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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: October, 2018

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?).

Oct 28, 2018

We've got a spook-tacular Halloween-ish episode this week. You won't get any candy, but it could be worse. You could get a bag full of rocks. (Sorry, Charlie Brown)

We scare ourselves silly* with the 1983 Xonox title GHOST MANOR.

*Not actually that scary.**

**The game has not so much in the way of ghosts as it does have frolicking little boys and girls playing amongst the tombstones.***

***That's pretty weird though.

So, if you think you're brave enough, join us for a chillingly good time...

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 his "Mad Mike" update theme.

Atari Bytes show notes and what not.

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

The Atari Bytes Patreon page is here.

Oct 21, 2018

This week on episode 143, we get a demonstration of what happens when you title a game by smashing two words together to create a third word. 

This week's game is ASTROBLAST, an unholy union of "astronomy" or "astronomical" and "blast". Personally, I thing "Astronomical Blast" is just as, if not more, inviting a game title as Astroblast, by M Network in 1982 never asked me. 

The title is enough to tell us this game is about blasting things wherever astronomy is. That probably means space! And that is awfully fun. 

So is this week's original short story!

So much goodness in one podcast episode. 

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 his "Mad Mike Hughes" theme

Atari Bytes - show notes, episodes, social media

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

The Atari Bytes Patreon page can be found here. Please consider donating. Thanks in advance.

Oct 14, 2018

In "Ghostbusters", Rick Moranis told Sigourney Weaver he was the key master. Well, cool as Rick was, he's got nothing on you, my friend. For, with a little luck, you can be the STARMASTER.

This week, we're playing the 1982 Activision game STARMASTER. Anyone can wish upon a star. Catch a falling star. See stars if you smack your head on the game console after passing your eighteenth straight hour of Pitfall II. But only the elite listener of this podcast can attain the rank of STARMASTER. Good luck.

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 his "Mad Mike Theme".

Atari Bytes - show notes, episodes, social media and more

It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Hey! That's my other show. Everything you wanted to know about the Peanuts strip, animation, the mind of cartoonist Charles Schulz, and the strip's place in the universe.

You can support the show financially on the Atari Bytes patreon page here.

Oct 7, 2018

You got to know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em. Know when to walk away. Know when to run. 

Then prepare to get laughed at and possibly shot by the dudes you're playing with at the Old West saloon, because we're not playing poker on episode 141 of the podcast, we're playing BLACKJACK. 

This 1977 title from Atari is one of the original nine the company released with this new-fangled devil-machine unleased on the unsuspecting masses who'd only just recovered from the mind scramble that was pong.

After the cards are dealt, we have a short story inspired by the sweet science of blackjacking. Or whatever.

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 his Mad Mike Hughes theme.

Atari Bytes - our site with all our episodes, show notes, social media and what not.

It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Hey, Peanuts fans (and you know you are), here's my other podcast. On the 15th of every month, dive deep into the lore of the strips, the TV specials, the movies, the mind of cartoonist Charles Schulz itself. 

Please consider supporting the show financially to keep the lights on here at the studio. You can do that at our Patreon page here. Thanks.

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