Atari Bytes

Episode 210 of ATARI BYTES is a science lesson. Did you know fire is sentient and can move around at will? It can! But fear not, you can defeat it with a hammer. Also, gorillas hate you. Also barrels. But mostly you. That's right! We're playing iconic game DONKEY KONG this week! But, Bill, you say, you done did that! Yes, yes, I did (ep. 37). But this time...it's for the 7800!!!!!! Please try to control yourselves.  Does Jumpman have the same spring in his step this time? Is he springier? We'll find out. THIS WEEK'S STORY: DONKEY DESTINY Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs 'Take a Chance", "Reformat" and "Pinball Spring".  Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. Find show notes, info and links to episodes for ATARI BYTES here. And for the monthly discussion of all things related to the legendary Shoopy-rific comic "Peanuts" IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here. Pick up "Go play some old games. They've mis

Episode 209! We're having so much fun in Atari future that we're hanging around to play FIGHT NIGHT from 1988 for the Atari 7800. You know it's a good game because the words in the title rhyme. That's how they grade games, right? So is this one a knock out or one of those matches where the fighters just exhaustedly hug each other until the ref pulls them apart? Spit in your bucket and left hook punch the "play" button to find out.* *ATARI BYTES not responsible for damage to your listening device. This week's story comes from Bad Poetry Corner: THE SWEET SCIENCE IN A WORLD THAT HATES SCIENCE - A POEM Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Reformat" and "Pinball Spring".  Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. On www.carnivalofgleecreations.com find ATARI BYTES episodes, social media and more here. Find IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN episodes, social media and more here. Bill's books: MISER

Episode 208 of ATARI BYTES finds us hanging out with the 7800 Pro System once again. It's so pretty in this futuristic world. The sun high and gorgeous. Lush vistas spread out before us. Hey...what's that squirming around over there...Oh, no! It's... CENTIPEDE! We thought we left you behind on the 2600. But no...the fight against the angry arthropds continues in this 1987 port of the classic arcade-er (a word I just created. Cool, no?). Not to mention, scorpions, spiders and your own self-doubt at your ability to survive. Revisit this classic and your own failings all at the same time! This week's short story: CENT IMPEDED Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Reformat", and "Pinball Spring".  Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. Find show notes, info, social media and episodes at www.carnivalofgleecreations.com for ATARI BYTES here and for my monthly podcast about all things related

Go suck an egg! Sorry...meant go lay an egg. No, that's not right.  Oh! Right. In episode 207, we're playing the 1987 Atari 7800 port of JOUST where, astride a fierce ostrich (yep) you do battle with knights on buzzard-back (really), scrambling (heh!) to keep the buzzard eggs from hatching into new enemies. I swear, that's what this game is.  This week's short story: THE INFINITE CIRCUS Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Reformat" and "Pinball Spring".  Thanks to Mike Mann for the Mad Mike Hughes update theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. Get more info, social media and episodes of ATARI BYTES and my other podcast IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here. Get info and links to some of the places you can order my novel IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME or the short story collection MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STORIES INSPIRED BY OLD GAMES AND ODD THOUGHTS here.  Become a subscriber on the ATARI BYTES Patreon page here. Get epsisodes early! Get

In episode 206, we're playing the 1983 game SORCERER'S APPRENTICE. The game was inspired by the Mickey Mouse "Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment of the iconic 1940 Disney masterpiece "Fantasia"....oh, and some poem by Wolfgang von Goethe. But mostly Mickey. This week's short story: THE SORCERER'S RETIREMENT Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Reformat" and "Pinball Spring". Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. Find social media, episodes and more about ATARI BYTES here and about my other show, IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN, the monthly discussion of all things related to the Peanuts comic strip and related stuff here on www.carnivalofgleecreations.com  Your host is a writer too! Find out about books he has written, like IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME and MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STORIES INSPIRED BY OLD GAMES AND ODD THOUGHTS, including some of the places you can order them at www.carnivalofgl

So. For the last episode in 2018,  I reviewed a video game-related movie (Megaforce). This year, I fully intended to do that again, but after playing the game "Revenge of the Beefsteak Tomatoes", I decided instead to go with one of its inspirations, the 1978 disaster parody "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes".  It's a...comedy?....about ordinary tomatoes that mutate and go aroud killing people. Also, there's the San Diego Chicken. And a song about puberty.  Yep.  I couldn't keep all this fun for myself. Sean and Jim from the "Pie Factory" podcast are in the studio to talk about the movie too! Don't worry, I unlocked the door and let them out when it was over. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Pinball Spring" and "Reformat". Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. Go to www.carnivalofgleecreations.com for episode links, social media and info about ATARI BYTES, my other mon

Like the mud and slush stuck to the runners of Santa's sleigh, episode 204 glides onto your podcast rooftops. No game this week, but plenty of nog-worthy fun! Our short story is: TINY TIM'S ATARI DREAMS. Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Reformat", "Pinball Spring", Jingle Bells", "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", Dance of the Tuba Plum Fairy", and "Oh, Christmas Tree".  Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. Email the show at ataribytes2016@gmail.com. Like the show on our Facebook page. Follow the show on Twitter @ataribytes or follow me personally @carnivalofglee. Check out the Instagram too. Don't forget, you can call the podcast and leave a voicemail at 563-265-1978 and it might get played on the show. Check out the website www.carnivalofgleecreations.com for info, social media and show links for ATARI BYTES and my monthly discussion and analysis of all things related to the Pean

