A Soon to be Swallowed Piece of Retro Gaming in Chinatown

As some of you might be aware, Retro Game On is based out of Perth, Australia (it does state it under the RGO logo after all). Being a fairly big city, redevelopment is an on-going occurrence with one major project at the moment called the Perth City Link. In a nutshell; this is connecting up Perth's CBD to its closest northern suburb, Northbridge (which is an entertainment district).
Currently, both are separated by a major train line, but once the project is finished the train line will be sunk and they'll be joined together at last (and not segmented from each other). Enough about city planning, though.

A few days ago, I was walking down Roe Street (the road facing the train line on the Northbridge side) and while walking past possibly the world's smallest Chinatown I spotted the sign pictured above at the entrance to Chung Wah Lane. It's a bit faded, but says this:

• Gaming Centre
• Counter Strike
• Playstation 2
• 2MB Link to Internet
• Functions

I didn't notice until after I'd taken the photo, but above it (top right) is also a smaller sign that's painted the same colour as the wall. This says 'Licenced'.

I'd never noticed this sign before, let alone the long closed down shopfront, but found it interesting none the less. Presumably, sometime in the early to mid-2000's this place would have been a hotspot for playing Counter Strike, PS2 and who knows what else on a blazing fast (at the time) 2Mb/s ADSL connection - all while enjoying a refreshing beverage (or four). These times are long behind us in this particular spot, along with quite a few other internet cafes around the place. There are still a few holding on, sure, but for the most part, they're sadly a memory in the past - destined to disappear but be looked back on fondly much like the original arcades that preceded it.

I actually didn't take much notice of what's there now (although I probably should have) but comparing it to old photos of Chinatown and Street View, Cyber Net Cafe was used for a little bit more than gaming:

That Street View capture is from the August of 2015, but the newest available is actually from November 2015. I chose to show the August capture, however, because it's the highest resolution available that shows what it looked like for the majority of the last ten years or so. The capture for November shows the sign still intact, but the shops windows are replaced and there was a new coat of paint over everything (presumably readying it for new tenants). The blue and white signage was gone by the time I saw it in person, though, as can be seen in my photo at the top of this post. To get some perspective, my photo was taken from the right of the building, looking towards it where the pictured sign is.

So okay, it wasn't used for that much more than gaming, but as can be seen, they did offer 'email' and 'word processing'. It was truly a different world from today's where you possibly had to physically go somewhere and type up your resume or check your email from your friend abroad on a computer you had to pay time for - but it's fun to look back on regardless.

I have no idea when this opened or even when it closed - a bit of Googling around has proven nothing  substantial to me, but the earliest Street View is capture is from 2007. This shows it completely shuttered up, so whether it was completely closed by then or simply just closed that particular day, I have no idea. But let's hope if they were, their internet connection was a bit quicker by then.

So yeah, sadly I don't have anything too solid on the Cyber Net Cafe's demise, but we can only assume the reasons. 

Soon enough, this whole precinct will undoubtedly get completely revamped thanks to the Perth City Link and not even the sign will be left to prove what was once there. A bit sad really, but that's progress.  

Video: Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow for Xbox Review

Following on from the popularity of my last Xbox review (Red Dead Revolver) which is currently sitting at around 13,500 views (which is a lot more than I usually get) I thought I would give the system another look.
My Xbox collection is fairly untouched, and even though it's debatable if it's retro or not I'm going to use my YouTube channel to play it regardless. The channel is good for that - it actually gets me play a game more comprehensively which is hard to do when you're buying 5+ titles at a time.

Today, I'm checking out Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow - basically only because I hadn't before and I wanted to. It's as simple as that.
Pandora Tomorrow is the second game released in the Splinter Cell series, which is known for its stealth gameplay and might even rival the mighty Metal Gear series in playability.

Another Retro Gaming Store Opens In Perth: Retro Collect

I emerged from the bushes and went inside...

