Sun, 29 January 2023
AB-035, Pitfall II: The Lost Caverns! 1 Happy New Year! If I can still say that when it's almost Groundhog Day. I hit a snag right out of the gate, which seems to be typical now. But, Pitfall II by Activision is finally available, and it's a doozy. The part about the game and its history etc. is twice as long as it usually is, I had a lot of fun researching this game. And of course, playing it. It's one of my favorites. I hope that you enjoy the episode. Coming up next is the super rare game Gamma Attack, by a tiny company called Gammation. Not as much history on this one, but what I've seen so far is very interesting. if you have any thoughts on this game, or even if you have a copy, I would love to hear about it. Please send them to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by February 7th. Thanks so much for your patience, and thank you as always for listening. David Crane interview by Scott Stilphen Explanation of DPC chip by David Crane on Atari Compendium Atari Compendium article about "Super Chips," including the DPC chip UK Activision Fun Club Newsletter Summer 1984 from Atari Compendium Pitfall 2 patch accompanying letter Get MattBuc's repro Pitfall 2 patch here! Pitfall! Raiders of the Lost Shark Pitfall 2 The Lost Caverns on KLOV Pitfall 2 Arcade playthrough by Old Classic Retrogaming |
Sun, 8 January 2023
Boy oh boy, it's been a rough year. This episode featuring Mean Santa by Tim Duarte and John K. Harvey almost didn't come out for Christmas. I am truly very sorry about how this year has gone, I need to change a lot of behaviors in the coming year. Regardless of what holiday (if any) you celebrate, I hope it is was a joyous and peaceful time. I am grateful to and for all of you and I do not deserve you. I will see you in 2023 where we will start the year with Pitfall II by Activision. Thank you for listening. The Mean Santa Journey on Experienca Odyssey ROM and Source Code for Free on Atari Age 2600 Connection Issue 100 thread 2600 Connection Mean Santa Sales Announcement on the Wayback Machine Original YouTube video of game footage, posted August 10 2009 John K. Harvey's web page via Wayback Machine
Direct download: Mean_Santa_by_Tim_Duarte_and_John_K_Harvey.mp3
Category:Video Games -- posted at: 7:39am EDT |
Fri, 23 December 2022
It's been a bad year for me and podcasting, I'm sorry I haven't put that much out this year. I also have not been looking forward to Christmas, but today with the help of a friend, I got a boost of Christmas spirit! I'm going to try and extend it through next year the best I can. Thank you for sticking with me for so long. I love you all and I wish you the happiest of holiday seasons. Thank you for listening 💗💚 
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Wed, 16 November 2022
Welcome to the show! In this episode I will tell you what I know about Gauntlet by Answer Software. Other than how to play, it's not much; although I am very confident in telling you that this is NOT a port of the Atari arcade game Gauntlet. I can also tell you that despite what you read on the internet, the arcade Gauntlet was partially inspired by the 8 bit computer game Dandy, written by John Palevich. It was not inspired by Atari's console game Dark Chambers, which came out 3 years after Gauntlet. Dark Chambers was also inspired by Dandy. With that pedantry out of the way, I do hope you enjoy the episode. Coming up next is the last game for the year, Mean Santa, a homebrew game designed by Tim Duarte (founder of the 2600 Connection newsletter), and programmed by John K Harvey. The rom has been released for free, and you can get it here if you'd like to try it out. If you'd like to send feedback containing your thoughts on the game and not how to play it, which I cover every episode, please send them to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by November 28th. I will post an updated list of upcoming games to your right (if you're not on a phone) very soon. To all who celebrate American Thanksgiving, I wish you a safe and healthy-ish holiday. I am very thankful for all of you, and I thank you for listening. You can donate to my Extra Life campaign until December 31st! Answer Software catalog on Atarimania April 1983 Video Game Update newsletter on Atari Compendium |
Wed, 2 November 2022
I am back this week to discuss a Spectravideo game, after 7 years! This game is called Master Builder, and I really hope you enjoy the episode. Coming up next will be Gauntlet by Answer Software. If you have thoughts on Gauntlet, you can send them to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com. Please just tell me your thoughts, I'll take care of the rest. The last game for the year is Mean Santa by John Harvey and Tim Duarte. If you have feedback for Mean Santa, I'll need it by November 28th. Finally, if you have any video game Christmas memories (it doesn't need to be Atari 2600, but please keep it to video games), I will be doing another Christmas show this year, provided I get enough submissions. Please get those to me by December 16th. Tune in to YouTube this weekend at 8 pm on November 4 and 5 to watch me play games badly for Extra Life. I don't know why you would want to watch that, but I'm glad you do. Thank you as always for your kindness, and for listening. Donate to my Extra Life campaign here! Master Builder on Random Terrain Columbia Video Game Club thread on Atari Age |
Thu, 20 October 2022
Long time no see! Today's episode is about the Atari and Children's Computer Workshop collaboration, Cookie Monster Munch. I loved Cookie Monster when I was a kid (I still do), and I also love cookies, but most cookies actually stay in my mouth, unlike some other monsters I could name. I hope that you enjoy the episode and that it was worth waiting for. Next up will be the very rare Master Builder by Spectravideo. Apparently my episodes covering Spectravideo games are also pretty rare. If you have feedback for Master Builder that does not include its history or how to play it, please send it along to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by October 31st. On November 4th and 5th, I will once again be participating in Extra Life, to benefit the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Hopefully I will have my streaming ability together by then. If you would like to donate to the kids, please see the link below. Thank you once again for your patience, and for listening. Donate to my Extra Life campaign Cookie Monster Munch on Atari Protos Cookie Monster Munch on Random Terrain UPI article on CMM by Kenneth Clark, Feb 1983 Joystick conversions of Cookie Monster Munch and Big Bird's Egg Catch by Omegamatrix |
Sun, 7 August 2022
I say this too much, but I thank you for being patient with me as I navigate through my lovely depression. This long overdue episode features the homebrew game AVCStec Challenge by Simon Quernhorst and Paul Slocum. It's based on the very difficult (to me) Aztec Challenge by Paul Norman, for the Commodore 64. I hope that you enjoy the episode. Next up is Cookie Monster Munch by Atari and the Children's Computer Workshop. Please send any feedback on this or any previous game to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by August 16th. Tell me your thoughts and/or memories of Cookie Monster Munch, I'll take care of the history and gameplay. Take care of yourselves and I thank you so much for listening. A-VCS-tec Challenge development page Announcement thread on Atari Age AA Title in Development page on Wayback Machine AA Project of the Month thread Simon Quernhorst interview on Good Deal Games Buy the game on Packrat Video Games Atari 50th: The Anniversary Celebration Limited Run Adventure and Missile Command (both sold out) New Howard Scott Warshaw interview by W. Amirul Adlan
Direct download: AVCStec_Challenge_by_Simon_Quernhorst_and_Paul_Slocum.mp3
Category:Video Games -- posted at: 4:27am EDT |
Wed, 18 May 2022
On this episode we take a look at the M Network game Frogs and Flies, which was based on the Intellivision game Frog Bog. We also cover programmer extraordinaire Dave Rolfe for the first time, and we even read one of his interesting essays. I hope you enjoy it! Coming up next is A-VCS-tec Challenge, by Simon Quernhorst with music by Paul Slocum. If you would like to try this game out, you can get the rom at Simon's web page. Please send me your feedback for A-VCS-tec Challenge by May 30th, to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com. Thanks so much for listening! Van Mai story on Video Game History Foundation Frogs and Flies on Random Terrain Frogs and Flies on Blue Sky Rangers Intellivision Frog Bog on Blue Sky Rangers Willie! plays Frogs on Arcade USA Dave Rolfe's website on Wayback Machine Dave Rolfe interview by Valter Prette Dave Rolfe interview by Scott Stilphen |
Sun, 8 May 2022
Hello my friends, thank you once again for your patience for this new episode featuring Laser Gates by Imagic. A fun time was had by almost all! Coming up next is Frogs and Flies by M Network. If you have any feedback for Frogs and Flies, please send it to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by end of the day on May 17th. I should be able to get it out on time despite this episode being late. Upcoming games include A-VCS-tec Challenge by Simon Quernhorst and Paul Slocum; Cookie Monster Munch by Atari; Master Builder by Spectravideo, and Gauntlet by Answer Software. Thanks so much for listening! Limited Run Atari preorders (only 1000 of each will be made, I said 1500 in the show because I can no longer read) Laser Gates (Innerspace) on Atari Protos My email interview with Dan Oliver Is Laser Gates Inner Space? Atari Age thread Dan Oliver's Waterbug Design site on Wayback Machine |
Wed, 4 May 2022
Hello my friends, I was not feeling well last night so I went back to bed. The Laser Gates episode won't be out today, but I wanted to let you know the winners of the contest that my buddy Richard so kindly sponsored. Please give a listen to see if you won a set of Sesame Street carts, and congrats to the winners. Thanks to everyone who entered, and I thank you all for listening.