Episode 203 comes to you from a galaxy pretty not far away at all. In honor of the final installment of the most recent Star Wars trilogy coming out, we're playing STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI - DEATH STAR BATTLE, inspired by the final installment of the original film trilogy. Does this 1983 Parker Brothers offering feel the force or does it Jar Jar Binks all over the place? This week's short story: "Life in Three Parts" By the way, Henry's on the show this week, but you can't hear him a lot of the time because I couldn't convince him to sit closer to the microphone. Kids, man. Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Pinball Spring" and "Reformat". Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. Find ATARI BYTES show notes, episodes and social media at www.carnivalofgleecreations.com.  Love Snoopy? Every month on IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN, we talk about ALL things in, around, and inspired by

Do you have any idea how hard it is to put four pairs of tiny boxing gloves on a spider? We find out this week on episode 202 as we're playing the Activision 1982 title SPIDER FIGHTER. Was designer Larry Miller confessing a phobia with this one? His other titles "Snake Strangler", "Dental Damage", and "When You Have to Give a Speech, Blast Everyone Naked with Your Laser" would seem to suggest yes... This week's short story: RECLUSE REFORMATION Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Reformat", and "Pinball Spring". Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" update theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. You can find show notes, social media and all manner of what not for ATARI BYTES here and about my other show, the monthly ode to all things "Peanuts" comics, IT'S  A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN, here. Your podcast host is an author too. Go here for info and retailer links for MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STORIES INSPIRED BY OLD GAMES AND O

You might not know it from the recent self-destruction of Sears & Roebuck, but back in the day Sears was HIP, man. All the best stuff came from Sears. And then there's SLOTS, the Sears Tele-Games 1979 version of the Atari title SLOT MACHINE. Because there's nothing eight-year-olds like better than casino gambling. SLOTS is our focus this week in episode 201 and playing it gives you some insight that the harbingers of Sears's future doom were present even in 1979. THIS WEEK'S SHORT STORY: "A Place for Everyone and Everyone in Their Place" *Sorry for the occasional audio drop. Tried to clean them up. Lately, my software seems to be rebeling. Everyone is a critic. Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs, "Take a Chance", "Pinball Spring" and "Reformat".  Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" update theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. Info, show links, social media for ATARI BYTES can be found at www.carnivalofgleecreations.com here. Info,

TWO HUNDRED EPISODES! Yep, two hundred weeks in a row (well, except for that one week I missed in 2017) this dumb show has been burrowing into your brain via your listening holes.  To celebrate, this week we're taking a break from writing stories and playing video games. Sort of. We're playing a BOARD game!  What?!?! I know! We're playing the 2018 IDW adaption of one of my favorite games: MISSILE COMMAND, now in board game form. Anarchy, I tell you! Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Reformat", "Pinball Spring" and "Take a Chance".  Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" update theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. Find show links, info and social media for ATARI BYTES and my other podcast, the monthly ode to all things related to the Peanuts comic strip IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN. It's the holiday season! Time to pick up books for the book lovers in your life. Go to www.carnivalofgleecreations.com for info and links to some of the pl

"Blueprint" is a process developed in the 1800s to reproduce techical documents, turning them blue in the process. Coincidentally, the CBS Electronics game "Blueprint" also makes people blue. What about you? This week's short story: WITNESS TESTIMONY, THE PEOPLE vs. BARNABY BUILDER Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Reformat" and "Pinball Spring". Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. Find links to info, show notes and social media for ATARI BYTES and the monthly tribute to all things "Peanuts" comics IT'S  A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN. Check info about my books IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME and MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STORIES INSPIRED BY OLD GAMES AND ODD THOUGHTS here. Become a Patreon subscriber here. Early episodes! Bonus episodes! Pick up "Go Play Some Old Games, They've Missed You." shirts and mugs in the AB_Pod_Store on Zazzle.com

Episode 198 is PELE'S SOCCER, Atari's tribute to one of the greatest athletes of all time: Brazilian soccer star PELE. That's right, this week's game about an amazing sports star is brought to you by one of the least sports-y people ever. Enjoy! This week's short story: LEAVE IT ALL ON THE FIELD Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Reformat", "Pinball Spring" and "Take a Chance". Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. You can find ATARI BYTES show info, episode links and social media at www.carnivalofgleecreations.com If you love Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the whole Peanuts gang, check out my monthly show IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN for all things Peanuts. More info at www.carnivalofgleecreations.com  Your host is an author too. Find out more about my books IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME and MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STORIES INSPIRED BY OLD GAMES AND ODD THOUGHTS here. There are even links to just some of th

