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The Retro Freak: It’s Freakin Awesome

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retrofreak_titleWhen we received the Retro Freak console from Play-Asia, we put our thinking cap on to try and find a way to review the unit objectively. Our thinking cap must’ve worked, as we came up with an ingenious idea – take the Retro Freak to the biggest gaming expo in the southern hemisphere, PAX Aus 2016!

By having the Retro Freak available to play at PAX Aus, it gave us the opportunity to observe attendees playing on the console and gauge their unfiltered and objective feedback. With thousands in attendance, we weren’t short of people having a go. There were youngsters and older players, families and couples all having a go. The overwhelming responses from players was, “What is this console?”, “Where can I get one?” and “How much is it?”.

Play your old school carts on the Retro Freak!
retrofreak_top_carts

For those that are not aware, this awesome console from Cyber Gadget allows you to play your original game cartridges/cards from your Famicom, SNES/Super Famicom, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC Engine, TurboGrafx-16, SuperGrafx, Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance. By supporting these legacy systems, the Retro Freak ensures that you only need the one console setup in your games room to play all of your favourite classic titles! Hooray, you can finally declutter!

Let’s put on scanlines!
retrofreak_avsettings

We love the clean and easy-to-use interface
retrofreak_screen

The Retro Freak pumps out its audio visuals via HDMI, supporting 720p upscaling, which makes your old school games look great on newer TVs – so no more needing that 20 year old CRT TV! Well, we would suggest that you still hold onto your CRT TV *winks*. The other cool features that will freak you out (in a good way) include; filters, backing up of games from cartridge onto the console (on MicroSD card), instant save states and cheat codes (for certain games).

For control, there is the pack-in SNES-style controller, which does the job well, or if you prefer, modern gamepads such as the DualShock 3 and DualShock 4 can also be used (via USB). The Retro Freak Premium pack ships with a controller adaptor that supports Famicom/NES, Super Famicom/SNES, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, and PC-Engine/TurboGrafx-16 controllers. If you prefer bluetooth control (perhaps you dislike wires!), you can procure the 8bitdo Retro Receiver, plug it into the controller adaptor and use any one of your PS3, PS4, WiiMote or Wii U controllers you may have lying around. Oh yeah, you can re-map controller buttons to suit your style! We love the flexibility that the Freak provides!

The pack-in controller does the job! At least the USB cable is 1.8M!
retrofreak_snes-controller

One side of the Controller Adaptor – connect your fave gamepads!
retrofreak_controlleradapter

Other side of the Controller Adaptor reveals more classic controller ports!
retrofreak_controlleradapter2

So how does it compare to playing on the real hardware? We threw all kinds of games at the Freak, and it ran them without a hitch. We didn’t encounter any incompatibility issues, which ensured we didn’t rage quit and turn off the console. The transferring of original game cartridge data to MicroSD is as easy as breathing, thanks to the user friendly interface. One niggle we did have was with Cyber Gadget’s support page being in Japanese – it made it difficult to ascertain the firmware and application updates required to ensure the Retro Freak was up to date. Google did came to the rescue here by pointing us to a forum that had the instructions in English on how to upgrade the firmware.

The elephant in the room is the obvious comparison to the RetroN5. With quality issues hampering the RetroN5, we know which system we would prefer to use – if only the Retro Freak was as good looking as the RetroN5! If you want to be able to archive your original game carts and declutter by only having one console to play your classic games on, then you can’t go wrong with the Retro Freak!

If you are keen to check out the Retro Freak console, then head to Play-Asia now.

Play Operation Wolf straight from the PC-Engine HuCard, OR…
retrofreak_opwolf

Backup the Operation Wolf HuCard to microSD! It’s the best of both worlds!
retrofreak_opwolf_backup

The Retro Freak makes it to PAX Aus!
retrofreak_pax

Family gaming together!
retrofreak_pikachu

The Retro Freak was a hit at PAX Aus 2016! The Sega Mega Drive version of Aladdin was quite popular.
retrofreak_girl

Super Famicom F-Zero action aplenty!
retro_freak_fzero

Time to SUPER SMASH (some) TV!
retrofreak_smashtv

Thanks to Play-Asia.com for supplying the Retro Freak used in this review.



