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@DarthAzrael

@DarthAzrael in September 2021

@DarthAzrael

Photo from a water skiing show at Cypress Gardens, Florida from some time in the early 1970s. For more info and photos from this set, see hive.blog/photography/@darth-azrael/6t4eh4-slides-florida-early-1970s-5 #Photography

@DarthAzrael

Nintendo Magazine System was published in several countries and was the official Nintendo magazine in at least some of them. This particular one was published in Britain. Features from issue number 8 include: Cover Story - A cross between Alien Syndrome and countless space-bound horror films, Operation Logic Bomb blasts its way here for an exclusive NMS review. With loads to shoot, and loads of weaponry with which to do so, how does it fare? Exhaust Heat II - Just when you…

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The Sega Master System was a competitor to the Nintendo Entertainment System and a predecessor to the Sega Genesis. Although technically superior, it never did as well as Nintendo in most of the world. I was surprised to learn that in sold less than the Atari 7800 in North America. This was for a number of reasons including but not limited to: a slightly later entry into market, poorer marketing, and Nintendo's draconian and anti-competitive licensing scheme. Read more:…

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Video from the Anime Costume Contest sonsored by Anime Sush at MegaCon 2003 in Orlando, Florida. While the theme was anime, they weren't that strict about it. Costumes for other sci-fi, comic book and video game characters were not uncommon. This used to be the main costume contest at MegaCon but has been replaced by one that is more professional...but less fun to watch in my opinion. There is still an anime costume contest but it is a much smaller event. This was recorded…

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Mega Play was a spin-off of Electronic Gaming Monthly that was dedicated to the Sega Genesis. The August 1992 issue includes: Editorial - With the new low price, will more users go Genesis? Mega Mail - you get to hear from other readers who have the same questions you do on the upcoming info about Sega! International - Here's an exciting look at the new Fhey Area for the Mega CD! Hi-Tech Sega - Sega CD-ROM will sell for an incredible $299! Find out what pack-ins you will get…

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Commodore: The Microcomputer Magazine was an early publication by Commodore for their various computers. In 1982 it was covering the Commodore 64, VIC-20, and the Commodore PET line. Here are some highlights of the August/September 1982 issue: ”Easy” Spreadsheet Programs Telecommunications with VIC 20 / VICMODEM SuperPET Update Running a Completely Automated Experiment by Microcomputer A Case History: Moving Company Implements CBM System VIC 20 The VIC Magician Enhanced…

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Dodge 'Em is a rather unique game for the Atari 2600. It is sort of a cross between a racing game and Pac-Man. The playfield consists of several concentric rings with gaps in between so that you can steer your car into other rings. The goal is to collect all of the dots in each ring to move on to the next level. However, there is another car going around in circles in the opposite direction. Too many crashes and the game ends. At higher levels there are two opposing cars.…

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Rampage was an arcade game released by Bally Midway in 1986. It was eventually ported to most video game systems and computers of the time including the Sega Master System, Nintendo (NES), Commodore 64, Atari Lynx, Atari 2600, Atari 7800 and others. The Sega Master System version was released in North America in 1988. Read more: https://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress/index.php/2017/01/20/rampage-sega-master-system/ #retrogaming #Rampage #Sega #SegaMasterSystem #SMS

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Join ADV Marketing Director Ken Wiatrek for an exclusive look at the trailer for ADV's highly anticipated original video animation LADY DEATH, plus news and background on LADY DEATH and other premiere ADV Films titles, including NOIR, RahXephon, Saiyuki and much more. This video was recorded by me at MegaCon 2003 in Orlando, Florida and you can view it on Odysee here: https://odysee.com/@Megalextoria:b/MegaCon-2003-ADV-Films:c?r=6vTLTvC61Z7NN2zXDuTzEmP6tNVCndyZ If you would…

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Your Computer was the UK's biggest selling computer magazine of the 1980s. It covered all of the popular computers of the time. Some of the contents of the September 1984 issue includes: Editorial and Your Letters - The man who got his money back from Oric, the man who urges us to go easy on the QL and tips. News - Stranglers' adventure game album, Sega SC3000 computer, the search for the Enterprise and cricket for Iceland. VIC-20 Bytes - The art of structured programming:…

