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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: May, 2021

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?).

May 30, 2021

Doing something a little different this week in ATARI BYTES episode 279. Setting aside the games (Wait! Come back!) to share some thoughts I had while working a booth at a recent convention to promote the show and my books. In short, I noticed Atari did not have a huge presence, nor indeed did very much from before the 1980s. What gives? Could it be Atari is TOO OLD to be pop culture anymore? 

Whoa. Let's talk about it. 

We'll also read entries from the Pac-Man-story-t-shirt-giveaway I did at that con.

This week's short story: Bad Poetry Corner: ONE GROUP, MANY FANDOMS

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

Thanks to Sean Courtney for the Storytime and Jason Sez Stuff themes.

www.carnivalofgleecreations.com is where you should go to find links and info for ATARI BYTES here and for my other podcast IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here. 

The website also have info and links to a few of the places you can buy my books, including HELL'S CEREAL: VERY SHORT STORIES FORTIFIED WITH ESSENTIAL SYLLABLES. 

Support the Atari Bytes patreon project on patreon.com here. 

May 23, 2021

Take a deep breath. Smell that? That's episode 278's equine-filled game.

On this week's ATARI BYTES, we're playing the 1980 horse-racing game, STEEPLECHASE.  Jockey your way to this episode and mount your steed.

This week's short story: STEEPLECAUGHT

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

Thanks to Sean Courtney for "Storytime" and "Jason Sez Stuff" themes.

www.carnivalofgleecreations.com is where you need to be for info and links for this show ATARI BYTES and for my other podcast IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here. 

The website also has info and links for books I've written here, including HELL'S CEREAL: VERY SHORT STORIES FORTIFIED WITH ESSENTIAL SYLLABLES. 

Support the show on the ATARI BYTES patreon project on patreon.com here. 

May 16, 2021

What's that in your teeth?

Why, it's another episode of ATARI BYTES!

In episode 277, we take a huge, wet bite out of TOOTH PROTECTORS and let juices drip down our chin. This is the Johnson & Johnson (yes, the one-shot vaccine people) 1983 mail order, promo game. Instead of saving planets, shooting monsters or winning races, the goal is good oral hygiene. What kid doesn't love that?!?!

This week's short story: THE PARABLE OF THE SUGAR BUGS

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

Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" and "Jason Sez Stuff" themes. 

carnivalofgleecreations.com is where you should go to find show notes, episodes and more for this show ATARI BYTES here, and my other show IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here. 

The website also has info and links to some places to buy my books, like HELL'S CEREAL: VERY SHORT STORIES FORTIFIED WITH ESSENTIAL SYLLABLES.

Support the show on the ATARI BYTES patreon page here. 

May 9, 2021

This planet sucks.

Wait! Don't go! This isn't political or cultural commentary. THIS PLANET SUCKS, a self-published Greg Troutman title from 1997, is the name of this week's game on ATARI BYTES.

So, absolutely NO sucking to be had in episode 276. Well, no more than usual...     

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

Thanks to Sean Courtney for "Storytime" theme and the "Jason Sez Stuff" theme.

www.carnivalofgleecreations.com is where you need to go to get info about this show, ATARI BYTES, here and about my other show IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here. 

The website also has info and links to some places to order books I've written, like HELL'S CEREAL: VERY SHORT STORIES FORTIFIED WITH ESSENTIAL SYLLABLES.

You can support the show by signing up on the ATARI BYTES patreon page here. Thanks!

May 2, 2021

For those of you who lack the physicality to dance to the time warp, ATARI BYTES episode 275 has you covered. In the 1983 Coleco port of TIME PILOT, the time warp requires no dancing, just wave after wave of aerial dogfighting. Not even Tim Curry can help you.

This week's short story: MARKING TIME

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

Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Jason Sez Stuff" theme and the "Storytime" theme.

www.carnivalofgleecreations.com is your one stop shop for info, social media, show links and more for this show, ATARI BYTES, here and for my other show IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here

The website also has info about other things I've done and books I've written, including HELL'S CEREAL: VERY SHORT STORIES FORTIFIED WITH ESSENTIAL SYLLABLES.

Support the show on the ATARI BYTES page on patreon.com. Depending on what level you come in on, you could get stuff!

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