• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Shop

AUSRETROGAMER

The Pop-Culture E-Zine

  • Announcements
  • History
  • Retro Exploring
  • Retro Gaming Culture
  • Reviews
  • Modern Gaming
  • Podcasts
  • Pinball
You are here: Home / Archives for thrill of the chase

thrill of the chase

Thrill Of The Chase: A Gamer’s Paradise

January 20, 2016 By ausretrogamer

AGP_TitleThey say that a picture tells a thousand words. Based on that adage, this article would be over 42,000 words! Luckily for you all, we won’t bore you with too many words and allow the photos to speak for themselves.

First, let’s set the scene: when we travelled to the US and Canada last August, we found quite a few interesting places – A Gamer’s Paradise was one very interesting place that we did visit. Adjacent to the Pinball Hall Of Fame on East Tropicana Avenue in Las Vegas, one cannot miss A Gamer’s Paradise (Ed: If you have, then you missed out!). Entering this store was like stepping back to the local entertainment and gaming stores we frequented back in the 80s and early 90s – there was Sega, Nintendo, Atari, Commodore, Coleco and all other classic gaming brands from the good old days. Oh yeah, there was also pinball and arcade games to take up your time if you are done shopping for your retro goodies.

Not only did we have a few pinball games and pick up a few games for the Atari Jaguar and Sega CD, we were drooling at the museum pieces in the glass cabinets. So, without further ado, we present A Gamer’s Paradise for your viewing pleasure!

Yours truly with the abandon arcade machine – what wonders will await us inside?
AGP_1

Hello Paradise!
AGP_2

Hello more paradise!
AGP_3

So that’s how the North American Dreamcast kiosks look like!
AGP_4

Oh my, that is one seriously huge N64 kiosk!
AGP_5

Play some arcade machines while browsing for your retro goodies
AGP_6

If you prefer pinball, then you are in luck too!
AGP_8

The great wall of Sega!
AGP_7

Always look up, you never know what you might miss!
AGP_9

What do we have up here then? Whoa!
AGP_10

Handheld heaven!
AGP_11

Is that Keith Courage for the TurboGrafx-16 down there?
AGP_12

Whoa, Jaguar merch!
AGP_14

What to do first – play pinball or check out those NES carts?
AGP_13

Look at those shelves! Oh yeh, check out Samus!AGP_15

Do my eyes deceive me, is that a Philips Videopac 7000 (aka: Magnavox Odyssey 2)?
AGP_16

Did someone say they need Odyssey games? Here you go
AGP_17

Oh snap!
AGP_18

Williams’ SlugFest for $1500! Bargain!
AGP_19

Cheap Gear
AGP_20

We’d like to stick around with these awesome pixelated magnets!
AGP_21

Ello, ello, ello, what do we have up here then…
AGP_22

Play me! Well, that’s what it says!
AGP_23

Let’s check out this glass cabinet then!
AGP_24

Oh my, a Quiz Wiz! Even Donkey Kong seems to like it!
AGP_25

I’d love that gorgeous Tele-Games and Sega Pico!
AGP_26

A very intelligent vision!
AGP_27

Oo’er, those are lovely compAGP_28

We’ll start at the bottom – oh Galaga!
AGP_29

Now that is a cheap Famicom 20th anniversary Game Boy MicroAGP_30

Here come the Atari 8-bits!
AGP_31

Oh yes, the Atari 800 lurking in the background!
AGP_32

Mattel’s ill-fated Aquarius 
AGP_33

More exotic old school gear to drool over!
AGP_34

Um, this SNES Counter Tester system is beyond beautiful!
AGP_35

Last museum glass cabinet. Let’s take a closer look…
AGP_36

Oo’er, a Wondermega, I mean a JVC X’Eye
AGP_37

A Magnavox CD-i! Did Philips know about it? *wink*
AGP_38

The Atari monstrosity!
AGP_39

*Gulp* Sega Channel on the CDX! Wow!
AGP_40

As we exit A Gamer’s Paradise, we wave goodbye to the lonely arcade machine
AGP_41

 

Filed Under: Retro Exploring, Retro Gaming Culture Tagged With: A Gamer's Paradise, Las Vegas, retrogaming, Retrogaming hunt, The Thrill Of The Chase, thrill of the chase

Thrill Of The Chase: Virtual Reality Holy Grail

January 3, 2016 By ausretrogamer

TakaraHMD_HDRThis year will be the year of Virtual Reality (VR). If you have been gaming as long as we have, you’ll know that this isn’t the first time we have all gone gaga over VR!

