What's new Pussycat too?

Nice setup there Matt, careful they don't blow your cave / office down

Loud Rush may be too much for it to take..

 

Speaker repair tip:

Have a speaker or two that the center bubble has gotten pressed in? Use a vacuum with it's hose attached to suck them back out. You may need to rig a temporary nozzle to the end of the vacuum hose if the bubble is small. Or try using a straw and sucking on the bubble with it if small enough.

 

Looks powerful... the dog's bollys from where I'm standing, Matt.

Very well repaired and revamped.

Would lurve to hear these bad boys really open up and give it some Def Leppard on full bore, maybe a bit of Animal?!

 

here is a shot of my front speakers set up properly.

 

Feed me some Rush, ma'an...

 

Boom, banga bang...

 

Today was Play Expo in Glasgow so I went along as usual.
Although it doesn't attract the same amount of traders as show's down South it's always worth a look. This year I think there were less arcade machines but more consoles and home computers available to play on. Unfortunatley I couldn't get the high score on the Galaga cabinet (missed out by a lousy 70 points!), but had some fun on Missile Command and a couple of the pinball tables which I normally don't go near.

Over on the home micro front I managed to get a shot on the little beastie below. Really is one of the best looking computers ever made. Also had a play with a Spectrum Next. Despite all the delays in the second production run it's a nice system and the design really does feel like an evolution of the original Spectrum line. Jim Bagley was there as well demo'ing the system to anyone who asked.





Things got even more interesting when I had a second look around the traders section before I left. Happened to notice one of my grail items on the Console Passion stall, an Atari Track & Field controller. Been after one for years at a decent price and after a little bartering picked up this lovely example for just £15. This alone made the show worth going to and I am really chuffed to finally have it, now just need to get the game cartridge and I'll be all set for some button bashing fun.



The other purchases were an Atari Star Wars coin op poster (£4), a Cobra Kai mug (£4) and Sensible Soccer European Edition for the ST (£10). Only things is, when I got home I noticed that I already had that version of Sensi for the ST!

 

That poor Oric has seen some action, Sensi, always worth a grab and will sell on easily. The Track and Field controller is nice, I wasn't a big player of any of those button mashing games. I really didn't have the coordination for them, another type of game I more enjoyed watching a good player doing their thing.

Nice little pick up there Al...

 

The real reason for the controller is that I remember seeing it in a games shop in Glasgow when it first came out and thought it was amazing that you could get 'arcade' controls at home It's been on my wishlist ever since!

Kicking myself for buying Sensi even though I know it should re-sell okay, but hey-ho. Going to make a list of ST floppy games that I want to hunt out and make sure I don't end up with more dupes.

All in all it was a good retro day. Hopefully pick up another couple of bits when I'm down North Yorkshire at the end of this month

 

Excellent results, Al.

I can feel your sense of satisfaction from here, mate!

Just a shame they didn't say, hey when you buy a track and field controller, Sensi Soccer, plus a mug and poster... you get a FREE ATMOS thrown in!

If only, mate... if only.

I do get em from time to time but the price they're going for now, Al, I'd be lucky to get you one for less than £150 fully functioning but you never know... we'll keep looking and who knows when yer down our way next, fella?

We'll keep our radars active for the Track n Field cart too, budster.

WELL DONE, Al - you can deffo chalk that expo expedition down as a total success, pal.

 

For those of you who are Jaguar owners, a new totally redone and enhanced version of the RPG game Towers II is now open for pre-orders for it's September release. There are two versions, the standard for $99 and enhanced for $129 for a few extra souvenirs and a clear cart shell. If you already own the original, like me, it's still worth getting as it's such HUGE improvements to the game and even some of the gameplay quests and storyline has been enhanced or changed a bit. Plus, if you don't have the original, and the reason why is the astronomical prices for it going for $200-300. Now you can get a much better versions that shows off the Jaguar's 64 bit abilities even better than the original game.

Enhanced game footage:


New opening graphics:


Comparing original version to enhanced version, side-by-side.