Direct download: Sesame_Street_Cartridges_Contest_Winners.mp3
Category:Contest -- posted at: 9:23am EDT |
Wed, 20 April 2022
In this episode I look at the Activision game Private Eye, by Bob Whitehead. I hadn't put any time into this game before, and I couldn't put enough time into it for the podcast, but I did enjoy it and hope to come back to it. Next up will be Laser Gates by Imagic. If you have feedback for the game that you'd like to hear on the show, please send it to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by May 2nd. Thank you all very much for your kind words about my return, it means a lot to me. i appreciate you all hanging in there. and as always, thank you for listening. Interview with Bob Whitehead by Scott Stilphen Rawson Stovall review Feb 10 1984 |
Wed, 6 April 2022
Welcome back to the podcast everyone! I hope you all are well, and I very much appreciate all the kind words and patience. Today we start the 5 digit Atari part numbers with Oscar's Trash Race, a product of Atari and the Children's Computer Workshop, a tiny little division of Sesame Street. This is the first in a series, so there's lots to talk about. I hope that you enjoy it. Coming up in 2 weeks is Private Eye by Activision. If you have feedback for Private Eye that does not include the Hall and Oates song, please send it to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by April 18th. Please make sure you listen to the end of the podcast for a very special Sesame Street game related contest, sponsored by friend of the podcast Richard Grounds. Thanks Richard! I'll post a separate entry for the contest in a few days, but you can send your entry as soon as you hear the episode. Once again, thank you for your patience, your kindness, and of course, for listening. Extra special thanks to my beautiful wife Sarah for getting this ball rolling again. 💖 Oscar's Trash Race on Random Terrain Oscar's Trash Race on Atari Protos Oscar's Trash Race on Atarimania Children's Computer Workshop on Muppet Wiki CGE 2012 Atari Programmers panel Preston Stuart interview, Electronic Fun with Computers and Games March 1983, page 40 Atari Age "Loaner Cartridge" thread, shows perhaps final version of Oscar AA OTR 10-20-82 WIP thread OMGWTFBBQ OTR Prototype pictures on Atari Compendium Unreleased static screen version pictures on Atari Compendium Posts from Guy Hutchinson's Big Bird Bridge blog about Sesame Place: Detail from Computer Gallery computers Closeup of Computer Gallery age logo Sesame Place (Images of Modern America) by Guy Hutchinson on Amazon
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Sat, 25 December 2021
I'm sorry this is so late, time got away from me this year. Sarah and I wish you peace, health, and happiness this holiday season. I love each and every one of you and I am eternally grateful to you all. A better group of friends I could not have asked for. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, have a safe and happy 2022. We will see you very soon. As always, thank you so much for listening.
Photo courtesy of Dan Beicke (R) |
Wed, 3 November 2021
Hello there, thanks for joining me today to talk about the final released Telesys game, Demolition Herby. There's also a few interesting tidbits about the end of Telesys, as well as a few prototypes that we'll cover in a future show. I hope that you enjoy it. Coming up next, the first of many Sesame Street character games from Atari, Oscar's Trash Race. If you have any feedback for the Grouch, please send it to 2600gamebygame@comcast.net by November 14th. My Extra Life stream is coming up this weekend, Friday and Saturday from 8PM to 8AM EST. Fingers crossed. if you'd like to donate, you can do that here. Thank you so much! As always, I thank you very much for listening. Demolition Herby on Random Terrain Telesys Prototype thread on Atari Age Impossible Game article by Leonard Herman Telesys article March 16 1983, Arizona Republic The Store (Kandyman Sales) Atari ad, July 16 1983 Wichita Eagle |
Wed, 20 October 2021
Happy Halloweeeeeeeeeeen almost! We end Spooky Season on the podcast with the great Frankenstein's Monster by Data Age. If you haven't played this because you think all Data Age games are garbage, you have been misled. I urge you to give this a try, it is one of the best on the system. Up next we will give thanks for Demolition Herby by Telesys! If you have thoughts on this one, please send them to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by November 1st. I haven't played this in years so I don't remember it, but it was recommended in the Video Game Update newsletter, so I am excited to try it out. Enjoy the rest of the Spooky Season and thank you for listening!
Frankenstein's Monster on Random Terrain Frankenstein's Monster on Atari Protos Video Game Update April 1983 on Atari Compendium 1985 Wichita Eagle profile of George Jabara/Kandyman Sales Part 1 1985 Wichita Eagle profile of George Jabara/Kandyman Sales Part 2 Video Games magazine September 1983 Atari Internal CES Review document June 1982 jlun2 TAS of Frankenstein's Monster
Direct download: Frankensteins_Monster_by_Data_Age.mp3
Category:Video Games -- posted at: 8:38pm EDT |
Sun, 10 October 2021
Boo there! Thanks for being patient with me once again. It's spooky season and that means spooky games! We begin with Skeleton+, a homebrew game by Eric Ball from way back in 2002. It's a lot of fun and I hope you are able to try it out! Next up is the amazing Frankenstein's Monster by Data Age, which was kind of their final released game. If you have feedback or thoughts on Frankenstein's Monster, please send them to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by October 18th. No need to summarize the game, I'll take care of that. Only 4 more episodes until the Christmas special! That seems weird. But maybe not, I did buy egg nog this week. Thank you all for listening!