Long before the Playstation VR, the biggest name in virtual reality gaming was the Virtuality Group. Their ‘Virtuality’ arcade gaming machines promised and delivered immersive gaming via their stereoscopic visor (aka: the visette) while standing on a platform in a huge round pod waving your hands around like you were swatting flies – ah, how we miss the good old days of VR.

The popularity and mass media coverage of VR meant that it would always make its way into our homes. In 1994, Virtuality signed an agreement with Atari to develop a head-mounted-display (HMD) unit for use with Atari’s 64-bit Jaguar console. The agreement was expected to lead to the production and sale of the Jaguar VR HMDs in 1995. Sadly, it all went belly-up between Atari and Virtuality, with all Jaguar VR prototypes headed for the scrapheap.

Alas, the salvaged Jaguar VR prototype(s) have now become the most sought after and holiest of gaming grails, with the last known prototype selling for $14,500 on ebay in 2013.

TakaraHMD_JagVRsource: eBay

From the ashes of the Jaguar VR HMD technology arose Takara’s HMD DynoVisor and Philip’s Scuba Visor. The DynoVisor sported the Pupil Projection System with a ground breaking 120-degree field of view (FOV) display using Sony’s Active TFT and LCD lenses. Coupled with Hi-Fi stereo and Inter Pupil Distance (IPD) focus adjustment, these consumer products quickly sold-out upon release in Japan.

Even though the Takara HMD DynoVisor is considered to be laughable, their uniqueness and rarity in the wild makes them highly desirable among gamers and collectors alike. At a fraction of the cost of the Jaguar VR headset and being indentical in technology, Takara’s HMD DynoVisor has become a retro gaming grail itself.

To finally find the Takara HMD DynoVisor and be able to play the Atari Jaguar (and any NTSC console with composite / AV output) with a VR headset, has truly been a unique experience, one that every old school gamer should encounter! Viva la VR!

Holding tight onto the first retro gaming holy grail for 2016!
TakaraHMD_ausretrogamer

Takara’s HMD DynoVisor arose from the ashes of Atari’s Jaguar VR
TakaraHMD_1_top

Made from high impact ABS moulded components, this is one tough headset!
TakaraHMD_1_rear

The DynoVisor can connect to any NTSC composite / AV console
TakaraHMD_2_controlIO

Luckily Virtuality’s work wasn’t wasted
TakaraHMD_3_Virtuality

Contrast, Brightness and IPD control is within reach
TakaraHMD_4_Under

Immersing myself in some old school VR on the PlayStation
TakaraHMD_ARG_Play

Peeking into the VR abyss!
TakaraHMD_View

Filed Under: Retro Gaming Culture Tagged With: holy grail, Jag VR, old school virtual reality, retro VR, Takara HMD Dynovisor, The Thrill Of The Chase, thrill of the chase, virtual reality gaming, Virtuality, VR

Thrill Of The Chase: The MOTU Holy Grail

December 18, 2015 By ausretrogamer

MOTU_game_titleMy affinity for Masters Of The Universe has no limit! Just when I thought I grabbed my MOTU holy grail at the Toy Shack store in Las Vegas back in August, BAM, the MOTU Limited Edition Collector Series vinyl gets gazumped by The Power Of He-Man video game!

Yep, you read that right, the holy grail of my MOTU collection is not a board game nor a limited edition vinyl, it’s a (damn awesome) video game. MOTU: The Power Of He-Man video game (Intellivision) has been elusive to find complete (Ed: and at a reasonable price). This game, and its Atari 2600 counterpart, are the crown jewels of MOTU video games. The key motivator to obtain this game was  my absolute affection for MOTU, and secondly, it is a pretty decent video game based on the franchise. Oh yeh, the Mattel link between the console and toy line was a nice touch too. Game on!

