Atari Bytes

In 1982, there was an epidemic of sides splitting at CBS Electronics due to all the laughing. What was so funny? The programmers were handed a new arcade game to adapt for the Atari. "Tell me again what it's called," one giggling programmer said, gasping for breath. "It's called GORF," the other shrieked, wiping mirthful tears from his eyes. This week's game in episode 190 is the space shooter with the dumb name: GORF. Part Space Invaders, part Galaxian...all fun? We shall see. This week's short story/bad poetry corner entry: THE FINAL MOMENT BEFORE OBLIVION OR WHATEVER ACTUALLY COMES NEXT New York Daily News piece about the "new" Jim Henson project 'A Tale of Sand'. The Game Console: A Photographic History From Atari to Xbox 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. Find out more about ATARI BYTES and my other show I

Remember "Happy Days", the feel good 1970s show about a bunch of teens in 1950s Milwaukee? In the show, break-out popular hoodlum character Fonzie had cut ties with his old gang of trouble-makers "The Falcons".  DESERT FALCON, the 1987 Atari game that is the focus of episode 189 has absolutely nothing to do with that. But it's fun to remember such a good show isn't it? This week's short story is titled: DISPENSE WITH THIS 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. Find show notes ("Atari Bytes" AND "It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown"), social media, and info about books I've written at www.carnivalofgleecreations.com Support the show financially on the Atari Bytes Patreon page. New tiers are up there, so this is a good time to subscribe! Pick up "Go Play Some Old Games, They've Missed You" merchandise at AB_Pod_Store o

We're not sure, but we're guessing that in 1978 at Atari HQ, game designer Warren Robinette won an office pool. The bet was who could come up with a game that matched it's title close enough that the boss would take it, but still had really nothing to do with it. SLOT RACERS, a game that has "cars" in it, but are not slot cars, nor are they racing, was the result.  In keeping with that spirit, this week's short story in episode 188 is SLOTTED, really has very little to do with the game we're talking about.  START YOUR ENGINES! You know, if you want. Really doesn't matter. 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. Find links to episodes, show notes, social media and more for ATARI BYTES and my other podcast IT'S  A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN at www.carnivalofgleecreations.com.  You can support the show financially on

You know, we here at ATARI BYTES are tired of hearing people whine about video games dumbing down generations and making kids illiterate. We happen to think there's lots of educational value to be had and these games are designed by sharp literate people with impeccable language and spelling skills. Just consider the game in episode 187: WIZARD OF WOR. Uh. Never mind.  But does the dubious spelling belie a great game? Joyne usss to fynd owt. This week's short story: THE NATIONAL ANTHEM OF WAR  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.  You can find links to social media, show notes, info about my other podcast IT'S  A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN at www.carnivalofgleecreations.com  Check out my short story collection MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STORIES INSPIRED BY OLD GAMES AND ODD THOUGHTS. You can get it wherever you li

In episode 186, we're playing FLASH GORDON, the 1983 Twentieth Century Fox game inspired by the golden age comic book character. Flash Gordon is a blow-dried, blonde, muscular polo-playing-space-football-astronaut. Who says video games aren't relatable to our real lives? This week's short story is: WHY IS EVERYONE FLASHING GORDON? 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. Find links to show notes, episodes, social media and books written by ME at www.carnivalofgleecreations.com  Pick up "Go play some old games. They've missed you" mugs and shirts at Zazzle.com/ab_pod_Store.  Please consider supporting the show financially as part of the Patreon project here.  Check out my short story collection in print and ebook wherever you like to order books. It's MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STORIES INSPIRED BY OLD GAMES AND ODD THOUGH

In episode 185, imagine yourself on an early Sunday morning in a crowded, noisy breakfast joint. The scents of coffee and waffles waft through the air. Your arms are pleasingly sticky from syrup residue on the table. What are you doing to pass the time until your twelve egg omelette and bacon with a side of heart attack arrives? Playing HANGMAN on the placemat of course! And this week, we've got Atari's 1978 placemat-fun-in-a-cartridge answer to the pen and paper icon. You provide your own greasy breakfast meat. In a fun experiment, this week's short story is provided by friends of the show Dave Ciampa and Greg Klein from the podcast "Ciampa & Klein: The Knight Rider Years". It might be called "Those Are My Alpha-Bits" or maybe it doesn't have a title. Dunno. It's pretty good though. 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

In 1977, Atari said, "We need a small batch of games to show off this new video console we've got." Larry Kaplan heard this and was like, "Great! Here's like six of them. Car racing. Skiing. Airplanes. All sorts of stuff." "But, Larry," Atari said, "we've only got room in the catalog for one more." Larry grumbled a bit and instead of scrapping his six games, he stuffed them all into one cart, slapped a STREET RACER label on it and went home to dinner.* Before Atari knew it, the misnomer STREET RACE became one of the "original nine" of Atari...and episode 184 of this podcast.  *We totally made that up. But what if we didn't? This week's short story: BAD POETRY CORNER: MOVING ON, STANDING STILL 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. Check out carnivalofgleecreations.com for podcast info, book publishing info and