It really doesn't feel like it was roughly 10 months ago that I was last down Armadale way checking out Retro Levels at the Gosnells Railway Markets. I'm actually in doubt if that still exists since their website and Facebook page has seemingly disappeared (although an Ebay account is still around) but until I confirm that, I know for sure that there is a brand-spanking new retro outlet in the heart of Armadale.
As of writing, Retro Collect has only been open one single week - but I went and visited this Saturday and I can assure you that it's fully stocked and ready for trade. Rather than operating out of a permanent market stall like Retro Levels or a few others around Perth, Retro Collect is in an actual high-street store much like Player [1]. Walking in off the street you're greeted to clean wooden floors, freshly painted walls with shelves and bins full of consoles, games and accessories. This is an actual proper store, and to have a few of these now kicking around Perth makes me a super happy retro gamer.
The question everyone will no doubt have though, is "how are the prices?", so I'll get straight into it. Obviously, they're not going to be anywhere near as cheap as op-shop prices which are my main way of sourcing games usually, but I can't always win with those. It's always super refreshing knowing that I'll be out and about to buy new games, and actually come home with something. This is quite worth the premium if you're not having much luck out in the wild (like I am at the moment).

The prices are more aligned with what you'd expect from eBay and the Facebook buy/sell groups which are gaining a lot of prominence at the moment, but a bit cheaper. I went in setting myself a budget of $50, but of course spent $55 because I have the self-control of a three-year-old. What you see above is what I purchased on Saturday, with all the price tags still attached. All titles were cheaper than what's the current going rate online by about $5-10, which is great when you consider the extra advantages buying from Retro Collect offers. For one, all games come with a 40-day warranty, which is absolutely above and beyond what's expected. Not like it's needed, however, because all games worked first try. It's obvious they had been cleaned and tested beforehand.

So when you compare to buying on eBay, it's a win-win all around. It's cheaper, there's a warranty and you get it that exact same day. Postage in Australia has come a long way, yes (I remember the dark days of a fortnight minimum wait across the Nullarbor) but nothing beats paying on the spot and owning it immediately.

The second question everyone might be wondering: do they sell for my *insert favourite system?* The answer: probably. All the major systems were represented (which you can see for yourself in the photos) and a lot in-box too. There wasn't anything too obscure though, so I wouldn't visit expecting to increase your Game.com or Apple Pippin collections, but I did find some Atari Jaguar cartridges so that was nice.
Otherwise, they sell a nice selection of accessories (with quite a few fighting sticks) as well as a handful of consoles. No doubt the console selection will grow as time goes on, but it was definitely the section that had the least.
Otherwise, there are a few other odds and ends about. One bin was full of strategy guides while another with Tiger Electronics-type handhelds (I can't quite recall what brand they were). There was also a selection of Nintendo plush toys scattered around.

That PlayStation sign is awesome. I want it above my retro setup.

Another feature of the store which resonated highly with me was the Nintendo upright cabinet with an N64 hooked up to play. I'm assuming the game inserted is probably on rotation, but the day I visited Donkey Kong 64 was playable. This is one of those store features that is completely unnecessary, but totally welcome at the same time. The store would be no different without it, but it certainly adds a nice touch. I have no idea why Mario is giving the evils on it, though.

Pictured: Mario at breaking point.

All the hand-helds and higher priced items were safely locked away under the counter from sticky fingers.

The two guys running it were super polite and easy to talk to, and it's obvious they are proud of their store. I don't really have anything negative to say about Retro Collect at all since I had a very good experience. The only slight knot in the rope is a lack of EFTPOS, however, I was told that this was coming, so no worries there.

Can I recommend Retro Collect? Absolutely. The prices and service was fantastic, and I can't wait to return. They're located in a prime location too, being just across the road from Armadale Shopping City (the suburbs mall) and just down the street from the local train station. Unfortunately, I don't live close enough to be able to visit as much I would like to in the future, but its location ensures that it's quite accessible for a large portion of the Perth metropolitan area.