Initial Skeleton WIP thread on Stellalist Skeleton complete on Stellalist Skeleton 1.1 release on Stellalist First Skeleton+ thread on Atari Age Enhanced Skeleton+ thread on Atari Age Final Skeleton+ thread on Atari Age Eric Ball's intro thread on Atari Age |
Wed, 22 September 2021
Good morrow gentle Swain! Alright, enough of that. This week we are looking at Sir Lancelot by Xonox, maybe a Joust tipoff but it's a lot of fun! Next month is October already, sheesh. We'll be celebrating all month with S C A R Y games! First up will be the Homebrew game Skeleton+ by Eric Ball, followed by the wonderful Frankenstein's Monster by Data Age. I'm really looking forward to these games, and I hope you are too! iIf you have feedback for either game, please send it to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com. I will need feedback for Skeleton+ by October $th, and October 18th for Frankenstein's Monster. Thanks so much for listening! Sir Lancelot on Random Terrain Gordon Martin and Associates on GDRI Sir Lancelot manual on Atari Compendium Kurt Howe Memorial thread on Atari Age
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Sun, 12 September 2021
Long time no see doc! *smak* This week we are discussing the prototype/reproduction game Bugs Bunny, originally from Atari. This Bob Polaro/Alan Murphy collaboration was shelved in the 80s and finally saw limited release at the late, lamented Philly Classic in 2002. It's a beautiful game that I hope you will seek out and try. Coming up next is Sir Lancelot by Xonox. If you have feedback for this guy, please send it to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by September 21st at 10 PM EST. You get a smidge more time for this one, then hopefully I'll get back on track and stay that way. HA HA HA HA. Thank you again for all the kind words about the Space Shuttle episode, and thank you so much for listening. Bob Polaro interview by Sarah Szefer Bob Polaro interview by Al Backiel Atari Promo Video 1983 Bugs Bunny Footage Photos from Philly Classic 3/Bugs Bunny release Atari2600.com Bugs Bunny Press Release Atari Compendium Easter Egg page Easter egg thread on Atari Age |
Sun, 5 September 2021
The day many of you have been waiting for (and waiting and waiting, sorry about that) is finally here. Today is the finale of the Summer of Shuttles, and I am covering Space Shuttle by Activision. I'm not a simulator fan at all, so I hope I have done this game justice and I hope you enjoy the episode. Coming up pretty quick since I want to keep my schedule is the prototype game Bugs Bunny by Atari. I said in the episode to get me your feedback by the 10th, but let's change that to the 11th at 10PM EST, because when I recorded the episode I thought it would go out on the same day. You can send your feedback to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com. Thank you again for your patience, and as always, thank you for listening. Space Shuttle on Random Terrain Electronic Fun article February 1984 Video and Computer Gaming Illustrated article January 1984 (yes, there is no page 75) Video Game Update article November 1983 (Atari Compendium) Computer Chronicles episode February 1984 Space Shuttle manual on Atari Age Space Shuttle Pilot patch on Digital Press Space Shuttle Commander patch on Digital Press AA thread with Nukey Shay's fuel and docking hacks Barbara Morgan watches the Challenger 1986 Space Shuttle Operator's Manual by Kerry Mark Joels |
Wed, 11 August 2021
Hello and welcome to the Summer of Shuttles! (It's only a month.) First up we are talking about the Avalon Hill game Shuttle Orbiter, which I enjoyed but found a little frustrating. Lots of great feedback as usual, I hope you enjoy the episode. Coming up next is the one a lot of you have been waiting for, Space Shuttle, a Journey Into Space, by Activision. My attitude towards simulation games precedes me, but I will give this a fair shake. I just can't promise I will be able to figure it out. If you have feedback for Space Shuttle (I know you do), please send it to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by AUGUST 21ST. I'm going to need all the time I can get for this one. I'm sure the description of the game will be rather long, so no need to summarize the gameplay in your feedback, I just want your thoughts and/or memories of the game. Thank you so much for listening!
Shuttle Orbiter on Random Terrain Phosphor Dot Fossils - Shuttle Orbiter STS-7, second Challenger flight on Wikipedia Woodgrain Wonderland - Shuttle Orbiter review Shuttle Orbiter on The Log Book 35th Anniversary of the Challenger disaster from NASA
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Sun, 25 July 2021
Hello everyone! Sorry about the delay, but now here is the Spitfire Attack episode for you, by Milton Bradley. We also discuss the Flight Commander controller that came with it. I never had one but we do have a few listeners who did, which is exciting! Also exciting is what's coming up next month, the Summer of Shuttles! I will be covering Shuttle Orbiter by Avalon Hill and Space Shuttle by Activision. If you have feedback for either of these games, please send it to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com. I will need the Shuttle Orbiter feedback by August 9th, and the feedback for Space Shuttle by August 21st. I'm expecting a bit for Space Shuttle 😂 As always, I thank you for your patience, and for listening. Please stay safe and stay cool. Dennis Debro's Spitfire Attack mod Milton Bradley video game article, June 5 1983
Direct download: Spitfire_Attack_by_Milton_Bradley.mp3
Category:Video Games -- posted at: 7:08pm EDT |
Wed, 7 July 2021
Hey there, this week I am covering the amazing port of Tapper, the Bally Midway arcade game programmed by Beck Tech for Sega. Please check this game out if you haven't, it is well worth your time. Coming up next on the show is the Milton Bradley game Spitfire Attack, which was packaged with the Flight Commander controller. If you have any feedback on Spitfire Attack, please send it to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by July 19. I'm not quite sure what will happen after that, I want to get back on the opposite week schedule so I may take some time off. I will let you know for sure in the next episode. Tomorrow (July 8th) is national Video Game Day! Play something will ya! Thank you all so much for listening, it means so much to me.
Swordquest Fireworld Contest Rom thread on Atari Age February 1984 Tapper newspaper article Tom Sloper interview on Atari Compendium |
Wed, 23 June 2021
Hi there! This episode is all about Taz by Steve Woita for Atari. Taz was converted to PAL as the game Asterix, which we already covered, and I really should have put them together. Oh well, there's some great feedback this episode. Next up will be the amazing Tapper by Sega. If you have any feedback for Tapper, please send it to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by 6PM EST on July 6th. Thanks so much for listening and enjoy your 4th of July holiday if you're in the United States!
Taz mention in May 1984 issue of Electronic Games Steve Woita interview on Atari Compendium |
Wed, 9 June 2021
It's almost summer, and that means it's time for surfing! I think you may have to look elsewhere though, because this week we are covering Surf's Up by Amiga via Video Soft. Surf's Up was made for the Joyboard controller but never came out. Was that a good thing? YOU make the call! Coming up next is a summer rerun Taz by Atari! If you have thoughts on Taz, please send them to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by June 20th. Thanks so much for your patience, and for listening. THE DREAM IS ALIVE Surf's Up kerfuffle on Stellalist, 1998 Surf's Up eBay thread from 2006 on Atari Age Amiga Power Play Arcade carts on Atari Protos |
Wed, 19 May 2021
Hey everyone, this week on the program we have a very early homebrew and the first from Ebivision, Alfred Challenge! It's a very difficult game but one I personally enjoyed. Mrs. Ferguson the Librarian also makes an appearance in this episode! Congratulations to the winners of the PlusCart and the Edladdin Super 78 controller from the episode 200 contests. I haven't notified them yet so I want it to be a surprise. Don't worry, I picked the winners before I started talking about the game. You WILL have to wait a little longer to hear the countdowns though, sorry about that. Next up on the show is the unreleased prototype called Surf's Up by Amiga. If you have feedback for Surf's Up or any game I've already covered, please send it to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com. Thank you all for entering the contests, and of course, for listening. 2003 Interview with Eric Bacher by Good Deal Games 2000 Interview with Eric Bacher by Scott Stilphen Current location of Classic Ebivision site Alfred Challenge on Videogame Homebrew wiki Eric Bacher's company, Brainwave GRC Igor Barzilai's Tarot Artisinal site |
Wed, 5 May 2021
Hello! This week on the show we are looking at the Zimag game Cosmic Corridor, which most likely began life as Space Tunnel by Bit Corp. If you want to know what Hindi movie soundtracks and jail time have to do with Cosmic Corridor, I hope you'll give the episode a listen. Coming up next is the homebrew game Alfred Challenge, programmed by Eric Bacher for Ebivision. If you have feedback for Alfred Challenge, please send it to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by May 17th. Don't forget to send your entries for the PlusCart and Super 78 controller contests! Send in your bottom 5 2600 games for the PlusCart, and your top 5 7800 games for the Super 78 controller. You can include both lists in the email, please put Contests in the subject line. Thanks so much for listening!
