The Pop-Culture E-Zine
There is no shortage of awesome and talented artists in this world. The latest artist to capture our attention is Johan Karlgren, aka: Pappas Pärlor.
Johan’s creations are unique as they are refashioned framed art pieces injected with very clever pop culture themes and franchises, including popular Star Wars and video gaming characters.
Check out all Johan’s art works here. Here are our favourites:
source: Pappas Pärlor
This is so awesome to see – Chuckie Egg can now be played on the VIC20! Oh yeah, it can also be played on the TheC64/TheVIC20 or your fave VIC20 emulator. So those ZX Speccy, BBC Micro and Dragon 32 folks can stop gloating, us Commdore gamers can now play this classic game too! Big shout out to Reset64 Magazine and Derek for keeping us gamers entertained with brilliant (and quite nostalgic) video games!
For more information on (and instructions on how to play) Chuckie Egg (VIC20), and to download the game, go to the Reset64 Magazine itch.io page now! What are you waiting for, Hen-House Harry needs your help!!!
image source: Reset64 Magazine itch.io
By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.
Recently, a production image of the HBO series “The Last of Us” was released. It’s our first look at the cable show based on the iconic video games “The Last of Us” and “The Last of Us: Part II.”
The first image has great attention to detail. It’s not much, it’s just Joel and Ellie looking out across a field at abandoned plane wreckage. It would have been nice to get a face reveal, but the image of the two main characters from behind is a smart marketing tease.
Pedro Pascal has been cast as Joel, the game, and series’ smuggler and main protagonist. I’ve been a Pascal fan since his brief stint on “Game of Thrones.” His starring role on the Netflix series “Narcos,” opposite the great Boyd Holbrook, was where the 46-year-old actor gained international fame as the cold, DEA agent who is obsessed with capturing Pablo Escobar. The pairing of Pascal and Holbrook is one of the best fictional, law enforcement pairings in recent television history. I’ve watched “Narcos” several times for the writing and characters. When I heard the news that Pascal was cast as Joel in “The Last of Us” series, I was instantly excited to see what HBO will do with the popular property.
The idea of “The Last of Us” as a television series or limited series is better than a movie. A series gives the story more chance for expansion and the ability to develop the characters. The game already has a rich world that can be expanded on with the right show runners who know the universe.
To me, like many others, “The Last of Us” franchise always had a “The Walking Dead” feel to it. Even the production image that was released looks a little like a scene from the AMC “The Walking Dead.”
Post-apocalyptic properties are hot right now. Could “The Last of Us” be the next must-see HBO show? They haven’t had a monster hit like “The Sopranos” or “Game of Thrones” in several years. The production still didn’t show much, but it was just enough of a tease to peak the interests of the megahit game’s fans.
Vectrex Tournament: Vector War XI (30th Oct – 6th Nov 2021)
Eleven years ago, a well known peep in the retro scene, Rob Maerz, started the Vector War. The Vector War is an annual Vectrex game tournament where Vectrex players all over the world compete. For this year, Vector War XI (VW11) runs for one week, from October 30 till November 6 2021.
The Vector War is for all player skills levels, from beginners to super expert players. In the Vector War you participate and compete with others. This is also a great opportunity to play the Vectrex games more extensively and get to know new games (and other peeps!).
For more information on the Vector War XI games list, competition rules and prizes, head over here and get ready! Good luck Vectrexians!
Thanks to RetroTuesday and Angela for making us aware of this Vectrex tournament!
It’s spring time! What better way to welcome the warmer weather than to delve into a deep corner of our retro gaming vault and dig up a few nostalgia inducing images from our past!
For September, we have your nostalgia covered with Neo Geo, Vectrex, PC-Engine, Commodore 64, Atari Jaguar and old school Nintendo items to name just a few! Enjoy the trip down memory lane and we’ll see you next month for more vault shenanigans!
All images are copyright of ausretrogamer
PAX Online (8th-10th October) schedule goes live and their sweet merchandise goes on sale from tomorrow (Sep 30)!
With less than 9 sleeps to go, we are very excited to let you know that the jam-packed PAX Aus Online schedule is now live.
There really is something for everyone with AAA content, the well-loved Omegathon, a virtual expo hall, legendary RPG anniversaries, dozens of amazing panels and events and a whole lot more that will blow your mind, so read on! Taking place across Twitch, Discord, Steam, and their website, you can jump in for panels, games, community events, games, and more games 😉
The three-day event will be kickstarted by Among Us developers, Innersloth, who will be delivering the keynote address at 11:30am AEDT on Friday October 8th – a talk that is bound to play witness to a bit of betrayal, sabotage and general hijinx.
RPG fans can tune in for a star-studded 40th Anniversary actual-play of Call of Cthulhu, a spicy “C” Team charity special and the return of PAX Quest, as well as a host of other dice-fuelled goodness.
Scratching a AAA itch? Don’t miss panels with developers including fireside conversations with DEATHLOOP’s Dinga Bakaba and The Elder Scrolls Online’s Matt Firor and Rich Lambert.
If that’s not enough, there’s dozens of other panels (dozens!) being shown across the three days of the show, with topics including the power of ethics in narrative choice, gaming accessibility, education, indigenous narratives, and esports.
A virtual expo hall and Discord channel provide the perfect roadmap for this virtual playing field, pulling dedicated community spaces for discussions, giveaways and a brand new PAX Explorer text adventure that will almost make you forget you are watching from home.
image source: PAX Aus
For those wondering how to literally drape themselves in PAX, they have you covered with the release of the official 2021 merchandise, available from 10am on Thursday 30 September at store-paxaus.myshopify.com. From cute camp-themed PAX tees to beanies, mugs and water bottles, PAX merch has everything you need to get that sweet, retail-driven serotonin hit!
