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If I had a dollar for every time I heard “another Atari game?!?” I’d have over 200 dollars :-)

If I had a dollar for every time I heard “another Atari game?!?” I’d have over 200 dollars :-)

RICK IS THE BEST!
 
I have two trades to report: One recent and one very overdue.
 
First this Dell Laptop:
 

 
It's older, but perfect for my needs (writing show note while watching the baby).
 
Next, something I just recenly got:
 

 
AN EMERSON ARCADIA WITH GAMES! (look for reviews at some point in the way future)
 
   THANK YOU RICK!   

I’m fine downloading the ports of Neo Geo stuff I like on the Switch... so far I only have Magician Lord, but do you really need more than Magician Lord? Such a great game!

If I had a dollar for every time I heard “another Atari game?!?” I’d have over 200 dollars :-)

According to 78% of wives there is! 

I would love to get into real Neo Geo, but it’s more expensive now than it was when it released! Emulation seems like the smart choice for that system.

Space Harrier 2 and the Arcade Stick was the first thing I bought after Xmas. Altered Beast was the pack in, and to have that awesome Arcade Stick - which I still have, and Space Harrier 2... I was a happy dude.

I really need to get a copy for my 32X; I have Space Harrier II for the Genesis and love it!

I would love to get into real Neo Geo, but it’s more expensive now than it was when it released! Emulation seems like the smart choice for that system.

Well... maybe it’s the best home version out there - 32X in a GORF cabinet I rescued.

Here are the thoughts on Midwest Gaming Classic I posted on my Facebook wall...
 
First off, just to get this out of the way...Billy Mitchell was there despite the bombshell that happened just a few days earlier. Personally I think the video evidence against his Donkey Kong scores is pretty damning, but at the same time, I got to talk with him for the second time. We didn't talk anything about the big stink. But the feeling I got from him was not at all that of an egotist that the Billy-bashers love to condemn. Instead, in our short talk he was very respectful and had kind words for the gaming community in general. Whatever YOU think of him, that's your opinion, and I respect that, but from my experiences, he seems to be a cool guy. And when I talked to him at MGC, he certainly was a class act. But I am NOT getting involved in the pro-Billy / anti-Billy wars.
 
Now that that's out of the way...some overall thoughts in general...
 
My primary goals: 1) get a working Commodore 64, 2) get at least two homebrews from Packrat Games, 3) get the three books I brought signed by the authors, and 4) get the two Activision games I brought signed by the developers. Success on 1, 2, and 3. Secondary goal: get a trackball for Atari 2600/7800 that will work with the trackball hacks. Not a success.
 
MGC this year afforded me my third time getting to chat with Walter Aldro Day Jr. I first met him at Galloping Ghost in 2015, and again at Underground Retrocade in 2016. All three times I got to talk to him, one thought went through my mind: "Wow, what a nice guy." Always a pleasure to talk with Walter; and it was an honor to have him walk by our table when I was doing my world record attempt on the Atari 7800 homebrew b*nQ, the late Ken Siders' interpretation of Q*bert.
 
Speaking of Q*bert...a pleasure as usual to see Jeffrey Lee, a true gentleman with some amazing creativity. And I know I'm a jerk for saying this, but one of the highlights of the weekend was watching James White rage-quit Faster Harder More Challenging Q*bert. Jim, I know you're a serious gamer, and you've always been good to me, but man...I'm sorry, I got a good laugh out of that. No offense meant!
 
Speaking of Atari 7800...some of you might have seen my desperate post asking if anybody going to the show had a 7800 power supply to either lend or sell. When I was setting up my side of the table, I plugged everything in, turned everything on, except...the 7800 wouldn't power up. After trying a few troubleshooting steps, it fired up!....and then *poof!* out again. Thanks to my friend and longtime podcast supporter Keith Sheehan for lending his power supply! (BTW, I DID get my power supply working...sort of -- the catch was the power supply's cable had to be in JUST the right position.)
 