 

IT'S BEEN AGES SINCE... I last bought any Atari 8bit gear, so when I saw this little software lot last week - and no-one snapped it up and it ended, I enquired with the seller if it was still available and he said, make me an offer of a tenner and it's yours Baz, so I said, thanks very much, mate:



For £10 plus post I got three great old Atari 8bit productivity titles.

I can still remember Brenski sending me the back-up (OK, copied) disks for Typesetter and The Newsroom, in around 1988, and at the time they were very highly rated, new out DTP and page make-up utils which were easily worth £30-50 a piece. I used them quite regularly for creating pages in my A4 tatty poor man's Private Eye style publication which I used to photocopy Sat mornings at work and then flog in the pubs to me mates - The Micro Times. Anyhow, at long last I have the originals AND Ariolasofts Music Construction Set (I used to have the Movie Maker util and that was quality animation and design software), so who knows, maybe I'll be the next Jean Michel Jarre to emerge from Ull... probably not, like...



Anyhow, a bargain in anyone's money and I'm now left wondering, aint you too, what Al bought software wise for his ST of late in sunny Scarborough?

C'mon, Al, spill the beans/disks/manuals etc.

 

Very nice Andy. The Newsroom was always a favourite of mine.

Been busy with work since getting back so not had time for pictures yet but will post my little haul soon. Think your bundle is more impressive though!

 

Cheers, Al.

Not bad at all that little lot, eh, for the money?

Real nice guy clearly just wanting shut of em so I did very nicely indeed... will have to test em out and post a new thread soon.

Hey, Richie's been in touch, guys - maybe he's posted elsewhere here, so just a heads-up that he's perfectly OK and just been busy with his consoles/life/the summer days with his missus etc... and why not?

Looking forward to seeing what you got when you do get chance, Al, then I'll show the sad start to the beginning of the end for my retro room where it's all cheek by jowl anyhow with the exercise bike in there...BUT, the new look going on in the arcade cave where a new beast has landed... (Al, don't give the game away... not yet anyhow!!)

 

Apparently, he's Scottish, they never GIVE anything away..

 

Sorry no picutes yet lads, been very busy in work since I got back so hopefully get a chance to sit down and have some retro fun this weekend sometime.

On that note Andy, book arrived safe and sound mate. Thank you very kindly!

 

You are most welcome, Al.
Looking forward to the pics, mate.
Sounds like they've worked you to the bone for having some annual leave... no rest for the wicked ;-)
Have a top weekend, guys.

 

Finally managed to get time to take a couple of quick snaps of my finds over the last week...


Saw this storage case while I was in a reto game store in Scarborough. It was sitting on a top shelf jammed above a pile of boxes. The owner was using it to store some unboxed 2600 cartridges but I got him to part with it and knocked him down to £10 for it.


Still to give it a proper clean up but it fits the A8 cartridges quite well and the wood effect adds to the 1980's look.


This was my other purchase from the same place. Couldn't believe when I spotted it tucked into a corner. One of the few ST games I've actively been looking for and it was the only Atari title he had. The sticker price was £30 but done some pleading and we settled on £15 eventually. Very pleased to get a hold of this title.


This is another title that I've been after for the ST. My pal with the large retro shop up here in Scotland posted a photo and I had to snap it up right away. It is totally complete and even includes the dongle and score card notepad.


While I was picking up Leaderboard I noticed another two titles that I used to play on the ST so picked both up. I was trading in a couple of Amiga titles so only had to add a couple of pouinds to get them and Leaderboard.

So, a great little haul for me in the past week and none of it broke the bank either. Need to head back down to my mate's place at the end of the month as he also has a couple of Kick Off data disks that I want to get as well.

 

I also took a few snaps of the hardware section while I was in my pals shop. Feast your eyes on this little lot lads!

 

LOL! Fabtastic, Al.

A great week's retro hunting, hustling and dealing.

I'm liking the old carts storage case with the perpsex plassy top - cracking (hope it isn't, like!).
Yay! I was a fan of North and South too - a kinda arcade strategy war game. Some of the inbetween sequences I found a bit silly - doesn't a horse show its teeth and run off at some point? I liked the wargaming part of the game though and although I didn't know much about the American Civil War before this game, I knew more after - just like when playing Johnny Reb on the Oric - these titles can be educational.
I've just unzipped some ol Amiga titles too... post to follow in a mo and I think the Microprose Football I have too - thanks to a donation from Paul some time ago - cheers, chaps.

