some of your most hardest games ever played? Let us know via Twitter or Facebook.

OUR HARDEST GAMES LIST

Contra / Gryzor / Probotector

Ghosts’n Goblins

Mega Man

Battletoads

Bionic Commando

Green Beret / Rush’n Attack

Impossible Mission

Robotron:2084

Rolling Thunder

Defender

Robocop

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

ESWAT: Ciyt Under Siege

Slap Fight

Hellfire

Rick Dangerous

Airwolf

Paperboy

Game Over

 

Getting To Grips with Sega Pocket Arcade

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They may have been a bit late to the handheld LCD party (which Nintendo’s Game & Watch series were the life of that party), but Sega did manage to leverage their might by offering some of their iconic arcade games to be ported to the Pocket Arcade platform.

The Pocket Arcade (LCD based) series of games were developed by everyone’s favourite LCD gaming manufacturer (Ed: tongue firmly in cheek!), Tiger Electronics.  Under license by Sega, Tiger Electronics made the Pocket Arcade series from (about) 1994 till 1997. These LCD based games were primarily sold in North America, meaning that they are scarce anywhere else. Being Tiger, many of the Pocket Arcade games in the series were reskinned versions of previous LCD games, but there were quite a few that were new.

image source: eBay

One of the unique features to set the Pocket Arcade games from their LCD gaming brethren is the ‘conceal and reveal’ feature. The clam-shell keeps the game safe (and off) in your pocket, so once you are ready to play, just hit the button to flip, pop or pivot the screen, which also turns on the game. When you are done playing, just close the unit and stick it back in your pocket.

So what Sega Pocket Games games could you get? Here is the series list, thanks to Sega Retro. Don’t all raid eBay at once!

Red cover series:

  • Amazing Sonic
  • Sega Sports Baseball
  • Bug!
  • Ecco the Dolphin
  • Eternal Champions: Special Moves Edition
  • Sega Sports Football
  • Sonic Blast
  • Columns

Blue cover series:

  • Bug!
  • Ecco the Dolphin
  • Indy 500 / Sega Raceway
  • Panzer Dragoon
  • Sonic 3D Blast
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 3
  • Streets of Rage
  • Super Monaco GP
  • Virtua Cop
  • Virtua Fighter


source: ClassicAds