videogames

Taito Egret II Mini Arcade To Get An Update

August 30, 2022 By ausretrogamer

TAITO EGRET II MINI OWNERS: There will be an update that can be downloaded starting September 5th!

This is awesome news for those of you that were lucky enough to snag the Taito Egret II Mini. To commemorate the half year anniversary of the Egret II Mini, a commemorative program will be broadcast live on Famitsu Tube.

This live web broadcast will be delivered by the editorial department of Famitsu.com – a Japanese gaming and entertainment information/magazine site. Celebrities known for their love of games will serve as MCs and introduce the appeal of the latest games together with the Famitsu staff.

source: FamitsuTube

Voice actor Miyu Takagi will be the Master Of Ceremonies of the live broadcast this Friday, September 2nd. There is much excitement in anticipating what will be revealed this Friday in relation to the half-year anniversary of the Taito’s Egret II Mini. Some of the updates that Taito has disclosed for the Egret II Mini ( available on September 5th) include:

Game Adjustments including controls (including spinner controller)
Bug Fixes on 8 titles
Display Adjustments whereby the aspect ratio of all 50 titles displayed on the main unit to be changed to 4:3, also changing the aspect ratio to 4:3 for screen display via HDMI output. Resolution of the title wallpapers will also be lowered to improve game performance while connecting to a TV via HDMI

You will need an SD card (or micro SDHC card with a SD conversion adapter) to transfer the update from your computer to the Egret II Mini. You will need at least 512 MB (FAT32) to store the update. We can’t wait!

story source: Taito

It’s Okay that Kyler Murray’s a Gamer

August 30, 2022 By David Cutler

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Several weeks ago, you would’ve thought Arizona Cardinal’s quarterback Kyler Murray clubbed a baby seal and posted it on social media.

In Murray’s new five-year, $230.5 million contract, the Cardinals had included a clause requiring Murray to “complete at least four (4) hours of independent study” during game weeks. The “homework clause” specified that Murray would not receive credit for studying on an iPad if he was simultaneously playing video games, watching TV, or surfing the internet. Then, the Cardinals eventually removed the “independent study” clause from the quarterback’s contract.

If Murray didn’t like what was in the contract that was presented to him and his agent, he didn’t have to sign it. But some of the National Football League pundits who were dismantling the Murray contract addendum on various shows, had no kind words when the subject of video games came up. Most NFL gurus shrug at the mere mention of video games because they don’t have an investment or stack in gaming; they don’t gain anything when video games are brought up in their circles.

The 25-year-old quarterback took a thumping from most NFL commentators. Ryan Clark, on “NFL Live,” compared Kyler Murray to a fifth grader. Pretty harsh. Granted, fifth graders play a great deal of video games, but so do people in their thirties and forties.

A couple of fashionable pundits have said that when Murray throws an interception this season, fans will immediately say, “He’s been playing video games too much.” There could be a lot of reasons why Murray throws a pick. The most likely reason being that the cornerback anticipated a pass play when Murray drops back. Playing video games will have nothing to do with it.

Some in the sports media seem anti-video gaming. The revenues for the global game market were $159.3 billion in 2020. Do people who are paid to give their sports takes on the NFL know how many young people play video games? It’s estimated in 2023, there will be 3 billion video game players worldwide.

image source: Fox Sports

Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium Launches In July

June 10, 2022 By ausretrogamer

Put Your Arcade Skills to the Test When Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium Launches This July

Get ready to relive some of your favourite arcade memories when Capcom Arcade 2^nd Stadium – chock-full with 32 classic Capcom games – releases worldwide on July 22, 2022 on Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4, Xbox One and Steam. Retro fans and arcade novices alike can experience (or re-experience!) arcade mainstays like STREET FIGHTER, SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS, BLACK TIGER, MEGAMAN 2 – THE POWER FIGHTERS -, A.K.A. MAGIC SWORD and more. Friends and family can even get in on the action with local multiplayer available across a number of titles.

