The Pop-Culture E-Zine
“Tristam Island” is out now! Play Hugo Labrande’s retro text adventure on one of 36 platforms (Ed: yep, 36 platforms!), from the Commodore PET, VIC-20 and C64 to the Dreamcast! Hours of gameplay, smooth parser, digital feelies, modern game design, intrigue on a deserted island! Best bit, it is cheaper than our daily coffee intake, go and get it now!
image source: Tristam Island by Hugo Labrande via itch.io
The C64 games compilation SHOOT’EM UP DESTRUCTION SET 3 (previously released on tape + disk from Psytronik Software) is now finally available for digital download – only US$2.99 for six games – which is an absolute bargain!
You can read more about (or buy) the compilation right here, however, we thought we’d let you know about the key features about this value packed destruction set:
Oh yeah, this compilation is compatible with the original C64, THEC64 Mini, The C64 (Maxi) and your C64 emulator software!
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own the Guinness World Records’ largest playable Game & Watch device!
Back in 2018 we told you all about Dr. Tom Tilley’s massive Game & Watch Octopus creation which absolutely blew our minds! Well guess what, now is your chance to own this unique creation and be the talk (and envy) of the town.
If you are interested in this MEGA Game & Watch, head on over to Tom’s for sale page to get more details about the sale and to register your interest.
source: WithProfessorTom
We may have found our ‘blow our mind‘ moment for the day!
Wanna relive the 90s again by browsing shelves full of VHS tapes, watching movies on the VCR and eating popcorn on your old school lounge-suite? Well, if you are a resident of Deschutes County (Oregon, US), then you are in luck, as you can book and stay at the world’s last Blockbuster store via Airbnb! This seriously is mind blowing, with the nostalgia meter going off the scale.
Oh yeah, if you are lucky enough to immerse yourself in this glorious 90s nostalgia, don’t forget to rewind the tape when you are finished!
PS: If only Australia’s last Blockbuster store was available to rent!
image source: Airbnb
story source: laughingsquid
By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.
Metroid’s Mother Brain is considered one of the most diabolical she-villains in video game history.
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with defeating Mother Brain every time I put my Metroid cartridge into my Nintendo Entertainment System. It took me a while to finally defeat her, and when I did, I wondered if Mother Brain had a backstory. How did she get to possess such vast power?
When I would play the original Metroid, I found Mother Brain fascinating. In later Metroid games, we got a little backstory on Mother Brain, but none of it seemed that imaginative. The original design of Mother Brain was the best. All of the designs in later games, especially in Super Metroid, when Mother Brain looked like a brain with a grotesque chicken body, were slightly extreme and almost silly. In the original Metroid, Mother Brain was captivating and menacing by just sitting in a glass jar, controlling the game like a puppet master. When I would defeat Mother Brain, my imagination would run wild. Was what we saw in the jar her original or real form?
image source: Samolo via Deviantart
Metroid was not the easiest game to beat. It took me several tries before I finally completed the game. I wasn’t an expert at the game like my brother. It took him just a day or two to defeat Mother Brain. Then he would usually move on to another game and beat that before me as well.
In the video game magazines of the time, like Nintendo Power, they never really went into much depth when it came to the iconic, she-villain. But the early games didn’t tell as much about Mother Brain either. It must’ve been a boring existence, just sitting there in a protective glass jar, ruling the planet, hoping that a bounty hunter wouldn’t come along and destroy you. However, she did have an army of henchmen protecting her. Villains in other major games at the time were primarily male and mostly on the beefy side.
Mother Brain was engrossing because she was so different from all of the other heavy villains in video games. Mother Brain is one of the reasons Metroid is a classic NES game.
image source: metroid.fandom.com
After more than 10 years, a sequel to the iconic video game classic will finally be released exclusively for Nintendo Switch via ININ Games and Strictly Limited Games!