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Emerald Rose performs 'Queen of Argyle' at MegaCon 2006 in Orlando, Florida. While this song was originally recorded by Silly Wizard, this remains my favorite interpretation and one of my favorite songs. This video was recorded by me at MegaCon 2060 and this was the first time I ever heard this song. https://hive.blog/hive-181335/@darth-azrael/jowbgvak #music #Celtic #EmeraldRose #MegaCon

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You can think of Maximum as Next Generation's sister magazine in the U.K. Much of the content of Next Generation came from Maximum and the magazines were very similar. Next Generation was one of my favorite magazines though I wasn't really aware of Maximum until much later. Features from Issue Number 4 of Maximum from 1996 include: Soul Edge - The cover game of Maximum issue #4 is a true showcase of arcade fighting titles, based on the PlayStation technology System 11 board.…

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Some video I took walking around at MegaCon 2004 in Orlando, Florida. Comic book vendors, storm troopers, jugglers, alien bounty hunters, those lost in space and more! This video taken mostly in the vendor hall and autograph areas and was recorded by me on March 6th, 2004. It can be viewed on Odysee here: https://odysee.com/@Megalextoria:b/MegaCon_2004:a?r=9XnNiHQtXHeWtUyvpYMuSb2oYNtGPecV If you want to give Odysee a try, use my invite link to earn some bonus LBC for both of…

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50-Cent Comics: C-23 #7 At MegaCon this year, I picked up a number of cheap comics. Most were 50 cents, some were $1. Ok, so admittedly I picked this issue of C-23 up because it had Jim Lee's name on the cover. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that Jim Lee had anything do do with the art or the writing. Supposedly, he is the "creator" though. I guess he came up with the idea? The series is also from a time not long after I had kind of gotten out of comic book buying (even now,…

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MegaCon 2004: Women of Star Wars From the program: Move over guys – like it or not, women are taking up more and more of the spotlight in the Star Wars universe. Whether it is the heroic or villainous, these gals represent roles that are strong and characters that are formidable. No damsels in distress here! Drop in for a chat with Amy Allen, “Aayla Secura” from Star Wars Ep. II, and Michonne Bourriague, “Aurra Sing” from Star Wars Ep. I. This video was recorded by me at…

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Synapse made many awesome games for both the Commodore 64 and Atari 8-bit computers. This particular ad is from the July 1983 issue of ANALOG Computing and features Necromancer by Synapse for the Atari 400 or Atari 800. There was a disk version requiring 32KB of RAM, a cassette version requiring the same, and a cartridge version requiring 16 KB of RAM. I think by this time the Atari 800 shipped with 48KB an the Atari 400 with 16KB but both were expandable. Read more:…

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This photo is probably from the late 1980s or early 1990s based on clothing and the 35mm camera the woman on the left is holding. It was taken at a Confederate grave. I tried to read the name but I can't quite make it out. It looks something like Isaac J. Woweley but that last name isn't right. For more info and photos from this set, see https://hive.blog/photography/@darth-azrael/vintage-photos-oestreicher-1205-1208 #slides #vintgage #photos #film #photography #Kodak…

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This particular machine was brought to me in the hope that I could make it operational once more. Even though at the time it was barely old enough to be considered “retro”, there is something satisfying about reviving an old piece of hardware. In this particular case, the problem ended up being a dead LCD. Whatever other problems Dell’s may have, availability of service manuals and parts is not one of them. The screen was easy to obtain on eBay for not very much money and…

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MegaCon 2004 – Introduction to Prop and Costume Construction From the program: Presented by members of the 501st Legion and rebel Legion costuming groups, this informative panel will offer aspiring prop and costume makers an overview of the materials and tools needed to create realistic looking movie memorabilia. Learn how to build a hardware store blaster, make a droid from storage bins, and create costumes from existing clothing. you’ll also see a demonstration of the…

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Those familiar with other games in the Samurai Showdown series will know that this was a popular fighting game series by SNK. However, Samurai Showdown! 2 is really one of the more obscure titles. It is not based on the well known Samurai Showdown II released on standard Neo Geo hardware but on Samurai Showdown 64: Warriors Rage which was released on the Hyper Neo Geo 64 arcade hardware. Read more:…

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Shadows of the Empire got mixed but mostly positive reviews. In addition to running around and blasting everything as Dash Rendar, players also had the chance to pilot various vehicles. This game was the predecessor to and has some of the same characteristics as the Rogue Squadron series of games. It was only available for the Nintendo 64 and Windows. Read more: https://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress/index.php/2017/01/23/shadows-of-the-empire-nintendo-64/ #retrogaming…

