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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: January, 2020

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?).

Jan 26, 2020

Episode 209! We're having so much fun in Atari future that we're hanging around to play FIGHT NIGHT from 1988 for the Atari 7800. You know it's a good game because the words in the title rhyme. That's how they grade games, right?

So is this one a knock out or one of those matches where the fighters just exhaustedly hug each other until the ref pulls them apart? Spit in your bucket and left hook punch the "play" button to find out.*

*ATARI BYTES not responsible for damage to your listening device.

This week's story comes from Bad Poetry Corner: THE SWEET SCIENCE IN A WORLD THAT HATES SCIENCE - A POEM

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.

On www.carnivalofgleecreations.com find ATARI BYTES episodes, social media and more here. Find IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN episodes, social media and more here.

Bill's books: MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STORIES INSPIRED BY OLD GAMES AND ODD THOUGHTS and IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME. Find info and just a few links to sellers on www.carnivalofgleecreations.com

Become an ATARI BYTES subscriber to support the show financially on the Patreon project here. Get episodes early! Get bonus episodes!

"Go play some old games. They've missed you." shirts and mugs at the AB_Pod_Store on Zazzle.com.

Jan 19, 2020

Episode 208 of ATARI BYTES finds us hanging out with the 7800 Pro System once again. It's so pretty in this futuristic world. The sun high and gorgeous. Lush vistas spread out before us. Hey...what's that squirming around over there...Oh, no! It's...

CENTIPEDE! We thought we left you behind on the 2600. But no...the fight against the angry arthropds continues in this 1987 port of the classic arcade-er (a word I just created. Cool, no?). Not to mention, scorpions, spiders and your own self-doubt at your ability to survive. Revisit this classic and your own failings all at the same time!

This week's short story: CENT IMPEDED

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.

Find show notes, info, social media and episodes at www.carnivalofgleecreations.com for ATARI BYTES here and for my monthly podcast about all things related to Snoopy and friends from the "Peanuts" comic strip IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here.

Support the show by becoming a subscriber on Patreon.com here. Get episdes early! Get BONUS episodes! Thanks!

Your podcast host is an author too! Check out books he's written and just some of the places you can order them here. 

Pick up "Go play some old games. They've missed you." stuff at zazzle.com/ab_pod_store here.

Jan 12, 2020

Go suck an egg!

Sorry...meant go lay an egg.

No, that's not right. 

Oh! Right. In episode 207, we're playing the 1987 Atari 7800 port of JOUST where, astride a fierce ostrich (yep) you do battle with knights on buzzard-back (really), scrambling (heh!) to keep the buzzard eggs from hatching into new enemies. I swear, that's what this game is. 

This week's short story: THE INFINITE CIRCUS

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.

Get more info, social media and episodes of ATARI BYTES and my other podcast IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here.

Get info and links to some of the places you can order my novel IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME or the short story collection MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STORIES INSPIRED BY OLD GAMES AND ODD THOUGHTS here. 

Become a subscriber on the ATARI BYTES Patreon page here. Get epsisodes early! Get bonus episodes!

Pick up "Go play some old games. They've missed you." stuff at the AB_Pod_Store on Zazzle.com here.

Jan 5, 2020

In episode 206, we're playing the 1983 game SORCERER'S APPRENTICE. The game was inspired by the Mickey Mouse "Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment of the iconic 1940 Disney masterpiece "Fantasia"....oh, and some poem by Wolfgang von Goethe. But mostly Mickey.

This week's short story: THE SORCERER'S RETIREMENT

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.

Find social media, episodes and more about ATARI BYTES here and about my other show, IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN, the monthly discussion of all things related to the Peanuts comic strip and related stuff here on www.carnivalofgleecreations.com 

Your host is a writer too! Find out about books he has written, like IN THE ST. NICK OF TIME and MISERY BANANA: VERY SHORT STORIES INSPIRED BY OLD GAMES AND ODD THOUGHTS, including some of the places you can order them at www.carnivalofgleecreations.com too.

Support the show financially by becoming a subscriber on Patreon.com here. Get episodes early! Get bonus content!

Pick up "Go Play Some Old Games. They've Missed You." shirts and mugs here at the AB_Pod_Store on zazzle.com 

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