MOTU_game_1

MOTU_game_2

MOTU_game_3

 

 

Filed Under: Retro Gaming Culture Tagged With: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Minicomic Collection, Intellivision, Masters Of The Universe, Mattel, MOTU, MOTU game, MOTU video game, Retro Gaming, The Power of He-Man, The Thrill Of The Chase, thrill of the chase

Flippin Fun at the Seattle Pinball Museum

September 21, 2015 By ausretrogamer

SPM_HDRI got to hand it to Ms. ausretrogamer, her research skills and effort to find fun (gaming related) venues in cities we visited on our North American trip, was second to none. I knew Seattle was going to be a cool city to visit, but we were totally blown away by how much there was to do and see. Rather than cram everything in one article, we thought we would start with the highlight, the Seattle Pinball Museum!

The Seattle Pinball Museum (SPM) is in the heart of Seattle’s Chinatown / International district (508 Maynard Ave S Seattle). Entry is $13USD for an adult ($18USD if you want to come and go), which gives you unlimited play on all the pinball and arcade machines inside the multi-storey entertainment centre. Once you pay your entry fee, you just hit start on any machine and go for your life (except The Wizard Of Oz machine)! We started proceedings on the world’s biggest pinball machine, Hercules! This thing was massive! Instead of a metallic sphere to knock around, Hercules uses a white billiard ball! The flippers were more like bats, and there was no way you could bump and tilt like you would on a normal table. I must say, it was an experience playing on Hercules, but my eyes quickly diverted to Fish Tales!

On the ground floor, the pinball tables were arranged from oldest to the latest offerings from Stern and Jersey Jack Pinball. There were no queues to wait (on the day we were there), so we jumped from one table to the next – experiencing everything from the early 70s right through to the current day machines.

Upstairs was a mix of pinball tables (Gorgar, The Flintstones, Taxi, Terminator 2, Space Invaders among others) and arcade machines straight out of the golden age era – Asteroids, Missile Command, Pacman and Galaga, just to name a few. It was great to see these machines once again, and it was even better seeing the new generation of kids enjoying these classics.

We had such a great time at the Seattle Pinball Museum, we totally lost track of time. Ms ausretrogamer had to tap me on the shoulder to let me know that we were the last ones inside and that the other machines were being turned off for the day. Luckily for me, Mike (from SPM) was cool enough to let me finish my game. Before we did leave, we bought a few souvenirs from the SPM, an awesome tee and a few pinball badges to remind us of the great time we had. If we lived in Seattle, I know where we would go every week!

At last, we arrive!
SPM_1

Entering the wonderful world of the Seattle Pinball Museum!
SPM_2

Even the wall art was awesome (and in theme) in this place!
SPM_3

The pinball wizards having some flippin fun
SPM_4

Whoa! The World’s largest pinball game! This thing was huge!
SPM_5

Yep, that’s a billiard ball to play on the largest pinball game on the planet!
SPM_6

Yours truly enjoying some Fish Tales! Haven’t played this in ages! So good!
SPM_7

The pinball tables were arranged from oldest to latest – Texan is the oldest at the Museum
SPM_8

Texan’s starting control deck – oh how beautiful
SPM_12

Oh wow, this Star Trek Enteprise Limited Edition table had to be seen to be believed (it was so sleek and gorgeous)
SPM_9

No matter where you turned, there were pinball tables begging to be played!
SPM_10

Best part of being here – trying pinball games I had never played before!
SPM_11

LoTR is now in my top 10 fave pinball tables of all time! That’s a big call!
SPM_13

Nice to look at, but a nightmare to play. Perhaps I needed more practice…
SPM_14

Ms. ausretrogamer was hooked on Scared Stiff
SPM_15

Woo hoo – top 4 high score on Theatre of Magic!
SPM_16_highscore

He shoots, he scores! Another classic Bally table!
SPM_17

This Indy machine brought back lots of fond memories.
SPM_18

Make it so, Number One. Two absolute classics side-by-side!
SPM_19

Let’s start shootin!
SPM_20

A signed Stern AC/DC Pro table! We loved the info on top of each pinball machine.
SPM_21