Episode 183 flutters in on cute-as-a-bug little wings with FIRE FLY, a 1983 offering from Mythicon. Is this game where you pilot a metallic humanoid insect in battle against other metallic humanoid insects in exchange for fabulous prizes mere myth? A flat-out con? The bee's knees? What's the buzz around the nectar-filled flowers on this one? Plant your stinger in this episode and find out for yourself. This week's short story: HELL'S CEREAL Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Pinball Spring" and "Reformat". Thanks to Mike Man for the "Mad Mike Hughes" update theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. Atari Bytes show notes and what not here. It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Hey! That's my other show! You can pick up Atari Bytes mugs and shirts at AB_Pod_Store on Zazzle.com. You can support the show financially on Patreon.com here. Check out the exclusive collection of short stories from THIS VERY PODCAST wherever you like to order e-

It's episode 182, in which I lose my title belt and my podcast pants fall down so I'm left in my gaming skivvies. Aren't you glad this is an audio podcast? This week, we're playing TITLE MATCH PRO WRESTLING, a 1987 entry from Absolute Entertainment. Is it absolutely entertaining? Well, we'll pile drive this sucker to the mat and see if it airplane spins out some fun. Or something. This week's short story is: "Humble Pie...Er, Cobbler" 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. Atari Bytes show notes and what not. It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Hey! That's my other show! Pick up Atari Bytes mugs and shirts at AB_Pod_Store on Zazzle.com Please consider supporting the show financially on the Atari Bytes Patreon page here. Hey! I wrote a book! MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STORIES INSPIRED BY OLD GAMES AND ODD THOUGHTS is

Everything old is new again...even in podcast land. In episode 181, we're going home to episode 8 with MS. PAC-MAN. Sort of... You see, this week we time travel to Atari's future with the 7800 port of this iconic 1984 title. Do we still like the game in new wintergreen - er, 7800 - flavor? Yes, yes we do. (spoiler) Are we any better at it on the new platform? Well... This week's short story is: TURN LEFT! NO, RIGHT! NO, LEFT! 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 show notes and what not. It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Hey! That's my other show! Pick up shirts and mugs at AB_Pod_Store on Zazzle.com Support the show financially on the Atari Bytes page on Patreon.com MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STORIES INSPIRED BY OLD GAMES AND ODD THOUGHTS is a book you can own in print or e-book for your very own! You many

Episode 180 of Atari Bytes is all about giving tanks. That's not a typo, 'cause we're overjoyed and overrun by tanks this week with Activision's 1983 Battlezone rip-off  tank adventure game ROBOT TANK. In the game, it's 2019 and the landscape is overrun by hostile forces who want nothing more than to destroy you and take control. Weird how Activision knew in 1983 what life would be like so many years later. It's like Activision predicted Twitter. This week's short story is: ROSIE THE RIVETER...OF DEATH! 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. Atari Bytes -show notes, social media and stuff here. It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Hey! That's my other show! Pick up show merchandise at AB_Pod_Store on Zazzle.com Please consider supporting the show financially on our Atari Bytes Patreon page here.

This week, I'm swinging in on a vine as Planet Funk Con sinks into the quicksand below and I land on the other side to record a podcast. The episode, unfortunately, is just me screaming as I am crushed by a rolling log.  I recorded episode 179 after attending Planet Funk Con where much fun was had. (Hello, new listeners!) This week marks the end of Intellivision Month for the podcast. (Stop cheering!) We close on a high - and not just because of those vines. We're playing PITFALL! for the Intellivision gaming system. Did David Crane have any new tricks up his sleeve for this version? No. No he didn't. But we had a good time anyway.  This week's short story is: LOG ROLLIN' 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. Atari Bytes - show notes, social media and what not. It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Hey! That's my ot

This week on the podcast we LOCK in episode 178 and CHASE down another game as Intellivision month avoids the Atari cops to continue for another week.  My surprise co-host and I are playing the Mattel 1982 edition to the Intellivision line LOCK 'N' CHASE. Does this Pac-Man wannabe maze game steal our hearts or leave us locked in a cold dungeon of disappointment? This week's short story comes to us from Bad Poetry Corner: DEADLOCKED. Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Pinball Spring" and "Reformat". Atari Bytes show notes and what not. It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Hey! That's my other show! Thanks the Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "storytime" theme. Pick up shirts and mugs in the AB_Pod_Store on Zazzle.com Consider supporting the show financially on the Atari Bytes Patreon page here. You can order the print or e-book of MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STORIES INSPIRED BY OLD GAMES AND ODD THOUGHTS many pla

So, is Intellivision month on ATARI BYTES continuing in episode 177? You BET it is! In 1979, Mattel gambled on a game based on the thing kids love most: casino gambling. This week's title is ROULETTE. Place your bets. When the ball drops on this episode, will you be in the audio chips or the gaming gutter? This week's original short story is: SPIN IT, BOB! Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Reformat", "Take a Chance", and "Pinball Spring". Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes" theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. Atari Bytes show notes and what not. It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Hey! That's my other show! Check out the merchandise store AB_Pod_Store on Zazzle.com Consider supporting the show financially on the Atari Bytes page on Patreon.com Pick up MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STORIES INSPIRED BY OLD GAMES AND ODD THOUGHTS in e-book or print wherever you like to order books! Here's one option!