Similar to the original Capcom Arcade Stadium released last year, players can expect an abundance of customization and gameplay options in Capcom Arcade 2^nd Stadium, including:

Online leaderboards: Climb the ladder and see how you stack up against other players.
Display settings: A variety of display settings (Normal, Arcade, Full Screen), screen filters, arcade cabinet designs and frames to personalize every gaming experience and maximize the feeling of playing at your own home arcade.
Gameplay options: Including adjustable Game Speed (from “Very Slow” to “Very Fast”) and Difficulty Level to increase accessibility – or to give yourself an added challenge.
Rewind: This Rewind feature is available across all Capcom Arcade 2^nd Stadium games and allows players to jump back 10 seconds in time to save themselves (or a friend) from any unforeseen dangers. Whether you’re struggling to defeat a boss or want to practice a tricky segment of a game, the Rewind feature unlocks a whole new dimension of gameplay.
Invincibility mode: Play all the titles in the collection in an invincible state, available as free DLC!

All players start out with SONSON, the 2D side-scrolling platformer first released in 1984, for free. Players who pre-order or purchase Capcom Arcade 2^nd Stadium before August 5, 2022 will receive the “Display Frames Set 1,” which gives players access to 32 title-specific display frames that open new customization options for their digital arcade cabinets. Additionally, players who pre-order or purchase Capcom Fighting Collection™ before September 30, 2022 will receive Three Wonders, which packs three arcade games into one, as a bonus game for Capcom Arcade 2^nd Stadium.

With Capcom Arcade 2^nd Stadium, players have the freedom to build up their own personalized collections by purchasing individual titles. For maximum nostalgia, players can choose to purchase the “Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium Bundle 1” for access to all 32 titles.

Original Capcom Arcade Stadium players also receive bonus content in Capcom Arcade 2^nd Stadium, including:

Capcom Arcade Stadium Music & Lights: Players who have save data from Capcom Arcade Stadium receive access to this new feature that allows you to change the colours and music for the menu screens.
Instruction Card Backgrounds: Anyone who purchased at least one title from Capcom Arcade Stadium will be able to set instructions and key art from past titles as their background for the game.

Lastly, to celebrate Capcom’s 39^th anniversary and the first year since the release of Capcom Arcade Stadium, we are making Street Fighter II – The World Warrior – available to download for free in Capcom Arcade Stadium through July 21, 2022.

The full game list for Capcom Arcade 2^nd Stadium is below. Prepare yourself…it’s a long one!

1943 Kai – Midway Kaisen –
A.K.A. BLOCK BLOCK
A.K.A. KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND
A.K.A. MAGIC SWORD
A.K.A. THE KING OF DRAGONS
A.K.A. VAMPIRE SAVIOR – The Lord Of Vampire –
BLACK TIGER
Capcom Sports Club
DARKSTALKERS – The Night Warriors –
ECO FIGHTERS
Gan Sumoku
Hissatsu Buraiken
HYPER DYNE SIDE ARMS
HYPER STREET FIGHTER II – The Anniversary Edition –
LAST DUEL
MEGAMAN 2 – THE POWER FIGHTERS –
MEGAMAN – THE POWER BATTLE –
NIGHT WARRIORS – Darkstalkers’ Revenge –
Pnickies
Rally 2011 LED STORM
SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS
SAVAGE BEES
SONSON
STREET FIGHTER
STREET FIGHTER ALPHA 2
STREET FIGHTER ALPHA 3
Street Fighter Alpha – Warriors’ Dreams –
SUPER GEM FIGHTER – MINI MIX –
SUPER PUZZLE FIGHTER II TURBO
The Speed Rumbler
THREE WONDERS
Tiger Road

NOTE: Press Release & Images supplied by Capcom Europe

Get Hyped For PAX East 2022!

April 12, 2022 By ausretrogamer

Alanah Pearce to Deliver PAX East 2022 Storytime Keynote; Full Exhibitor List, Schedule Revealed
Fully Vaxxed, Masked Game Industry Reunion Kicks Off April 21, 2022

PAX East 2022 welcomes renowned video game writer, producer, content creator, voice actor, and charity streamer Alanah Pearce, who will give the Storytime keynote address as the East Coast’s most attended gaming event. Hundreds of publishers, developers, and other exhibitors will come together Thursday, April 21 through Sunday, April 24, 2022 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center for the first time in two years.