Found a couple of Pinball 2000 machines too.
SPM_22

Looking back at all the awesomeness.
SPM_23

Ah, The Wizard Of Oz – a table you must play at least once in your life!
SPM_24

The rise of the arcade machines……..
SPM_25

I wonder what wonderment we’ll find upstairs?
SPM_26

More awesome pinball machines upstairs, and……..
SPM_27

Golden Age arcade machines!
SPM_37

Baby Pac-Man – a hybrid arcade and pinball machine!
SPM_28

A different perspective of Baby Pac-Man
SPM_38

Oh wow, I had forgotten how hard Missile Command was at the arcade!
SPM_29

Aha, there she is! She is still beautiful, even after all these years…..
SPM_30

The new generation enjoying the old generation of arcade machines
SPM_31

Oh man, another absolute classic from the Golden Age!
SPM_32

The view from above.
SPM_33_above

Finally, I get to play the real Gorgar instead of playing it on the iPad!
SPM_34

The view below still looks good.
SPM_35

What to play first? The Who’s Tommy Pinball Wizard or Taxi? Tough decision.
SPM_36

Another rock band inspired pinball table!
SPM_39

While we are here, we might as well have a go on The Flintstones.
SPM_40

More awesome wall art upstairs (wish we could have taken some home!).
SPM_41

Oh yeah baby, a bit of Stardust always goes down well.
SPM_42

Another one of my all-time fave tables – you better believe it!
SPM_43

Found you! I can never get enough of Monster Bash!
SPM_44

Just reading up on my fave table before we have to leave *sad face*
SPM_45

We couldn’t leave the Seattle Pinball Museum without some souvenirs and mementos! Hooray!
SPM_46

Venue: Seattle Pinball Museum
Address: 508 Maynard Ave S, ​Seattle, WA 98104
Hours of operation:
— 10 to 5 on Sunday | Monday | Wednesday
— 12 to 10 on Thursday | Friday | Saturday
— Closed on Tuesday

 

Filed Under: Pinball, Retro Exploring, Retro Gaming Culture Tagged With: pinball, Retro Gamer, retrogaming, Seattle, Seattle Pinball Museum, thrill of the chase, US Trip, Video Games

Toy Shack: A Vegas Toy Story

September 8, 2015 By ausretrogamer

When was the last time you walked into a toy store and got absolutely wowed? If you are like us, I bet it was way too long ago to remember.

On our recent trip to the US, we didn’t just get wowed, we got absolutely gobsmacked by Toy Shack, a superb toy store in Las Vegas. Nesteled within the Neonopolis shopping complex in downtown Vegas (Fremont Street Experience), Toy Shack is truly a magical place you must visit and experience when you come to the City of Sin! Toy Shack has it all, from every conceivable collectible toy, to old school video games and even some golden age arcade machines to slip a quarter or two to give you that much needed hit of nostalgia.

Both Ms. ausretrogamer and I were mesmerised in each aisle of the store, with vintage 80s toys, comics, games and other collectibles lining the walls, from floor to ceiling – the photos below will attest to that (to an extent)! We had a difficult time leaving Toy Shack with only a handful of bags of super cool items, but the luggage allowance kept us in check.

If you ever find yourself in Vegas and want to do something other than gamble, then head to the Toy Shack for the ultimate in vintage 80s toys – we highly recommend it!

Store: Toy Shack
Address: Neonopolis, 450 Fremont St #117, Las Vegas, NV 89101, USA
Hours: Mon – Sat 11am to 10pm; Closed on Sunday

If you find yourself in other cities within the US, then you may want to check out these places: Musée Mécanique (San Francisco), the Nintendo World Store and the 8-Bit & Up and Video Games NY stores (New York City)

We found it! I wonder what awaits inside…
ToyShack_1

I spy, Masters Of The Universe (MOTU) and Super Mario stuff!
IMG_5533

Woo hoo! I love my MOTU gear – brings back great childhood memories
IMG_5541

Oh man, so many MOTU temptations, especially that clock!
IMG_5542

Aha, I thought I spied Super Mario action figures!
IMG_5531

Oo’er, a nice but scary bust!
IMG_5536

Golden oldies! Now when was the last time you found arcade machines in a toy store?
IMG_5535

So much to look at! Wish I had compound eyes!
IMG_5547

Already worked up a thirst, and we have barely scratched the surface in here!
IMG_5546

