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Amazon’s Retro Zone: All Retro. All The Time

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While the big news is of Amazon arriving Down Under, we were more excited about their new Retro Zone!

Amazon has curated their best of the best retro gaming items, from console, games and toys, to clothing and books! Oh yeah, there is plenty of Sega, Nintendo, Square Enix and Atari gear too!

So what are you waiting for, go and hit up the Amazon Retro Zone now!

More Retro than you can poke a stick at!

The heavy hitters of retro gaming are all there! Wait, where is Commodore?

image source: Amazon Retro Zone

 

Super Mario Hot Wheels

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We love anything Super Mario and we love our Hot Wheels, especially their gaming related die-cast cars!

When Hot Wheels released their Super Mario die-cast car series, we set out to hunt them all down to complete the collection. With 8 cars in the series, we were hoping to find them all before they disappeared off the retail shelves.

So how did we go? Did we get them all? Absolutely!

First cab off the rank, Toad’s Vandetta!

Next we have Mario’s sibling, Luigi and his Ryura RX

Then we have Wario’s offroad beast, the RD-08!

The evil Bowser breathes fire in his Cruise Bruiser

Princess Peach looking cool in her hotted up Bully Goat

The one and only, Super Mario and his Bread Box!

Yoshi’s Flathead Fury should go really fast!

Last but not least, Donkey Kong’s Super Van. DK can fit a fair few bananas in there!

The Hot Wheels Super Mario Die-Cast (8 car) series!

 

Tomica Star Wars: Star Cars Darth Vader Carrier

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If you are a Star Wars fan and are struggling to find stuff to add to your Christmas wishlist, then you are in luck! Cross out whatever is number one on your current wishlist and add the awesome Tomica Star Wars Star Cars Darth Vader carrier truck!

As you can see from the product photos, this truck is one mean looking vehicle – you can finally be driving on the dark side of the force! If you want your truck to carry cargo, you may want to add the Tomica Star Wars vehicles to your list too.

Hit Amazon now and grab yourself some cool Star Wars gear for Xmas!

This is one truck than can lure us to the dark side of the force!
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You can carry some pretty cool vehicles
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You better back off!
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Unloading the precious cargo
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Fill your truck with these cool Tomica Star Wars cars!
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image source: Amazon

 

The Thrill Of The Chase: Lost and Found Market

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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!
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What’s that next to the doll?
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I’m Batman!
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Blessed are those that play Taito’s Speed Race!IMG_1917

Some new AKAIs for the Walkman. Pffft, who needs an iPod….
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Forget your smartphone, carry this portable phonograph for your aural pleasure
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One for the Star Wars book fans – May the force be with you
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Daytonaaaaaaaaa. Let’s race!
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Vintage Snoopy mugs – perfect for a hot cuppa!
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A Twirly Curls Barbie! And she isn’t blonde!
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OH MY GAWD! It is the ARMATRON!!!
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Do not feed it after midnight – the Mogwai, not the Smurfs!
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Daddy and baby robot
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Want to be a Jedi like Luke? You better drink from these cups!
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Blast some tunes! Grab some records while you are here!
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Can this Telyphone operate my telly?
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The ultimate tag team!
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Rowdy Roddy Piper dare you to enter Piper’s Pit.
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Our podcast mic has been found!
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Retro boomerangs
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Scalextric – your childhood in one box!
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A vintage Mac!
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Looking for a Marantz unit……..
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Perfect for the games room!
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Hot Wheels Battle: Star Trek VS Star Wars

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HotWheels_SWvsSTI may have been a Matchbox fan in my younger years, but it’s all about Hot Wheels right now! Starting with the Atari Nostalgics, Hot Wheels (well, Mattel) have definitely piqued my interest in their little cars.

It seems that Hot Wheels have jumped on the pop culture bandwagon and are hurtling down to your local toy store. Not only have Hot Wheels fused their cool toy cars with one sci-fi cult classic, Star Trek, but they have given us the equivalent of a boxing one-two sucker punch by also giving us the Star Wars collection(s).

Considering it is a new year, and in the spirit of giving (thank you Ms. ausretrogamer), I wasn’t going to deny myself either of these collections. Star Trek or Star Wars – let the battle for the sci-fi universe begin!

The Star Trek collection
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Star Trek Collection explained
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Oooooo, Spock!
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The Star Wars Hot Wheels gang!
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Looking good Mr Skywalker
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Join the dark side of the Hot Wheels force!
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The Battle Of The Hot Wheels Universe!
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Vader is all over Bones!
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Hey Santa, I’ve Been A Good Boy

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Dear Santa,

I know you are busy and stuff, but I thought I’d drop you a line and let you know that I’ve been a very good boy this year.