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required of all attendees, exhibitors, staff, and guests at PAX East 2022, and face coverings are mandated at all times. Additional health and safety information is available on the official website.

PAX East guest-of-honour Alanah Pearce has informed and entertained millions across international radio, internet, and television, plus games like Gears 5 and Cyberpunk 2077. Her industry knowledge has elevated IGN and Rooster Teeth while drawing huge audiences to YouTube and Twitch as Charalanahzard. A champion of accessibility, equality, and diversity in games, Pearce created the Video Game Accessibility Awards in 2020 and joined a AAA studio as a video game writer that same year. She will welcome gamers home to PAX East with the Storytime keynote address from the Main Theatre (and streamed live on Twitch) on Thursday, April 21 at 10:30 AM Eastern.

Following the keynote, explore a massive show floor replete with hundreds of beloved developers, AAA and indie publishers, and hands-on demos of hotly anticipated titles. See the latest from 505 Games, renowned publisher of Death Stranding, Control, Ghostrunner, and the Eiyuden Chronicle series. Experience new announcements or first-ever playable debuts for games like Devolver Digital’s Trek to Yomi and Demon Throttle, Swordship from Thunderful Games, Cuisineer from BattleBrew Productions, The Last Worker from Wired Productions, WrestleQuest from Skybound Games, RAWMEN from tinyBuild, and many, many more.

These partners join a staggering lineup of new and previously announced, like Gearbox Software, Larian Studios, Focus Home Interactive, Koch Media, XSEED, Intel, AMD, Apogee Entertainment, Ysbryd Games, Humble Games, and so many more. See Games Done Quick break records in-person, watch esports’ youngest and brightest play Valorant for $7,500 in collegiate scholarships, witness popular content creators throw down in Fall Guys, and catch all-star panels with industry personalities like WWE Superstar Xavier Woods AKA Austin Creed and Jirard “The Completionist” Khalil. The full exhibitor list and event schedule for PAX East 2022 are available now.

Follow the action straight to the Main Stage, where 1047 Games and PAX Arena are proud to present the $10k Almost Pro Splitgate Open. Watch some of the world’s best compete in the free-to-play, fast-paced arena shooter with player-controlled portals and multi-dimensional combat. Host Alex Corea and casters SUP3RSON1k, RomeDMV, CoachBitey, and aEvilCat will call the matches throughout the weekend, culminating in a Sunday Grand Final that fans eager to hear what’s next for Splitgate won’t want to miss.

“Even in the darkest times of the last few years, we found each other in Discord, and bonded in rounds of Splitgate or on simulated tabletops,” said Jerry Holkins, co-founder of Penny Arcade and PAX. “But PAX East has returned, just as was foretold. To our friends, new and old: Welcome home.”

Saturday badges for PAX East 2022 are nearly sold out. Four-day badges are now on sale for $235, while individual Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday badges go for $62 each. For travel info, event schedules, FAQs, and more, check out the PAX East website, and follow PAX on Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, and Instagram.

image source: PAX

Press Release supplied by ReedPop

Taito Milestones – Nintendo Switch Review

April 11, 2022 By ausretrogamer

ININ Games has been quite prolific of late in teaming up with iconic arcade brand, TAITO – they keep giving us a jolt of nostalgia with their TAITO classics remastered for a new generation of systems (and gamers) to enjoy. Taito Milestones is the latest output of this collaboration, bringing a compilation of 80s classic Taito arcade games to the masses.

This special retro compilation may not be for everyone, but for those gamers of a certain age that played these arcade games ‘back in the day’, these games represent a new way of playing them on their contemporary consoles. Let’s get straight to the point, this Taito Milestones compilation is for those that seek a hit nostalgia, which is always welcome. For those that have no nostalgic pull to any of the games in Milestones, don’t be fooled by the simple graphics, as these games were designed to pull the player in and extract as many coins from their pockets.

