ATARI BYTES

Let ye who is without Sin-istar, cast the first pod. Well, fortunately for us, we DO have this episode's game SINISTAR, the 1984 Atari 2600 port prototype of the arcade game. Is the game a heavenly delight or sinfully awful? Count your luck stars and join us. Bad Poetry Corner: THE SINN SISTERS HOST A BRUNCH Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of "Pinball Spring", "T...

The 5200 love-fest continues in 305 with QIX. This 1982 puzzling, strategizing, flashy lights game is a keeper...of addictive frustrations. SHORT STORY: QIX-SAND Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Reformat" and "Pinball Spring". Thanks to Sean Courtney for the Storytime theme. Head to www.carnivalofgleecreations.com for info about ATAR...

In episode 304, you're joining the podcast at an historic moment...the debut of our brand-new (refurbished) ATARI 5200 CONSOLE (Thanks, Jose!) We launch into the stratospheric heights of new game possiblities by falling into the dungeon, the SPACE DUNGEON, to be specific. The 1983 Taito arcade port is my focus in this one...until my cameraman wrestles away control of both joysticks from his old ma...

Throw this ATARI BYTES episode on the junk heap. Episode 303 is going to the SCRAPYARD DOG (For the 7800, Atari, 1990). Is this game doggone fun or just one for the dogs? SHORT STORY - BAD POETRY CORNER: DOGGED Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Reformat" and "Pinball Spring".  Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. Support...

WE'RE BACK, BABIES! After a scary week while my computer was in the computer hospital getting a hard drive transplant and other upgrades, we're back! And that's not the only reason we're flying high! In 302, we're playing SUPER HUEY for the 7800. Was it worth the wait for this episode? Now boarding to find out... Short Story: SUPER, HUEY Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commo...

Do you remember the 1970's cartoon "Gilligan's Planet", where the castaways travel from the island to outer space? No? Well, you should. It was...something. The 7800 game BALLBLAZER, which we played in episode 301, is a little like that. It's like transporting a soccer game from the stadium to space. "Ted Lasso" in an astronaut helmet maybe. So, is the game a ball or should all copies be set ablaz...

ATARI BYTES is 300 episodes old! If it were years, we'd be older than America! ATARI BYTES deserves some respect as the country's elder. I'm going to stop paying taxes. We're taking a break from the video games and story-fying to play a good, old-fashioned video game. This time, it's Buffalo Games' 2021 SPACE INVADERS: THE BOARD GAME. But is this board game boring? Tune in to find out. Thanks to K...

So, I  think I've only had to re-record ATARI BYTES 299, featuring ASSAULT from 1983, once due to technical glitches. But I've seen enough science fiction to know I could be caught in some sort of time loop. This could be my 8,000th recording. Is the game worth eternity in this one moment? Well, it was made by a company called Bomb. Hmmm. Short Story: A Salt Story Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompe...

The Moon God gets a bad rap.  Sure, in QUEST FOR QUINTANA ROO, the 1984 game from Sunrise Software, the Moon God wants to kill you. But, I mean, in the game you are plundering the Moon God's ancient temple.  On the upside, all this unpleasantness did bring about episode 298 of ATARI BYTES! Bad Poetry Corner: The Quest Chooses Us Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of...

Any old show could give you mutants, but how many can offer you COMMUNIST mutants? 2021 had Covid spinoffs, insurrections and climate upheavals. 2022 has communist mutants. Seems about right. In episode 297, we played the 1982 weirdly named Starpath game COMMUNIST MUTANTS FROM SPACE. Because with a title like that, how could we not? Short Story: A MUTANT BY ANY OTHER NAME Thanks to Kevin McLeod at...

It's the last episode of 2021! And in honor of our laziness  tradition, for the last episode we put away the games and rest our story-thinking brains, and kick back with a movie. This time, we're watching the 1983....cult?...classic KRULL, which inspired the Atari game eagle-eared listeners will remember we talked about in episode 295 Was KRULL a krully good movie or krully bad? Listen to find out...

ATARI BYTES episode 295 is all about KRULL, Atari's adaptation of the 1983 sci-fi movie...classic?...of the same name. The game, like the movie, has you, the hero, trying to defeat The Beast, with a star-shaped "glaive", save the princess and defend the galaxy.  So, is this game a five-pointed romp, or a pointless exercise, times five? We'll find out. Original Short Story: FIRE HORSE Thanks to Kev...

Commavid knew what it was doing. I mean, they went out of business, but they knew a good basis for a game. Cake! People really only like two things: kittens and cake. I know, people SAY they like other things, but this is actually about it. Unfortunately, "Kitten Walk" doesn't roll of the tongue as easy as "Cakewalk", so Commavid went with that for its 1983 game. And we're playing it in ATARI BYTE...