YAH, HORSEY! YAH! ATARI BYTES Episode 176 comes down the stretch with the second entry in our annual "Intellivision Month" - HORSE RACING, Mattel, 1980. Pull off your blinkers, grab hold of your podcatcher's irons and coax that filly into the backstretch to break maiden on this latest episode! It's a breeze! Oh, and, for you Henry groupies: He's on this week! This week's original short story: "Ghost Horses" Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Reformat" and "Pinball Spring". Atari Bytes show notes and what not It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Hey! That's my other podcast! Pick up shirts and mugs at AB_Pod_Store on Zazzle.com Support the show financially on the Atari Bytes Patreon page Thanks to Mike Mann for the "Mad Mike Hughes Update Theme" Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. Order MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STORIES INSPIRED BY OLD GAMES AND ODD THOUGHTS wherever you like to order books.

Do you like gladiator movies? I only ask because when you watch a gladiator movie, it's astounding how these brave, bold warriors insist on lining up in straight lines and running at each other, expecting that they won't be mowed down. Still, you have to cut the gladiators some slack. They lived centuries ago and had limited technology. Which makes it even more stunning that the futuristic alien invaders in Intellivision's SPACE ARMADA, Mattel, 1981, aren't any smarter. In episode 175, we're kicking off our 2019 INTELLIVISION MONTH with this close cousin to the iconic Atari "Space Invaders". Does it live up to its inspiration - not to mention gladiators? Do any of us really? On that note, this week's original short story is: "Space Letters from the Space Front Lines...In Space".  Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Reformat", "Pinball Spring" and "Take a Chance". Atari Bytes show notes and what not It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Hey! That's my other show! Thanks t

Listen closely...hear that? Right now, as I write and you read this, tiny little plaque jerks are eating away at your tooth enamel. You can hear them, can't you? I can't unfortunately, as the voices in my head are much louder. We're playing Activision's 1983 ode to oral hygiene, PLAQUE ATTACK. Blast the plaque with your tube of toothpaste and leave the whole eight teeth in your mouth minty fresh. Pucker up! This week's short story is: "Bared Teeth. Bared Soul." Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Reformat", "Take a Chance" and "Pinball Spring".  Thanks to Mike Mann for "Mad Mike Hughes" update theme. Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme. Atari Bytes show notes and whatnot.  It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Hey! That's my other show! Pick up "Go Play Some Old Games. They've missed you" mugs and shirts at AB_Pod_Store on Zazzle.com Become a Patreon subscriber here.  My first collection of short stories from this show is out! MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STO

Dive down deep into episode 173: SUB SCAN, the 1982 port of Deep Scan from Sega. We explore the depths of this submarine v. destroyer ocean battle.  I hope you don't get the bends coming back up to the surface to listen to this week's original short story: "Maximum Depth Charge: A Steve Stetson, 1980s Superspy, Adventure".  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.  Atari Bytes show notes and more It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Hey! That's my other show! Pick up Atari Bytes "Go play some old games" shirts and mugs at AB_Pod_Store on the Zazzle.com store. You can support the show financially by becoming a Patreon subscriber here.  Pick up my book! Please! Here's one of the places you can get MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STORIES INSPIRED BY OLD GAMES AND ODD THOUGHTS.

In 1982, Data Age had a video game concept meeting. "We need a new idea, people," the team leader said. "We gotta get this one out by the end of the day." It was 4:45 p.m. The office closed at 5:00 It was also Friday. In desperation, someone grabbed a marker and scrawled "SPACE BUGS" across the large flip chart, knocking the easel to the floor.  Ernie sat at the computer. He wasn't the best programmer, but was the fastest typist. He banged out some code that would have pink centipedes type things and some other cylindrical bug with antennae crawl slowly across the entire upper half of the screen. It wasn't really clear what they were doing, but you could shoot them. "Good enough?" Ernie said. "YES," the rest of the team said in unison and fled out of the building into the five o'clock world where no owned a piece of their time. And, thus, BUGS, the game at the heart of episode 172, was born. Is this a bad game? Well, can one dung beetle drag 1,141 times its weight? This week's story is...BUGS: A POEM Thanks t

We exist in three dimensions: length, width, height. This podcast has spanned three types of classic video games: Intellivision, Atari 2600, Atari 7800. And now, much as H.G. Wells, in his 19th century novel "The Time Machine", bravely journeyed in time, the fourth dimension, this podcast is venturing into a fourth type of game... We are playing our first Atari 7800 HOMEBREW! We're playing the 2016 title T:ME SALVO, a run and shoot game inspired by Wells' novel and the movies the book spawned. Is the game destined to become a timeless classic or is it simply not worth the time? This week's short story is "Weena: Warrior Princess".  Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Take a Chance", "Pinball Spring" and "Reformat". Atari Bytes - show notes, episodes and more It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Hey! That's my other show! You can support Atari Bytes financially on our Patreon page here. Pick up show mugs and shirts and what not in our Zazzle.com AB_Pod_Store...store! Tha