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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: November, 2017

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 26, 2017

The bomber in Activision's 1981 game KABOOM! is mad. How do we know? The exclamation point in the title, obviously!

That doesn't stop him from dropping bombs with cartoony lit fuses though. What are you supposed to do? Call the bomb squad? Flee the scene? 

Nope. Just get out you buckets of water and start fielding those explosive pop flies. Miss one and bucket water won't be only thing splattered all over the computer landscape. 

Why is all this happening? We'll blow the lid clean off this mystery. Join us!

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

Atari Bytes show notes and more

It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Hey! That's my other show!

Please consider supporting the show financially on our Atari Bytes Patreon page here.

You can get show-inspired mugs, shirts, tote bags and more at our Zazzle.com store AB_Pod_Store

IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME - my novel about three men thrown together during the holidays, one of which is Santa himself. It's a sort of Santa Claus story for adults. Here's one of the many places you can get it.

Nov 19, 2017

In the Spectravision B-movie pirate serial THE CHALLENGE OF NEXAR...*Show notes interrupted by a note passed to the host by the editor*

What? THE CHALLENGE OF NEXAR is an Atari game?**

**Yes. Yes, it is. From Spectravision, 1982.

But I thought Spectravision was a format 1950s TV was presented in.***

***You're fired. Also, there are no pirates in it.

Anyway, I guess this is a game where you fly through some sort of colorful space vortex thing and shoot space saucers that look less like saucers and more like an unnamed licensed property, the name of which, in Pig Latin, is Rsta Swar Eti Rfighte.

Classic Arcade Machines Make a Comeback $100 a Pop

If you like my podcast: first, thanks! Second, consider checking out my writing! My novel IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME, a sort of Santa Claus story for adults (it even has guns and naughty words!) is available wherever you like to get books. Here's one of those places.

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

Atari Bytes social media links, show notes, episodes and more here.

It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Hey! That's my other show!

Find Atari Bytes mugs, shirts, stickers, bags, etc. at our Zazzle.com store here AB_Pod_Store

Please consider supporting the show financially on our Patreon page. You can do that here. I am thankful for all of you.

Nov 12, 2017

Feeling claustrophobic? Like the walls are moving in on you? No, you're not coming down from one too many espresso shots. You just have SQUEEZE BOX fever!

And you know what they say about fevers: starve a cold and feed a fever, right? Like, maybe, you could feed it some Quaker oats, which would be appropriate since a division of that company, U.S. Games, released SQUEEZE BOX in 1982. And it's our focus in episode 94.

In the game, you're a prison inmate, desperate to escape as the walls literally squeeze in on you. Don't worry, though, this isn't one of those lame prisons where you have to make due with turning a spork into a shank. In this prison, you have your own gun. Why? Dunno. But we'll make something up!

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

Atari Bytes show notes, social media links and so much more.

It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Hey! That's my other show. Get all your Snoopy news here.

Please consider supporting the show financially on our Patreon page here. Thanks in advance!

Pick up cool Atari Bytes shirts, mugs, totes, stickers and more at our Zazzle.com store AB_Pod_Store here.

The holiday season is upon us. If you'd like to check out my novel IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME, please do! Here's one place you can do that. This Santa Claus story for adults is available anywhere you buy books and makes a great physical and/or digital stocking stuffer!

Nov 5, 2017

As Jimmy Buffett sang, "I like mine with lettuce and tomato. And hot dogs. And ice cream. And pickles. Not the purple ones though. Eatin' my pickle in paradise!"

(Parrotheads send your angry emails now.)

The 1982 Telesys game FAST FOOD recalls a more innocent era - high calorie snacks. Parachute pants. Urkel. We know the mission in the game is to gobble as much food as you can (We Americans do love our excessive consumption!) and we know WHAT to eat. (Hold the purple pickle!). But do we know WHY we eat?

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

Atari Bytes show notes and more.

It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Got a hankering for some Peanuts? This show has you covered!

Find show merchandise - bags, mugs, shirts, stickers, blankets, etc. at our Zazzle.com store AB_Pod_Store

Support the show financially on our Patreon page. Thanks in advance!

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