As we all know, there are people you meet in person who turn out to be absolutely nothing like you imagined. Well...there is one longtime online/podcasting friend I got to meet who turned out to be EXACTLY as I imagined he'd be, and I mean that in the absolute best way possible. It was an honor to finally meet and get to hang out with William Pepper and his family. (And yes, I do hope that Sophie and I can put the bitterness behind us. I'm willing to call it a truce if she is.) Bill's podcast Atari Bytes is very creative: every week he plays an Atari 2600 (or occasionally Atari 7800) game and makes a story out of the game. He also has a very educational monthly podcast called It's a Podcast, Charlie Brown, which focuses on the Peanuts TV specials and feature-length films. And people who follow me on Facebook will see me plug his book In the St. Nick of Time around Thanksgiving -- that's going to be an annual read for me. (Trust me, it's really, really good.)
 
And few things brighten a day more than a conversation with Brian F Colin, who seriously is one of the most entertaining folks you'll ever meet. And one reason I will always be thankful for him: he and Jeff Nauman are the brains behind Rampage, Pigskin 621 AD, and Arch-Rivals (and many other classics)...and in what other video game besides Rampage do you get to eat a toilet? HOW AWESOME IS THAT?! (And yes, I do plan to see the Rampage movie.)
 
Glad to finally get to meet Tim Lapetino in person and have him sign my copy of Art of Atari (an AMAZING coffee table book for fans of any era of Atari). Tim, it was fun talking Chicago stuff with you. (Sorry I kind of cut myself brief, I just didn't want to spend too much time away from our table. )
 
Also great to get to meet Marty Goldberg, coauthor of Atari: Business is Fun (and many other books yet to be published), a true gentleman who also isn't afraid to tell it like it is.
 
Had a great talk with Tim "Mr. Boomshakalaka!" Kitzrow. To be honest I was not very familiar with him at all before this weekend, but I must say...I'm in awe of his talent. (And he goes to Beatlefest.)
 
And what would a rambling post about Midwest Gaming Classic be without expressing appreciation for the Guys Games and Beer team? Wow. They always have an amazing setup, and they absolutely did not disappoint this year. Tom, Drunken Larry, and company are truly among the nicest people you'll see at this show. They outdid themselves this year with the "Vect-Rex," a modified Vectrex housed in an Omega Race cabinet, with a 19-inch vector monitor and built-in re-sized screen overlays (which, from what Tom tells me, will eventually auto-select!!), and the arcade-sized true full-color Vectrex. Whoa. Honestly, if I weren't going to Midwest Gaming Classic as an exhibitor/vendor, I could spend the entire show just in their room.
 
And of course, I was there with longtime friend Jim Goebel, basically attention-slutting ourselves for Pie Factory Podcast, which we've been doing for three years. (The anniversary is right around now, actually!) I've actually been thinking lately how I really wanted to just put an end to it, at least my involvement, but we have a few changes in mind that will hopefully alleviate my burnout. Plus, we have some pretty amazing news that we'll be sharing in our next episode that just makes me realize...yeah, I need to keep doing this, there's no question about it.
 
So...I think that covers at least some of the experience. Hopefully this year I'll remember to sit down and consider 1) what stuff we brought that we didn't need to, 2) what stuff we didn't bring that we wish we did, and 3) what stuff we need to bring extra of (like, say, an extra Atari 7800 power supply).
 
Infinite thanks and props goes to Gary Heil and Dan Loosen. (Gary - sorry about, uhhh...practically Blues Brothersing the convention center when I arrived!) Dan - third year in a row I saw you around, and we've been FB friends for around a year, and I still haven't said a single word to you in person, but you're doing a hell of a job. I can't imagine the stress you go through every year to get this thing off the ground, especially this year at the Wisconsin Center. You and your hard work are beyond appreciated.
 
