Category Archives: Fun

The Guardians have left the building

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It’s no secret that “Guardians of the Galaxy” is my favorite story line in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a good part of that love is the music that helps tell the story.

The Microsoft Zune was introduced at the end of Vol. 2 as a replacement to the old Walkman that was destroyed earlier in the film. I immediately fell in love with the now discontinued portable media player. So much so that I created a site (ZuneUpdate.com) that helps Zune owners revitalize their old players as the official update support as been shut down since 2012.

I was so happy to see that the Zune was back in Vol. 3, and they even released nine cassette tapes, each spotlighting a different character from the film and sporting the Zune livery on the packaging. I’ve been trying to be better about purchasing such things as I have literally run out of room in both my office at home, and at work.

I picked up two of my favorite characters, Rocket and Star-Lord and I’m fighting the urge to complete the set. Each cassette actually contains the movie soundtrack, but are different in their packaging and color of the cassette. When they are all combined they form a nice picture which would look great on a shelf. 🙂

Anyway, here’s a bunch of pics of the 4K Bluray Steebook of the film, and the two cassettes I have purchased. I also took a few shots of the cassettes with one of my Zunes, just like one of the Zunes in the movie.

Fight the urge bro… Fight the urge!

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Space Ace X RepliCade

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Another favorite added to the collection! This was another log awaited treat that I’ve been waiting for for almost a year.

This Space Ace x RepliCade is a miniaturized 1/6th scale arcade accurate replica of the Cinematronics factory dedicated Space Ace arcade cabinet presented by New Wave Toys and features a fully playable Space Ace LaserDisc arcade game running on the Daphne emulator, a fully functional digital scoreboard with skill level indicator, HDTV connectivity with screen mirroring, and a replica LDV1000 Mini LaserDisc player prop.

Space Ace and Dragon’s Lair are in my top five favorite arcade games of all time. In my younger years, I would never have believed that I would one day own miniaturized version of these games. They both play exactly as the full size games I played in the past, with working coin door buttons and all features that made these games so much fun.

I spent more money than I care to admit, spending 50 cents per play that usually only lasted a few minutes. These replicas are incredible detailed, and will most definitely appeal to any retro gamer.

I can see a few more of these in my future as New Wave Toys releases new favorites that I can’t live without!

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Dragon’s Lair X RepliCade Overhaul Edition

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Another long wait is over!!!

I ordered this little beauty nearly a year ago, and it arrived a few months ahead of schedule. Dragon’s Lair was originally released in 1983 and was one of my favorite games growing up. I spent much of my limited arcade money on this game, as it took two quarters to play a game that usually ended in just a minute of play. Dragon’s Lair used laserdisc technology and animation from the legendary Don Bluth, offering greatly superior graphics compared to other video games at the time.

This miniaturized 1/6 scale cabinet features a control panel with authentic ball-top joystick and action buttons, a cabinet constructed from premium materials including wood, metal, and plastic, illuminated marquee and coin doors, high-resolution cabinet art reproduction on quality 3M vinyl overlays, and a LDV1000 Mini LaserDisc player replica prop with rear cab storage drawer.

It plays the original 1983 Dragon’s Lair LaserDisc arcade game running on Daphne emulator on a gorgeous traditional 4:3 aspect ratio 4.2-inch screen. This tiny reproduction has HDTV Connectivity with screen mirroring, amplified multi-speaker audio with volume control, USB controller support, a built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery, an operator’s menu featuring dip switch settings and cabinet controls, and a fully functional digital scoreboard displaying players’ scores, lives, and credits.

Crazy right?

The gameplay on this little cabinet is incredible. Using the tiny joystick and buttons is actually pretty easy and the game is perfectly playable even at its small scale. I think it even plays better than my 3/4 scale Arcade1Up version I picked up last year.

New best friends!

Oh yeah, I also ordered a 3/4 scale cabinet from Arcade1Up last year which also arrived way ahead of schedule. I’ve been meaning to post up about the new arcade cabinet, but it’s much too heavy to bring out to my normal photo location on my patio bar. 🙂 I’ll post up more info on this beast later but now back to its little brother.