Super Mario World Transformed Into Flappy Bird

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SMW FB featuredGet ready to be amazed, Seth Bling has transformed Super Mario World into Flappy Bird using only SNES hardware. Seth made use of glitches to inject code (written by p4plus2) and claims this is ‘the first time a human has ever completed this kind of exploit‘ – amazing!

Find out just how he did it in this neat video (or watch the whole process via the Twitch livestream archive, or check out the code injection notes).

Source: SethBling via Laughing Squid

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msausretrogamerMs. 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

 

 

Super Mario Kart… With 100+ Players!

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featuredHat-Loving Gamer imagines what it would be like to play Super Mario Kart with all (and we mean ALL) of your favourite video game characters. We seriously want to play this game!

Characters featured (A-Z):

  1. Adam (Streets of Rage) 0:52
  2. Alex Kidd 1:33
  3. Ash Ketchum (Pokémon) 0:32
  4. Axel (Streets of Rage) 0:52
  5. Baby Luigi 0:38
  6. Baby Mario 0:38
  7. Banjo Kazooie 1:14
  8. Big Daddy (Bioshock) 0:59
  9. Birdo 0:20
  10. Blinky (Pac-Man) 0:19
  11. Bomberman 1:31
  12. Bowser 0:25
  13. Bowser Junior 0:25
  14. Captain Falcon (FZero) 0:57 1:19
  15. Cat Peach 0:57
  16. Charmander (Pokémon) 0:21
  17. CJ (GTA: San Andreas) 1:18
  18. Crash Bandicoot 0:33
  19. Daisy 1:18
  20. Diddy Kong 0:42
  21. DK 0:42
  22. Donkey Kong Jr 0:42
  23. Dry Bones 1:39
  24. Dry Bowser 1:38
  25. Duke Nukem 1:12
  26. Earthworm Jim 1:14
  27. Ecco the Dolphin 1:15
  28. Eggman (Sonic the Hedgehog) 1:14
  29. Fox (Lylatwars) 0:55
  30. Frogger 1:02
  31. Funky Kong 0:42
  32. Gilius Thunderhead (Golden Axe) 1:39
  33. Goku (Dragonball Z) 1:49
  34. Hammerbro 1:52
  35. Honey Queen 1:15
  36. Iggy Koopa 0:54
  37. Isabelle (Animal Crossing) 0:53
  38. Kamek 0:19
  39. King Boo 1:50
  40. Kirby 0:55
  41. Koopa 0:29
  42. Kratos (God of War) 1:36
  43. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) 1:52
  44. Larry Koopa 0:56
  45. Lemmy Koopa 0:30
  46. Lugwig Koopa 0:38
  47. Luigi 0:36
  48. Link (Legend of Zelda) 0:56
  49. Mario 0:41
  50. Master Chief (Halo) 0:50
  51. Megaman 1:33
  52. Metal Mario 0:30
  53. Minecraft’s Steve 1:12
  54. Morton Koopa 1:17
  55. Nathan Drake (Uncharted) 1:33
  56. Ness (Earthbound) 1:38
  57. Olimar (Pikmin) 0:33
  58. Pac-Man 0:18
  59. Papa the Rappa 1:16
  60. Paratrooper 1:37
  61. Peach 0:53
  62. Petey Piranha 1:19
  63. Pikachu (Pokémon) 0:31
  64. Pink Gold Peach 1:37
  65. Pit (Kid Icarus) 0:27
  66. Pong Left Paddle 0:34
  67. Pong Right Paddle 0:34
  68. Qbert 0:51
  69. Rabbid (Rayman) 1:34
  70. Ratchet and Clank 1:50
  71. Rayman 1:14
  72. Red Yoshi 0:50
  73. R.O.B 0:58
  74. Rosalina 0:31
  75. Roy Koopa 1:17
  76. Ryu (Street Fighter) 1:41
  77. Sack Boy (Little Big Planet) 1:34
  78. Samus (Metroid) 1:32
  79. Scorpion (Mortal Kombat) 1:11
  80. Shy Guy 0:23
  81. Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid) 0:56
  82. Sonic the Hedgehog 0:27
  83. Spyro 1:00
  84. Subzero (Mortal Kombat) 1:11
  85. Tails (Sonic the Hedgehog) 0:27
  86. Tanooki Mario 0:58
  87. Tetris Block I 1:38
  88. Tetris Block L 1:38
  89. Tetris Block T 1:38
  90. Tetris Block Z 1:38
  91. The King (Tekken) 0:55
  92. Toad 0:00
  93. Toadette 0:24
  94. Turbo (Wreck it Ralph) 1:37
  95. Tyris Flare (Golden Axe) 1:40
  96. Villager Boy (Animal Crossing) 0:53
  97. Villager Girl (Animal Crossing) 0:53
  98. Waluigi 0:29
  99. Wario 0:29
  100. Wendy Koopa 0:36
  101. Wriggler 0:48
  102. Yoshi 0:39

