Congratulations to Greg Miller, he is the winner of the Star Raiders contest! Thank you to everyone for entering!
This week I am looking at Okie Dokie and Stell-A-Sketch, both made by Bob Colbert in the late 90s. Check the links below to see how to get these games. In the next episode I am talking about Sorcerer, Firefly, and Starfox by Mythicon; Hangman and Roadrunner by
Atari; Threshold and River Patrol by Tigervision; Fast Food and Ram
It by Telesys; Brain Games and Frog Pond by Atari, and Megamania and Sky Jinks by Activision. Any feedback you have on these or any games I've already covered can
be sent to 2600gamebygame@podcast.net. Thank you so much for listening!
Pert-I-Nent Links
Making Okie Dokie - from Bob Colbert's archived website
Bob Colbert's archived home page (the links for the 2 games still work)
Download Sabotage WIP from Bob Colbert's archived web site
Bob Colbert interview by Michael Thomasson
Okie Dokie registry
Pictures of Stell-A-Sketch/Okie Dokie cassette on Atari Age
Okie Dokie at Hozer Video Games (scroll down)
Okie Dokie at Packrat Video Games
Okie Dokie at Atari Age
The No Swear Gamer Episode 92 - Okie Dokie!
Chris' book Classic Gaming Bookcast on Smashwords;
...on Barnes and Noble;
...on iTunes;
...and on Scribd
Direct download for the Christmas episode 85 (edited on Stitcher)
Mouses!
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
CX 2660, Star Raiders!
Well hello. Today's episode is about Star Raiders by Atari. Fun game, but I did find some other games in this style to be better (spoilers). You can win a Star Raiders cart with manual, touch pad controller, and overlay! Just send an email with "Star Raiders Contest" in the subject to 2600gamebygame@comcast.net, or check Facebook and Twitter for a pinned post regarding the contest. I will take entries until 11:59 PM EST January 20th. Next week will be Okie Dokie and Stell-A-Sketch by homebrew programmer Bob Colbert. In the following weeks I will be profiling orcerer, Firefly, and Starfox by Mythicon; Hangman and Roadrunner by
Atari; Threshold and River Patrol by Tigervision; Fast Food and Ram
It by Telesys; and Brain Games and Frog Pond by Atari. Any feedback you have on these or any games I've already covered can
be sent to 2600gamebygame@podcast.net. Thank you so much for listening!
Hukka Hukka
Favorite Atari 2600 Games of Willie! - Star Raiders
The No Swear Gamer Episode 90 - Star Raiders
Player/Missile podcast episode 1 - Star Raiders
Carla Meninsky interview by Will Nicholes
Doug Neubauer's web site
10 most important video games article
Stalking the Retro Episode 69
Quset For The Golden Chalice - Homebrew Coleco version of Adventure!
Atarimax Colecovision Ultimate SD Cartridge
Star Raiders at Atariprotos.com
Blog post with photos about the Sears Video Arcade 2
Hukka Hukka
Favorite Atari 2600 Games of Willie! - Star Raiders
The No Swear Gamer Episode 90 - Star Raiders
Player/Missile podcast episode 1 - Star Raiders
Carla Meninsky interview by Will Nicholes
Doug Neubauer's web site
10 most important video games article
Stalking the Retro Episode 69
Quset For The Golden Chalice - Homebrew Coleco version of Adventure!
Atarimax Colecovision Ultimate SD Cartridge
Star Raiders at Atariprotos.com
Blog post with photos about the Sears Video Arcade 2
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Star Raiders Unboxing!
I am in the middle of research for this game. You may already know (spoilers) that Star Raiders was packaged with an Atari Force comic, #3 to be exact. I thought I had a copy of this loose, but I actually don't. I opened up the outer Star Raiders box (spoilers again) to get the one out of the game box. Lo and behold, the game box was still sealed shut.
I remember vividly trying to open these glued hang-tab boxes when I was a kid, and failing miserably. Judging by the boxed games I now own, lots of other folks failed as well. So I was actually smart about this, and I asked Sarah if we still had a hair dryer (neither of us use one). She said we did and she asked me what I needed it for. When I told her she suggested a heat gun that she uses for crafting with rubber stamps. She also reassured me that it wouldn't burn the box.
Since the glue that Atari used on these boxes is now akin to cement, I thought this would take a long time. I worked on the hang tab first, and after about two minutes it came up with no trouble.
