VC 1003, Word Zapper, and VC 1004, Commando Raid!

Hi there! This week I discuss Word Zapper and Commando Raid by US Games. Next week is a big one, Asteroids and Berzerk, both by Atari. Upcoming games include Mousetrap by Coleco and Ladybug by John Champeau, Blackjack, Casino, Slot Machine, Yar's Revenge and Haunted House by Atari; Grand Prix and Barnstorming by Activision; and Death Trap and London Blitz by Avalon Hill. If you have any feedback for any of these games or any of the games I've already covered, please send it to 2600gamebygame@comcast.net. Don't forget to guess Willie's combined score on Asteroids and Berzerk to win an Atari Flashback 4! Go to Arcade USA and watch the video, then leave your score there in the comments or on my Facebook page. Thanks for listening!

Pertinent Links

Henry Will IV's blog page
Amiga Power Play Arcade series on Atari Protos
Willie's Commando Raid video

SA-203, Cross Force, and SA-204, Tape Worm!

This is the second Spectravision show I've done, this time featuring the games Cross Force and Tape Worm. If you don't know Spectravision, try these games out, I think you will enjoy them. Next week on the show I'll be looking at Word Zapper and Commando Raid by US Games. Upcoming games include Asteroids and Berzerk by Atari; Mousetrap by Coleco and Ladybug by John Champeau, Blackjack, Casino, Slot Machine, Yar's Revenge and Haunted House by Atari; and Grand Prix and Barnstorming by Activision. If you have any feedback for these or any of the games I've covered so far, send it to 2600gamebygame@comcast.net. Thank you so much for listening, see you next time!

Pertinent Links

Willie's Atari Flashback 4 contest video for episode 66
Willie's Cross Force video
Willie's Tape Worm video
How to Beat the Home Video Games: Tape Worm
Submarine Commander on Atari Protos site
Phenomenal Phil the No Swear Gamer on Youtube
Nibbler on KLOV

CX 2647, Submarine Commander, and CX 2648, Video Pinball!

This episode is about Submarine Commander (the last Sears exclusive on this show), and one of my childhood favorites, Video Pinball (both by Atari). Be sure to stick around to hear me ramble for quite some time about playing pinball as a kid. Next week I'll be talking about Cross Force and Tapeworm by Spectravision. Upcoming games include Word Zapper and Commando Raid by US Games; Asteroids and Berzerk by Atari; Mousetrap by Coleco and Ladybug by John Champeau, Blackjack, Casino, and Slot Machine by Atari; and Yar's Revenge and Haunted House, also by Atari. Send your feedback on these games or any game I've already covered to me at 2600gamebygame@comcast.net, and I'll read or play it on the show. Thanks for listening everyone, see you next week.

Pertinent Links

Matt Hubbard's This Day in Science Fiction blog
Marilyn Churchill's Mystic Heroine Adventures web site
Sea Wolf on KLOV
Sea Wolf II on KLOV
Video Pinball on KLOV
Atari Video Pinball console
Willie's Video Pinball video
Willie's Submarine Commander video
People Playing Atari - Video Pinball
Derp.

CM001, Magicard, and CM002, Video Life!

This week's episode is about the CommaVid carts Magicard and Video Life. It was a tough one, I really don't possess a basic understanding of programming (Magicard) or elementary science (Video Life), not to mention that I was off for three weeks and was out of the habit of my usual procrastination, which turned it into unusual procrastination. I hope that you will forgive me and enjoy the episode anyway, I did get some good feedback which as always saves the show. Next week I'll be talking about Submarine Commander and Video Pinball by Atari. Video Pinball is one of my favorites. Upcoming games include Cross Force and Tape Worm by Spectravision; Word Zapper and Commando Raid by US Games; Asteroids and Berzerk by Atari; Mousetrap by Coleco and Ladybug by John Champeau, and Blackjack, Casino, and Slot Machine by Atari. Any thoughts or memories that you have about any of these games or any of the games I've already covered can be sent to 2600gamebygame@comcast.net. Thanks for your patience and for listening!


Pertinent Links

CommaVid Story on Digital Press
Irwin Gaines magazine article
John Bronstein's Atari 2600 reverse engineering contraption
Magicard manual (PDF)
Chess rematch with Rick from the Intellivisionaries
Willie's Flashback 4 contest video
Next Level Video Games in Blackwood, NJ
Magicard program binaries on Atari Age

003-01, Thunderground, and 004-01, Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator!

This week I talk about two more of Sega's Atari 2600 games, Thunderground and Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator.  I found both of them to be fun to play. Next episode will not be out until June 4, I am taking a few weeks off. That will be MagiCard and Video Life by CommaVid. The MagiCard manual is horribly long and complicated, so the extra time will be nice. Upcoming games include Submarine Commander and Video Pinball by Atari; Cross Force and Tape Worm by Spectravision; Word Zapper and Commando Raid by US Games; Asteroids and Berzerk by Atari; and Mousetrap by Coleco and Ladybug by John Champeau. I'm including this homebrew (first one!) because it was slated to be released by Coleco but wasn't, and Champeau later released a great port of the game. So if you have any stories or memories of any of these games, please send them to me at 2600gamebygame@comcast.net. Thank you everyone, have a great Memorial Day if you're in the US and I'll see you in June!


