Episode 284 of ATARI BYTES gets its groove ON with the 1982 Sega port of ZAXXON!
(That's a terrible set up. But the episode is good. I promise. Probably. Maybe. Look, just listen, please. )
This week's short story: ZACH'S ON
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" and "Jason Sez Stuff" themes.
www.carnivalofgleecreations.com is where you should go for info, show notes and links for ATARI BYTES here and for my other podcast IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here.
You can support the show by donating on the ATARI BYTES page on patreon.com here.
Intellivision Month 2021 concludes this month in ATARI BYTES episode 283. We're playing TRON DEADLY DISCS, inspired by the "cult classic" movie. It's a collision of cult classic movie and cult classic podcast! (I might be delusional.)
This week's short story: DEADLY DISCS - A STEVE STETSON, 1980s SUPERSPY, ADVENTURE
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" and "Jason Sez Stuff" themes.
www.carnivalofgleecreations.com is where you need to be for info, links, notes, etc. for this show ATARI BYTES here and my other show IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here.
INTELLIVISION MONTH 2021 barrels forward on ATARI BYTES 282.
Much as we do with the twisty maze that is life, we're winding our way through the twisty maze of Mattel's 1982 Intellivision offering NIGHT STALKER, a/k/a the 2600 game "Dark Cavern". (spoiler!)
But...are you stalking the bats/spiders/robots. Or...are they stalking YOU? More importantly, who keeps dropping all these guns all over? Seems like very poor gun safety. So many questions.
BAD POETRY CORNER: NIGHTY NIGHT, STALKER
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" and "Jason Sez Stuff" themes.
The "Jason Sez Stuff" guy gives a tour of his "office".
www.carnivalofgleecreations.com has all the info about this show ATARI BYTES here and my other show IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here.
Support ATARI BYTES on patreon.com. Help keep the lights on! I don't want to fall down...
You're gliding along peacefully, when suddenly your periscope shoots upward. Through the murky depths you are shocked to see rocketing toward you...
ATARI BYTES episode 281!
Intellivision Month continues this week with Mattel's 1982 nautical adventure SUB HUNT. Is it a thrilling submarine simulator or a soul-crushingly boring, slow-paced game bogged down by an overly dense manual? Gee, I dunno...
This week's short story: Bad Poetry Corner - Floaters and Sinkers
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" and "Jason Sez Stuff" themes.
www,carnivalofgleecreations.com is your destination for info and links for this show ATARI BYTES here, and for my other show IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here.
You can also support the show on the ATARI BYTES page on patreon.com and possibly get BONUS stuff.
INTELLIVISION MONTH 2021 has arrived in episode 280 of ATARI BYTES!
*Deafening cheers erupt*
**Also an angry stampede out the door by some Atari purists**
We kick things off with Mattel's 1981 title STAR STRIKE, which may or may not be inspired by Star Wars; which is true of much of life really. That's why I dress as an Ewok much of the time. Can anyone recommend a good conditioner?
This week's short story: Star Strike Celebrity Bowling
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" and "Jason Sez Stuff" themes.
Go to the website to find out more about ATARI BYTES here and about my other show IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here.
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 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.
Support the Atari Bytes patreon project on patreon.com here.
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 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.
Support the show on the ATARI BYTES patreon project on patreon.com here.
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 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.
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 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.
You can support the show by signing up on the ATARI BYTES patreon page here. Thanks!
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 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.
In ATARI BYTES episode 274, we're playing LASER GATES. Two guesses what this game is about.
Wrong! It's monkeys and gonads, obviously. (You gotta listen to the show to understand that.)
This week's Bad Poetry Corner: IF WARREN ZEVON'S A ROBOT
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" and "Jason Sez Stuff" themes.
www.carnivalofgleecreations.com is where you need to go for social media, show notes and episodes for this show ATARI BYTES here, and for my other show IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here.
One day in April 2021, ATARI BYTES drifted into Data Age's 1982 game BERMUDA TRIANGLE and was NEVER SEEN AGAIN.
Episode 273 is the chronicle of that disappearance.
If you look up, you might see your host mooning you from the spaceship.