Source: Hat-Loving Gamer via Technabob

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msausretrogamerMs. 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

 

 

The Mini Arcade By SuperGameCo

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MiniArcade_GalagaHave you always wanted to make your own mini arcade tabletop machine? Are you a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) hack just like me? If you answered yes to both questions, then the SuperGameCo Mini Arcade may be just what you are looking for.

Made from bamboo panels that snap together, the Mini Arcade is a breeze to setup – if you prefer (Ed: are too lazy), SuperGameCo also offer the Mini Arcade in fully assembled form.

MiniArcade_SideView

MiniArcade_Control_topdown

At the heart of the Mini Arcade is a very speedy Raspberry Pi 2 Model B computer, running Emulation Station. This ensures that the emulators and games run nice and smooth. We didn’t experience any slowdown during play – which was great. The 9″ LCD screen provides great resolution, but the marquee protrudes a tad too much which tends to get in the way if you are not sitting down low.

MiniArcade_Bootup

MiniArcade_credit_and_rear

The control deck is made up of an 8-way Sanwa/Seimitsu arcade stick and 6 concave arcade buttons. These are complimented with a single player select button and an insert coin (credit) button on the left side of the unit to provide an authentic arcade feel when playing games via MAME.

MiniArcade_Emulators

Audio on the Mini Arcade is pumped through the front facing speakers via a stereo amplifier. We did find that the sound wasn’t as beefy as we would have liked, which took away a bit from the experience when playing shoot’em ups with booming explosions.

MiniArcade_SuperMario

MiniArcade_NeoGeo

We found the Mini Arcade to be a breeze to operate and play games. The assembly was nice and easy, and once you are all setup, it is pretty straight forward to select your favourite old game and get all nostalgic. If you are struggling to find a Christmas present for your retro gaming partner, then the Mini Arcade may be a viable option.

PROS:
– Clever snap-together kit (or you could opt for it to be fully assembled)
– Easy to get started playing games
– Latest Raspberry Pi 2 Model B internals
– Quality Sanwa/Seimitsu arcade joystick
– Inclusion of the Insert Coin button provides an authentic arcade feel
– Multiple interfaces (USB/RJ45) for additional connectivity

CONS:
– Marquee is obtrusive when playing on the 9″ LCD display
– Button layout felt a tad cramped
– Sound is reasonable, but it needs to be meatier
– Insert coin button stickiness (may have just been our unit)
– Power supply cord was too short
– Graphics on the bamboo panels would be nice

The Mini Arcade product variants and prices can be found at the SuperGameCo store here.

 

Made In Australia: SNES Games

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AussieMade_MainTItleWith the NES and Mega Drive getting their Made In Australia once-over, we thought we would complete the trilogy by documenting the video games that were made Down Under for Nintendo’s 16-bit powerhouse, the Super Nintendo!

Looking at the SNES games developed in Australia, it is great to see so many chart topping titles in the list, from the awesome Super Smash TV, to MechWarrior and the cyberpunk-fantasy action role-playing game, Shadowrun.

The SNES was blessed with great titles and I am proud to say that Australian made games were counted amongst them. Which Australian made SNES game did you like?