Retro Collect can be found at 52 Fourth Road, Armadale, WA.
Ph: 0434 182 310
Website: www.retrocollect.com.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/perthretrocollect

Is Cash Converters Finally Redeeming its Self?

I've been having a really hard time with op-shops lately - they're full of The Sims expansions and Bali copies of PSone games (pirated copies for clarification) but there's been nothing of worth to pick-up. It's almost getting frustrating; the last time I had any real luck was way back in February. I do realise this is what op-shopping is all about - lots of leg work equals cheap rewards but damn it, this is getting ridiculous. In the five years I've been operating Retro Game On (April 6th was the big day, I should add) I've never had a bout of nothingness this long. It's because of this, I was forced into a Cash Converters. Oh, the horror.

Way back in the February of last year, I went on a mild rant about Cash Converters and how they're trying to be the go-to place for retro games. I won't go into too much detail here but basically, they went from being a super cheap and convenient place to buy games (a chain I'd been shopping at for years I should add) to overly expensive and not worth my time and thus Dollarydoos.
With myself experiencing the drought I am however, I puckered up my butt for high prices and gave it a shot.

Everything you see in the photo above except for The Saboteur was bought from Cashies, with the shop visit going something like this: I entered, and spied the three games I was interested in noting that Shadowgate for the NES was a bit too pricey for my tastes. The price for The Flintstones on Mega Drive was also hidden (it was on the bottom of the cartridge, which was facing front-up in the locked cabinet). I promptly asked an employee for help, first asking about The Flinstones price. Surprisingly, his answer was "How much do you think it's worth?". Myself being very much a fan of $5 games of course, answered $5. The guy flipped it over, and what do you know, it was priced at $5. I wished I had said something lower at that point, but as you'll soon know this won't matter.
We then moved to another cabinet where Shadowgate and Lode Runner 3D for N64 were being held, and I immediately requested Lode Runner. This had a $15 price tag on it, which I guess isn't too bad, but my plan was to pay full price for that and The Flintstones in the hope of getting a discount on Shadowgate. I asked for a better price, he let me offer, and I said $12. Reasonable, I would think. Still too much really, but hey, I'm not ignorant to the prices of NES games and a stupid low-ball would likely get me nowhere.
To the offer, the employee actually didn't say anything. He simply took the games out of the cabinet and took them to the counter. I thought this was a bit weird, but even with my terrible math skills, I knew if he excepted the offer the grand total would be $32. This was not the case however, as he asked for $24. In a totally un-Cashies way, he ended up giving me Lode Runner 3D for free.
I don't know why, and I didn't really want to question it but I know it wasn't a mistake because he added it wouldn't have a warranty. I made a lame joke about cleaning it until it worked and high-tailed out of there before he changed his mind.
I'm not sure if this is the kind act of one sole employee, or if the company as a whole has changed their policy - but regardless, I sure as heck ain't complaining. And on that note, they'll likely see my business again soon.
Hopefully, this is the start of rekindled relationship between us, Cash Converters.

I guess I should also add The Saboteur to this post too since I included it in the photo. That cost $10 from a competitor. Yep, PS3 games have hit the $10 threshold. What a time to be alive.
I also bought Red Dead Redemption on the Xbox 360 for $5, which is even more amazing (considering it included the instruction manual as well as the map) but not as surprising since the 360 officially got the can from Microsoft this week.
I don't own a 360, at least not yet, but I do own this on PS3 and bought it when it first came out. I have played it twice since then and love the game to bits. The reason I bought it on 360 though, was because after the possible leak of a sequel or prequel to Red Dead I got really excited and wouldn't shut-up about it to my girlfriend. She's never played it, so hence now has her own copy :)

Video: Codename: Tenka for PSone Review

Also know as Lifeforce Tenka in PAL regions, this Psygnosis release has you playing a chap fleeing the future terribleness of Earth to an off-world colony called Extruvius 328-B. Upon arriving, however, he finds that it's the manufacturing plant for a bio-army for the evil corporation, Trojan Incorporated.
I don't think I've ever reviewed a FPS on the PSone, let alone one released before the DualShock controller with thumbsticks - so playing this was an interesting experience for sure.