Cosmic Corridor on Random Terrain Zimag/Emag thread on Atari Age Amarjit Singh Anand obituary on Hindi Movies Songs website LA Times story on Amarjit Singh Anand (Paywall, sorry) |
Thu, 22 April 2021
Welcome to episode 200, where we are talking about the Parker Brothers arcade port Q*Bert's Qubes, via James Wickstead and Associates. Thank you all so much for helping me get this far. To help me celebrate, Doug and Ed are giving away another PlusCart and an Edladdin Super 78 controller respectively. To win the PlusCart, just send me your BOTTOM 5 Atari 2600 games. To win the Super 78 controller, please send me your top 5 7800 gamesfoodfight. Email your entries to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by May 16th, and please put CONTESTS in the subject line. You can put both entries into one email. I'll announce the winners in the May 19th show and then someday do the countdowns 🙄 Thank you all so much for listening to this weird thing that I am doing. It means a lot to me and I am very grateful for the community that has grown around this podcast. There is a lot more to come, so I hope you will stay tuned. Thank you all!
Q*Bert's Qubes on Random Terrain Computer Entertainer May 1985 on Atari Compendium Atari Archive Kid Vid article 2/13/85 Scott Stilphen's interview with Todd Marshall, LOTS of great links here Q*Bert's Qubes on Atari Protos No Swear Gamer 689 - Q*Bert's Qubes No Swear Gamer - Q*Bert's Qubes gameplay Brian Fulton blog post about Top Dog Arcade and Zack Periwinkle's in PA |
Sun, 28 March 2021
Hi there! Today's game is a bit late, is it worth waiting for? Have a listen to Condor Attack by Ultravision and find out for yourself. Big thanks go to Rob @Atarispot on Twitter, who helped me with the research into this game and company. Next up is the big 200th episode, which will feature Q*bert's Qubes by Parker Brothers and a PlusCart contest courtesy of Doug. But first, I need a vacation. The 200th episode will be out on April 21st, so if you have feedback for Q*bert's Qubes, please get it to me by April 18th. I hope you all have a wonderful Passover and Easter, and I thank you very much for listening.
Condor Attack on Random Terrain Arcade Express October 10 1982 on Atari Compendium Video Game Update November 1982 on Atari Compendium Leonard Herman's Video Game Business cards Condor Attack longplay by RickyC InfoWorld January 17 1983 issue Ultravision on the Video Game Console Library site Thunktronix on Etsy, Purveyors of Fine 8-Bit Crafts Eric talking about me and the podcast (in French) on No Two Mornings Are Alike on Radio Canada |
Wed, 10 March 2021
Happy Mar10 Day everyone! Today we are taking a look at Mario Brothers, the Nintendo arcade game ported by Atari. Lots of opinions and info in this one, it seems like a simple game but there's a lot of nuance to it. I really hope that you enjoy listening to it. Next up will be Condor Attack, the first game I am covering from Ultravision. If you'd like to tell me your thoughts on Condor Attack, please send them to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by March 21st and I will get them into the show. We are almost to 200 episodes! If you're thinking there will be a celebration when we get to 200, I'm sorry, you would be incorrect. Thank you so much for listening and helping me get this far. Mario Bros. Easter egg page on Atari Compendium A Better Mario Bros. thread on Atari Age Game Machine magazine July 15, 1983 Atari inter office memo mentioning Mario Bros. Sales, November 1983 Return of Mario Bros. hack on Atari Age |
Wed, 24 February 2021
Welcome to the show! This week we are looking at Marauder, by Tigervision. It's a pretty rare and expensive game, but worth the play if you have the means. I really enjoyed it. Coming up next is the Atari game Mario Brothers, yet another terrific Dan Hitchens arcade port. If you have any feedback for Mario Brothers, please get it to me by the end of the day on March 7th. I will tell you all about the game, no need to repeat that stuff, just tell me what you think of it. you can send all feedback to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com. Thank you so much for listening!
Paul Stinson Studio web site via Wayback Machine Laine Nooney's blog post on Sierra artwork |
Sun, 14 February 2021
Hello there, this week's once again late entry is all about Gopher, by US Games. Coming to you from the Wickstead Design Associates arm of US Games, Gopher is a pretty fun title. I hope that you enjoy the show. Next up will be Marauder by Tigervision. If you have any feedback for Marauder, please send it to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by the end of Monday the 22nd. I hope you all are well, thank you for your patience and for listening.
February 1983 Video Game Update on Atari Compendium Todd Marshall interview on Atari Compendium Henry Will Notebooks on Atari Age James Wickstead Design Associates web site |
Wed, 10 February 2021
I'm sorry I don't have the Gopher episode ready today, but I wanted to announce the PlusCart winner at least because Doug is very kind to sponsor this contest. Please give a listen, I will be sending the winner an email to get their address. Doug is a much better shipper than I, so there's that. If you have Gopher feedback that you didn't send but want to, get it to me by the end of Friday the 12th. Thanks so much for your patience, and for listening. |
Sun, 31 January 2021
This week, a little late, I am discussing the wonderful Activision game Pressure Cooker, by Garry Kitchen. If you haven't played this one, you really owe it to yourself to try it. Coming up next is Gopher by US Games. It's not about the Ship's Purser on The Love Boat, but that would probably be a cool game. Please send feedback on Gopher to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by 6 PM EST on Tuesday, February 9th. I have an appointment on Wednesday morning so I have to have the show done in a more timely manner. Also, please don't forget the contest Doug is sponsoring to win a PlusCart that he made! There have been a lot of entries so far, I hope to get more. Send me an email with PlusCart as the subject, and in the body, tell me your 5 favorite 2600 games. I'll announce the winner on the Gopher episode. Also, check the links below to see the contest video that Doug posted on his YouTube channel. Thank so much Doug! I hope you all are doing well, or at least better than I, and I thank you very much for listening. Pressure Cooker on Random Terrain Pressure Cooker on Atari Protos Garry Kitchen's writings on Medium Eugenio's interview with Garry Kitchen on Retro Video Gamer Batteries Not Included By Josh Folan with Garry Kitchen Wilson Oyama's Pressure Cooker high score video Pressure Cooker patch on Digital Press Warren Chang's art on Gallery 30 South Interview with Warren Chang by Walter Ryce Proud member of the Throwback Network! |
Wed, 13 January 2021
Happy New Year everyone! I hope the new year finds you well and hopeful. We are starting this year off with Tooth Protectors, the mail away advergame sponsored by Johnson and Johnson and put together by Camelot Marketing Services Group and Diversified Software Development. I hope that you enjoy the episode. Coming up next on the show is Pressure Cooker by Activision. If you have any feedback for Pressure Cooker, please get it to me by January 24th at the end of the day. Also, our friend Doug has built a Plus Cart that he is giving away on the show! If you would like to enter the contest to win, please send me an email listing your top 5 Atari 2600 games. Put Plus Cart in the subject line and send it to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by February 7th. I will pick a winner and announce the top games as chosen by you on the February 10th episode. I think we have a good year coming up, thank you for coming on this journey with me, and thank you for listening.
