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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: February, 2019

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?).

Feb 24, 2019

BRIAN COLIN IS A FLIPPIN' GENIUS.

How do I know? Well, he helped design two of the most beloved fun, whimsical arcade games of ALL TIME. RAMPAGE and XENOPHOBE, among many others. And then they were adapted for the home video console market which was...almost as good?

We've talked about Rampage in the past. This week on episode 161, we've got the 1988 Atari 7800 port of XENOPHOBE. Does it live up to it's arcade progenitor? Ancestor? Daddy? 

This game about beaming aboard a space station overrun by aliens and blasting them with your phaser - which is totally different than Star Trek - is the backdrop for this week's story "To Go Where No One Has … But Not Boldly". The story centers on a character who is basically the space equivalent of Hermie from 1960's TV's "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer". 

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

Thanks to Sean Courtney for the storytime theme.

Thanks to Mike Mann for the Mad Mike Hughes update theme.

Atari Bytes show notes episodes and more. 

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

Check out the merch in our Zazzle.com store AB_Pod_Store.

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

 

Feb 17, 2019

WOOOHOOOO! Check it out, y'all! We're doing CODEBREAKER on episode 160 of Atari Bytes!

ZZZZZZZZZ.

Sorry! Nodded off there. Seriously though, in 1978 when this game came out, the idea of using a keypad controller to play a game by entering numbers on the pad that show up on a TV screen was probably pretty compelling. Today though? Well, listen to the show to hear our thoughts.

BUT...our favorite 1980s superspy STEVE STETSON, does drop by to save the world in this week's short story "DEATH BY THE NUMBERS: A STEVE STETSON, 1980s SUPERSPY, ADVENTURE".

So there's that.

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

Atari Bytes show notes, social media and more

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

Thanks to Mike Mann for his Mad Mike Hughes update theme.

Thanks to Sean Courtney for the Storytime Theme.

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

You can pick up Atari Bytes merch on our Atari Bytes store, AB_Pod_Store, on Zazzle.com

Feb 10, 2019

In this divided world we live in, it's fitting episode 159 features ENTOMBED, the U.S. Games title from 1982. It's a game about running blindly through a maze, not really knowing where you're going. You stay alive by putting up walls between you and those with whom you conflict. Also, your enemies are zombies. Substitute Internet trolls for zombies and it's just like real life.

Relationships also are at the heart of this week's story "Wall-Eyed".  Archaeologist Roger Lipton's brain says one thing; his heart says another. What's an adventurer to do?

So, cat-a-COMB on over and listen! (Get it? Like COME on over...Just humor me.)

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

Atari Bytes - episodes, social media and more.

It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown - Hey! That's my other show! Get all your Peanuts info here!

Consider support the show financially on the Atari Bytes Patreon page here. 

You can pick up sweet Atari Bytes merch at our Zazzle.com store AB_Pod_Store

Thanks to Mike Mann for our Mad Mike Hughes Theme.

Thanks to Sean Courtney for the Storytime Theme.

Feb 3, 2019

Come in! Come in! Welcome to "The Grille"! Sit anywhere. Grab a menu. It's short. You can have anything you want as long as it's a burger on a bun. What's that? Oh, that cursing from the assembly room is just Short-Order Sam trying to fill all the orders himself. You can't pay minimum wage to every one. Wait? Come back! He doesn't drop all the toppings on the floor...

In episode 158, we're playing PRESSURE COOKER. Short-Order Sam single-handedly defends "The Grille" from bad Yelp reviews. Sam works hard, but is he happy? What brought him to this junction on life's highway? We have thoughts in this week's short story. 

So grab some onion rings and some napkins. These burgers are messy.

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

Thanks to Mike Mann for his "Mad Mike Hughes" theme.

Thanks to Sean Courtney for our "Storytime" theme.

Atari Bytes - show notes, social media and more

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

Check out merchandise in the Zazzle.com store AB_Pod_Store

You can support Atari Bytes financially on our Patreon page here. 

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