Since I’ve been good, I thought I would send you my Christmas present wishlist. I hope you could put one (or perhaps more) of these gifts under my Christmas tree – I have included some photos to make your job easier. I promise I’ll leave you heaps of biscuits, milk or whatever other food or beverages you and your reindeer prefer – just let me know.

Thanks Santa and Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.

Yours sincerely,

AUSRETROGAMER

Being a big fan of Masters Of The Universe, this would look great on my desk.
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Ms. ausretrogamer will like these too.
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Who doesn’t love Arnie! I’ll be back!
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I want to show some love to my Atari ST.
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I’ll break you! That’s what he said, not me!
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The future is now! Hand me that almanac.
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A bit of footy at Xmas is always great!
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This would be great for some Xmas eve viewing.
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It says it is the complete edition!
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I know I am not a Zelda fan, but this hoodie is cool. Oh yeah, I am a medium!
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I can pretend to be Link. I’d be so boss!
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Any one of these gaming related items would be appreciated. I am not fussy.
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The Thrill Of The Chase: Gone Hunting

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There was only one thing to do on a cold and miserable Sunday – go hunting! No guns or ammunition were required for this hunting trip. We armed ourselves with warm clothing and a keen eye to find some retro gaming gear and other vintage items.

Once the target was found, we went in to prowl. It was clear from the outset that this hunting trip was not going to disappoint. Once we got past the usual household kitsch items, we found precious arcade machines from the 1970s, lots of comics, vinyl records and a number of classic video gaming systems and games.

The selection of retro gaming systems and games did get the nostalgic nerve quite excited. There was no way we were going to leave empty handed on this hunt. Sorry wallet.

Didn’t know where to focus on this collection of action figures. Daytona USA lurked in the background
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Aha, there it is!
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The perfect tube to play some Pong
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Found hiding – some MOTU pals
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These Atari games look lonely
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RoboCop action figures!
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Robie Junior would not have been happy if this guy came home with us
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Alex Kidd tuned in on a proper vintage TV! Hells yeah!
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Sega delights
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Did someone say Sega, Atari and Nintendo?
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Vintage vinyl!
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Keeping it reel
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Perfect price for a fighting game
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Perfect price for an ice hockey game
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KISS!
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More KISS baby!
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Can’t hide from me Mr Macintosh SE!
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CIB Battlecat? No way!
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The dreaded Castle Grayskull
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LCD goodness in this cabinet
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A throwback to the WWF!
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More Sega goodies
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I spy with my little eye something beginning with N
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The holiest of holy, 1974’s Speed Race. And it’s in working order!hunt_Taito_Speed_Race
More old arcade beauties found!
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The perfect ending to a great hunt
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Most Popular Holiday Toys From The Past 50 Years

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What toys will you be getting this Christmas? If you want to get an idea of what holiday toys have been popular over the last 50 years, take a look at the below infographic. Do you recognise or still have any of these toys? Looks like Atari, Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony made the list. I can’t believe Commodore nor Sega didn’t make the cut – must be an American list (haha!).

50toys

source: Abby Ryan Design

The Thrill Of The Chase

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Vintage Market

As the saying goes, “the thrill is in the chase”. As an avid curator of video games of the retro kind, and lover of vintage toys, I can attest to this notion – there is nothing like the adrenaline rush you get when hunting an old game or that Six Million Dollar Man figurine you had from the 70’s.

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The allure of the hunt is intoxicating, and when you ‘find’ your prey, it is like a “hit” (or should that be “fix”?). I embark on these ‘retro gaming hunts’ on a regular basis – it is the rush that I am seeking from trying to find my prey. It is  a guilty pleasure that does not hurt anyone (except for my hip pocket). Even when the hunt is fruitless, the passion lingers to hunt again.

vintage_pacman_ausretrogamer        vintage_starwars_ausretrogamer        vintage_MOTU_ausretrogamer

From time to time, you find a place that jolts your adrenal gland – just like the hipster vintage market I found in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. Looking at the photos, you get the idea of the gear that is available in this place – from vintage toys to electronic games. It is easy to get your ‘fix’ by looking, but the hand-to-wallet twitch is ever present.

For your photo fix, check out the entire album here

If you have any adrenaline inducing stories, please share them with us. There is nothing like the release of epinephrine and dopamine – it feels great!

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Try hooking up your C64 or NES to one of these vintage beauties