[I may be opening myself up to some major criticism, for simply asking, "Why?"]

1 hour ago, RickR said:

Atari used a simple cable for external devices (it is called an SIO cable) and you daisy chain them together.

Big influence on USB, that’s a fun story if you read into it. I like to credit Atari for the USB 😛

[Atari 7800 Forever]

The Atari 7800 Forever Podcast / Atari Network Podcast is true quality, and a real benefit to the Atari community and to preserving Atari history. Your interviews are stellar. There's an approach to this that’s unique in its vibe and didn't take itself too seriously, and to me feels much needed in the Atari world. I hope to see the podcast eventually continue in some form. You have my support and the support of Atari I/0 if that day comes.

[Atari re-releasing 7800 carts]

2 hours ago, Sabertooth said:

Boxes are included, as with the Plaion re-release of Berzerk and release of Mr. Run & Jump. They are also including instructions this time! Here's a sample from "Ben at Plaion."

I appreciate that they’re standardizing the CX78 Control Pad. It always should’ve been that way. 

[Recharged Squad Challenge 026 - Yoomp!]

lol way to go @socrates63 I'm rooting for you!

[Entertaining images / pictures]

Why do some of you think it's anywhere near appropriate to repeatedly post sexualized images and comments on an Atari website? Does that seem to you at all in keeping with the spirit of Atari I/O that's open to all ages? I shouldn't have to say this out loud. Can someone explain that to me because I'm no prude and I'd like to hear a public justification of your reasoning.

[It's here! A very special THE400 Mini Atari Unboxing]

What's the reason for naming this "The 400" as opposed to "Atari 400" or "Atari 400 Mini"?

[Why Commodore Failed - A Conversation with Commodore UK's David John Pleasance & Trevor Dickinson]

Former Commodore UK Managing Director David John Pleasance and Trevor Dickinson of A-EON Technology talk about the fall of Commodore and David’s book “Commodore: The Inside Story”

[Commercials of the Dot Com Bubble | Late 90s/ Early 2000s Internet and Tech Company Ads]

I really enjoyed this one, particularly because I lived through it so vividly and it’s still pretty fresh in my mind!

[Squad Challenge - Pengo (MAME)]

2 hours ago, TrekMD said:

Pengo is a fun game!  I don't have MAME installed.  I'd need to get the latest version to play this challenge!

You can also play on real hardware if there’s a Pengo machine in your area.

[Squad Challenge - Pengo (MAME)]

Be sure to join @Sabertooth in Club VCS for this month's VCS Recharged Squad Challenge, YOOMP! on the Atari VCS!

 

[Squad Challenge - Pengo (MAME)]

 

 

 

 

Pengo
MAME
Controller: JOYSTICK / KEYBOARD / PLAYER'S CHOICE
Difficulty Level: DEFAULT
Play on: Real Hardware / Dedicated Console / MAME / Emulation OK! ✔
Squad Challenge ends 11:59 pm PST April 30, 2024
Nominated by @Smell Dawg

 

 

Objective

Play for the highest possible score using the difficulty settings defined in the challenge. Post a photo or YouTube video of your score in this thread. Scores must be achieved between April 1st through April 30th, 2024. Screen captures are not allowed as they are more easily manipulated for falsified scores. Multiple submissions are permitted. The player with the highest score at the end of the competition is the victor!

 

Eligibility

Anyone can join in. All players are welcome!

 

Play Rules

Games may be played on real hardware, Flashback / Mini console, FPGA or emulation, using any controller or keyboard, following all rules and game settings defined in the challenge. Choosing between real hardware or emulation, and choosing which controller to play on is part of formulating your strategy. Enhancements, rewinds, save states and hacked versions of this game are not allowed.

 

Difficulty Level

DEFAULT. We will be playing Pengo using DEFAULT arcade settings. As this is an arcade game emulated on MAME, dip switch settings and debug menus can complicate things. Feel free to post questions or suggestions regarding difficulty settings to make sure we are all on the same page.