G.I. Joe baby!
IMG_5648

Holy smokes – more G.I. Joe goodness (among other cool collectibles)!
IMG_5649

Visual sensory overload! Gotta take in all this Hot Wheels awesomeness!
IMG_5549

Haha, this one is for you, Ms. ausretrogamer!
IMG_5550

I wasn’t aware of all the diverse (and cool) Hot Wheels!
IMG_5553

I’ll take that, thank you very much
IMG_5557

Wish we had a limitless luggage (and financial) allowance!
IMG_5555

Chocolate and Miami Vice Hot Wheels? Really? Wow!
IMG_5556

Moving right along, we now hit the Twilight ZoneIMG_5564

Where do I even focus here!
IMG_5561

Found the cool action figures area! First thing we see, Mobile Suit Gundam wing!
IMG_5566

What the – Lau as a Virtua Fighter 4 action figure? Want!
IMG_5568

Found Lara!
IMG_5569

One for the Final Fantasy fans!
IMG_5570

Very apt seeing this MGS 2 tactical espionage action figure ;-)
IMG_5571

Now this I did not know existed! The temptation to buy is unbearable!
IMG_5572

First it was Virtua Fighter 4 action figures, now it’s Tekken 4! *mind blown*
IMG_5574

Zelda fans rejoice!
IMG_5573

We do need some new plates…….
IMG_5576

Admit it, you wanna sing “Transformers, robots in disguise”
IMG_5577

Found the old school video games section!
IMG_5580

Oooo, GameCube and Tiger gear!
IMG_5579

Whoa! Tele-Pong and Frogger tabletop! I wonder what is behind these….
IMG_5581

Ah, there you are! Great to see a C64 and a Genesis among the stack of retrogaming gear
IMG_5637

Man, this place is too much! I love Toy Shack!
IMG_5629

If I guess what’s inside the box, can I keep it?
IMG_5620

King of the stuntmen indeed
IMG_5582

One for the KISS fans – yep, I am looking at you Mr. Matt Cawley
IMG_5585

Now this is a WrestleFest!
IMG_5584

Which item captures your eye? Could it be the Transformers or those Star Trek figures?
IMG_5589

I knew I was gonna find Star Wars somewhere in here……
IMG_5591

Old school Star Wars nirvana!
IMG_5592

OMG, Heat Packin’ Jack!
IMG_5593

Get in my belly!
IMG_5594

I’ll take one of each, thank you (I wish!)
IMG_5596

The original road warrior!
IMG_5597

I look up and BAM, more MOTU goodness!
IMG_5598

I do need a new alarm clock. This should help me get up on those cold mornings
IMG_5610

Resistance (to buying temptation) is futile!
IMG_5606

Must. Have. That. MOTU vinyl record!
IMG_5614

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing Mr. Ram Man himself
IMG_5615

I need to unsee this, otherwise my bank manager will be calling me!
IMG_5616

Spawning more goodness
IMG_5617

Diecast to die for!
IMG_5619

I’ll take one of, 154, 459 and 192 pieces, thanks
IMG_5623

I kneel to the defender of the universe!
IMG_5624

Fight of the Century?
IMG_5625

Poke-a-board!
IMG_5628

Yep, there are comics here too!
IMG_5631

I guess E.T. didn’t phone home…….
IMG_5635

The perfect action figure mix, Itchy and Sly
IMG_5639

Your move, creep!
IMG_5640

Be back to Toy Shack, we will!
IMG_5642

Mixed bag! Hang on, that’s an Ecto-1!
IMG_5644

These guys have ball-Z of dragons!
IMG_5645

We see a heartening sight upon our exit – a young lad getting into some old school arcade action. Retrogaming is alive and well!
IMG_5641

Filed Under: Retro Exploring, Retro Gaming Culture Tagged With: !Arcade!, 117, Collectibles, Heman, Hot Wheels, MOTU, retrogaming, Skeletor, thrill of the chase, Toy Shack, Vegas Toy Shack, Vegas Toy Store, vintage toys

The Thrill Of The Chase: Lost and Found Market

June 19, 2015 By ausretrogamer

LostandFoundWhat does one do when their weekend schedule is clear? Well, you can choose to lounge around at home to keep warm in this cold Melbourne winter, or you can head outdoors to a flea market to grab yourself a bargain!

