Tag Archive: arcade games


First look–TEKKEN video game returns in new comic book series

Filed under: Comics & Books, Con Culture, Fantasy Realms — Leave a comment
April 29, 2017

   

TEKKEN is a fighting video arcade game franchise from Bandai Namco that premiered in 1994–one of the first fighting games to use 3D animation.  The game has gone through seven main games over the years, the second being one of the best selling fighting games of all time.  TEKKEN has seen several spinoff games, as well as movie adaptations, both in animated and live action, and comic book adaptations.

TEKKEN is returning in an all-new comic book series next week, featuring a story by Cavan Scott (Doctor Who, Vikings), and a interior artwork by Andie Tong.

   

Fans of the arcade game (also available in various PlayStation formats) will recognize characters from the game including Jin, Heihachi Mishima, Yoshimitsu, Nina Williams and Paul Phoenix.  Issue #1 is a great series opener.  The artwork is vibrant and the story full of good humor and fun action.

Check out this preview and variant covers for TEKKEN, Issue #1, courtesy of Titan Comics:
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Retro fix–Centipede of Atari 2600 and arcade fame finds a backstory in new comic book series

Filed under: Comics & Books, Con Culture, Fantasy Realms, Retro Fix — Leave a comment
April 18, 2017

   

Centipede–It was one of the most addictive arcade and home video games in the first generation of video gaming.  Technically a “vertically-oriented fixed shooter arcade game,” it was designed by Ed Logg and Dona Bailey for Atari in 1980.  The player would defend against centipedes, spiders, scorpions and fleas, completing a round after eliminating all the segments of the centipede that winds its way down the screen.  Check out the video below from the Atari 2600 home version and you may remember it well, including the ever quickening, relentless impending beeps.

Co-creator Dona Bailey was one of the first women video game designers.  She intended for Centipede to appeal to female gamers, and it would become the second most popular coin-op arcade game behind Pac-Man for the demographic.

   

Dynamite Entertainment and Atari are releasing a new comic book series this summer based on the game.  Centipede #1 begins a tale of survival and vengeance, written by Max Bemis (Worst X-Man Ever, Foolkiller) and artist Eoin Marron (Sons of Anarchy: Redwood Original).  Dynamite reports the book will blend sci-fi, horror, and action to appeal to fans of Aliens, The Thing, and Predator: “When a terrifying creature from beyond the stars attacks his planet, protagonist Dale’s journey begins, but he is not out to save his world; it’s already much too late for that.  As the lone survivor, the only thing Dale wants is revenge.”

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Face off against Xur and the Ko-Dan Armada now with free Starfighter arcade game

Filed under: Movies, Retro Fix — 1 Comment
April 1, 2016

Last Starfighter clip

Greetings, Starfighter.  You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the frontier against Xur and the Ko-Dan Armada…

It’s no secret that we at borg.com are fans of sci-fi videogames–especially if they are part of a classic sci-fi movie like Tron or The Last Starfighter.  Thanks to the freeware programmers over at RogueSynapse you can download a freeware version of a brilliant, true looking version of The Last Starfighter as seen in the movie right now, and spend the rest of the weekend mastering your Starfighter skills.

Grig and Centauri would be proud.  Our apologies to your spouse.  The picnic will probably get rained out anyway.

Oh, and you’re welcome.

Starfighter video game screen freeware

Those from the generation that lived through these early video games recall keying in entire games like this that were included in Games or Compute! magazine.  It looked just like this, only it went on for dozens of pages:

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First look–Game over, man, game over! Tron: Ascension! And 1980s video games invade Earth in “Pixels”

Filed under: Fantasy Realms, Movies, Retro Fix, Sci-Fi Café — Leave a comment
March 31, 2015

Space Invaders Pixels movie poster   Pixels Galaga poster

Last night Production Weekly announced the new title for the third Tron movie has been chosen:  Tron: Ascension.  Tron: Ascension will begin filming in Vancouver this October.  Oh, yeah!

Video game movies are back.  What conjures up more retro fun than 1980s arcade games?  Who didn’t have at least a few of these on their Atari 2600?  Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Space Invaders, Galaga, Centipede…  This summer aliens have sent these animated pixilated weapons to cause Earth’s destruction in Pixels, a new 3D movie from Sony Pictures and Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions.  Think of the comedy and fantasy elements of Ghostbusters mashed up with the annihilation of the world’s landmarks, Independence Day style.  All the makings of a summer comedy blockbuster.

It’s like the reverse of Tron–instead of shrinking down to the pixel size of arcade game character Tron and playing in the Grid, the arcade video game stars are now becoming larger than life, entering our world.

Donkey Kong screen

It stars Adam Sandler (when was the last time Adam Sandler had a hit anyway?  50 First Dates?).  He joins Kevin James (King of Queens), Michelle Monaghan (Source Code, The Bourne Supremacy), and Peter Dinklage (Elf, The Station Agent, Game of Thrones) as they defend the world against… video games from space.

It’ll all make sense when you watch the first trailer for Pixels, after the break:

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