This week's short story: BERMUDA SHORTED
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme.
Thanks to The Delroys for the use of their song "Bermuda Shorts"
www.carnivalofgleecreations.com is where you can go for show notes, episodes, and info for this show ATARI BYTES here, and for my other show IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here.
You can support the show by subscribing to the Atari Bytes patreon page here.
This week's ATARI BYTES episode, 272 for those scoring at home, is totally tubular (that's for you Gen Xers)
Or is it? We're playing the unfinished 1984 effort TEMPEST, which tries to translate the 3D tubes the action plays out on on the arcade screen onto our home screens. Listen to find out if it works. We also talk about Shakespeare and say the word "panties". A lot.
This week's short story from Bad Poetry Corner: Parched in a Tempest.
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the Storytime theme.
www.carnivalofgleecreations.com has all the info you need about this podcast, ATARI BYTES here, and my other show IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here.
ATARI BYTES 271 revisits an old friend. A twitchy, large-nosed, profanity-obsessed friend who just won't just hold still for goodness sakes. We all have a friend like that. If you're not sure about that, it's probably you.
It's Q*BERT'S QUBES, the 1983 follow-up to the adorable arcade-er (I'm trying to make that a word. Help me out. I'll be rich!). Is the game fun cubed, or just for squares, man?
This week's short story: NOT THE CUBES YOU EXPECTED
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the Storytime theme.
www.carnivalofgleecreations.com has all the show notes, social media, info you need about ATARI BYTES here, and about my other show IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here.
Guys, if life has taught us nothing else, we all should know by now that we must pick up our balls.
This is especially true in Atari's 1983 let's-stick-it-to-em-and-see-how-mad-they-get, QUADRUN, our focus for ATARI BYTES episode 270. Tune in to find out just how frustrated this game makes me.
This week's short story: CAGE FREE
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme.
www.carnivalofgleecreations.com is where you should go for show notes, episodes and social media for this show, ATARI BYTES, here and for my other show, IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN, here.
In episode 269 of the ATARI BYTES podcast, we play SOLAR FOX, the 1983 CBS Electronics port of Bally/Midway's 1981 arcade game. Much like Icarus, we fly a wee bit too close to the sun, but do we get burned? Listen and find out!
This week's short story: THE SOLAR FOXES REBOOT
The ComicVine piece about the "Solar Fox" comic ad.
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme.
www.carnivalofgleecreations.com is your one-stop-shop for all things related to this show ATARI BYTES here, and my other show IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here.
ATARI BYTES episode 268 is bubbling over with tasty goodness. We're playing PEPSI INVADERS, a 1983 cartridge created by Atari to cheer up sad Coca-Cola sales people sad about losing the "cola wars" to Pepsi. This episode is both sugar and caffeine free, so you'll just have to rely on my dulcet tones to keep you awake. Sorry.
This week's short story: THE COLA WARS BUBBLE OVER
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme.
www.carnivalofgleecreations.com has all your info, episodes and social media needs for this show, ATARI BYTES, here, and for my other show, IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN, here.
Support the show on our ATARI BYTES patreon project here. Thanks!
In 1979, Twentieth Century Fox unleashed an iconic sci-fi movie called ALIEN.
In 1982, Atari released the game version, in the maze style of iconic game Pac-Man.
In 2021, the podcast ATARI BYTES did an episode about ALIEN, episode 267. It was...wait for it...iconic.
THIS WEEK'S SHORT STORY: BAD POETRY CORNER - WHEN PERSEVERANCE RAN OUT
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme.
www.carnivalofgleecreations.com is where you can go for info about my work, including ATARI BYTES here and my other podcast, IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here.
We're back to cram more square pod pegs into your round ear holes. It's another cubist's delight in 266 with RUBIK'S CUBE 3D. The three "D"s are "delightful", "delicious" and "de-wonderful", to borrow from an old song.
Or are they?
Tune in this week to find out. With this 3D, there are no glasses required. Or pants.
Short Story: 3D-NYED
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme.
www.carnivalofgleecreations.com is your stop for info, show notes, episodes of ATARI BYTES here and my other show IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here.
Support the show by subscribing here on patreon.com and you could get bonus stuff! No, really!