 

Fair Play

Your integrity is everything. Players should play fairly, be honest, and have fun! Falsified scores will result in your immediate removal from the site. It goes without saying that we will not allow cheats, hacks, cartridge frying, enhancements, rewinds, deceitful photo manipulation, subterfuge, or any other unfair advantage. Everybody hates a cheater.

 

More

To review detailed rules on how to play, please visit the High Score Squad page here: 

 

 

Message

Welcome to our 157th Squad Challenge! This month we'll be playing the original Pengo arcade game from Sega, nominated for High Score Squad by @Smell Dawg for us to play on MAME. Pengo is a maze game where the basic layout is akin to Namco's legendary Pac-Man, featuring a top down, single screen, maze-like arrangement. Pengo's enemies, the Sno-Bees, are also similar to the Blinky, Inky, Clyde etc. - the ghosts that pursued Pac-man; not least because Sno-bees also come in 4 different varieties, each represented by a different color. One aspect that distinguishes Pengo from the Namco classic is that the maze itself is a wholly interactive environment. Each section of wall is represented as a block of ice, which can be pushed onto the Sno-bees to destroy them. The Sno-bees themselves will destroy the ice blocks as they move around each level, so speed is of the essence. Some of the blocks are "Diamond blocks" which can't be destroyed, and can be re-used by Pengo. The outer wall of each level can also be utilized; if the player pushes against the wall when a Sno-bee is next to it, the Sno-bee will be temporarily stunned; allowing Pengo to move in for the kill. DID YOU KNOW: According to Zero magazine, Hudson Soft's Bomberman series adopted gameplay elements from Pengo. ROM and Instructions will have to be sourced online. Enjoy!

 

 

 

[Squad Challenge - Beef Drop (Atari 7800)]

 Congratulations Marco1019!

 

Congratulations to @Marco1019 on another victory in High Score Squad Challenge! @Marco1019 takes the top spot in our Final Standings for Ken Siders' Beef Drop on Atari 7800 with an outstanding score of 56,900 points. WAY TO GO MARCO! Our runner up winner for the Beef Drop Squad Challenge is @TrekMD who takes 2nd Place with an excellent 46,600 points! VCS guru @Sabertooth takes the 3rd spot on the board with an impressive score of 39,600 points. "The Don" @RickR takes 4th with 26,700 points.

As always I'd like to encourage @Marco1019 to  post his high score on the Scoreboard, and let's make sure this Challenge continues on! Congratulations once again to Marco on his big win, and I'd like to thank @TrekMD for nominating this game!

👉 Be sure to join @Sabertooth in Club VCS for this month's VCS Recharged Squad Challenge on the Atari VCS!

 Our next High Score Squad Challenge will be for the original Arcade version of Pengo on MAME. Be there!

 

 

 

 

 

[Electronic Gaming Monthly’s Top 39 Atari Lynx Games Ranked]

Electronic Gaming Monthly’s Top 39 Atari Lynx Games Ranked

 

From the video:

Of all the game systems I own, one of my all-time favorites is the Atari Lynx. While it was nowhere as popular as Nintendo's Game Boy or even Sega's Game Gear, the Lynx always felt a step ahead from a technological perspective. The 16-bit processor and fancy scaling and rotation effects allowed the surfboard-shaped system to play 3D air combat games like Blue Lighting, intense racers like Road Blasters and an arcade-perfect port of Ninja Gaiden. What's more, the extended line-up included an atmospheric Dracula game that was way ahead of its time, the best (and craziest) version of Rampage and a surprisingly solid port of Xybots. Compare this to what the competition was putting out and it's, well, black and white.

The Lynx was also way ahead of its time when it came to the hardware. For example, the games came on little cards, similar to what we saw with the Nintendo Switch. Games could also be programmed to be played horizontally or vertically, something that some developers took full advantage of. The Lynx was also one of the only systems that allowed left-handed gamers to turn the controls around. Oh, and did I mention that you could link your system with up to 15 other units. This was the handheld of the future, which makes it all the more frustrating when I tell you that the Lynx only sold 3 million units.