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PC World was one of the longest running and most popular PC magazines in the world. The first issue was published in March 1983 and the final issue was the relatively recent August 2013 issue. A 30 year span is a long time for a computer magazine. This issue is from 2009 and while that hardly seems "retro", it's still coming up on 12 years ago. Twelve years was almost the entire life span of the Commodore 64. Read more:…

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While there can be no doubt that Q*bert is one of the great arcade classics and one of the most recognizable classic arcade characters, I always found it to be incredibly frustrating. Yes, it was a difficult game but it isn't really the difficulty itself that bothered me. It was the fact that I was always leaping to my death by accident because I never quite grasped the pseudo 3-D viewpoint. Read more: https://hive.blog/hive-140217/@darth-azrael/q-bert-atari-2600…

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Pick any licensed game at random, whether it be a game based on a movie, TV show, cartoon character or whatever, and there is a 99% chance it is going to be crap. However, it's not 100%. Every now and then there is a gem of a licensed property. Hello Kitty World is one of those and it has a surprising lineage. Read more: https://hive.blog/hive-140217/@darth-azrael/hello-kitty-world-nes #retrogaming #HelloKittyWorld #NES #Nintendo

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This photo appears to be from the late 1980s or early 1990s. It features a Confederate grave. Presumably the people in the picture are related but I can't make out the name completely. I'm not sure where this is but there is a guy wearing an Alabama hat so that seems a reasonable possibility. For more info and photos from this set, see https://hive.blog/photography/@darth-azrael/vintage-photos-oestreicher-1221-1224 #slides #vintage #photos #film #photography #Kodak…

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Metroid was one of the killer apps for the NES. This game is frequently ranked high on top 10 and top 100 lists. In terms of game play, it isn’t fundamentally different than 2D platformers like Super Mario Brothers. You run, jump and battle enemies in a 2D environment. The difference is that Metroid is more of an adventure game. The world is larger and more open ended and there is more of a process of discovery in that there are things to find, some of which must be found to…

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Emerald Rose performs a medley of music from and inspired by The Lord of the Rings at MegaCon 2006. This video was recorded by me at MegaCon 2006 in Orlando, Florida. View the video here: https://hive.blog/hive-181335/@darth-azrael/mcuozbey #music #Celtic #EmeraldRose #MegaCon #MegaCon2006 #2006 #TheHobbitSet

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Commodore World was a magazine for the Commodore 64 and Commodore 128 that was published by Creative Micro Designs after the demise of Commodore and production of Commodore computers had ceased. This issue is from October 1998 and features include: * CMD FD Internals - An Insight Into The Storage Layout Of CMD FD Disks * Super FD Backup (Type-In Program) Read more: https://hive.blog/retrocomputing/@darth-azrael/5qhirr-commodore-world-issue-number-24 #retrocomputing…

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Raze was a multi-format gaming magazine published in the U.K. It was the follow up to The Games Machine but it was short lived lasting only about a year. It covered both 16-bit computers and gaming machines. Pictured here is issue number 2 from December 1990. Read more: https://hive.blog/hive-140217/@darth-azrael/raze-december-1990 #retrogaming #retrocomputing

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This photo appears to have been taken in the late 1980s or early 1990s. It shows a confederate grave with the name Isaac J Whiteley. Presumably the person in this photo is somehow related. A little research matched this up with an Isaac Jasper Whiteley that was born in 1836 and died in 1922. The grave is in Walnut Grove (AKA Boxley) Cemetery in Arkansas. For more info and photos from this set, see…

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The Games Machine, subtitled 'Computer & Electronic Entertainment', seems to have been popular in the U.K. though for a short period of time. It only lasted about three years before morphing on to something else. It covered both computer and console games in the late 1980s but seemed to lean heavily towards the computer side of things. Features from the November 1988 issue include: The First British Console? - Could this be the machine to push the Sega and Nintendo aside?…

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The One was a gaming magazine published in the U.K. that mostly covered 16-bit computers. The exact systems covered varied throughout its life as did the subtitle which in this case is "For Amiga, Atari ST and PC Games". This is the July 1990 issue. Read more: https://hive.blog/hive-140217/@darth-azrael/the-one-july-1990 #retrogaming #Atari #Commodore #Amiga #AtariST #DOS