Again, I was not stupid enough to put my finger in the molten glue (that's two in a row for me, pretty good), but it hardened back up pretty quick, and the strings that lingered after I opened it just broke off. This was actually going to work! I tackled the top flap next, and that took even less time, despite there being more glue (but still only in 2 spots like the hang tab). It probably got the residual heat from the tab too, helping it along.
After waiting for the glue to dry completely (three in a row! Something bad is going to happen), I took out my treasures that were packed up in late 1982. I pulled out the cart first, and the Touch Pad overlay was sticking out of the cartridge cover. I have no idea how it worked itself in there. As you can maybe see in the picture, the cart has a mild case of Actiplaque, even being cooped up in that box all this time. Maybe even because of it, I don't know. You also may recall me talking about the numbers stamped into the end labels of many of the picture label cartridges. It is widely accepted that these numbers denote the week and the year of manufacture. If that is correct, then this cart was manufactured right after Halloween in 1982. I remember buying this game for myself (not this copy, of course), but I don't remember when I bought it. I was working at this time but it may also have been from Christmas/birthday money. I wish I could remember.
There's also the manual (a revision 1, as far as I know there wasn't a revision 2 to fix the Krylon typo), a revision E 1982 catalog (Pac-Man is front and center inside the front cover), and the elusive Atari Force #3. That will be my lunch date tonight at work. And that's why I went to all this trouble, because I don't have a smart phone to look at the comic online. Half of this podcast is analog, as you can see from the notebook in the background. :)
So why did I not make a video of my unboxing? Well, I am not Phil or Willie, both of whom do a wonderful job (check out the links!). I have no idea how to edit video. I know I have a Youtube page, but I doubt I will use it unless I do Extra Life again this year. I have to start remembering to like videos though, especially the ones that Phil and Willie do for my show. Sorry guys.
Finally, even though I don't play video games as much as I collect them, I don't believe in having sealed games. Games are for playing, and I especially love opening these older games. I have a few more unopened 2600 games that I'll be getting to eventually...
After waiting for the glue to dry completely (three in a row! Something bad is going to happen), I took out my treasures that were packed up in late 1982. I pulled out the cart first, and the Touch Pad overlay was sticking out of the cartridge cover. I have no idea how it worked itself in there. As you can maybe see in the picture, the cart has a mild case of Actiplaque, even being cooped up in that box all this time. Maybe even because of it, I don't know. You also may recall me talking about the numbers stamped into the end labels of many of the picture label cartridges. It is widely accepted that these numbers denote the week and the year of manufacture. If that is correct, then this cart was manufactured right after Halloween in 1982. I remember buying this game for myself (not this copy, of course), but I don't remember when I bought it. I was working at this time but it may also have been from Christmas/birthday money. I wish I could remember.
There's also the manual (a revision 1, as far as I know there wasn't a revision 2 to fix the Krylon typo), a revision E 1982 catalog (Pac-Man is front and center inside the front cover), and the elusive Atari Force #3. That will be my lunch date tonight at work. And that's why I went to all this trouble, because I don't have a smart phone to look at the comic online. Half of this podcast is analog, as you can see from the notebook in the background. :)
So why did I not make a video of my unboxing? Well, I am not Phil or Willie, both of whom do a wonderful job (check out the links!). I have no idea how to edit video. I know I have a Youtube page, but I doubt I will use it unless I do Extra Life again this year. I have to start remembering to like videos though, especially the ones that Phil and Willie do for my show. Sorry guys.
Finally, even though I don't play video games as much as I collect them, I don't believe in having sealed games. Games are for playing, and I especially love opening these older games. I have a few more unopened 2600 games that I'll be getting to eventually...
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
AR 4104, Rabbit Transit, & AR 4105, The Official Frogger!
Happy New Year everyone, it is great to be back doing the podcast! This week I cover two Starpath cassette games, Rabbit Transit and the Official Frogger. In my opinion both of them are really fun. Next week I'll be talking about Star Raiders by Atari. In the upcoming weeks I will be discussing Okie Dokie and Stell-A-Sketch by Bob Colbert; Sorcerer, Firefly, and Starfox by Mythicon; Hangman and Roadrunner by Atari; Threshold and River Patrol by Tigervision; and Fast Food and Ram It by Telesys. Any feedback you have on these or any games I've already covered can be sent to 2600gamebygame@podcast.net. Thank you so much for listening!
Auld Links Syne
Auld Links Syne
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