To date, there are 76 officially released games for the system, including a few that came out as late as 1999, exactly four years after the system was discontinued. Of those 76 games, Electronic Gaming Monthly reviewed 39 of them, or 51% of the library. To help celebrate the greatness of the Lynx, I wanted to see EGM rank the games using their own words and review scores. Join me as we flip through the pages and countdown Electronic Gaming Monthly's Top 39 Atari Lynx Games.

0:00 - Introduction
2:13 - Commercial: Lynx (Tobey Maguire)
2:42 - Super Off-Road
3:12 - Basketbrawl
3:39 - Robo Squash
4:01 - Desert Strike
4:30 - Malibu Bikini Volleyball
4:50 - Zarlor Mercenary
5:13 - NFL Football
5:38 - Xybots
6:02 - The Guardians: Storm Over Doria
6:29 - Kung Food
6:53 - A.P.B.
7:16 - Pac-Land
7:38 - Dirty Larry: Renegade Cop
8:08 - Commercial: Lynx (Four-Players)
8:34 - Xenophobe
9:01 - Blockout
9:27 - Dinolympics
9:52 - Pit-Fighter
10:13 - Steel Talons
10:39 - Pinball Jam
11:03 - Crystal Mines 2
11:25 - Todd's Adventures in Slime World
11:46 - Rygar
12:09 - Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
12:41 - Warbirds
13:04 - Hydra
13:27 - S.T.U.N. Runner
13:52 - Commercial: Lynx (Option Switch)
14:09 - Lemmings
14:26 - Lynx Casino
14:52 - Joust
15:15 - Chip's Challenge
15:36 - Gauntlet III: The Third Encounter
15:58 - Shadow of the Beast
16:22 - Road Blasters
16:43 - Rampart
17:06 - Toki
17:30 - Turbo Sub
17:53 - Blue Lightning
18:17 - Ninja Gaiden
18:40 - Klax
19:09 - Commercial: Lynx (3 Out of 4 Characters Agree)
19:25 - Question of the Day

[What Atari 8 Bit Games Do You Recommend?]

The Atari XE has a nice version of Crystal Castles, the nicest released for an Atari home video game system - so far 

[Question poll]

I would expect the same product to play both systems.

[Which Star Trek character do you need a hug from?]

 

[Which Star Trek character do you need a hug from?]

Janeway should’ve been dragged in and courtmartialed for what she did with Tuvix. Abominable. They could’ve Thomas Rikered Tuvix and returned the other back to Tuvok and Neelix. Nobody thought to take a deep breath, do some research and figure this out? Just unreal. Says a great deal imo about Voyager that Tuvix became one of the top episodes for reasons other than what the writers intended.

 

[Commercials and or skits "of the past" that were worn out. (add your own)]

 

[Voyager 1]

[Meet the Mind Behind Atari 7800 Homebrew Games: Robert DeCrescenzo]

16 hours ago, TrekMD said:

That would be fantastic.

I agree. It’s a no-brainer 🧠 It’s an Atari IP that was intended to be put on the 7800 and never released. It’s possible they may have discovered some of the original source code, or may have it done from scratch. It would be perfect for the 7800 and I hope to see the new Atari move in this direction. It would be an absolute dream come true.

[Post your latest/recent pickups!]

3 hours ago, TrekMD said:

Here's my latest arrival.  These are CD for these Intellivision games.  There's a fifth disk but I cannot post what it is.  🙂

Are these audio soundtracks or do these somehow play on Intellivision?

[Meet the Mind Behind Atari 7800 Homebrew Games: Robert DeCrescenzo]

I wonder if he could be completing Crystal Castles for the 7800?

[Trying ChimeraOS in PC-MODE]

6 hours ago, Sabertooth said:

Anyway, this may be a window into second life for VCS owners once Atari pulls the plug.

You touched on something very important here. If and when that day comes and Atari offers zero support, we need to find new and innovative ways of keeping the VCS humming along for decades into the future. That can and will be done, and Club VCS will be at the epicenter of the innovation I’m sure.

[Weird and Wonderful Easter Eggs in Atari Lynx Games]

 

[Analogue DUO Jailbreak now exists]

Awesome to see this development, thanks for sharing this info @CrossBow