After a long decade, Nintendo Switch players can now look forward to a sequel to the cult 80’s game series Bubble Bobble by TAITO. The new Bubble Bobble 4 Friends was developed by the original studio TAITO Corporation and will include a brand new local 4-player mode. The sequel will be released both digitally and physically exclusively for Nintendo Switch in Europe on November 19, 2019, with the release in the USA to follow in the first quarter of 2020.
As in the previous highly popular series, the thrilling and epic bubble fight starts again!
One night, a child’s room became enfolded by a miraculous light and every object under its rays suddenly came to life – including the child’s most favourite toy, the little dragon called Bub. Full of jealousy, the wicked magician Baron von Blubba challenges the friendly dragon to battle.
In the ’80s and ’90s, the players jumped through the levels either solo or in the two-player mode. In the new part of the popular Bubble Bobble series, a 4-player cooperative mode is integrated, providing even more fun with friends.
“Bubble Bobble is an extremely popular title in Europe, so we decided to implement a pre-sale in Europe in conjunction with ININ Games and Strictly Limited Games. It is also the first internally developed title since Taito has re-entered the consumer market, and the development team is thrilled to be working on this famous IP. I deeply hope that many people will enjoy it” says Hiroshi Uemura, Executive Officer, Division Manager of Development, TAITO CORPORATION.
Collectors can look forward to the Collector’s Edition of Bubble Bobble 4 Friends, distributed exclusively by Strictly Limited Games. The ININ publishing label markets the retail versions and digital releases on the Nintendo eShop.
We honestly can’t wait for Bubble Bobble 4 Friends! 🙂
News story and image source: Games Press
Tetris has always been a killer title for millions of gamers around the world. If you had a Game Boy, then we bet that you have played Tetris. Now, imagine playing Tetris on a mechanical display instead of digital. That’s hard to imagine, right?
Well, looks like Sinowin does imagine such things! Sinowin took a small computer, added a joystick and connected these to an old-school elongated flip-dot display, you know, like the ones that show the departure and arrival times at airports. No matter the platform, Tetris still remains a killer game, even on a flip-dot display. This is so damn cool!
source: sinowin
[story source: technabob.com]
A new console has been announced and it looks very intriguing!
The Evercade is a brand new handheld console with unique multi-game retro cartridges from leading games publishers and console platforms. The first publisher to jump onboard, Atari, will be bringing 20 of their classic game carts from their 2600 and 7800 back catalogue. We are are eagerly awaiting news on future publishers.
Little is known at this stage about the Evercade, but the few bits and pieces of information has definitely piqued our interest, like:
The Evercade is one retro playing console we will keep an eye on and let you know more details as they come to hand.
Well, Thank Gawd It’s Friday, or better yet, #TGIF!
Friday always feels good as it is the end of the working week and knowing that the weekend shenanigans are nigh.
To make Friday flow even easier, we thought we’d go shopping for some cool retro gaming and general pop culture stuff that you may also be interested in. Oh yeah, if you are keen on any of the gear below, just click on the pic and it will take you to the relevant merchant/store – too easy, here we go!
When our friends at Pinball Press covered handcrafted and unique pinball products on Etsy, we have a lot of you asking us to do the same for retro gaming. So your wish is our command!
Here is a selection of pretty cool retro gaming items on Etsy to suit any budget and any occasion – let’s go shopping!
Sega Seal Of Quality
Streets Of Rage 3D Shadow Box Art – framed
Hylian Shield Wooden Pin – Zelda
Awesome Nostalgia Retro Gaming T-Shirt
Game Over – enamel pin
Street Fighter – Ryu: 3D Shadow Box Art (framed)
80’s Retro Gaming Cartridge Throw Pillow Case
Altered Beast T-SHIRT / Beast Mode Gym / Retro Gaming / Unisex
Video Game Controller Poster
Oregon Trail Mug
Pokemon 3D Shadow Box Art (Framed)
NES Controller Patch
Retro NES Controller Card – A Card For Any Occasion (Birthday, Christmas, Gift)
Pixelated Heart Deco Coin Necklace
Custom Commodore 64 Printed Converse Sneakers