Please donate to the Stella Emulator project here Tooth Protectors on Random Terrain Diversified Software Development on GDRI Michael Doherty's resume on Usenet, 1997 Game-a-Tron arcade games on KLOV Atari Age Tooth Protectors order form thread Atari Age 2006 Tooth Protectors eBay sale thread Marc Oberhauser's blog on Atari Age Sesame Street Kids Just Love To Brush Yo Gabba Gabba Brush Brush Brush by Of Montreal Proud member of the Throwback Network! |
Wed, 23 December 2020
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Kwanzaa! Whatever you celebrate, I hope that you all have a wonderful time at the end of this weird year. I am hopeful for the future and I hope that for you as well. We have some newcomers sharing memories with us, and some very touching stories as well. I hope that you will enjoy the show, Sarah and I enjoyed making it for you. I am grateful to all of you for listening to this show and I wish you nothing but the best for the new year. Epcot Candlelight Processional from 2019 Give The Kids The World Village Night of a Million Lights |
Wed, 2 December 2020
Thank you for listening to the final game for this year, Asterix by Atari. It's basically the same as Taz, but Taz actually appears later in the part number order, and we'll get to that game next year. Coming up on January 13th is Tooth Protectors by DSD/Camelot. If you have any feedback for Tooth Protectors, please send it to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by January 10th. also, the Christmas episode is coming up fast! if you have any kind of holiday or birthday video game memories or whatever, please send them to me by December 13th. Enjoy the holidays the best you can, and I thank you very much for listening. Steve Woita's media appearances Asterix NTSC thread on Atari Age Who got this Asterix thread on Atari Age Atari Spot's NTSC Asterix Twitter thread Atari Archive release dates by Kevin Bunch
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Wed, 18 November 2020
Hi there! This week we are taking a look at a game that kind of involves my profession, Cakewalk by Commavid. Spoilers, I hate making cakes. But I think I have a fun episode for you, Mrs. Ferguson the Librarian is back, and be sure to stay tuned at the end for some really filthy bloopers. Don't worry, I bleeped them. Bleep bloop! Next up is the last game this year, another super rare one, Asterix by Atari. It's loosely based on the French comic series of the same name. I'll tell you all about it in two weeks, so if you have any feedback for Asterix, please get it to me by November 29th. You can send it to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com. You can also send me some holiday or even birthday video game memories for the Christmas show, I would like to have those in by December 13th Jim. Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American friends, please stay safe. I thank you for listening. You can still donate to my Extra-Life campaign here! Thank you! Cakewalk Review, Video Games Player magazine Nov 1983 Columbia House Video Game Flyers on Digital Press Gameliner Magazine October 1983 on Atari Compendium
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Wed, 4 November 2020
I was delighted when Jan Hermanns agreed to speak with me for the podcast about his terrific game Blinky Goes Up. We talk about programming the game, Jan's artwork and other hobbies, and also a tantalizingly half finished game that he has! I really enjoyed talking with him and I hope you will give the interview a listen and try Blinky Goes Up if you haven't already. Thanks for listening!
Direct download: Interview_Jan_Hermanns_Blinky_Goes_Up.mp3
Category:Creator Interview -- posted at: 9:16am EDT |
Wed, 4 November 2020
It's a homebrew episode this week, featuring the absolutely wonderful Blinky Goes Up by Jan Hermanns. I'm sorry about the lack of homebrews lately, I was working on my list recently and I put more in to be covered in the coming months. I also interviewed Jan and had a great time talking with him, you can find that interview here when I post it, which should be soon. Next up is the autobiographical Cakewalk, by Commavid. If you have any thoughts or feedback on the game, please send them to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by November 15th. you don't need to tell me how to play the game, I will have already told you, so just tell me what your feelings are for the game. Thanks for listening!
Jan Hermanns' Blinky Goes Up site (archived) The new Blinky site, with the source code Atari Age Super Mario Goes Up thread Blinky Goes Up at Videogame Homebrew Blinky stream on Zero Page Homebrew Blinky Goes Up speedrun by CAKmusic Blinky Goes Up perfect game by Excaliburxx7 Buy Blinky Goes Up on the Atari Age Store Super Mario on the TI-84 calculator
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Tue, 20 October 2020
Hi everyone, today we are looking at an unfinished prototype by Apollo called Kyphus. It's not really playable, but there is some interesting stuff to go into. And I apologize for posting the wrong date for feedback on Facebook and Twitter, if you didn't get your feedback in for Kyphus because of that I'm sorry. Please do send it next time if you can. The next game is the homebrew Blinky Goes Up by Jan Hermanns. Blinky is so cute! If you have feedback for this game, you can send it to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by end of the day November 1st. That is the correct date. Thank you so much for listening, please stay safe and I'll see you soon. Cash Foley blog about MicroGraphicImage Bad Game Hall of Fame - Spelunker Tim Martin's Enlightened Technology page Atari Age thread showing Kyphus prototype Atari Age Kyphus Artwork thread Recompile's Fixing ET web page Atari Age thread on 7800 Difficulty switches
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Wed, 7 October 2020
Hi there! This week's game is the unreleased prototype for Xevious, by Atari. I think Tod Frye did a great job on this, it's a shame that it didn't come out at the time. Coming up next on the show is the prototype game Kyphus by Apollo. After I put it on the list however, I discovered that it's not really a playable game. But it does have a part number assigned to it, and you know the law around these parts. If you want to take a look at it and send me some feedback about it, please send it to 2600gamebygame@comcast.net by end of the day October 18th. Thank you so much for listening, I hope that you are all well and safe. 1983 Atari Consumer Division In House Promo Tod Frye interview on Arcade Attack podcast Tod Frye interview on Antic podcast Atari Age thread with original and fixed January 1984 Xevious rom Atari Age thread about Zeviouz homebrew Please donate to my Extra Life Campaign if you can. For the kids!
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Sun, 27 September 2020
Hi there, thanks once again for your patience (I thought I was done saying that, apparently I have more work to do). This week I am covering Lock 'n' Chase by M Network, which is a Pac-Man wannabe that doesn't quite get there for me. The prototype for Xevious by Atari is coming up next, and I'm going to try to stay on schedule despite this week's show being late. If you have any feedback for Xevious, please send it to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by 6 PM EST on October 6th. You can get a copy of the Xevious rom here. Once again, thanks for your patience and especially thank you for listening. Please be kind to one another.
Lock n Chase on Random Terrain October 1982 Video Game Update newsletter on Atari Compendium Fall 1982 Video Games Player magazine on Archive.org Lock n Chase for Intellivision by Blue Sky Rangers Lock n Chase demo cart on Atarimania Little Secrets by Brian Erickson
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Wed, 9 September 2020
This week we go back to the 20th Century Fox catalog to take a look at Bank Heist. It's a simple looking game but a lot of fun to play! I hope you enjoy the episode. Next up will be Bump and Jump by M Network. If you have any feedback for Bump and Jump, please send it to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by end of the day September 20th to be included in the show. I hope you all are staying safe and are doing well. Those of you with children, I wish you the best with whatever schooling your kids are experiencing. Thank you for listening! Video Game Update August 1983 at Atari Compendium 1982 20th Century Fox Press Kit on Atarimania Bank Heist on Atarimania (prototype manual) Bank Heist TAS by Gordon Taylor Bank Heist Easter eggs and bugs on Atari Compendium Curt Vendel Interview part 1 on Into The Vertical Blank Curt Vendel Interview part 2 on Into The Vertical Blank
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Wed, 26 August 2020
In this episode I finally take a look at the Starpath game Party Mix, which may be one of the first collections of mini games in a video game. It is a rare 4 player paddle game at the late date of Fall 1983, but it has its usual Starpath polish. I hope you enjoy listening. Next up will be Bank Heist by 20th Century Fox, and hopefully it will be released in two weeks. If you have feedback for Bank Heist, please send it to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by end of day September 5th. Thank you so much for your patience, and for listening. November 1983 Video Game Update newsletter Dennis Caswell's archived web site Dennis Caswell's book Phlogiston at Floating Bridge Press Dennis Caswell interview by Mat Allen Dan Kitchen interview on the SNES Podcast, part 1 Dan Kitchen interview on the SNES Podcast, part 2
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Wed, 1 July 2020
Hi there, thanks for sticking with me through all of this, I hope you all are well. This episode is about the Imagic game Moonsweeper, by programmer extraordinaire, Bob Smith. If you haven't already checked the game out, I hope you will after listening. Next up will be Party Mix by Starpath. If you have any feedback for Party Mix, please get it to me by Sunday the 12th. Send it to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com. I am shooting for the episode to be out on the 15th, but please keep in mind that may change. Please stay safe, and I thank you for listening. Moonsweeper on Random Terrain |
Wed, 13 May 2020
Hello friends, this is a rare interview edition of the show, in which I talk to Steve Cartwright about his career. We talk about his time at Activision, Accolade, and Electronic Arts, as well as what he's doing now and even touch on some of his hobbies. It was an honor and a privilege to talk to Steve, and I thank him very much for speaking with me. I hope that you enjoy it and I thank you for listening.