As it turned out, Ms ausretrogamer and I did the latter – we hit the Lost & Found Market in Brunswick East for a spot of vintage kitsch shopping. From vinyls, old Barbie dolls, to an Apple Mac from the 80s, the market did not disappoint. Here are just a few of our favourite items from Lost & Found:

They call me Bruce!
IMG_1944

What’s that next to the doll?
IMG_1940

I’m Batman!
IMG_1945

Blessed are those that play Taito’s Speed Race!IMG_1917

Some new AKAIs for the Walkman. Pffft, who needs an iPod….
IMG_1919

Forget your smartphone, carry this portable phonograph for your aural pleasure
IMG_1918

One for the Star Wars book fans – May the force be with you
IMG_1920

Daytonaaaaaaaaa. Let’s race!
IMG_1916

Vintage Snoopy mugs – perfect for a hot cuppa!
IMG_1921

A Twirly Curls Barbie! And she isn’t blonde!
IMG_1922

OH MY GAWD! It is the ARMATRON!!!
IMG_1923

Do not feed it after midnight – the Mogwai, not the Smurfs!
IMG_1924

Daddy and baby robot
IMG_1926

Want to be a Jedi like Luke? You better drink from these cups!
IMG_1928

Blast some tunes! Grab some records while you are here!
IMG_1931

Can this Telyphone operate my telly?
IMG_1932

The ultimate tag team!
IMG_1934

Rowdy Roddy Piper dare you to enter Piper’s Pit.
IMG_1933

Our podcast mic has been found!
IMG_1936

Retro boomerangs
IMG_1935

Scalextric – your childhood in one box!
IMG_1937

A vintage Mac!
IMG_1939

Looking for a Marantz unit……..
IMG_1938

Perfect for the games room!
IMG_1942

Filed Under: Retro Exploring Tagged With: !Arcade!, flea market, lost & found, retrogaming, The Thrill Of The Chase, thrill of the chase, Toys, VHS, Video Games, Vintage Market, vinyl

Easter Retro Gaming Hunt At The Amazing Mill Markets

April 6, 2015 By ausretrogamer

While kids everywhere were busying themselves on their Easter egg hunt, Ms. ausretrogamer and I were busy going on a different kind of Easter egg hunt. On our way to Queenscliff, we decided to pop in at the amazing Mill Markets in Geelong to see what was on offer. Upon entering the market, we knew we had hit the jackpot – there were all kinds of antiques, memorabilia and collectables to discover, from books and vinyl records, to toys and classic video games. We’ll let the photos below show the breadth of cool stuff that was on offer at the market.

What started as a quick visit turned into a three-and-a-half hour hunt – the Mill Markets is the kind of place you need to take your time to look in each stall and search for that little gem that others may have passed in their haste. Our nostalgic senses were in overdrive as we found items of interest in almost every stall!

There were retro games and systems aplenty, with most items being at reasonable prices. We were pleasantly surprised to discover retro gaming gear in a number of stalls on the ground floor and the mezzanine – obviously, our go slow and meticulous hunting plan paid off. The temptation to walk out with a boot full of stuff was hard to resist! I did manage to buy a few items, with the Milton Bradley Berzerk board game being my favourite of the lot.

If you happen to like going to vintage markets, even for a look, then Ms. ausretrogamer and I highly recommend The Mill Markets. There are three Mill Markets in Victoria – in Daylesford, Ballarat and Geelong (Newcomb). Best part is, they are all open 7 days a week from 10am till 6pm. What are you waiting for, go hunting!