New Wave Toys has really hit this one out of the park, creating a small scale replica that is true to the original arcade version in both looks and playability. Adding a retro arcade fluorescent carpet pad and scale stool perfectly finished off the set.

Can’t wait to see what New Wave Toys comes up with next… Oh yeah, that’s right! I also ordered another Don Bluth classic “Space Ace” which hopefully will ship next month.

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Hasbro Ghostbusters Plasma Series Spengler’s Proton Pack

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OMG, It’s finally here!!!!

I ordered this bad boy way back in 2021 when Hasbro offered it up via the Haslab crowdfunding platform. They needed 7,000 backers to proceed and they received over 19,000 eager Ghostbusters fans with the product scheduled for release in spring 2023.

Well it’s truly hard to believe that even with all the Covid related delays and supply chain issues, the good folks at Hasbro managed to get this out earlier than expected.

The pack connects to the previously released and awesome Hasbro Ghostbusters Plasma Series Spengler’s Neutrona Wand which I had already purchased way back in 2020. They both work together and the pack actually responds to the actions of the wand. This is truly unexpected as the original wand was created as a stand alone item, with no plans at the time to create the entire pack.

Here’s a quick video of the pack in operation.

Of course I’ve made a few little modifications to bring the beast closer to the actual movie prop, but this thing is pretty darn cool right out of the box.

Owning a full size Ghostbusters Proton Pack has been a dream of mine since first seeing the movie way back in 1984. Until Hasbro produced this beauty, the only option was to gather up all the parts, assemble, paint and install all the electronics yourself, or pay someone thousands of dollars to build a pack for you. Although the Hasbro pack is not as authentic as these more expensive options, it’s definitely good enough for me and well exceeded my expectations.

Hasbro teased us Ghostbusters fans by hinting that they may be offering up another item later this year. I’m hoping it’s a ghost trap, or preferably an updated PKE Meter that also doubles as a ghost taser as seen in the Afterlife film.

Until them, “We have the tools, We have the talent…”

Who ya gonna call?

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Well that didn’t take long… Unleash the beast!!!

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While I was recently digging through and organizing my RC parts, I was surprised to find a stock Traxxas motor. I must be getting old because I can’t remember why I had an extra, but I hooked it up and it seems to work great.

I picked up an old school Traxxas speed controller (ESC) super cheap and hooked it up to a radio receiver I also had lying around. I tried to keep it simple by keeping the chassis all black but when I swapped around a few different shocks from the other trucks, I really dug the looks of the blue springs with this body.

I just fixed a broken controller which I also had stuffed in the bowels of my parts bin. You see honey, I knew I should keep it all these years just in case I needed it one day… well today is the day and now the truck is officially complete.

Ready to hit the shelf!

Yup, just like my fancy 30th Anniversary Grave Digger, these tires will only be touched by carpet, linoleum and maybe a few wood or tile floors.

Hail to the one that started it all, baby!!!

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The one that started it all!

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The first monster truck, Bigfoot, started out as a family Ford F-250 pickup which was modified until the tires reached 66 inches, as well as adding heavy duty suspension and four-wheel steering.

Often seen crushing regular cars under its weight, this humungous truck provide a thrilling source of entertainment that was loved across the US and beyond.

Fresh out of the box!

I was thrilled to see that Traxxas brought this classic to their lineup a few years ago, but I just couldn’t see spending the money on yet another Traxxas Stampede with a fancy shell. Well after patiently waiting for years, and searching eBay for just the right price, I finally purchased the shell and built this roller using 90% parts I already had. I even found an incredible price on a LED light set that is only found on the most recently released version.

It’s just a roller now, no motor, computer(ESC) or controller… but let’s be honest here, I’m sure this thing will be 100% up and running before you know it. 🙂

Almost there… stay on target!

I’ll be perusing eBay for the remaining parts needed for the beast and digging through what’s left of my parts in the hopes of finding anything else I can use for the build.

Hopefully soon this thing will be fully functional.

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30th Anniversary Grave Digger… from roller to remote controller

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Well, after getting all the RC’s out and cleaned up this past week, I decided to change this beauty from a simple rolling chassis to a full blown radio controlled beast.

