ATARI BYTES

When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are...though retro gamers get preferential treatment. Am I right??? Well, we wished upon a star and we got episode 105 of Atari Bytes - STAR VOYAGER, the iMagic game from 1982. We  wanted  to be 6"1", with a chiseled physique and good cheekbones. But this is a good consolation prize. I've still got some Ranch Doritos in the kitchen, so it's al...

If they only knew. If only Elliott and those soft-hearted scientists knew. In 1982, extra-terrestrials invaded Earth - by leaving a so-homely-he's-cute alien being to wander the planet, seeking only to feed his addiction to sugary snacks and flowers. This horror was chronicled by some brave journalist named Steven Spielberg in the documentary "E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial". Our government finally c...

In 1978, Atari was all set to unleash upon the world another maze game. But then someone said, "We can do better. We can make this maze game something more...something with higher stakes. We can turn an ordinary maze game into a SUPER maze game of chases. We could make this game...a game of COPS AND ROBBERS! We have the technology." And MAZE CRAZE was born. And it, in turn, begat this podcast epis...

We can thank the 1981 arcade game VANGUARD, and the 1982 Atari port we're talking about this week, for giving us many firsts: the "continue" feature, four-direction shooting, multi-direction stage scrolling, and invincibility power-ups.  But can VANGUARD give us the love we so desperately need?  Failing that, how about egg rolls? I feel like some egg rolls... Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech....

As 2017 slinks off the stage wiping from it's jacket bits of rotten tomato, we prepare to usher in a new year full of promise and, of course, Atari games. The (root beer) taps are open. Let's celebrate! And celebrate we do with Bally Midway's 1983 root beer (*wink*) -slinging party TAPPER. Cheers! Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Pin...

Egg the nog, yule the log and send Rudolph to guide Santa through the fog. It's CHRISTMAS EVE! Oh, and it just happens to be episode 100 of this here podcast thingy.  So what does all this mean for this week's ATARI BYTES episode? I dunno. Let's find out together! Happy holidays, everyone! Links: Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Reformat", "Take a Ch...

So, here's what I think happened: In 1982, game company Parker Brothers wanted to make another video game. One of the designers had her heart set on making a space battle game. Another designer really wanted to make a game that said something about the nuclear arms race and the dangers of nuclear waste. The designers waged all out war, each entrenched in their positions. Until Mr. Parker Brother s...

ATARI BYTES STRIKES BACK... ...With another episode. Number 98 to be specific. This week, in honor of the oncoming cinematic blockbuster STAR WARS EPISODE VIII: THE LAST JEDI, we're playing the game based on episode II of the original Star Wars trilogy, which *actually* was episode V of the overall story. Hey, wake up. This is nerdery at it's finest. Anyway, we're playing STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STR...

Build a better mouse trap and the world will beat a path to your door. Well, that's assuming they can find the door. It's like a maze out here. Hasn't anyone heard of Google Maps? This week on episode 97 we're playing Exidy's 1981 game MOUSE TRAP (Well, specifically we're playing Coleco's later Atari port of said game) and then we'll dissect the motives of the titular mouse. Is it really all about...

The bomber in Activision's 1981 game KABOOM! is mad. How do we know? The exclamation point in the title, obviously! That doesn't stop him from dropping bombs with cartoony lit fuses though. What are you supposed to do? Call the bomb squad? Flee the scene?  Nope. Just get out you buckets of water and start fielding those explosive pop flies. Miss one and bucket water won't be only thing splattered...

In the Spectravision B-movie pirate serial THE CHALLENGE OF NEXAR...*Show notes interrupted by a note passed to the host by the editor* What? THE CHALLENGE OF NEXAR is an Atari game?** **Yes. Yes, it is. From Spectravision, 1982. But I thought Spectravision was a format 1950s TV was presented in.*** ***You're fired. Also, there are no pirates in it. Anyway, I guess this is a game where you fly thr...

Feeling claustrophobic? Like the walls are moving in on you? No, you're not coming down from one too many espresso shots. You just have SQUEEZE BOX fever! And you know what they say about fevers: starve a cold and feed a fever, right? Like, maybe, you could feed it some Quaker oats, which would be appropriate since a division of that company, U.S. Games, released SQUEEZE BOX in 1982. And it's our...

As Jimmy Buffett sang, "I like mine with lettuce and tomato. And hot dogs. And ice cream. And pickles. Not the purple ones though. Eatin' my pickle in paradise!" (Parrotheads send your angry emails now.) The 1982 Telesys game FAST FOOD recalls a more innocent era - high calorie snacks. Parachute pants. Urkel. We know the mission in the game is to gobble as much food as you can (We Americans do lov...