That's all for now. I know I'm forgetting some stuff. So sue me. (Wait, actually....no, don't sue me. Lawyers aren't cheap.)

BIG CHANGES COMING
TO ATARI I/O FORUMS!
 
 
 
Here's a SNEAK PEEK at What's Coming. Click Above Video To Watch!
 
 
 
We're upgrading to a new version of the software that powers the forums. Atari I/O Forums will run on the latest incarnation of the industry-leading community forum software, powering thousands of message boards online. This is a complete redesign from the ground up, and will include new features not yet found in Atari forums online.
 
This is a very big deal, this will affect everybody in the forums.
 
 
 
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU:
 
This is a GOOD thing. We're upgrading to the next level. More features, more opportunities to make the forums better. Best of all, we're bringing back Wednesday Night Atari Chat! That's right, the chat room will be back, new and improved. Things are going to look very different. Things will look and feel different in the forums. The forums will be "under construction" for a while, while we dial things in.  
 
 

 
Wednesday Night Atari Chat returns to the forums! Within a few weeks of our new chat room opening Wednesday Night Atari Chat will be back, hosted by Justin, btbfilms76, and The Professor. You might see DeLorean, Doctor Octagon, and Museum Matt pop in too! Expect NEW games, contests, events and trivia nights to be back later this summer or fall.
 
We care very much about your experience in the Atari I/O Forums, and we’re looking at all options to make the new chat room bigger and better than ever before. You choose to spend time here and we want it to feel like home. A big part of what has made this community so special was the chat room and the events held there. We want to get it right.
 
 
 

 
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU KNOW YOUR CURRENT LOGIN AND PASSWORD. Write it down somewhere and keep it safe. Captcha is offline until the upgrade. If you forgot your password and need to reset it, send me a PM and we will reset it for you. Also make sure to back up any important files, contacts or information you have stored in PMs, galleries or posted in the forums.  NOW is the time to take care of this. Don’t wait!
 
We may experience some interruptions during the upgrade. The forums may be inaccessible for short periods of time, member pips (rankings) may disappear briefly, and things could feel unfamiliar. Captcha is offline. Expect the unexpected.
 
 
 

 
PHASE I: FORUMS UPGRADE
(Over the coming weeks)
Our forums upgrade will take place over the coming weeks. The big switchover will happen mostly at once, with fine tuning and new features coming online as we dial things in.
 
 
PHASE II: NEW CHAT ROOM
(In time for summer)
A new chat room will open in the forums following completion of the upgrade. Within a few weeks of the new chat room opening, Wednesday Night Atari Chat will begin with weekly hosted events by Justin, btbfilms76, and The Professor. We’re lining up new trivia events, contests and prizes to follow shortly thereafter.
 
 
PHASE III: CUSTOM DESIGN
(TBA - After phase I & II are completed)
Further customization (Time & $$$) of the forums may take place at some point following the completion of our forums upgrade and launch of the new chat room. This will depend on user feedback and our experience with the new forums going forward.

My first book "The Atari 2600 Homebrew Companion: Volume 1" just went LIVE this morning via Amazon.com (plus 6 other countries)! The paperback is printed in black & white on creme paper, just like the 80's video game digest books. It covers 34 homebrew titles for the Atari 2600 in 182 total pages. Homebrews spanning from 1995 to today! 
 
Amazon Kindle version will be available in a couple of days for $3.99. If you purchase the paperback and want the kindle too, the kindle version is reduced to $1.99.
I'm also going to upload a color version of the same book, since I've had numerous requests for color pictures (though it will be pricey due to the color printing costs of Amazon). 
 
There are some preview pics of selected pages (by Amazon) on the webpage. Just click "Look Inside" right above the picture of the cover to see them. If you'd like to see a sample title, I can post one here, since Amazon only shows the beginning few pages and none of the actual homebrew titles. The game list is in the table of contents which is one of the preview pages.
 