I ordered and installed the last remaining parts needed to truly drive this thing, along with a few visual enhancements to spruce it up, and this monster is finally ready for the road.

Just before the transformation.

Well, actually… it won’t see any dirt, asphalt, gravel, or cement under its wheels and there will definitely be no roll-overs to scratch this beautiful body as this trailer king will only be driven under safe conditions that can only be accommodated by in-door driving.

Too pretty to bash!

Yup, these tires will only be touched by carpet, linoleum and maybe a few wood or tile floors.

Hail to the king, baby!!!

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A Baby Bronco just for me!

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That’s right, I got tired of the limited seat time I’ve been getting in my wife’s new Bronco Sport so I bought my own.

This bad boy is sporting a high lift, huge off-road tires, gargantuan push bar up front, and this baby is 100% electric.

Charge time is only 30 minutes which produces about 20 minutes of drive time. Needless to say I’ll be spending most of my drive time close to home.

If you happen to see me out and about in this beauty, make sure you say hi and give us a big thumbs up as you pass by! ??

Update (2/4)

I was so excited to find one in Cyber Orange, and it’s an actual Badlands Edition!!!

Cyber Orange Badlands Edition!!!

Don’t they look cute together?

I’ve decided to keep both and only drive the Cyber Orange Baby Bronco on Sundays!

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Trying out our new throwing axes

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After using the shop’s axes for a few weeks now, we decided to try to increase our chances with a little consistency in what we are throwing.

I first purchased an axe directly from the WATL called “The Butcher”. This thing is a beast, and I quickly named it “Thanos” of course, or “T?t??” in Greek. Ali’s been really into Greek mythology recently so it seemed fitting.

I also purchased a WATL “Completion” thrower for Ali, as it was described as the perfect axe for the beginner. After receiving the axe we found that it was way to heavy for most younger throwers so we decided to name this one “Brick” (“???ß??” in Greek) as it’s built big and strong.

While we were at the shop trying out the new axes, one of the instructors had Ali try one of his smaller lighter axes which she loved so much we convinced him to sell it to her. She named this one “Cheese” (“????” in Greek), but I’m still not sure where she came up with they name.

Ali throwing “????” at Yosemite Axe Throwing in Oakhurst.

Well, even though the heavier “Composition” axe didn’t work for my baby girl, I’ve found that I really like it for a hitting kill shots, although consistency on those shots are still developing. 🙂

I have to say, it’s nice to be doing something new in this crazy time of having so much taken away from us. It’s fun spending some family time outside the confines of our home. Can’t wait to try these new axes out at the next league night.

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Yosemite Axe Throwing

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I had a great time at my first league night at Yosemite Axe Throwing in Oakhurst. I hadn’t thrown an axe much at all before this day and I was a little intimidated at first, but it was fun to start my adventure with many helpful throwers, including our own former national champion axe thrower and lumber jack.

I have a lot of learning to do and I can see there is a lot of competition out there, but I’m looking forward to some fun times ahead.

Check out our local stats on the World Throwing League website:

-> Winter league 2021 Winter Tuesday

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Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!

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So, after thinking I was done with any more major mods to the Ghostbusters pack, I changed my mind and decided to do the wand and sound upgrades.

It wasn’t like I didn’t have any extra time on my hands since everything is still closed. 😉

The sound upgrade wasn’t much of an effort and I had no issues with the install, but the wand upgrade required a lot of cutting and drilling to fit all the lights and electronics. I took my time and made all my cuts with care which resulted in a job well done.

I added a few extra buttons to disable the continuous hum, and also switch between single pack and dual pack (slime) mode which were currently only accessible via a jumper on the sound and wand circuit boards.

I replaced all the stock stickers with weathered versions I found on Etsy. It’s amazing to me how much support there is out on the world wide web for these things.

I added a large frosted LED for the shutdown affect, which flashes through the holes where speaker used to sit. Since I upgraded to the new sound board, I didn’t need that tiny little speak any longer. 🙂

Believe it or not, I still have a few other things I’m going to add before I can call this one complete.

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