MM_Entry

MM_fuelpump

MM_3DO

MM_Atari2600

MM_Batman_Player

MM_ElBarto

MM_DarthVader

MM_cashregister

MM_Flinstones

MM_games_galore

MM_games_galore_2

MM_GBSP

MM_JohnRobot

MM_Lego

MM_LJN_WWF

MM_matchboxcars

MM_MOTU

MM_N64

MM_NES_Atari

MM_Muppets

MM_Projector

MM_PS1

MM_tabletop

MM_SSIgames

MM_Snoopy_coke

MM_SNES

MM_Tandy

MM_toys

MM_Tiger

MM_TMNT

MM_TrollDolls

MM_vinyl

MM_Yoyos

MM_Xenomorph

MM_upstairs

MM_topview

MM_Robot_upstairs

MM_Organ

MM_PS1_consoles

MM_NES_upstairs

MM_NES_Robocop

MM_NES_SNES

MM_MrFreeze

MM_Joystick

MM_Japan

MM_GoldenArches

MM_Joker

MM_CRTTVs

MM_Atari4slot

MM_Berzerk

 

Filed Under: Retro Exploring Tagged With: Amazing Mill Markets, antiques, Atari, collectables, Commodore, Easter, easter hunt, Geelong, Mill Markets, nintendo, retro gaming hunt, Retro Hunting, Retrogaming hunt, sega, The Thrill Of The Chase, thrill of the chase

The Thrill Of The Chase: The Bally Holy Grail

February 20, 2015 By ausretrogamer

Bally_titleFor the first holy grail of 2015, I had to travel all the way to the U.S. Of A! Well, I wasn’t travelling there in person, I was merely scouring the superhighway for retro gaming goodies when I stumbled (Ed: more like screeched!) upon a Bally Astrocade!

The Bally has been somewhat of a white whale – the obsession of finding one in a workable state and at a reasonable price was proving quite difficult. But, to my surprise, I found a boxed Bally Astrocade that had just been listed on eBay. The seller was unaware if the unit was in a working state (it does work!), so they priced it accordingly. I had to rub my eyes to ensure I wasn’t seeing things, but there it was, still available. With the heart-rate up at a phenomenal level, I could not press the ‘Buy It Now’ button fast enough! Finally, the white whale had been tamed and had not destroyed me.

They certainly don’t make them like they used to – that gorgeous wood veneer and awesome shape of the system, and those gun-like ‘control handles’, they double up as an 8-way directional joystick and also as a rotary knob (Ed: Gunfight, here we come!).

The Bally has been welcomed with open arms into the ausretrogamer family – it will be well loved, especially playing The Incredible Wizard (aka: Wizard Of Wor), among other classics!

Bally_1

Bally_2

Bally_3

Bally_4

Bally_5

Bally_6

For those of you that want to know what is under the hood of this gaming relic, here are the specs:

Circuit board and cartridges

  • CPU: Z80, 1.789 MHz
  • RAM: 4k (up to 64k with external modules in the expansion port)
  • ROM: 8k
  • Cart ROM: 8k
  • Expansion: 64K total
  • Ports: 4 controller, 1 expansion, 1 light pen
  • Sound: 3 voices + noise/vibrato effects (played through the TV)

Video

  • Resolution: True 160×102 / Basic 160×88 / Expanded RAM 320×204
  • Colors: True 8* / Basic 2
    *The bitmap structure of the Bally actually only allows for 4 color settings. However, through the use of 2 color palettes and a left/right boundary control byte you could have the left section of screen (this could be the play field) use 1 set of colors while the right side (this could show information such as lives and score) used an entirely different set of colors, thus 8 total colors were possible.
  • Graphic type: Bitmap, 2 plane bitpacked

Specification source: Wikipedia

 

Filed Under: Retro Exploring Tagged With: Astrocade, Astrovision, Bally, Bally Astrocade, retrogaming, The Thrill Of The Chase, thrill of the chase

The Thrill Of The Chase: Roaming In Melbourne

January 28, 2015 By ausretrogamer

Work can be a damn bore. To break the monotony of doing that sales forecast report that is due by the end of the week, we use our lunch-break as a sanctuary to get away from it all.

My lunch break shenanigans had me traversing the city, looking for gaming and pop culture gear in particular. I was pleased to find a number of Nintendo and Namco goodies – from t-shirts and hoodies, to board-games, figurines and pool cues!

Seems as though my timing was quite good, as there were discounts and two-for-one deals throughout the stores – as if I needed more temptation! Shop on!