Direct download: Interview_with_Steve_Cartwright.mp3
Category:Creator Interview -- posted at: 7:02am EDT |
Wed, 6 May 2020
Thanks so much for tuning into the show, this is a very special episode featuring Frostbite by the great Steve Cartwright. It also marks the release of a heretofore unknown work in progress prototype of Frostbite called Iceman, which you can find in the links below. Please listen to the episode for the whole 22 year journey of Iceman! Steve Cartwright was gracious enough to do a phone interview with me as well, that will be coming up in the feed very soon. |
Wed, 22 April 2020
Hello there, I hope that you all are safe and sane during this weird and difficult time. Today's episode is about Pole Position, the Namco arcade game that was ported to various Atari systems by General Computer Corp. (GCC if you're nasty). Coming up next is the wonderful Frostbite, by Activision's Steve Cartwright. If you have any thoughts on Frostbite (and I know that you do), please send them to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by the end of the day on May 3rd. Thank you so much for listening and please take care of yourselves, I love you all! |
Sun, 5 April 2020
Hi there! I hope very much that you all are staying home when you can and staying safe. For the first time in a loooong time, I have a Bonus Track for you. In this episode I go through my concert ticket stubs that I saved (most of them from before my twenties), and talk about each show, if I remember anything about it. There's some fun stories in there that I hope you will like. Thanks to Sean and Lisa for the inspiration, there's an Autobiography of a Schnook episode where the two of them talk about the concerts they went to in 2019. As always, please take care of yourselves and thank you for listening.
Direct download: Bonus_Track_-_Concert_Ticket_Stubs.mp3
Category:Bonus Track -- posted at: 8:16pm EDT |
Wed, 1 April 2020
Hi there, I hope that you are all safe and staying home if you can. I know in many cases that is more difficult, a lot of my friends have to work from home while home schooling their kids, which I imagine is a lot. We will get through this! One thing that may or may not help with that is Z-Tack by Bomb, the super rare ripoff of a PAL game called Base Attack. I was kind of surprised that I got so much feedback for this game, thank you so much. Next time I'll be covering a big game, Pole Position by Atari. If you have any thoughts on this game, please send it to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by April 12th. I think there will be a lot of feedback for that one too. As always, I thank you so much for listening and I wish you all health and happiness. |
Wed, 18 March 2020
Thank you all once again for your patience! Today's episode is about Robin Hood by Xonox. Xonox seems to be a company that people are split on, so tune in to see how it goes for Robin Hood. Next up is Z-Tack by Bomb. Please send me your feedback by March 29th to be included in the show. I will supply all the info about the game, you tell me your thoughts. Please. Stay safe out there everyone, I wish you all the best and I thank you for listening. |
Wed, 26 February 2020
What, me worry? Not when I have M.A.D. from U.S.Games as this episode's game! Hoo boy. I hope you enjoy the episode. Next up is Robin Hood by Xonox. If you have any feedback for that game, please send it to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by March 8th. Thanks so much for listening! |
Wed, 12 February 2020
This episode is all about the Irem arcade game Moon Patrol, ported by Atari via GCC. Thanks for your patience regarding the release of this episode. I had a bit of an emotional setback in January and I'm trying to fight my way out of it. M.A.D. by US Games will be the next game I'm covering, so if you have any feedback for the game please send it to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by end of day 23 February. Thank you for listening! |
Wed, 15 January 2020
Welcome back to the show! I hope you all enjoyed the holidays, now we're back to playing Atari 2600 games every two weeks until I screw something up. The first game of 2020 is the Activision Decathlon by the amazing David Crane. I hope you enjoy the show. Next up will be Moon Patrol by Atari, so if you have any feedback on that game, please send it to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by the end of the day 26th January. Thanks so much for listening!
Direct download: The_Activision_Decathlon_by_Activision.mp3
Category:Video Games -- posted at: 7:50am EDT |
Sun, 22 December 2019
Happy Holidays to you all, thank you once again for your patience and for listening. |
Wed, 4 December 2019
The last game I'm covering this year is Roc 'n Rope by Coleco, from the Konami arcade game. Thank you for a wonderful if stunted year, I really needed the break. I'm really loving doing the research again and I hope to get ahead a little bit in the month of December. I will be doing a Christmas show, if you have ANY Christmas memories you want to share with us, please send them to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by the end of day December 16. Sarah and I will be reading and listening to your messages in the show. Also, the next game I will cover in January is the Activision Decathlon. If you have any feedback on that game, why not get an early start and send it to me by January 12th. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving if you are in the USA; I am very thankful for all of you, and I thank you for listening. |
Wed, 20 November 2019
This episode's game is Mountain King by CBS Electronics. It contains bats, which should tell you everything you need to know. Next up is the last game of the year, Roc 'n' Rope by Coleco. Please get your feedback to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by end of day 1 December. I'm also planning another Christmas episode, if you have any Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa stories you would like to share (it doesn't have to be about video games), please get them to me by December 16th. As always, thanks for listening, and thanks to all who donated and watched along with my Extra Life half marathons. It was a lot of fun and I made my goal, which is awesome. |
Wed, 6 November 2019
In this episode I cover the only plane flying simulator on the 2600 that I am aware of, Tomcat F-14. It certainly was an adventure! Up next is the CBS Electronics game Mountain King, so if you have thoughts on that game, send it to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by November 17. My Extra Life half marathons are coming up this weekend on the 8th and 9th starting at 6 pm. Thanks to all who have donated so far, I'm still trying to reach my goal! You can donate at the link below, thanks for that and thanks as always for listening.
Direct download: Tomcat_F-14_Fighter_Simulator_by_Absolute.mp3
Category:Video Games -- posted at: 5:18am EDT |
Thu, 31 October 2019
Just a quick update to when I'm doing Extra Life for the folks who may have missed it on social media. I'll be doing it NEXT weekend, the 8th and 9th starting at 6 pm both nights. I hope to see you there, thanks so much! |
Wed, 23 October 2019
Greetings fellow droids, in this episode we take a gander at Star Wars the Arcade Game by Parker Brothers, a port of the Atari vector arcade game. If you think that's confusing, wait until you hear THE REST OF THE STORY. It's a fun one! Coming up next is Tomcat F-14 Flight Simulator by Accolade, a late 80s release. I would especially like to know if you had this game when it originally came out. Please send your thoughts to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by end of day November 3rd. I can't believe it's almost November. As always, I thank you for listening.
Direct download: Star_Wars_the_Arcade_Game_by_Parker_Brothers.mp3
Category:Video Games -- posted at: 5:17am EDT |
Mon, 14 October 2019
Hello there, thanks for waiting for this episode that features Joust by Atari! It's one of my favorite arcade games and is done pretty well on the 2600 (spoilers), probably because it was in the capable hands of GCC. Next up is Star Wars The Arcade game by Parker Brothers, which has an extremely interesting provenance. If you'd like to contribute to that episode, please send your feedback to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by end of day October 20th, and I'll put it in the show. Thanks so much for listening! |
Wed, 25 September 2019
In this episode we look at the game Quest for Quintana Roo, which I mispronounced for most of the show. Thanks to Eugenio for correcting me. I loved the game and I hope you will too. Next up is a big game, Joust by Atari via Williams. If you have any thoughts on this game, please get them to me by end of day 5th October and I'll put it in the show. Remember, just tell me your thoughts on the game, I'll take care of the game play. you can send those thoughts to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com. Thanks so much for listening!