Remembering my Childhood Game Store: Ultimate Games

The only image I could find of Ultimate Games on the net - from a Google Street View capture dated May, 2008

A little while ago I was watching a YouTube video by Michael's Retro Game Reviews, where he was reminiscing about his local game store growing up. This got me thinking about the place where I spent all my pocket money as a kid: Ultimate Games.
After a Google search, I was disappointed to find that there is bar a mention of Ultimate Games on the interwebs - except for Yellow Page like website listings as well as a Google listing sadly proclaiming it's "permanently closed" in a bright red box. Such a bummer.
I thought I would change this since there is no information about it around, but the place is also important to me personally since it helped a lot with my game collection in the early days - especially on the PSone.

A selection of Ultimate Games purchases - all with their iconic yellow price stickers still attached.

Growing up, I lived and breathed an original PlayStation when it was ideally the starting prime time of the PS2. I did buy it brand-new, I should add (splitting the price with my Dad) but by the time I had it, it was somewhere in the region of 2002-2003. New games were starting to appear less and less as time went on unless you liked FIFA or kids games, so instead I buried myself in classics from the previous years in the form of second-hand purchases. There were a few places I liked to visit (the Game Traders in Morley Galleria is one place that springs to mind) but Ultimate Games was easily the closest, cheapest and had the best range for PSone.
Plenty of classic games and long time favorites of mine were purchased from this store including (but definitely not limited to) Ape Escape, Driver 1 and 2, Sheep, Dog 'N' Wolf and Spyro: Year of the Dragon. Hell, I even bought my original Nintendo DS from there second-hand.

Being independently owned, it was always run by the same bloke but I do remember two American guys in there at one point. They all seemed quite friendly, though - and never use to mind when I would come in and pay with a bundle of silver coins scavenged from pocket money. I guess it was money after all, but I always felt bad regardless.
Ultimate Games didn't just sell games either, as towards the end of its existence there was a section where you could rent anime videos. I never used the service as I've never really been into anime, but from what I remember, there were a lot of imported titles. Since this was long before the time of anime streaming services like Crunchy Roll, I could see the appeal of this idea. It's not like there was anything else like it in a suburb such as Midland (which isn't exactly famous for its culture).

So then, what did eventually happen to Ultimate Games? I don't have an exact answer, but I can give an opinion on what I observed. It's a pretty simple answer to, but a sad one. Like a lot of stories to do with the closure of independently owned stores, I'd say it was pushed out by big business. Ultimate Games had the advantage of being on the highway, but this was across the road from a shopping mall called Midland Gate. Within Midland Gate, is an EB Games (owned by GameStop for the Americans reading). I can't remember how long it's been there, but I think it would be fair to say that Ultimate Games was in the area first. After a while, a GAME opened in Midland Gate too which no doubt did nothing to help (even though it kinda sucked). So even though (in my opinion) Ultimate Games had the superior second-hand availability, there were another two dedicated stores just across the road selling games as well as department stores like Kmart, Big-W and Target. The last time I remember seeing Ultimate Games open would have been between 2008 and 2009.

Too much competition in a one block radius and the little guy gets pushed out - how sad. I wish it was still there and I miss it, but I guess the business world is just too different these days to support such stores.

Video: How to Play Old Consoles on Modern TV's

Are you a bit unsure of how to plug your retro game consoles into your spic-span, brand new TV? If so, then hopefully this video will answer some of your questions. I talk about different connections needed for different consoles, as well as a few extra tips.

Video: Kabuki Quantum Fighter for NES Review

In my first ever NES review, I check out this action platformer with the most out there storyline I've ever encountered (even by Japanese standards).

I'm a Dirty Famicom Pirate. Arrrrrrr!

Sorry, Nintendo.

