The Last Starfighter

About This Episode Four decades ago, young Alex Rogan got the highest score ever on his favorite game: Starfighter. He’s shocked to find out the game was a training & recruitment tool for actual intergalactic pilots, and his performance has earned him entry into an elite space force! Now, on its fortieth anniversary, we are…

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RUMOR: American Pinball to Push Back Debut of Next Game to Avoid Another Release Avalanche

Here’s an interesting rumor to start the week off. Flash back to March of 2023, that month saw an absolute avalanche of new pinball machine reveals. The Texas Pinball Festival featured the first public appearances of Chicago Gaming Company’s Pulp Fiction, Stern Pinball’s Foo Fighters, Jersey Jack Pinball’s The Godfather, American Pinball’s Galactic Tank Force…

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A review of Minesweeper from Boss Fight Books

A major factor of retro gaming isn’t just what the games themselves are so much as the context of where they were played. Kyle Orland’s Minesweeper from Boss Fight Books is an excellent demonstration of this philosophy in action, simply because Minesweeper isn’t really the kind of game that comes to mind as a retro…

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Less Than 2 Weeks Until KC Retro

Step into the time warp and join the ultimate gathering of retro enthusiasts, gamers, and nerds in Overland Park this summer. Don’t miss out on the nostalgia-filled experience of KC RETRO! Dive into a world where retro meets modern at KC RETRO! Explore a vibrant vendor floor filled with vintage toys, video games, comic books,…

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River Raid II Refueled the 2600

The name River Raid was- and still is- synonymous with high-energy shooting action. A classic on the Atari 2600 when originally released during the holiday season in 1982, Carol Shaw’s creation is regarded as one of the most enjoyable and original arcade dogfighters ever on the system and is an early staple in the Activision brand….

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Full Motion Video Games

About This Episode Photo-realism in video games is commonplace now, but for decades, storage and technology limitations meant blocky figures were the best we could get. But as the tech evolved, the use of actual video started to enhance the game experience. In this Backtrack, we look back at the rise and legacy of FMV:…

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