Direct download: Quest_for_Quintana_Roo_by_Sunrise.mp3
Category:Video Games -- posted at: 3:52am EDT |
Wed, 11 September 2019
In this episode we take a look at the 20th Century Fox game M*A*S*H, and also do a mini Bonus Track on the TV show, sorry about that. Next up on the show will be Quest For Quintana Roo by Sunrise. If you have any feedback on this game, please send it to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by end of the day September 21. NO STRAGGLERS. :) |
Wed, 28 August 2019
Hi there, thanks so much for your patience for the last 6 months of my podcast drought. Today I bring you Malagai by Answer Software, and I also discuss their Personal Game Programmer. Next up on the show will be M*A*S*H by 20th Century Fox. If you have any feedback for that game, please send it to me at 2600gamebygame@comcast.net by September 7th. Thank you very kindly for listening, and once again I am grateful for your patience and kind thoughts and words. |
Sun, 14 April 2019
In this episode I talk with Greg aka SoulBlazer from the SNES Podcast and the Playstation Power Podcast. He helped establish NES game rentals in the video store that his mother managed in the 80s and 90s. It's a fun interview and I hope that you enjoy it. As always, I thank you for listening. |
Wed, 10 April 2019
Just a quick update on what's happening with the show. Thanks for your support, patience, and as always, for listening. |
Wed, 6 February 2019
Today's episode is about Crackpots, the Activision game that was the first 2600 game by Dan Kitchen, who went on to make many more (and is still making them!). I hope that you enjoy the episode. |
Sun, 27 January 2019
This episode is all about the very cute Sega arcade game Pengo, as ported by Atari. Not by GCC, which is surprising for this time period. I hope that you enjoy the episode. Next up is Crackpots by Activision. If you have any thoughts on Crackpots, please get them to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by 6 PM EST on 5 February. |
Mon, 21 January 2019
Greetings and welcome to my hopefully new feature, interview episodes! First up is Jeff Ronne, who was the programmer for Tron Deadly Discs from M Network. I really enjoyed talking with him and I am grateful to him for his time. He's an interesting guy and also one of the few programmers at that time who programmed games for multiple systems. If you have any comments, you can email them to me at 2600gamebygame@comcast.net, or leave them on the Facebook or Twitter pages. Thanks so much for listening!
Direct download: Interview_-_Jeff_Ronne_Tron_Deadly_Discs.mp3
Category:Creator Interview -- posted at: 8:07pm EDT |
Wed, 9 January 2019
Happy New Year! The first episode of 2019 is all about Tron Deadly Discs, by M Network, a tiny little division of Mattel Electronics. Please stay tuned to the feed for an interview with programmer Jeff Ronne. I enjoyed talking with him and I hope that you will give it a listen. Next up will be Pengo by Atari. If you have any feedback for Pengo, please get it to me by the end of the day 20th January. Thank you all so much for listening! |
Tue, 25 December 2018
Thank you all so much for everything this year. It means so much to me that you are all enjoying and contributing to the show. Sarah and I wish you all the best holiday season ever. |
Sun, 9 December 2018
The closing of Toys R Us has been rolling around in my head for months, I finally had some time to sit down and record it. I guess it's appropriate since it's Christmas time. I hope you enjoy it, thank you for listening! |
Wed, 28 November 2018
In this episode I will be looking at (and also talking about) the Apollo game Infiltrate, which is kind of like a dumbed down Elevator Action for our Atari 2600. I don't have an exact date for the next game yet, but it will be tron Deadly Discs by M Network and will come out in January. If you have any Christmas memories that you would like to submit to the 6th annual Christmas show, please send them to me by the end of the day on December 16th. Also, I will be announcing a date and time for when Sarah and I will do a livestream of all the games I covered this year. If you are feeling charitable, please consider donating to my or my friends' Extra Life campaign. You can donate until the end of the year, every little bit will help kids who are sick. Please check the links below to donate. Thank you all so much for listening! |
Sun, 18 November 2018
Thank you to everyone for your patience waiting for this Stargunner episode. Of course, the research was all done the week before the episode was due out, then I got sick that weekend. So the lesson here is that procrastination is good. I have a lot of the research done for Infiltrate, so that will be out the week after Thanksgiving, and that will be the last game of the year. So if you have feedback for Infiltrate, please send it to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by end of day November 25th. Theme from Feedback remixed by Giles Martin Strudders: two. |
Wed, 24 October 2018
Today I'll be covering Atari's Kangaroo, a 1983 arcade port. It has a kangaroo in it, in case you were wondering. Two, actually. I hope you enjoy the episode. Coming up next is Stargunner by Telesys, a pretty rare game. If you have a great many thoughts on this game, please send them to me by end of day 4 November, and I will include it in the show. Please make sure you put your name in the file if you send an audio submission! Also, please consider donating to me or any of my friends that you see here who are doing Extra Life marathons (half marathons in my case), starting on November 3rd. Thank you for your generosity, and as always, for listening. |
Sun, 7 October 2018
After a short delay, I am back with Crypts of Chaos by 20th Century Fox. A fine dungeon crawler if I do say so (and I do), a genre that is underrepresented on the Atari 2600. Coming up next is the arcade port Kangaroo by Atari. If you have feedback for this game, please send it to me by end of day October 18th, and the show will be out on the 21st. So he says.
Direct download: Crypts_of_Chaos_by_20th_Century_Fox.mp3
Category:Video Games -- posted at: 9:55am EDT |
Fri, 21 September 2018
The Summer of Tanks officially closes with this great audio submission from Bryce, the host of the Turbotastic Podcast! He took all of the tank games on the 2600 and ranked them. I did the same, and I also posted polls on social media, so you'll hear what you think too! Also, if you'd like to enter the contest to win 5 of the 2600 tank games, please send an email to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by 10 PM EST on October 2nd. Please put Summer of Tanks contest in the subject line. If you've already won something from my show, please sit out this one if you could. Thank you all for listening!