I contributed to piracy (in a remote manner) by accidentally buying secondhand none-legit Famicom cartridges from the mid-1980's. I swear it was only because I'm ignorant and uneducated in the ways of spotting real Famicom cartridges - I really do hope we can still be friends.

I didn't even know pirated Famicom cartridges were a thing until I purchased them the other day. I'm not even mad, though. In fact, I'm a bit impressed. I have seen pirated Game Boy and DS games in my lifetime - but these would have been in the last 15 years. The cartridges I bought the other day, however, would have been from the 1980's. It's pretty amazing they exist at all, in my opinion. The amount of effort and time it may have taken to create these surely would have counteracted just buying the damn game legally - although I can't say I'm an expert on the subject. In fact, I don't really know much about it at all since I've never been interested in the pirated stuff. Oh well, I guess I have some in my possession now regardless.

These were bought from the same secondhand store where I saw that broken NES for $100 which I mentioned in the post about fixing my own NES. Here's a photo I posted of that on Facebook if you want proof or want to cringe at it - since unsurprisingly it was still there.
The only reason I was even in the store at all was because it was a Sunday and all the op-shops were closed, and I guess I wanted to buy some more NES games (since I very rarely find those at all in the same op-shops).
At first, I thought I had a newfound respect for the store since I bought four Famicom games for $5 each (since there is nothing there under $15) but since they're pirated I guess that respect has turned back to disgust.

I also bought other stuff, but I guess I'll mention those further down.

I'll never know if the owners knew they're pirated or not, but they obviously weren't labelled as such.
On the flipside, though, three out of four work. Super Mario Bros 3, B-Wings and Ninja Hattori-Kun all needed an intense clean (I've never seen q-tips so black) but worked eventually. Karateka, on the other hand, wasn't that dirty at all in comparison - but I never got it working. I opened it up to find scratches all over the top-left of the circuit board too - many of which were over traces so I guess that's what's causing the malfunction.

I still don't really know much in regards to the piracy of these games - except for one clue. B-Wings and Ninja Hattori-Kun are both labelled with "Whirlwind Manu". I looked this up, and it turns out it was a company in the late 80's/early 90's (probably) based in Taiwan that distributed pirated cartridges all over the world. It seemed to be a huge operation - but otherwise, not much else is know about them. The games that do work seem to be quite flawless copies of their original counterparts, even the case design.
As somewhat of a Famicom noob (even though I've owned one for years) it's hard to spot the differences unless compared to an original.

The cartridge on the left is real... I assume.

I guess the sticker is a huge giveaway, but I honestly didn't even notice that when buying them. They were in a display case facing upwards in the store (with the price sticker on the back) so when I was inspecting them, all I was  really doing was flipping them over and checking the prices. I hardly noticed the sticker design at all, which is something I'll have to rectify in the future.

While there, I also bought Xevious on the NES for $15. Luckily this is a legit copy, but $15 is more than I'd ever want to play. I let it slip this time, however, since I'm having a hard time finding affordable NES games anywhere. I'm beginning to think that my NES collection will remain small and only consist of specific games I've bought online - since it really seems like my only option at the moment.
On the flipside, though, I looked up Xevious on eBay and for some reason only the Famicom versions are listed in Aus - all other listings seem to be international and NTSC, oddly.

Lastly, I bought some PS2 games. Yes, more blasted PS2 games - both of which were $3 (my kinda prices!). There's a method to my madness, though. For one, I bought Driv3r because the copy I already had was too scratched to play. I made sure this one was clean and working, so I now have that in my collection for reals.
I also bought WRC because, for one, I really love that series and two, I need racing games on the PS2 for an upcoming hardware review for a Logitech steering wheel (the Driving Force EX specifically). I don't think I ever mentioned it on this blog when I bought that last year, so stayed tuned for the video in the coming months.  

Video: Altered Beast for Genesis/Mega Drive Review

"WELCOME TO YOUR DOOM!" 

Need I say much more? Everyone knows about Altered Beast. While not the greatest game on Earth, I'm sure a lot of gamers reading this have played it at one point.