CX 2622, Breakout, and CX 2623, Home Run!

This week's episode is about the early Atari games Breakout and Home Run. I received another audio submission this week, I love getting those so please keep sending them in! Next week I'll be discussing Warp Lock and Encounter At L-5 by Data Age. It may be a short show, there's not much info out there about Data Age. Upcoming games include Tac-Scan and Sub Scan by Sega, Basketball and Football by Atari, Gangster Alley and Planet Patrol by Spectravision, Miniature Golf and Human Cannonball by Atari, and Coconuts and Cosmic Creeps by Telesys. You can send your stories and memories of these games in text or audio form to 2600gamebygame@comcast.net. Thank you for listening!

Pertinent Links
Breakout on KLOV

Pilgrim in the Microworld by David Sudnow
Brad Stewart interview by Scott Stilphen
Cliff Spohn at Fine Art America
Kevin's Computer Space Fan website
Adventure Club Podcast Network
Atari commercial featuring Breakout

AG 005, Skiing, and AX 006, Bridge!

This week's episode deals with Activision's Skiing and Bridge. Please note that I screwed up the production number of Bridge in the show, it should be AX 006. I totally missed that in the list and just noticed it now when I checked what the numbers were for the blog title. In this episode I got two great audio submissions from Shinto and Rob O'Hara, and I got some constructive criticism from James. Instead of recording at night this time, I recorded after I woke up, so if you're reading this James, please let me know if this made any difference! I think I sound a lot more awake, I'm sure that my wife will let me know too.

Next week's episode will be about Breakout and Home Run by Atari. If you have any stories or memories of these games, please send them along to 2600gamebygame@comcast.net. You can send text or audio, and all of them get on the show. Upcoming games include Encounter at L5 and Warplock by Data Age, Tac-Scan and Sub Scan by Sega, Basketball and Football by Atari, Gangster Alley and Planet Patrol by Spectravision, and Miniature Golf and Human Cannonball by Atari. Thanks for listening!

Pertinent Links

Glossary of Bridge terms on Wikipedia

Bridge "How Your Partner Bids" manual at Atari Guide
Focus On the Prize video for August on Youtube
Arcade USA videos on Youtube
You Don't Know Flack podcast
Now You're Playing With Podcast
Oklahoma Video Game Expo
Mismatched Activision games thread on Atari Age

CX 2620, Basic Programming, and CX 2621, Video Olympics!

This week's torturously long episode deals with Basic Programming and Video Olympics. Not my favorite ever. Be sure to check out Hugues Johnson's Basic Programming site, it's much better than this episode. Next week I'll be talking about Activision's Skiing, which I really love, and Bridge, which I have absolutely no idea about, so that should be another great episode. Upcoming games include Breakout and Home Run by Atari, Encounter at L5 and Warplock by Data Age, Tac-Scan and Sub Scan by Sega, and Basketball and Football by Atari. You can send your stories and memories of these games to 2600gamebygame@comcast.net, and I'll read them on the show. Thanks for listening!

Pertinent Links

Pong
Pong Doubles
Quadrapong
Superpong
Rebound
Goal IV 
Hugues Johnson's web site
The Retro League Podcast

VC 1001, Space Jockey, & VC 1002, Sneak n' Peek!

This episode is the first regarding U.S. Games, featuring the passable Space Jockey and the absolutely horrible Sneak n' Peek. The less said the better. There's some nice emails and an audio submission from Earl Green. Next week I'll be trying to talk about Basic Programming and Pong- er, Video Olympics by Atari. Upcoming games include Skiing and Bridge by Activision, Breakout and Home Run by Atari, Encounter at L5 and Warplock by Data Age, and Tac-Scan and Sub Scan by Sega. If you have any stories regarding these games, or anything about the Atari 2600, you can send them 2600gamebygame@comcast.net. Thanks for listening!

Pertinent Links
Article about U.S. Games purchase by Quaker Oats (PDF download)
Now You're Playing With Podcast
Retro Gaming Roundup Podcast
You Don't Know Flack Podcast
The Escape Pod podcast at the Log Book
Genesis Gems Podcast

IA 3201, Star Voyager, and IA 3203, Atlantis!

This week it's back to some fun games with Imagic's Star Voyager and Atlantis! I also talk a little about the Amiga prototype Power Arcade carts, and the company Xante. Also we have two audio submissions, keep those coming in, they're great! Next week I'll be talking about US Games’ Space Jockey and Sneak and Peek. Upcoming games include Basic Programming and Video Olympics by Atari, Skiing and Bridge by Activision (as of July 28 2013, Skiing is one of the special games in a two week run on the Atari Age high score club, check out the link below. This show will be on the last day you can submit scores for Skiing, as well as Time Warp and Sky Jinks), Breakout and Home Run by Atari, Encounter at L5 and Warplock by Data Age, and Tac-Scan and Sub Scan by Sega. Please send your stories for these games or anything related to the 2600 to 2600gamebygame@comcast.net. Thanks so much for listening!

Pertinent Links
Atlantis 2 on Atari Age
Enterprise TV show: The Making of Atlantis, 1982
Bob Smith interview from Retrogaming Roundup podcast episode 47 (starts at 31:12)
Colony 7 on KLOV
Amiga Power Arcade carts at Atari Protos
Atari Age 2600 High Score Club
The Log Book by Earl Green

CX 2618, 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe & CX 2619, Stellar Track!

