Info

ATARI BYTES

Remember those great Atari 2600 games? I have fond memories of playing classics like Pitfall or Yar's Revenge or River Raid. In this podcast, I take another look at the games, but as a writer, not a gamer. When I think of these games now, I see writing prompts; taking inspiration from the game plots or maybe even the titles to create original short stories. But this isn't simply fan fiction. The stories, more often than not, spin-off into some weird places in all kinds of genres. Sometimes funny, occasionally serious, always unique.
RSS Feed
2023
December
April
March
February
January


2022
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2021
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2020
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2019
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2016
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


All Episodes
Archives
Now displaying: November, 2016

Remember those great Atari 2600 games? Sure, they were fun to play, but didn't you ever wonder why they sent a plumber to take out Donkey Kong? What Yar was seeking revenge against? What the Defender was defending or why those robots went Berserk? Me too! ATARI BYTES is a game review podcast like no other. We review not just the game play, but the STORY within these classic games. We take a BYTE out of the story (get it?) and see if that story BYTES us back (now do you get it?).

Nov 27, 2016
EPISODE 45: TOWERING INFERNO

This week on Atari Bytes, we're burnin' down the house! Well, burnin' down a skyscraper anyway. Also, technically, we're supposed to be saving the building. Would have been nice to know that sooner.

Our focus is the 1982 U.S. Games production TOWERING INFERNO, which may or may not be based on the 1974 classic disaster film "The Towering Inferno". (Pick whichever enhances your enjoyment of the experience.)

In the game, you are a firefighter braving relentless flames, going floor-by-floor searching for survivors. I don't want to brag about my firefighting skills, but I'm going to be Mr. January in next year's "shirtless firefighter" calendar. So watch for that!

My thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Reformat", "Pinball Spring" and "Take a Chance."

Atari Bytes shownotes

Zazzle.com AB_Pod_Store

Atari Bytes' Patreon page

It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown

Bill's book IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME

Nov 20, 2016
EPISODE 44: AIR SEA BATTLE

A funny thing happened on the way to the podcast, this week...

We intended to do Codebreaker, as announced on the last episode. Turns out, though, that you need keypads to play it. This is a problem inasmuch as I didn't know Atari keypads existed. Fear not! Armed with this knowledge, Codebreaker will appear in a future episode.

Instead, we've got one of the original nine Atari games: 1977's AIR SEA BATTLE. This is a good time for a game based on conflict given that November 2016 has seen SO LITTLE conflict in American life. Oh well. It's play time!

My thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Reformat", "Take a Chance" and "Pinball Spring".

Atari Bytes

It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown

Atari Bytes Patreon page

Atari Bytes stuff at Zazzle.com

Bill's novel IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME

 

Nov 13, 2016
EPISODE 43: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

Adventure has one name and that name is...James Bond.

Wait. That's not it. What is it again?

*Whip cracks*

Oh, right. Adventure has one name and that name is INDIANA JONES.

This week, we're off to Cairo as we race Nazis to get to the fabled lost ark first in Atari's 1982 RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK adaptation. Also, Henry has a snack. So there's that.

Join us if you dare. But fair warning: there will be snakes.

Bonus points if you can hear my dog snoring on the audio. (Sorry 'bout that.)

My thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Reformat", "Take a Chance" and "Pinball Spring".

Atari Bytes notes

It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown

Zazzle.com store at AB_Pod_Store

Atari Bytes Patreon page

Amazon link for Bill's novel IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME (or get it wherever else you choose)

Nov 6, 2016
EPISODE 42: MEGAMANIA

Mega!

Mega-mania!

it's gonna drive you insane!

Not really. if it does, maybe you should dial it back a bit.

BUT...the 1982 Activision (we love us some Activision!) game MEGAMANI is tons of crazy fun. (Spoiler: I really like this game.) It's our focus on this meaning-of-life-defining episode 42 (That's for you Douglas Adams fans) and we are crazy excited to get to it. Maniacal even!

Join us, won't you?

My thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs "Reformat", "Pinball Spring" and "Take a Chance".

Atari Bytes page

It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown

Atari Bytes Patreon page

Zazzle.com store - AB_Pod_Store

Bill's novel - In the St. Nick of Time (Amazon link; but feel free to order wherever you like)

1