With under 2 weeks to go until the show, it’s time to lock in that new attire, assemble the virtual crew, and buckle into that gaming chair because we can guarantee that PAX Aus Online is gonna be much more entertaining than that 1000th Zoom call you had to do. Because we’re all about achievable goals this lockdown!
Hopefully we’ll see you all in person in 2022!
image source: Ausretrogamer
Graphic artist Mauri Helme has quite amusingly created 3D animations of classic Atari 2600 video games, including Pitfall, River Raid, Frostbite, Keystone Kapers and the infamous E.T.
Imagine playing these on your trusty old Atari VCS/2600 😉
source: Mauri Helme
story source: laughingsquid
First it was NFTs, and now it seems hermetically sealed classic games are being auctioned off at some nose-bleeding prices!
Goldin Auctions have been spruiking their recent record breaking auction sales on their social channels, which want of a better word or phrase, has put a lot of noses out of joint. Unless you are the seller that just pocketed US$430,500 for Sonic The Hedgehog, this rating/grading system and auction of video games is seen as a form of evil in the worldwide retro gaming community.
Final Sale Price: $430,500
An all-time record for any @SEGA Genesis game. pic.twitter.com/aGgBX0cSjh
— Goldin Auctions (@GoldinAuctions) September 19, 2021
Sure, lets WATA-rate games and then pawn (Ed: ahem, auction!) them off for some absurd amounts of money, but this whole setup and process just doesn’t sit right. From our perspective, it is great that video games share the limelight with other highly sought after memorabilia, but c’mon, a Sonic The Hedgehog Sega Genesis / Mega Drive game going for almost half a million US dollars is just mind blowingly ridiculous, or are we missing something here? At this rate, our 1989 factory sealed Commodore 64 disk version of Double Dragon would be rated a 10 and be close to being priceless!
What are your thoughts on these video game rating systems and auctions? Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook and let us know!
Get ready to go on an island getaway with this latest collaboration between PUMA and Animal Crossing™: New Horizons. Tom Nook and other favourite characters from the popular franchise are featured in a variety of styles, including apparel and footwear for adults and kids. You won’t trade your new outfit for anything.
The PUMA x Animal Crossing: New Horizons crossover takes cues from the beloved game; the collection’s streetwear silhouettes are reimagined with natural colours and authentic graphics from the fun franchise. The resulting collaboration is ready for anything, with styles for both adults and kids, including some of PUMA’s most distinctive shoe silhouettes, Suede, Wild Rider, and Future Rider.
PUMA’s timeless style, the Suede, features a beige hairy suede upper, triple formstrip with printed graphics on the top layer, translucent sole with graphic imprint, tongue label with debossed co-branding, a leaf hangtag, and a canvas lace bag inspired by the bell bag with additional laces.
The Wild Rider silhouette is inspired by the movement and motion of city life. The collab version has a beige nylon upper adorned with an Animal Crossing resident print with green, blue, and sand suede overlays, a translucent formstrip on the side, an embroidered leaf on the heel and a debossed lace tag with PUMA’s logo.
The pack is not complete without the Future Rider. Constructed with nylon, canvas and suede overlays, this silhouette features a debossed leaf graphic on the heel, taken directly from the iconic Animal Crossing logo. The side TPU piece includes a graphic which alludes to the game’s design elements, as well as the canvas lace bag with additional laces to customise your look.
Your island escape wouldn’t be complete without some sharp adventure-ready outfits; short and long sleeve tees, hoodies, shorts, and sweatpants all in the signature colour palette of the game, in addition to spotlighting some of its most well-known residents and elements. Just don’t forget your boarding pass.
Tom Nook is waiting for you, so prepare for the most amazing trip with the new PUMA x Animal Crossing: New Horizons Collection. Available starting 18th September on PUMA.com and select retailers worldwide.
To learn more about Animal Crossing™: New Horizons click HERE
image source: Puma AU
Press Release supplied by: Nintendo Australia
By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.
Before every NFL season begins, I like to play the full schedule of the reigning Super Bowl champion from the previous season. A few weeks ago, I played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers full 2021 season on Madden ’22 on my Xbox. My takeaway of how this season will go for Tom Brady and the Bucs is rather simple: They’re going to be very good. I only lost 3 games playing their ’21 schedule, but they were interesting losses.
Since I was a teenager, I’ve been playing a full season of Madden before the start of the NFL season. The teams that I lose to with the defending champions are usually the teams that the real squad end up losing to. It’s strange, but it’s the way it usually works out.
In my simulated, Xbox world, the Buccaneers lost an away game to the Washington Football Team by a field goal. Washington’s defense smothered any running attack by the Bucs, and Brady was on his back several times. They kept it close, and the Bucs failed to have the ball last; the way Brady and Bucs’ head coach Bruce Arians like it.
image source: xboxachievements.com
The Buccaneers offense is supposed to be phenomenal this season, but when I was in control of them, playing Madden, they had a ton of dropped balls and they couldn’t convert on 1st downs. My ’21 Bucs lost to the Colts, at Indianapolis, by 17 points. It was a blowout, and I couldn’t get my offense going. The short little passes that Brady is so good at were not connecting. All my receivers seemed covered on every passing play I’d select.
Playing the Buffalo Bills on Week 14 was difficult, but my Bucs won by a field goal. During that game, Brady had a last-minute drive that set up my kicker for the win. I lost to the Saints at Tampa Bay. None of my offensive players could hold on to the football in that rainy game. I like the elements in Madden, but not when they cost me a victory.
I’ll see if the Buccaneers will lose to Washington, the Colts, or the Saints this season. Some ESPN analysts are suggesting that the Bucs could go undefeated this season. My opinion: Not a chance. When you’re the defending champion, every opponent circles you on their schedule. Opposing teams will be ready.