As for all that hardware at yer pal's shop, Jeez... my eyes are bleedin!

Heavenly haul

 

OK, here's what's happening in the Bazza biome...

Round 1 - The Exercise Bike Wins



At least three units have now been removed in here so you can get round the bike - a win for the missus.
The retro retreat is in full swing. Already removed: ZX81 hardware and software; Amiga hardware and software; Oric software.

Round 2 - Amiga Redeployment

Here we go, gadgers. Gone but not forgotten... in fact you see anything here that you want me to give a try out, blast out or game of on the ol amoeba then just reply with a retro request and I'll play the bleeder and upload a video clip to show that there's life in the old dog yet, even if it is elsewhere in the biome...


ABOVE: amongst these titles - at least five were kindly donated by Paul - see the Microprose Soccer, Amegas, Ikari Warriors, Terrorpods and E-Motion games in the middle of the pic - cheers, mate. Lovely additions.






ABOVE: The Amiga re-appears and is resurrected in the Baz Bar... playing Pinball Dreams - wonder why this particular title?


ABOVE: Aye aye, Amiga bottom right, Man United team group from the late 70s central together with me darts board (RIP Big Un Gord McQueen), but what's that bottom left... we need a closer skeg, fella.


ABOVE: Whoa! When did this big boy arrive? Aye, it was on a transit van from Scouseland the week before last, lads and landed here at the Baz Cave...the largest retro machine of any kind to ever grace the retro stage here before.
She's a beaut - Teacher's Pet and by god I've been giving it some hammer. PB now 5,275, this pinball table with some 60s/70s music playing whilst I;m playing, is the perfect tonic to any workday blues, fellas.

Massively recommend one, OR, just pop this on yer Amiga:



SORTED!

 

Superb Andy!!

Pinball machine looks great. And the title is very fitting considering your past profession lol. How does it feel to sleep on now that Bev has probably kicked you out of the master bedroom

Loving those big box Amiga games as well. So many memories playing games like Swiv and Ikari Warriors. I remember getting up at the crack of dawn (she was a lovely gal) to jump a bus over to the other side of Glasgow to pick up Player Manager on the day of release. Them were the days indeed.

The snippets of the Baz Cave look great. Are we going to see a quick video walkround soon so that it can be appreciated it in all its retro glory?

 

P.s. why bother with a dartboard when you have a Man Utd line up to aim for instead?

 

LOL! Knowing my darts skills (?!), Al, I'd throw and miss and hit a Scouser instead. No bad thing...
Any road, yes, I will do vids of the games you mention and a walkaround the Baz Cave. It's currently once more getting a clear out as all sorts gets slung in there as it still has to double up as a garage for our bikes, outside furniture and parasols etc so sometimes you gan in there, trip up and very nearly break yer neck as you encounter something that has been slung in before the rain comes down!
The pinball is lovely and yes, a nod to my former "profession".
However, overnight 4-5 of the little lights have either failed or dimmed so I'm in the process of tracking down which type of mini bulbs they take and then order some off Feebay and get them replaced as you can't play pinball properly without flashing lights, bumpers and ejectors ganning off left right and centre...
Yes, I've now been dismissed to me cave and the back bedroom is free of Baz Amiga and ZX81 presence.
Bev suggests I use those Amiga big box titles as pillows... very thoughtful of her indeed.
Oh, don't mention Player Manager... the hours I spent on that one!
Cheers, mate.
Any more Amiga game suggestions that I play test from any more groovers on here?

 

Well, I'm a sucker for a game of Arcade Pool. Or for a quick platform hit Zool is always good. And Speedball 2. Or the Lotus racing trilogy. Great Giana Sisters if you can find it. Cannon Fodder of course, maybe Sensible Golf....

That little lot is just off the top of my head. Who needs modern systems when we have all this golden greatness?