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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.
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Now displaying: December, 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?).

Dec 25, 2016
EPISODE 49: THE CHRISMYSTERY EPISODE

It's Christmas Day! Merry Christmas! (If you're listening to this in, like, June, then, um, happy Tuesday or whatever.) Here's a brand new, shiny yuletide package of pod-goodness from me to you.

And maybe, just maybe, if I've been a good little podcaster, there'll be a new game under my audio tree. But what game will it be....? It's a Chrismystery!

So ignore your relatives for thirty-eight minutes or so and come find out!

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

The Atari Bytes Patreon page

The Atari Bytes store at Zazzle.com

Check out my year in review at my blog. It's GOODNIGHT, 2016! presented in the style of "Goodnight, Moon".

Here's an Amazon link to Bill's novel IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME, but you can get it wherever you like to get books.

Dec 18, 2016
EPISODE 48: STAR WARS: JEDI ARENA

This week, episode 48 of the podcast is going to the dark side. In fairness, it wasn't a long journey given life in late 2016.

But it's all good because we're celebrating the release of STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE by playing the 1983 Parker Brothers game STAR WARS: JEDI ARENA.  You versus a fellow Jedi in a fast-moving battle of light saber on light saber action. If this is not the droid game you're looking for...moving along. But not until after you listen to this episode.

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

Atari Bytes show notes

It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown

The Atari Bytes Patreon page

The Atari Bytes store at Zazzle.com

Bill's novel IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME makes a great gift! Could even be a stocking stuffer!

Dec 11, 2016
EPISODE  47: SKY DIVER

This week on the show, we plummet into the abyss and hope the parachute opens.

It's like life, really.

Our focus is Atari's 1979 port of the class arcade game SKY DIVER. As you plummet to the ground from a zooming plane hoping to hit the tiny landing pad, you'll wish you had that golden parachute. That's dumb, of course, since a gold parachute would be way too heavy and you'd crash to the ground like a bag of wet sand. Maybe it's best if you just stay in the plane and order another drink.

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

Atari Bytes notes and episodes

It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown

The Atari Bytes store at Zazzle.com

The Atari Bytes Patreon page

Bill's novel IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME

Dec 4, 2016
EPISODE 46: SPACE INVADERS

You know how sometimes people say "this isn't your father's...whatever" to imply that the version of that thing YOU have is way cooler than what YOUR DAD had?

Well, this week on the show, we talk about your father's whatever.

That sounds weird. I'll explain.

The focus this week is Atari's 1980 port of the 1978 arcade classic SPACE INVADERS. When pong clones (soon to be a BBC series starring Tatiana Maslany) killed the video game market in 1977, an invasion of aliens marched in lock-step to bring the market back. SPACE INVADERS became so closely identified with gaming, that the little aliens are still iconic of that era.

But what about the game itself? Any good? Why are they invading? What do they want? Why are you the only one that can defend the Earth? So. Many. Questions.

Join us, won't you?

Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons access to his songs "Reformat", "Pinball Spring" and "Take a Chance".

Atari Bytes

It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown

Atari Bytes Patreon Page

Zazzle.com Atari Bytes store AB_Pod_Store

Bill's novel IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME

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