Jump to content

fergojisan

Member
  • Posts

    232
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    3

Reputation Activity

  1. Like
    fergojisan reacted to Justin in Ultimate Yars' High Score Squad Challenge (Atari 2600) - Howard Scott Warshaw Day 2017   
    Yars' Revenge
    Atari 2600
    Controller: PLAYER'S CHOICE
    Difficulty Level: GAME 6 - ULTIMATE YARS
    Achieve high score to win challenge
    Play on: Real Hardware / Dedicated Console / Emulation OK! ✔
    Squad Challenge ends 11:59 pm PST August 1st, 2017
     
     

     
     
    Objective: Play for the highest possible score using the difficulty settings defined in the challenge. Post a photo or video of your score in this thread. Scores must be achieved between July 30th through August 1st, 2017! Screen captures are not allowed as they are easily manipulated for falsified scores. Multiple submissions are permitted. The player with the highest score at the end of the HSW Day competition is the victor.

    Eligibility: Anyone can join in. All players are welcome!

    Play Rules: Games may be played on real hardware, dedicated console, or emulation, using any controller or keyboard, following rules and game settings as delineated in the Squad Challenge. Enhancements and hacked versions of this game are not allowed.

    Difficulty Level: ULTIMATE YARS: GAME 6 - Ultimate Yars features a bouncing Zorlon Cannon, plus some unusual twists that distinguish it from the other Yar games. First, you must bounce the Yar against the left side of the screen to make the Zorlon Cannon appear. Also, to make the cannon appear, you need five TRONS. TRONS are units of energy which you can collect at the following rate:
     
    Eat a cell from the shield: 1 TRON Touch the Qotile: 2 TRONS Catch a Zorlon Cannon shot after it bounces off the shield: 4 TRONS  
    If a Yar bounces on the left side with less than five TRONS, it will not get a shot, but it won't lose the TRONS it has either. (Each time a Yar is destroyed, it loses its TRONS). Each Yar has a capacity of 255 TRONS. If a Yar tries to take on more than that, it will short out and the Yar will lose all its TRONS. The count of TRONS is not displayed on the screen. Yar scouts understand the count instinctively. 

    Fair Play: 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 no use of cheats, hacks, cartridge frying, enhancements, Photoshop, subterfuge, or any other unfair advantage is allowed. Everybody hates a cheater.

    More: To review detailed rules on how to play, please visit the High Score Squad page here: http://forums.atari.io/index.php/topic/1219-high-score-squad-how-to-play/ 

    HAPPY HOWARD SCOTT WARSHAW DAY 2017! We're celebrating HSW's birthday with a short round of Ultimate Yars! Yars' Revenge is one of the best original Atari 2600 games. For this challenge we're playing on the highest difficulty setting, GAME 6: ULTIMATE YARS!
     
    Remember this is for "nerd cred" and meant to be a fun celebration of Howard Scott Warshaw! This challenge runs from today through Tuesday, so you'll have until 11:59 pm PST Tuesday, August 1st, 2017 to complete this challenge and successfully submit your score. The ROM and Instruction Book are provided for you below. Remember, share Atari fun with family and friends, and enjoy the game! Good luck!


    Yars_Revenge.binYars_Revenge.pdf
     

  2. Like
    fergojisan reacted to Ballblaɀer in Ballblaɀer's collection: 2600, 5200, Vectrex, and...   
    The most recent additions to my Atari collection are things I’ve not seen in photos on the internet or elsewhere.  I can't see that they've been cataloged on AtariMania.com, AtariBoxed.com, or any other comprehensive database sites, and I’ve never really seen them specifically mentioned on any Atari forums or in Usenet groups like RGVC.  I don't believe these are super-rare or anything; one has to think that lots (thousands, perhaps?) of these were printed.  I just don't think anyone has bothered to document and share them.  So, what are they?
     

     
    These are unique Swedish language instruction manuals from licensed international distributors for the Atari VCS in Scandinavia.  They are supplementary to the standard English manuals, and are designed to refer directly back to the English manuals for illustrations, etc.  Most are printed in black-and-white only, but a handful of them have color printing.  Two of them -- Space War and Surround -- have the officially licensed artwork on the front, too.  Video Chess has the title of "Schack", the Swedish word for Chess.
     

     
    When it came to releasing region-specific products for the VCS, Atari partnered with distributors all over the world.  Aficionados may be familiar with some of the more noteworthy ones like Polyvox in Brazil, Monaco Distributors in New Zealand, and Irwin Electronics in Canada (see photo of Night Driver manual below, another recent collection addition). Some of Atari’s international relationships, including those with Scandinavia, find their roots in the first half of the 1970s when Atari/Syzygy partnered with a number of coin-op distributor corporations.  Check out mcurrent’s fantastic Atari timelines for additional details.
     

     
    Atari's connection to Scandinavia appears to have originated in 1973 through the newly incorporated Atari International, with partner “AB Roulettekonsult och Spelautomater”, a roulette & slot machine distributor in Sweden that (if I'm reading translations properly) originally dates back to 1963.  Sometime in their earliest years, the Swedish company re-branded as (or signed a partnership agreement with -- it’s not clear to me which) Cherry, a Swedish casino gaming company.  One of the coin-op Atari games that Cherry distributed was a uniquely manufactured Breakout.  Cherry also seemingly built their own version of the Atari Theater kiosk, though I'm not sure if any were ever put into service.  Anyway, it's this same company that later also distributed the Atari VCS and its games in Scandinavia.  The manuals are mostly attributed to “Cherry Hemelektronik AB” (Cherry Home-Electronics Ltd.) and “Cherry Företagen” (Cherry Enterprises).
     