There are 10 classic Taito arcade games which you may have heard of or even better, played them in the 80s! For western gamers, there may be a few titles that you may have not gotten to play as they were either exclusive to Japan or not widely available to play in arcade centres. There are the obvious classic titles like Elevator Action, Qix, Alpine Ski and The Ninja Warriors. That doesn’t mean that the other six titles are unheard of or not playable, they were just lesser known by western audiences back in the 1980s. We love platform and shooter/shoot’em up games, so Space Seeker, The FairyLand Story and Halley’s Comet are welcome additions – we have to say, we loved Halley’s Comet as it is a super fast paced vertical shmup with great enemies and power-ups. The emulation for all ten titles is absolutely spot on, so there is nothing to be concerned about on that front – just play and enjoy!

If you are a retro fan and don’t already own some of these games on the Switch, and want to dive into a nostalgic gaming experience by playing ten classic Taito arcade games, then Taito Milestones is for you. There is definitely something in this collection for every retro gamer. Is it worth the A$58 (digital) – only if you don’t already have some of these.

The physical edition (starting at €39.99/A$58.00) and the digital download version of TAITO MILESTONES for Nintendo Switch launches on April 15th, 2022.

QIX (1981)

Space Seeker (1981)

Alpine Ski (1982)

Front Line (1982)

Wild Western (1982)

Chack’n Pop (1983)

Elevator Action (1983)

The FairyLand Story (1985)

Halley’s Comet (1986)

The Ninja Warriors (1987)
image source: ININ Games

Disclaimer: The Nintendo Switch review code for Taito Milestones was provided by PR Hound.

Super Mario Kart Cardboard Hovercraft

March 29, 2022 By ausretrogamer

There are some cool DIY projects out there, and then there is DanCreator’s Mario Kart 8 inspired working hovercraft made out of cardboard! Yep, you read that right, a Ryobi blower powered Mario Kart hovercraft made totally out of cardboard – which is totally mind blowing stuff.

But wait, there is more cool cardboard creations – check out DanCreator’s sitdown arcade inspired Mario Kart 8!

Check out Dan’s entire video below, which is totally awesome (or skip to about 12:20 to see the finished Mario Kart cardboard hovercraft)!

source: DanCreator

Melbourne International Games Week & PAX Aus Are Back!

March 8, 2022 By ausretrogamer

After 2 years of virtual events, 2022 is shaping up to have two massive events back in-person!

The Melbourne International Games Week (MIGW-22) (Oct 1 – 9) and PAX Aus 2022 (Oct 7 – 9) events are back! Save the dates, book in your annual leave, get a sitter and get ready to be back catching up with likeminded peeps at these (industry and public) events.

We are mindful that it has been a while since these events were held in person, so there may be some anxiety, but please be easy on yourself and only attend if you are sure and feel comfortable in mixing in large crowds, especially after these last couple of years.

Pew Pew Pew – We Love These Galaga Pins!

September 14, 2021 By ausretrogamer

You would have all guessed it by now that we are huge fans of Namco’s timeless classic arcade and iconic vertical shoot’em up, GALAGA. The constant pew pew pewing at enemy ships as they stream down and across the screen never gets old!

It seems that we are not alone in our love of Galaga, as Etsy seller Wardingers has created these awesomely cute 1 inch Galaga Enamel Pins which we would proudly wear on our lanyard as we blast those pesky enemy ships!

source: Wardingers on Etsy

Cotton Reboot! – Nintendo Switch Review

August 16, 2021 By ausretrogamer

Cute’em up or shoot’em up? Whichever way you look at it, Cotton Reboot! satisfies both with its extremely fun shmup elements onboard a witches broomstick wrapped in cutesy remastered HD graphics. But don’t let the cuteness fool you, as this is one wicked game!