This week's episode of ATARI BYTES, number 92 for those keeping score, is all about Benjamin Franklin. Well, not really. But thanks to this week's co-host, my kid Henry, there is a long digression from talking about the 1983 Data Age game FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER to talk about the mechanics of the founding father's famous key-on-a-kite-string experiment. Just a little extra info for you, our faithfu...

EPISODE 91: SPACE JOCKEY, 1982, from U.S. Games, looks a lot like a game made by a company that mostly just makes oatmeal. 'cause it is! But we're playing it anyway.  Why so much space? Who, exactly, is this "jockey" of which the game speaks? Are YOU the jockey? Am I the jockey? There's not a single horse in this thing, so why do we even need a jockey. I'm so confused.  Thanks this week to Speck f...

Way back in episode 12, we covered the Atari 2600 classic POLE POSITION. Now that you've been circling the block in your Formula I racer all this time, we're finally ready in episode 90 to hit the track (or should I say tracks ? There's FOUR of them this time.) again in the Atari 7800 ProSystem pack-in game POLE POSITION II from Namco, 1983.* *If you need to make a potty stop first, I totally unde...

Last week on the podcast, in KEYSTONE KAPERS, our beat consisted of the back alleys and mean streets of Keystone where Harry Hooligan made his mischief. This week, in Spectravision's 1983 adventure PLANET PATROL, our beat is, well, the whole darn planet. It's like when, after the sitcom "Gilligan's Island" ended, the castaways ended up in the cartoon "Gilligan's Planet". Yeah. Exactly like that. ...

Leapin' Lizards!  Sorry, that's Annie. Is there an Annie Atari game? Anyway, leapin' leprechauns! In the 1983 Activision (We love us some Activision on the podcast) game KEYSTONE KAPERS, Harry Hooligan is on the loose, plundering Southwick's. Arguably, the store deserves it, given it leaves huge bags of money sitting all over the sales floor, but Keystone Kelly, finest kop on the force, is determi...

This week's episode drops on September 24, which is also the birthdate of Muppet creator Jim Henson (9/24/36 - 5/16/90) and is dedicated to his memory. Doctor Who, Star Wars, Peanuts and Muppets pretty much sum up my childhood preoccupations (with a sprinkle of "Dukes of Hazzard" and "Superfriends" for color) The game we're playing this week is the 1982 Atari children's title (the last of the line...

You barely have time to adjust your athletic supporter before ATARI BYTES episode 86: SUPER CHALLENGE FOOTBALL is thrust upon us. Is this game super and/or a challenge? Discuss. In this week's story, this rag-tag team just needs some 21st century motivation... The articles we referenced this week: Monopoly in the Park ; Atari Planned to incorporate ColecoVision in 1983 My thanks to Kevin McLeod at...

Quick! Name every pool/billiards - related movie you can! There's "The Hustler", "The Color of Money", and, uh, there's a great pool scene in "The Cat From Outer Space" (What's that, you ask? The title says it all. Go check it out. Sandy Duncan and Ken Berry at their finest. Trust me.) And, of course, the game of pool reduced River City to a radioactive, rubble-strewn Hellscape in "The Music Man"....

Classic '80s detective series "Magnum P.I." was supposed to end  ****SPOILER HORN FOR THIRTY YEAR OLD SHOW****  with Magnum dying from multiple gunshot wounds, the last shot of the episode being Magnum walking up to the pearly gates with a contented smile on his face. That finale was actually aired. But then CBS convinced Tom Selleck to return to the show and Magnum survived. What does any of this...

A running gag in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" finds the knights riding on imaginary horseback. What does that have to do with JOUST, the 1982 Atari port of the Williams Electronics arcade classic? Absolutely nothing, except that both involve knights. Also, I just realized as I type these notes, the Python story and my backstory for the game both involve catapulting four-legged creatures - cow...

This week on episode 82, like the Phoenix of old, the podcast rises from the ashes, says "Ow! That's hot!", then jumps into the cooling waters of Taito's 1980 classic PHOENIX (well, the 1982 Atari 2600 port anyway) about what happens when the mythological bird from ancient Greece goes bad. We also say "hi" to Ferg from Atari 2600 Game by Game. A lot. Oh, and we learn more about sting ray tails tha...

In episode 81, we DIG deep into yet another game and leave no stone, worm, or dog turd unturned until we've DUG up the truth about the 1982 Namco classic DIG DUG. If we hit the center of the Earth, we'll tell Jules Verne you said "hi". Grab a motor-powered shovel and join us! Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Reformat", "Take a Chance" and "Pinball Sp...