ATARI BYTES episode 265:
Back in the 1970s, Hungarian inventor Erno Rubik, we assume, decided to see if he could drive people insane. He designed a cube consisting of a bunch of smaller cubes of many colors. He said, "Here, take this cube. Mess up the colors, then put them right again." Of course, he probably said it in Hungarian. But that makes it no less insidious. The Rubik's Cube was born.
Then in 1982, Atari put out the trademark-friendlier "Atari Video Cube", redubbed in 1983 "Rubik's Cube", translating Erno's quest for insanity to our TV screens.
And that's why the world is the way it is today.
SHORT STORY: Love Cubed and Lubed.
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme.
www.carnivalofgleecreations.com is where you need to be for show notes, social media, episodes and more for this show, ATARI BYTES, here and for my other show, IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN, here.
Support the show by subscribing on the ATARI BYTES page on patreon.com here.
On episode 264 of ATARI BYTES, we went back to the beginning; a bit of a palate cleanser after the disturbing "Porky's" last week. We take a look at PONG, the game that started it all. The original came out in 1972 with an Atari port in 1975. For my fifteen-year-old on the field report, it may as well have come out in the Pleistocene.
Kids, man.
This week's short story: PING PRAWN
Engadget.com "Atari Pong Review (1976)
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme.
www.carnivalofgleecreations.com is where you need to be for info, show notes and episodes for ATARI BYTES here and for my other podcast, IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here.
In 1981, 20th Century Fox released a little family film called "Porky's" about a precocious lad named PeeWee with a knack for revenge against strip clubs and putting his privates where they probably shouldn't be. THEN, they made the obvious brilliant marketing move of turning that movie into an Atari game.
In episode 263, we play PORKY'S...because listener Patrick told us to. We're still a little mad about it. No shower scenes in the episode though...or are there? Plug your peepholes and earholes and give a listen.
THIS WEEK'S BAD POETRY CORNER - BOOBS: A POEM
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme.
www.carnivalofgleecreations.com is where you should go for show notes, social media and info about this show ATARI BYTES here and about my other show IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here.
In ATARI BYTES episode 262, we're playing the 1983 Tigervision port of Taito's 1980 arcade cabinet POLARIS. Defend your nuclear sub from withering attacks by destroyers, dive bombers and ever increasing frustration. Is the game a hit or miss - ile?
Sorry.
This week's short story: DOWNTIME
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme
Thanks to @M_Carp for the "What Game is Henry Playing While We Podcast About a Different Game" theme.
www.carnivalofgleecreations.com is where you should go to find show notes, info, social media and what not for this show, ATARI BYTES, here and for my other show, IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN, here.
Support the show on the ATARI BYTES page at patreon.com and get bonus content and episodes early!
ATARI BYTES episode 261 is off the hook. Off the chain. Off the books. And occasionally off the rails.
We're playing the 1989 Atari/Axlon title OFF THE WALL. The objective is to smash the brick wall to get to the dragon. Maybe they should have called it THROUGH THE WALL. But no one asked me. What other failings does the game suffer through lack of consultation with me? Listen to find out!
This week's short story: OFF THE WALL
Atari Poop article about "Off the Wall".
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the Storytime theme.
www.carnivalofgleecreations.com has social media, show notes and episodes for this show, ATARI BYTES here and my other show IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN here.
You can support show on the ATARI BYTES page on patreon.com here.
At some point, whatever governing body governs auto racing said, "What if we made up a racing sport where the drivers do everything we tell them not to do?" The initial idea - Murder Car - was scrapped. But the monster truck rally - complete with smashing cars, wheelies, jumping off ramps and wanton attacks on venerable Plymouth autos - was born.
In episode 260,from 1990, we're playing the Atari title MOTORODEO. Roll your fat tires on over and give a listen.
This week's short story: Bad Poetry Corner: Where the Monster Trucks Park
Thanks to Sean Courtney for the "Storytime" theme.
www.carnivalofgleecreations.com is your one-stop-shop for episodes, social media and info about this show, ATARI BYTES, here and my other podcast, IT'S A PODCAST, CHARLIE BROWN, here.