Let’s not beat around the bush, we have been playing and have been fans of shoot’em ups (or lovingly referred to as shmups) for 40+ years, starting with Space Invaders, so seeing another classic 30 year old shmup get a contemporary console release is huge news! To the uninitiated, Cotton is a much revered and iconic series which appeared on many consoles and computers, beginning with the arcade port of Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams on Sharp’s X68000, PC Engine, PlayStation, right through to the the Neo Geo Pocket.

Finally PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch gamers can experience some Cotton action via Cotton Reboot! for themselves, with all the colour and fun gameplay. This Reboot! offers 3 game modes (including the original X68000 Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams) new features/options and 7 stages that highlight what a sprawling horizontal shoot ’em up should be like, with a dazzling array of onscreen cast and challenges. Oh yeah, it would be remiss of us not to mention the parallax scrolling, it is *chef’s kiss* superb!

At the heart of all shoot’em ups, regardless of their orientation (horizontal or vertical), is to use the protagonist, in this case, your young witch, Nata de Cotton, to dodge bullets, kamikaze enemies, bombs and other nasty objects while doing some pretty cool shooting yourself and powering up to inflict some serious damage, especially when battling end of level bosses! Did we mention Cotton loves Tea Time too? Well, she does, which she collects at the end of each stage.

Each shmup game has their means of powering up and Cotton Reboot! is no exception. The hook here is collecting power crystals (which are dropped by slayed enemies), but you need to be quick, as they drop off-screen if you are playing the X68000 game. If you play the Arrange game, the power crystals float, making it easier for Cotton to sweep in on her broom to pick them up. Crystals dropped by enemies can be fired upon multiple times till they change colour. Picked up crystals increase Cotton’s EXP gauge, powering up her main shot. As for the colour of the crystals, yellow and orange crystals increase the power of Cotton’s main shot, the blue and red crystals give Cotton lightning and firebombs, while in the Arrange-exclusive mode, green and purple crystals drop massive rocks and nukes, respectively. Oh yeah, another cool new feature is that bombs can be levelled up three times by collecting crystals of the same colour, increasing their destructive power – now you are playing with, erm, power! No shmup is complete without a side kick to help you through the game. In this case, you can enlist the aid of Silk, Cotton’s magical fairy friend who can summon up different configurations to easily mow down your enemies.

The action can become frenetic at times with the screen becoming so busy that it is easy to miss enemy shots which can down Cotton. We aren’t big fans of the bullet-hell shmup sub-genre, which Cotton Reboot! sometimes delves into, but luckily it doesn’t remain there for too long, but something to consider if you absolutely despise bullet-hell shooters.

Cotton Reboot! will satisfy both newcomers to shoot’em ups and those of us that have been playing these types of games for decades. Don’t be deceived by the cute and enchanting graphical presentation, this game is devilishly fun, atmospheric and addictive to play. At AU$59.99 (Switch eShop), it is on the expensive side, but if you want the best cute’em up, it is worth checking out. There is a reason this series is loved by many, it is that darn good.

Disclaimer: The Nintendo Switch review code for Cotton Reboot! was provided by PR Hound.

Chip’s Challenge is coming to the SNES and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive!

July 16, 2021 By ausretrogamer

Chip’s Challenge for SNES and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Pre-Orders Now Live

Top-down tile-based puzzle game

Independent publisher The Retro Room Games has recently announced that the pre-orders for Chip’s Challenge on Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive are now open!

Play as Nerdy Chip McCallahan, who navigates through a series of increasingly difficult puzzles in 148 two-dimensional levels, in order to prove himself and gain membership to the very exclusive Bit Busters Club.

Originally developed by Epyx, Chip’s Challenge is a classic top-down tile-based puzzle game launched on Atari Lynx in 1989. The game was also ported to MS-DOS, Atari ST, Amiga, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and the Amstrad CPC back in the 90s.

Chip’s Challenge was also released on Steam 6 years ago featuring 90% of positive reviews. This will be the first time that the game will be available on Nintendo and Sega platforms.

Chip’s Challenge will be available on 16-bit consoles including a cartridge in both PAL and NTSC versions, a box and an instruction booklet. Pre-orders for the game can be found here.

source: The Retro Room Roo