TrekMD

Here's a cool bit of gaming history I picked up this week for our growing Atari I/O classic gaming museum...
 
This is a prototype Mario Bros. game cartridge for Atari 2600. There are a few reasons (obvious) that make this a great addition to the museum:
 
This is not the retail release. The game is playable, but not entirely complete. 
  It's essentially two prototypes in one. This isn't just a prototype of the game, it's a prototype of the physical cartridge itself. Or rather an engineering sample. Most Atari prototypes were placed in black "Lab Loaner" Atari cartridges. I'm sure we've all seen these at some point. This cartridge is different, because it's half clear.

When Atari redesigned the game cartridges to house both 2600 and 7800 games and removed the dust cover mechanism, they likely shot off a few samples in clear plastic to test the molds. This is one of those clear cartridges. So it's a pre-production engineering sample of a clear cartridge with a prototype game inside of it. This cartridge was originally found among the clear Atari 7800 console shells.
  It's not just any prototype, it's Mario Bros.! How cool to think that this would be one of the very first game cartridges in the world to bear the "Mario Bros." name and take Mario & Luigi on their first adventure together   
Pretty cool stuff. I've made this image openly available so feel free to use it and share it in any way that you'd like:

Been a while since I posted about a new episode. There've been three since my last update here! In this chapter:
Oh, jeez…another one of those Facebook things again?! Thoughts on two decades of marriage Blank (perhaps the most unusual Music For Schnooks installment yet)

https://schnookpodcast.com/audio/Schnook_Chapter014.mp3

My wife and I aren't really into Halloween too much holiday wise. As a result, we shut off all he outside lights we can and order pizza so we can stay in bedroom to watch TV and 'hide'.
 
 

Yes you did!!! Thank you so much!!!! 🙌

I donated yesterday. 

Scootin' through the maze avoiding those spiders on a quest to become a butterfly in Phi's Caterpillar!

I worked at a small musical theater in CT a few years ago & Fiddler was one of the shows that year. I had never seen it before & the only song I was vaguely familiar with was "Sunrise, Sunset". The show was amazing and to this day, I find myself with random songs from the show stuck in my head.
 

Oh, on my last trip to Puerto Rico to visit my family I went to a new store they have that essentially clears merchandise.  I got two of the AtGames controllers with multiple games there.  I paid $6 for each one.  I couldn't resist!

They feel cheap in your hands but they do the job just fine and, for $6, I am not complaining. 

Oh, on my last trip to Puerto Rico to visit my family I went to a new store they have that essentially clears merchandise.  I got two of the AtGames controllers with multiple games there.  I paid $6 for each one.  I couldn't resist!

It's not the movie.  I'm going to the actual musical play! 
Hmm, how about watching Hocus Pocus with your wife?  It's family friendly and fun and not really scary but appropriate for Halloween!  Disney just announced a sequel for it for their Disney+ service.

She likes Hocus Pocus.  Thanks for the suggestion!

One of may favorite controllers for the 2600 and my Atari Computer!
 

I'm going to do something entirely unrelated to Halloween.  I'm going to watch The Fiddler on the Roof!  I have listened to the music for this show for years and I've never seen it.  The only night I can go is October 31st, so that has become my plan for that evening. 

I'm going to do something entirely unrelated to Halloween.  I'm going to watch The Fiddler on the Roof!  I have listened to the music for this show for years and I've never seen it.  The only night I can go is October 31st, so that has become my plan for that evening. 

Can't say I do.  I've never been much of a fan of adding hot sauces to my food.  But I don't like food to hot or spicy either.  

That was a good restaurant!  Whenever I end up in Chicago again, we should eat there! 

Interesting.  I want to read more on this.

I always knew Atari.io was unsafe.  A bunch of enthusiasts getting along without drama?  Gotta be a catch!

Awesome!  I already wrote this one some time ago knowing this was the next game for the podcast.  Once I'm back home from PRGE I'll send it over. 

When everyone shows me their goodwill finds, this is how I feel!

I was going to notify you on this as well.  Hopefully, it can be resolved soon.

These are well worth it!

These are well worth it!