This week's episode makes me wonder why the heck I took on this project in the first place. It was a rough week, the Stellar Track manual kicked my butt. Like Beavis said, you gotta have stuff that sucks if you wanna have stuff that's cool. Genius. Next week should be better, it will be Atlantis and Star Voyager by Imagic! Upcoming games include Space Jockey and Sneak n Peek by US Games, Basic Programming and Video Olympics by Atari, Skiing and Bridge by Activision, Breakout and Home Run by Atari, and Encounter at L5 and Warplock by Data Age. I'd love for you to send me your stories about these games, I read all of the submissions on the show! Send them to 2600gamebygame@comcast.net. As always, thanks so much for listening!

Pertinent Links

The Retro Junkies website
Benj Edward's interview with Carol Shaw on Vintage Computing
Carol Shaw's website, from archive.org
Qubic on Board Game Geek
Earl Green's The Log Book website
Wrath of Khan soundboard

11001, Worm War 1, and 11002, Beany Bopper!

It's episode 20 and I'm talking about 20th Century Fox games for the first time. I wish I was smart enough to have planned that. Today's games are Worm War 1 and Beany Bopper, both really fun games, I hope you had a chance to try them out. Next week will be Atari's Stellar Track and 3D Tic Tac Toe. Stellar Track is a text adventure on the 2600, so that should be totally awesome! Upcoming games include Star Voyager and Atlantis by Imagic, Space Jockey and Sneak n Peek by US Games, Basic Programming and video Olympics by Atari, and Skiing and Bridge by Activision. Any stories or memories you have of these games can be sent to 2600gamebygame@comcast.net, and I'll read it on the show. Thanks so much for listening, see you next time!

Pertinent Links

Scott Stilphen's interview with David Lubar
David Lubar's website
Worm War 1 commercial
Genesis Gems podcast

Facebook page
Twitter page
Blog page

CX 2616, Champoinship Soccer (Pele's Soccer), & CX 2617, Backgammon!

This week's episode features 2 more Atari games, Championship Soccer and Backgammon. Also I get another visit from Mrs. Ferguson the Librarian! Next week I'll be looking at 20th Century Fox and their games Beany Bopper and Worm War 1. Upcoming games include  3D Tic Tac Toe and Stellar Track by Atari , Star Voyager and Atlantis by Imagic, Space Jockey and Sneak n Peek by US Games, and Basic Programming and Video Olympics by Atari. If you have any stories about any of these games or just about the 2600, you can send them in text or mp3 form to me at 2600gamebygame@comcast.net. Thank you all for listening!

Steve Wright's website
Stella Programming Guide by Steve Wright (download)
Championship Soccer Manual
Backgammon manual
Backgammon Bugs on Atari 2600 Connection, by Scott Stilphen
Backgammon manual proof on eBay

AR 4000, Phaser Patrol, & AR 4101, Communist Mutants From Space!

Episode 18 covers two of the first 4 games available for the Starpath Supercharger, Phaser Patrol and Communist Mutants From Space! The Supercharger is a very cool add-on for the 2600 that allows you to load games into your 2600 via cassette tape. Upcoming shows include the games Worm War I and Beany Bopper by 20th Century Fox; 3D Tic Tac Toe and Stellar Track by Atari; Star Voyager and Atlantis by Imagic, and Space Jockey and Sneak n Peek by US Games. Please send me your stories for these games, either in an email or an mp3 file. You can send these to 2600gamebygame@comcast.net. Thank you all so much for listening!

Pertinent Links

Supercharger Page at Stella Wiki
Dennis Caswell's web site
Mat Allen's interview with Dennis Caswell
Dennis Caswell reading his poem "Epiphanette"
Communist Mutants From Space t-shirt on eBay
Interview with Stephen Landrum from 2600 Connection, issue 14 (not available online)

MT 4313, Star Strike, and MT 4317, Adventures of Tron!

Welcome back! This week's episode deals with M Network and two of its games, Star Strike and Adventures of Tron. Special thanks this week to Star Strike programmer David Akers for offering us insight into his game! Also thanks to Strudders for sending the only email this week, I edited out the thank you by mistake. I got distracted by my ingenious M Network stacking solution. Sorry Rob! :(

Next week I'll be looking at the Starpath Supercharger and two of the games released for it, Phaser Patrol and Communist Mutants From Space. In two weeks, it's Pele's Soccer and Backgammon by Atari. If you have any stories or comments for these games, please send them to me at 2600gamebygame@comcast.net. Thank you for listening!

Pertinent Links
NOTE: I had a bunch of links for the Intellivision Lives website, but none of them are working now. I'll check back later this week and add them if the site is back up.

Klax on KLOV
Escape From The Planet Of The Robot Monsters on KLOV
Match 5 from Classic Game Publishers
Hal Finney's website
Scott Stilphen's interview with Hal Finney on Digital Press
Hal Finney's post on Bitcoin Talk Forums
Now You're Playing With Podcast
No Quarter podcast
ANTIC the Atari 8 Bit podcast