Highly Illogical Links

June 1983 Videogaming Illustrated Star Trek article
Star Trek at KLOV
Borderline at KLOV
Classic Console Gamernews
Now You're Playing With Podcast
The Intellivisionaries Podcast
Favorite Atari 2600 Games of Willie - Star Trek
Pixa on the iTunes Store
Thunderground manual from 2600 Connection (.PDF)

CX 2646, Pac-Man!

This week is all about Pac-Man by Atari. Got a ton of feedback and audio submissions, so you are in for a treat! Next week I will be looking at Thunderground and Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator by Sega. I'll get to CommaVid eventually. Thank you everyone, hope you enjoy the show. Thanks for listening!

Pac-Links

Pac-Man on KLOV
Favorite Atari 2600 Games of Willie: Pac-Man
Pac-Man schematic (for fun)
2600 Connection Pac-Man Easter Eggs (check here for bug videos)
Nukey Shay's Pac-Man 8K on Atari Age

AG 041, Title Match Pro Wrestling, and AG 042, Skateboardin'

This week I look at half of the Absolute Entertainment games, Title Match Pro Wrestling and Skateboardin.' Next week on the show I will be covering Pac-Man! A very polarizing game for sure. I already have quite a few emails for that show, I would love to hear what you think (and thought!) about this game. In the coming weeks I'll be doing MagiCard and Video Life by CommaVid; Submarine Commander and Video Pinball by Atari; Thunderground and Star Trek by Sega; Asteroids and Berzerk by Atari; Cross Force and Tapeworm by Spectravision, and Word Zapper and Commando Raid by US Games. I would love to hear your thoughts on these games or any of the games I've already covered; please send them in text or mp3 form to 2600gamebygame@comcast.net. Thank you for listening!

Pertinent Links

Interview with Alex DeMeo on 2600 Connection
Skateboardin' map on Atarimania
Earl Green's post about the Alamagordo excavation

CX 2643, Codebreaker; CX 2644, Flag Capture, and CX 2645, Video Chess!

This week I stupidly cover 3 Atari games, Codebreaker, Flag Capture and Video Chess. Stupidly only because it was Easter and I was more busy than I've ever been. Sometimes 3 in a show is a necessary evil. Next week I'll be delving into Title Match Pro Wrestling and Skateboardin' by Absolute. Upcoming games include Pac-Man by Atari; Magicard and Video Life by CommaVid; Submarine Commander and Video Pinball by Atari; Thunderground and Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator by Sega; Asteroids and Berzerk by Atari (if that show isn't close to 90 minutes with feedback then I'm doing something wrong); and Cross Force and Tapeworm by Spectravision. If you have any stories or memories of any of these games that you would like to share, please send them to 2600gamebygame@comcast.net. This of course is not a guarantee that I will read it on the correct show, as I am wont to overlook them sometimes. I just realized I forgot to read Jeff's email this week, I apologize to Jeff and I will read them on next week's show. I hate it when I do that. Thanks for listening everyone.

Pertinent Links

Venetian Blinds by Activision on Atari Protos site
Computer Chess by Atari on Atari Protos site
Win a free game on the Retro Junkies Forum!
Willie's Video for the Retro Junkies 5000 likes contest!
Intellivision vs. Atari VCS Chess!

PB 5080, Gyruss, and PB5110, James Bond 007!

This week's episode deals with Gyruss and James Bond 007 by Parker Brothers. Upcoming games include Codebreaker, Flag Capture & Video Chess by Atari; Skateboardin' and Title Match Pro Wrestling by Activision; Pac-Man by Atari; MagiCard and Video Life by CommaVid (tentatively); Submarine Commander and Video Pinball by Atari; and Thunderground and Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator by Sega. Send me your memories of these games or any games I've already covered to 2600gamebygame@comcast.net. Thank you for listening everyone.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of fellow video game podcaster Kevin Cronin.

Pertinent Links

Gyruss on KLOV
Alternate James Bond 007 artwork on Atarimania (scroll to the bottom)
GoFundMe donation page for Kevin Cronin
Video Game Rescue podcast
James Bond movie intros, featuring the red swirly thing, which now looks like a gun barrel. I am a dope.
Favorite Atari 2600 Games of Willie - Gyruss

AR 4102, Suicide Mission, & AR 4103, Killer Satellites!

Back to the wonderful Supercharger for two more of its games, Suicide Mission and Killer Satellites. I forgot to mention in the show that the Prototype version of Suicide Mission, Meteoroids, has a similar descending note scale like the arcade version of Asteroids. You can hear that in the sound clip I played in that section (it speeds up as there are fewer meteoroids onscreen). The released version only has 2 of these notes, and it sounds really weird. Next week on the show I'll be yakking about Gyruss and James Bond 007 by Parker Brothers. Upcoming games include Codebreaker, Flag Capture and Video Chess by Atari; Title Match Pro Wrestling and Skateboardin' by Absolute; Pac-Man by Atari; Magicard and Video Life by CommaVid, and Submarine Commander (Sears exclusive) and Video Pinball by Atari. You can send me your stories or memories of any of these game or any of the games I've already covered to me at 2600gamebygame@comcast.net. Thank you so much for listening!

Pertinent Links

Intellivision vs. Atari II: Electric Boogaloo - Checkers!
Steve Hales interview in Halcyon Days by James Hague
Steve Hales' Igor Software Labs web site
Kevin Norman's Science Wiz web site
Suicide Mission at Atari Protos web site
Favorite Atari 2660 Games of Willie - Killer Satellites!
Favorite Atari 2600 Games of Willie - Suicide Mission!