The coolest NES tee!
Roaming_NES_tee

Coolest Nintendo backpacks ever!
Roaming_NES_Zelda_bags

The coolest Zelda tee!
Roaming_Zelda_tee

A super Super Mario!
Roaming_Super_Mario

The coolest Mario tee!
Roaming_Mario_tee
Nintendo has too many temptations
Roaming_WoN_figurines

Are you a Nintendo gamer? Then you need to wear this!
Roaming_Players_Hoodie

The Nintendo Console History Timeline – where it started
Romaing_Nin_timeline

The Nintendo Console History Timeline – the 90s and early 2000s era
Roaming_Nin_timeline2

You’ll be a Mega Man or a Mega Woman if you wear this!
Roaming_MegaMan_Hoodie

I want to play pool with these Pac-Man balls!
Roaming_Pacman_pool_balls

Compliment your Pac-Man pool balls with this Pac-Man cue!
Romaing_PacMan_pool_cue

37 years on, and Space Invaders is still relevant!
Roaming_spaceinvaders_puzzle

 Lots of drool-worthy tees on this wall!
Roaming_awesome_tees

Let there be light!
Roaming_Tetris_light

Everyone needs Indy in their life
Roaming_Indy

If Nintendo can do it, so can Namco!
Roaming_pacman_gear

Filed Under: Retro Exploring Tagged With: EB Games, Mega Man, nintendo, Pac-Man, street fighter II, The Thrill Of The Chase, thrill of the chase, Zing Pop Culture

Australia Day, Ausretrogamer Style

January 26, 2015 By ausretrogamer

Some Australians celebrate Australia Day with a barbie (Ed: that’s barbecue for the uninitiated), others choose to sink a few beers and watch the cricket. For Ms. ausretrogamer and I, we chose to hit the road in search of some arcade and pinball machines.

Luckily for us, there were a few stores opened on this public holiday Monday. We did find a warehouse on the outskirts of Melbourne packed with arcade machines and pinball tables from all eras. We definitely got our fix of retro gaming eye candy this Australia Day!

Retro refreshments for Australia Day!
AusDay_7UP

Oh yeah, some Sega Sport Car Ultimate Drive (SCUD) Race
AusDay_ScudRace

Oh no, a Galaga I & II in need of some TLC!
AusDay_Gottlieb

*Scottish accent*Get in my belly!
AusDay_MiniMe

Shagadelic baby!
AusDay_Austin

Are you scared stiff?
AusDay_Elvira

They’re creepy and they’re kooky
AusDay_Addams

I’ll take the Dalek!
AusDay_DrWho
I don’t think that light will fit
AusDay_cocktail
Lot of history in this place!
AusDay_oldschool

Care for some old school hockey?
AusDay_hockey

Old beauties!
AusDay_oldBeauties
Pinball lovin!
AusDay_oldpinball
May the force be with you!
AusDay_SW
Pinball tables from all eras!
AusDay_wood
Pinball tables as far as the eye can see
AusDay_Pinball
No one puts Virtua Striker 2 or Virtua Tennis 2 in the corner!
AusDay_VS
Evel Knievel and Playboy = what a match!
AusDay_Evel Knievel

Operating on an ultimate cab
AusDay_arcadecab
No joint is complete without a Zoltan!
AusDay_Zoltan

Filed Under: Pinball, Retro Exploring Tagged With: !Arcade!, pinball, Retro Hunting, The Thrill Of The Chase, thrill of the chase

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us

FacebookInstagramYoutTubeTumblrFollow Us on RSSFollow Us on MastodonFollow Us on BlueskyFollow Us on Threads

Search

Shout Us A Coffee!

Recent Posts

  • Ping Pong + Space Invaders = Bit.Pong
  • Yippee Ki‑Yay! The Ultimate Die Hard Pinball Machine Is Real
  • A Wall of Retro Memories – Curated by the One and Only Ms. Ausretrogamer!
  • Voice Acting in the ‘Arkham Trilogy’
  • ROGUEish Brings Dungeon-Delving Delight to the Commodore 64

Ad

Footer

© 2012 – 2025 – ausretrogamer (The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine). All rights reserved. Where appropriate, all trademarks and copyrighted materials remain property of their respective owners.

Terms & Conditions | Disclaimer

Advertise | About | Contact | Links

Please see our Privacy Policy for details on how we treat your personal information.

Support This Site

If you like what we do, you can shout us a coffee on Ko-fi :-)

Copyright © 2025 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in