Super Smash TV (1991)
SNES_SuperSmashTV

Cal Ripken Jr. Baseball (1992)
SNES_CalRipkin

George Foreman’s K.O. Boxing (1992)
SNES_GeorgeF
NBA All Star Challenge (1992)
SNES_NBA



Super High Impact (1993)
SNES_Super_High_Impact

MechWarrior (1993)
SNES_MechWarrior

Shadowrun (1993)
SNES_Shadowrun

Choplifter III: Rescue Survive (1994)
SNES_ChoplifterIII

WCW Superbrawl Wrestling (1994)
SNES_WCW Super Brawl Wrestling

Radical Rex (1994)
SNES_RadicalRex

Super Solitaire (1994)
SNES_SuperSola

Super International Cricket (1994)
SNES_SuperIntCricket

True Lies (1994)
SNES_TrueLies

Jim Lee’s WildC.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams (1995)
SNES_Wildcast

image sources: destructoid, giantbomb, gamefaqs, rfgeneration, mobygames, wikimedia commons & retrogamingaus



Infographic: The Evolution Of Controllers

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I must admit, I am a sucker for infographics! I am a visual person and would prefer to see more pictures than words. Don’t get me wrong, a well constructed piece will hold my attention, but I get excited over pictures – the more of them, the merrier. As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words”.

You don’t need words to explain what you are looking at below – just click on the infographic and then zoom in and enjoy the visual ride!

game-Controllerssource: Pop Chart Lab

Nintendo Delights: Customised Consoles

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There are some horrific customised paint jobs on Nintendo consoles, then there is Zoran’s creations, which are, simply put, stunning. From the Super Metroid themed SNES (Ed: oh that scorched orange!), Choplifter II camo original Game Boy, and to my favourite, the TRON: Legacy N64, complete with beautiful lighting – perfect for playing Perfect Dark or Goldeneye 007 in the dark!

Just take a look at some of Zoran’s creations and let us know your favourite via Twitter or Facebook.

Uber cool Star Fox N64
Custom_starfox_themed_nintendo_64_by_zoki64

The sleek Mario Kart 64 , N64
Custom_mario_kart_64_nintendo_64_by_zoki64

The only time I would like to see ‘Game Over’!
Custom_nes_by_zoki64

The very sexy Tron: Legacy N64
Custom_tron_legacy_themed_n64__by_zoki64

We could not leave out the Zelda fans!
Custom_ocarina_of_time_themed_nintendo_64__met_by_zoki64

Scorching Super Metroid SNES (NTSC)
Custom_snes_super_metroid_themed_by_zoki64

Bowser has never looked this good!
Custom_bowser_n64_controller_by_zoki64

Chrono Trigger SNES (NTSC) anyone?
Custom_pearl_white_chrono_trigger_snes_by_zoki64

The mother of all GBAs!
Custom_mother_3_gba_by_zoki64

Play with this!
Custom_paper_mario_n64_controller_by_zoki64

Battle-hardened Game Boy 
Custom_choplifter_ii_gameboy_by_zoki64

Oh yeah, go Yoshi!
Ccustom_yoshis_island_snes_by_zoki64

image source: Zoki64



Top 5 Games Charts: July 1996

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Top5_games_charts_ausretrogamer

While the music charts were being rocked by the ‘Spice Girls’ and ‘Fugees’ in July 1996, on the video games front, we had a gorilla, a street fighter and a woody toy dominating the SNES, Sega’s Saturn and Mega Drive. This month also saw an Australian inspired rugby game make the charts on Sega’s 16-bit offering. What were you playing in July 1996?

 

SNES 1) Donkey Kong Country 2 (Nintendo)
2) Killer Instinct (Nintendo)
3) Yoshi’s Island (Nintendo)
4) FIFA Soccer ’96 (EA)
5) PGA Tour Golf ’96 (THQ)

 

MegaDriveGen 1) Toy Story (Sega)
2) FIFA Soccer ’96 (EA)
3) Sonic & Knuckles (Sega)
4) Australian Rugby League (EA)
5) Ecco the Dolphin 2: Tides of Time (Sega)

 

SONY DSC 1) Street Fighter Alpha (Virgin Games)
2) Panzer Dragoon Zwei (Sega)
3) Sega Rally (Sega)
4) Virtua Cop (Sega)
5) NFL: Quarterback Club (Sega)