Remember how great Sears was? When I was a kid, Sears Roebuck was THE place to shop. And along with your Toughskins and washer/dryer sets, you could get Atari games cleverly renamed and packaged in boring, generic text labels so that...well, I don't know why exactly. BUT, thanks to this bit of video shell-gaming,  in episode 197 we get to revisit one of the "original nine" from 1977, COMBAT, only now it's called TANK PLUS. "Plus what?" you ask. Plus FUN, my friend! This week's short story: Who Will Be Tank's Plus One? Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Reformat" and "Pinball Spring".  Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" update theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for "Storytime" theme. Links to episodes, show notes and social media for ATARI BYTES and my other podcast IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN can be found at www.carnivalofgleecreations.com.  Become a financial backer of the podcast by subscribing on the Atari Bytes page on Patreon.com her

Episode 196 featuring the 1983 Fox Video Games offering REVENGE OF THE BEEFSTEAK TOMATOES is clearly an allegory for the plight of the American farmer in the 1980s international trade market. Also, tomatoes are trying to kill you, so maybe the message is: Kids, eat less fruit. This week's short story: TOMATO PUREE  Flat Earth Rocketman Measuring Curve of the Unite States A ROM Has Been Released of Atari's "Pursuit of the Pink Panther" Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Pinball Spring" and "Reformat". Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" update theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. www.carnivalofgleecreations.com is where you can get info, episode links and social media for this show, ATARI BYTES, and my other show IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN. The webiste also has info about my novel IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME, a sort of Santa Claus story for adults and MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STORIES INSPIRED BY OLD GAMES AND ODD TH

In episode 195, we're teeing up the golf ball that is the podcast to sink in a hole in one of your earholes. Or maybe both. But we don't want to overreach. That's right, we're playing MINIATURE GOLF, Atari's 1978 plaintive cry about being out of ideas already. "Weird. I thought they'd come up with more stuff. They had such potential," said the 1970s consumers. This week's short story: MINIATURE DEATH  *Producer's Note: This week's recording was overrun with audio drops. Don't know why. Tried to clean it up as best I could, but if it sounds incoherent in places, just assume it's a technical issue, not the failings of your host. Please. Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Reformat", "Pinball Spring" and "Take a Chance".  Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" update theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. ATARI BYTES show notes, episodes, social media and more at www.carnivalofgleecreations.com  IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN is a monthly show

Don't stop believin'...it's episode 194 of ATARI BYTES! Drive one of your Cars to your game console and Wham your cartridge in. Don't get distracted by the Eagles above or Hall & Oats bringing you chicken nuggets and Oreo Speedwagons. We're playing JOURNEY ESCAPE, a 1982 game inspired by the artwork on Journey's album of the same name. Because apparently in 1982, Atari was doing lots of coke.* *Kidding.** **It was probably heroin. This week's short story is: IT'S THE JOURNEY. NOT THE DESTINATION Atari Brings Back Centipede, Asteroids & More in Exclusive Arace1Up Deal Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Reformat" and "Pinball Spring". Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. ATARI BYTES info, episode links, social media can all be found at www.carnivalofgleecreations.com  IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN is my other show; a monthly excursion ito all things Peanuts. Find out more he

Cogito ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. Cogito ergo playsumhuhhhh???? I think no one knows what this game is; does it exist? In episode 193, we're playing AUTO RACING, which despite hold it in my hand, seems to not exist if the Internet is to be believed. But I played it...I think I played it...does anyone else see the walls melting? This week's bad poetry corner: OTTO RACING Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Pinball Spring" and "Reformat".  Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme.  Find show notes, social media and show info for ATARI BYTES and IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN at www.carnivalofgleecreations.com At the website books and publications page, you can also find out about my publications like IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME and MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STORIES INSPIRED BY OLD GAMES AND ODD THOUGHTS. Support ATARI BYTES at Patreon to unlock early access to episodes and BONUS episodes he

This week on the show, you have two jobs. You must hunt. You must score. That's because we're playing Atari's 1978 Concentration, Memory, Memory Match, A Game of Concentration...fine, let's call it HUNT & SCORE. You might remember that as being part of the second wave of new titles from Atari. But hopefully that's not all you remember, because you'll need a steel-trap mind to line up these pairs and crush the computer with infinite (not infinite; not in 1978) memory.  This week's short story: NO MATCH FOR ME Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Reformat", and "Pinball Spring".  Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes". Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. Find episodes, social media links for this show, ATARI BYTES, and the monthly IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN, about all things related to the inconic "Peanuts" strip at www.carnivalofgleecreations.com I'm a writer too. Find info about and links to some of the places you can pi

Episode 191 is right up your alley...if you're a cold-hearted criminal - possibly with an eye patch, but that may be optional - or a federal agent with a chronic inability to avoid the short straw for assignments. From 1982, we're playing Spectravision's GANGSTER ALLEY. Join me as we power through my personal game cartridge's attempts to sabotage the episode. Grrrrr, technology! *shakes fist at the sky dramatically* This week's short story is: FAMILY TERROR, I MEAN FUN "Lost in the Time Vortex: The American Cult of Doctor Who" Water Found on a Potentially Life-Friendly Planet Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Pinball Spring" and "Reformat". Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. Find links to episodes, social media and other info about ATARI BYTES and my other podcast IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN at my website www.carnivalofgleecreations.com  Find links to pick up my books IN THE