Birds of a feather listen to podcasts together. Or alone. Whatever. You do you. In episode 293, from 1982, we're playing one of the few Ultravision titles, CONDOR ATTACK. Does the game soar above the rest, or was I a dodo for playing?  Here's hoping you don't get dive bombed while listening... Short Story: ATTACKED Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Ta...

Whoaaaaa! You're reading this show note (possibly) on Halloween, about an episode released on Halloween, featuring a game called "Halloween", inspired by the movie "Halloween". Spooky! Which is appropriate because in episode 292, we're playing the Wizard Video 1983 title "Halloween". If you enjoy sprite decapitations and 8-bit child murder in a Skittles-colored house, this is the game for you. If...

I LOVE TRASH! ANYTHING FUNNY AND GAMEY AND PODCASTY! OH, I LOVE TRASH...PODCASTS! In episode 291, can you tell me how to get to podcast street? We're playing the 1983 educational title SESAME STREET: OSCAR'S TRASH RACE. Oh, yes. We are. Bad Poetry Corner: GROUCH POTATO - A POEM Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Pinball Spring" and "Re...

Pass the Pepto!* I mean joystick!  *This episode sponsored by Pepto-Bismol** **We wish. In episode 290, we're playing the Parker Brothers 1984 title MONTEZUMA'S REVENGE, where you race through gloomy caverns, dodging skulls, snakes, spiders, treacherous drops and lava. All to make your way to the toilet. Sorry! Make your way to the treasure room.  May all your TP be encrusted with rhinestones.  Th...

In ATARI BYTES episode 289, the unicorns are chasing the centaurs across the grassy knolls that dot Mt. Olympus; winged gods soar above, inspiring the mortals...and probably impregnating them occasionally. Not really. We're playing MINES OF MINOS, from CommaVid, 1982. It's all maze, no minotaurs. You can put away your ball of thread. Or not. Something's gotta keep you in your seat.  Short Story: T...

Play a space game requiring super technical, minor adjustments to thrust vectors and yaw? More like YAWN, amirite? In 288, we're playing Activision's (squee!) 1983 space shuttle simulator SPACE SHUTTLE: A JOURNEY INTO SPACE. Instead of, we suppose, a journey into the local supermarket. The game is a technical marvel. But is it fun? Is it really even a game? Let's discuss. This week's short story:...

Belgian listeners! Episode 287 is for you! On this episode of ATARI BYTES, we're playing the 1982 Coleco game SMURFS: RESCUE IN GARGAMEL'S CASTLE. The game features those super annoying beloved blue cartoon characters the SMURFS! And we're terribly sorry about that. Can you ever smurf us? Hey! watch the smurfin' language! There are smurfettes present! This week's short story: ROYAL RODENT RIDDER T...

Our Olympic fever shows no sign of breaking. The mercury has shot out the top of the thermometer, splattering all over this week's episode.  In 286 of ATARI BYTES, we're playing VIDEO OLYMPICS, one of Atari's 1977 "original nine" games. There's very little actual Olympic content. But that's okay because I have very little actual Olympic skill. This week's short story: MOUNT OLYMPUS FIVE & DIME Tha...

In ATARI BYTES episode 285, we're playing the David Crane (squee!) 1983 Activision (squee!) title DECATHLON in honor of the increasingly misnamed 2020 Olympics! With ten events, is this game ten times the fun? We've got our tank top and tight shorts and are ready to find out. Bad Poetry Corner: DEAD CAT LON Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use his songs "Take a Chance...

Episode 284 of ATARI BYTES gets its groove ON with the 1982 Sega port of ZAXXON! (That's a terrible set up. But the episode is good. I promise. Probably. Maybe. Look, just listen, please. ) This week's short story: ZACH'S ON Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Reformat" and "Pinball Spring".  Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime"...

Intellivision Month 2021 concludes this month in ATARI BYTES episode 283. We're playing TRON DEADLY DISCS, inspired by the "cult classic" movie. It's a collision of cult classic movie and cult classic podcast! (I might be delusional.) This week's short story: DEADLY DISCS - A STEVE STETSON, 1980s SUPERSPY, ADVENTURE Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creation commons use of his songs "R...

INTELLIVISION MONTH 2021 barrels forward on ATARI BYTES 282. Much as we do with the twisty maze that is life, we're winding our way through the twisty maze of Mattel's 1982 Intellivision offering NIGHT STALKER, a/k/a the 2600 game "Dark Cavern". (spoiler!)  But...are you stalking the bats/spiders/robots. Or...are they stalking YOU? More importantly, who keeps dropping all these guns all over? Seem...