Direct download: Summer_of_Tanks_Wrapup_-_Rank-a-Tank_with_Turbotastic_Bryce.mp3
Category:Video Games -- posted at: 5:00am EDT |
Wed, 19 September 2018
Today for the first time I delve into what I originally thought was a PAL exclusive game, Bobby Is Going Home by Bit Corporation. Music and fun, what more could you want? Special thanks to Flanders 72, a punk band from Brazil. They are a great band that has a song called Bobby Is Going Home, which they let me use for the show. You can buy the track at their Bandcamp site, as well as all of their other music, so please support them! Next up will be Crypts of Chaos by 20th Century Fox. Please send your feedback to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by the end of the day, 30 September. Thank you all so much for listening, and for your patience. |
Sun, 2 September 2018
We bring the #SummerOfTanks to a close with the wonderful Front Line by Coleco, a run and tank game kinda similar to Commando (which will be an episode in 2045). I hope you enjoyed the #SummerOfTanks because that will be the last themed season that I do on this show. It just happened to work out that way. Next time I'm covering Bobby Is Going Home, a very special PALcast requested very gently by my friend Rama. Please send in your feedback no later than 6 pm EST on 11 September. Thank you for listening and enjoy the rest of your summer, of which we have three more weeks. No matter what schools and pumpkin spice lattes say. |
Sun, 26 August 2018
In this special episode, I talk with my nephew Ian about our trip to the Game Masters Exhibition at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. The exhibition is only there until September 3rd, so if you want to go, please hurry! Thank you for listening. |
Wed, 8 August 2018
The next entry in the Summer Of Tanks is Robot Tank, by Activision. Lots of great feedback for this game, thank you all! Coming up next will be Front Line by Coleco, which will be the last Summer Of Tanks game. The release will be slightly delayed due to my parents' visit, so please get your feedback in to me by 23 August. You can send it to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com. Tank you for listening! |
Sun, 29 July 2018
It's been over a month, but I finally had a chance to sit down and talk about what I did at Too Many Games this year. I went for one of the three days, met some old and new friends, had a lot of fun, and yes, bought too many games. You may notice the extreme lack of tanks in this episode, I apologize for that. But as always, I do tank you for listening. |
Wed, 25 July 2018
The 2018 Summer Of Tanks kicks off with Tanks But No Tanks by Zimag, an NTSC version of the PAL game Phantom Tank by Bit Corporation. Don't know what Summer Of Tanks is? Well, fear not, it's only a listen away! Coming up next on Summer Of Tanks is Robot Tank by Activision, which may contain tanks. You have been warned. Do you like Robot Tank enough to shout about it? Well then, direct your shouting over to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com, and your shouting will be shouted or played shoutingly on the show. I hope you enjoy the episode and I tank you very kindly for listening! HAHAHA |
Fri, 6 July 2018
Hello everyone! Thank you for your patience, I hit a bit of a podcasting wall right before summer started, and now we have quite a few weeks of visiting with family, which has been great. The schedule for summer will be a bit up in the air, so please continue to bear with me, and I thank you. This episode is about Fireball by Arcadia/Starpath, a Breakout style game for the 2600. Sarah always tells me I sound tired when I record the podcast, and I can never hear it. It is very obvious in this episode however, and I do apologize for that. I really wanted to rerecord it, but that would have taken a few more weeks. I hope that you enjoy it regardless, there's lots of great feedback to listen to in the second half of the show at least. |
Wed, 30 May 2018
Greetings fellow Climbers! In this episode, I speak with Dennis Debro about his first homebrew game, Climber 5! We also talk about his Pac-Man 4K homebrew and much of the work he's done helping other homebrewers. It was a great conversation and I am grateful to Dennis for talking with me. |
Wed, 16 May 2018
On today's episode we plumb the depths of the game Polaris by Tigervision, a port of the Taito arcade game. Will it be a great game, or will it be subpar? Yes, these are the quality jokes that you can expect from this show. Up next will be the homebrew game Climber 5 by Dennis Debro, with whom I will be talking for the episode. Thank you so much to Dennis for that! If you have any feedback on Climber 5, please send it to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by end of day on May 27th. The night before that, Sarah and I will be at Crabtowne USA in Glen Burnie, MD. Lots of classic games there to play, so please come and say hello if you're in the area. Thanks so much for listening! |
Wed, 2 May 2018
Finally, another Imagic game is on the show! That's right, after a 2 year hiatus, Imagic is back with Solar Storm this episode. I hope that you enjoy it. |
Mon, 23 April 2018
Better late than never when dealing with hungry crocodiles, right? This episode is about the Taito arcade game turned into an Atari 2600 cartridge, Jungle Hunt. Are you game for wild adventure? ARE YOU?? If you are, then I will need you to sign a few release forms. You know, in case of crocodiles. |
Wed, 4 April 2018
This week we're going deeper and deeper underground with scary alien monsters on our tail in Mines of Minos by Commavid! Can YOU make it to the alien command center and triumph? I can't. |
Sun, 25 March 2018
This is a short bonus track about how I got to fulfill a childhood fantasy years after I forgot about it. I hope you enjoy it, thank you for listening. |
Wed, 21 March 2018
Welcome to the exciting world of TEETH! This week I'm taking a look at Plaque Attack by Steve Cartwright and published by Activision. This is NOT the other Atari 2600 teeth game, so there. Next time I'm covering Mines of Minos by Commavid, and there will be another Strudders Score contest! If you'd like to win a copy of Mines of Minos courtesy of Rob, all you need to do is guess the combined score rating that Strudders and Mini Strudders will give the game WITHOUT GOING OVER. Keep in mind that the scoring is from 0-10, so don't guess over 20 you sillies! Please email your entries to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com. PLEASE put "Minos Contest" in the subject line, and if you have feedback for the game, please send a separate email. All entries and feedback should be in by April 3rd at 6:55 PM EST. Thank you all for listening! |
Sun, 11 March 2018
I'll be in the lodge by the fire drinking coffee while you go out and attack the slopes, you Mogul Maniac! Maybe I'll stand on the Joyboard for awhile and pretend I'm out there with you. Naahhh, I don't want to spill my coffee.
Direct download: 151_-_Mogul_Maniac_and_the_Joyboard_by_Amiga.mp3
Category:Video Games -- posted at: 8:21am EDT |
Sun, 25 February 2018
In this episode I talk about Atari's unreleased prototype of Tempest, which is also their arcade game that I love so very much. The next episode will hopefully get me back on schedule, and that one will feature Mogul Maniac by Amiga. If you have any thoughts on that game, please send it to 2600gamebygame@gmail.com by end of day March 5th. |
Sun, 11 February 2018
Hi there, thanks for your patience for this episode on Wall Ball from Avalon Hill. I was finishing the editing on Wednesday morning when Sarah went to work. We thought the front porch was wet, but it was covered with ice. She fell and it was very scary, she was in a lot of pain. I ended up bringing her to the doctor to find out she had bruised her ribs. She is doing better now but the pain sneaks up on her still. Thanks to all of you again for your patience and well wishes. |
Wed, 24 January 2018
Welcome to episode 148, where I discuss the Sega game and horrible fiery recurring death of Congo Bongo! Poor Congo Bongo, he never had a chance. Next up is Wall Ball by Avalon Hill, which is pretty rare. If you have any feedback on this game, why not send it to me at 2600gamebygame@gmail.com? You'll be glad you did! Thank you all for listening. |
Wed, 10 January 2018
Happy New Year! Today's episode is about Popeye by Parker Brothers, based on the Nintendo arcade game, which in turn is based on the Popeye cartoons, which in turn again is based on the original comic strip which didn't originally feature Popeye (I know, right?!). Lots of great feedback, thank you all so much! Coming up next is Congo Bongo by Sega. If you have feedback for this game, please get it to me by January 21st. I am trying to turn over a new podcasting leaf, hopefully starting on feedback earlier will help. Thank you all so much for listening! |
Mon, 25 December 2017
Merry Christmas everyone! I recorded this episode while I was baking Christmas cookies, so please excuse the sound quality and background noises. I thought that would be a good time to talk about what I do for a living (and for leisure too!). I hope that you will enjoy listening to it. Thank you once again for a wonderful year! |
Wed, 20 December 2017
Welcome to the 5th annual Christmas show. Thanks to all of you for contributing over the years to make these special shows so much fun for everyone to listen to. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. Thank you so much for listening!
Direct download: 2017_Super_Christmas_Spectacular_Holiday_Extravaganza.mp3
Category:Christmas -- posted at: 5:32am EDT |
Sun, 10 December 2017
Need something for the Atari weirdo in your life? Look no further! Here are some gift ideas that will make you scream "STELLAAAAAAA!!!" That makes no sense. As always, thank you for listening. |
Fri, 8 December 2017
John Lennon has been a huge part of my life for decades. In this Bonus Track episode, I talk about how his murder affected me then and now. I know it's not the most happiest of topics around the holidays, I probably should have put this out on his birthday. But it didn't make sense to me to do that.
Direct download: Bonus_Track_-_John_Lennon_1940-1980.mp3
Category:John Lennon -- posted at: 6:00am EDT |