 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1980969396/
 
 
If you purchase a copy, please let me know what you think. How did I do for my first book? Anything you'd like to see added for Volume 2?
 
Thanks!
Brian

Console-wise I started with dedicated pong unit, and moved into the VCS on release day. Since then I owned practically every cartridge based system of the day. But I had always wanted an all-in-one system that'd play every game ever made. Today that is possible through a standard emulation box. And that means yes, despite it being virtual consoles.
 
This enables me to sample and enjoy NeoGeo. Something I didn't like bitd, but do now.

Love this game! I won’t be up for the live stream but I’ll definitely check out the replay later. Assuming this will be the arcade version?

This thread reminds me that I need to inventory my collection... I have most of the Atari and NES stuff in a spreadsheet, which has me at 236 Atari 2600 games and 104 NES games, but I think those need to be updated as well. I’m probably in the 50 range for both SNES and Genesis, a little over 20 7800 games, mid 20’s for the 5200, mid 30’s for the Intellivision and Colecovision, close to 30 for the N64... plus a bunch of GB, GBC, GBA, DS, and 3DS games, and all the Disc based stuff (PS1/DC - PS4/XBox One).
 
I probably should use a web app or something like some others mentioned on this thread and elsewhere, it might make things simpler. I seem to end up with egg on my face more and more when I come home with a killer “deal” only to find it sitting there in my collection already. It helps me keep stuff for the junk box, but that’s about it.
 
I need to do the same with my movies; I’ve got several duplicates now thanks to not having a good inventory and relying on my faulty memory!

Not quite to the big 4-0 yet, but rapidly approaching it. I noticed my thumb joint was quite sore after playing some 7800 Asteroids for 45 minutes or so the day after this past weekend. I remember playing the 2600 version for HOURS, sometimes most of a day when I was a kid, rolling the score and not feeling any pain the next day.

Not quite to the big 4-0 yet, but rapidly approaching it. I noticed my thumb joint was quite sore after playing some 7800 Asteroids for 45 minutes or so the day after this past weekend. I remember playing the 2600 version for HOURS, sometimes most of a day when I was a kid, rolling the score and not feeling any pain the next day.

Saw one of these at Destiny Games in Detroit for 50 bucks... I really had to restrain myself to not pick it up!
 
With the Harmony able to play the games though it just wasn’t a good buy for me... 10 bucks more and I can pick up a Harmony which can do so much more.

You know, I think that’s what I told my mom when she saw me playing the game for the first time! I got it in a huge haul of carts from the video store next door after the owner just gave me all his Atari stuff. It worked!
 
And Rick, I don’t think I could have got Satan’s Hollow to fly no matter the excuse... my mom would have tried burning it to make sure the demons were exorcised from it :-)

I'm not counting, for fear of depressing myself. My number dropped off precipitously after giving away so many games prior to moving. 
 
If you ask my wife, the number is "too many". 

Does an entire console's library count? I like the VIS system itself. It is a solid system but even when it was released the components that make it were a bit dated. It could have been so much more. The whole edutainment library is not intuitive either. Only two of the system's "games" I have are considered games. Links and Sherlock Holmes. Those are good as is the shoot em up example on the sampler disc.
 
On Dreamcast I found one called Roadster. I love racing games but that one was not well thought out. Roads were too narrow and controls were not that great. So far I have not found any Atari games I despise.

Spikes Peak...Uggg
 

 
Pair it with Artillery Duel on a Double Ender, and you have one of the worst 1-2 combinations in history 

So NSG’s “Games that grew on you” thread, and this months high score challenge got me thinking and wondering what games out there are truly despised?
 
I mentioned Ice Climber already in the HSC thread, but another game I absolutely won’t play is Sssnake. It has to be one of the worst 2600 games ever made. It embarrasses me to have it in my collection, it’s that bad! If it weren’t for the fact it completes my Data Age collection, I would probably get rid of it just to save shelf space.