     
     
    In addition to Cherry, there are also some manuals printed by “AlgaVision AB” and “AB Alga” to contend with.  AB is the Swedish acronym for Aktiebolag, which is like "Corporation" or "Limited Company".  I don't think that AlgaVision is directly related to Cherry, though they seem to have similar/overlapping regional coverage.
     

     
    Alga appears to have had an office in Finland as well: they printed an Atari 2600 system owner's manual all in Finnish.  An article (“Growing Interest in TV Games”) in December 1981 Norwegian magazine “Radiobransjen” refers to AlgaVision AB as Atari's official distributor in Sweden, Finland, and Norway.*  Inter-Salg A/S is named as another Atari distributor in Norway.** The designs of the B&W Cherry manuals and those of the Alga manuals are nearly identical.  Interestingly, I've found two images through Google Image Search that show VCS advertisements from Cherry; one of them has the ad displayed next to a separate ad from AlgaVision, the other has the ad by itself but with an AlgaVision sticker ON it, as if maybe they were sharing stock, or they took over for Cherry at some point.
     
    All of this is to say that I don't yet understand how these Scandinavian companies were related (if at all), both in general and chronologically.
     

     
    My first instinct is to wonder how it's possible that these particular manual supplements don’t seem to have ever been documented anywhere.  Then I remember that, while Atari expanded their business all over the globe, the VCS didn’t become a part of global mainstream pop culture in the same way or to the same extent that it did in North America.  Ultimately, So if, say, some devoted Atari VCS fans don’t go to the trouble of unearthing and cataloging things like this, they could potentially be lost to time.
     
    I call on everyone, especially international readers, to help me chart the existence of additional manuals and supplements (find me at @AtariSpot on Twitter, message me here or on AA, or email AtariSpot [at] gmail [dot] com).  I’ve been building a spreadsheet tracking major variants of Atari manuals, and I'm sure that the international manuals I have listed are but a fraction of what exists.  I also strongly encourage everyone to scan unique manuals and submit them to AtariMania, AtariBoxed, and archive.org -- these things are all part of video game history and deserve to be preserved electronically, if in no other way!  We’re seeing big pushes to archive post-crash video game history in recent years, but not nearly the same attention and effort is being given to classic systems, and especially non-North American releases.  I hope to help change that.
     
    *Bonus: there’s a full-page VCS ad on page 6 of the same magazine which shows Inter-Salg A/S as the Norwegian distributor.
    **Double bonus: there’s an article that appears to be about VCS Pac-Man sales in this June 1982 issue of Radiobransjen -- when I get more time I intend to try to translate it.
  3. Like
    fergojisan reacted to RickR in Sgt. Pepper's - 50th Anniversary version   
    Two words:  It's awesome.
     
    Review and more info here:  http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/review-the-beatles-sgt-peppers-anniversary-editions-w484397
     
    I'm listening to the re-worked stereo mix...and it's incredible.  Highly recommended for any Beatles fans. 
  4. Like
    fergojisan reacted to Rowsdower70 in Sgt. Pepper's - 50th Anniversary version   
    I usually like my Beatles in mono, but I will definitely check it out.
  5. Like
    fergojisan reacted to TrekMD in Last minute request: Feedback for Space Raid homebrew by nanochess   
    Hi Ferg!  I have the game but I won't have enough time to send you feedback for the episode.  I'll have to send you feedback later. 
  6. Like
    fergojisan reacted to StormSurge in Last minute request: Feedback for Space Raid homebrew by nanochess   
    Sorry Ferg, but I never heard of this game until you teased the episode. I have no idea where my FB portable is to try out the ROM. I'll just enjoy listening to your thoughts on it. 
  7. Like
    fergojisan reacted to DegasElite in Last minute request: Feedback for Space Raid homebrew by nanochess   
    It looks more like arcade Zaxxon than the original A2600 port of Zaxxon did. I like it. Thanks.
  8. Like
    fergojisan got a reaction from TrekMD in Last minute request: Feedback for Space Raid homebrew by nanochess   
    Hi guys, I host the Atari 2600 GBG podcast (why did I pick such a long title). Normally I try to solicit feedback for homebrew games in the forums, but I totally forgot in this instance (it's been a busy summer so far). Have you played Space Raid by Oscar Toledo Gutierrez? It's basically a port of Zaxxon that actually plays in mock 3D 3/4 view or whatever it is. You can find it here: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/217250-space-raid-2600
     
    Also here: http://www.nanochess.org/space_raid.html
     
    I'll be recording the episode about 7 hours after this is posted. Thanks in advance for your feedback!
  9. Like
    fergojisan got a reaction from StormSurge in Last minute request: Feedback for Space Raid homebrew by nanochess   
    Hi guys, I host the Atari 2600 GBG podcast (why did I pick such a long title). Normally I try to solicit feedback for homebrew games in the forums, but I totally forgot in this instance (it's been a busy summer so far). Have you played Space Raid by Oscar Toledo Gutierrez? It's basically a port of Zaxxon that actually plays in mock 3D 3/4 view or whatever it is. You can find it here: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/217250-space-raid-2600
     
    Also here: http://www.nanochess.org/space_raid.html
     
    I'll be recording the episode about 7 hours after this is posted. Thanks in advance for your feedback!
  10. Like
    fergojisan got a reaction from The Professor in Last minute request: Feedback for Space Raid homebrew by nanochess   
    Hi guys, I host the Atari 2600 GBG podcast (why did I pick such a long title). Normally I try to solicit feedback for homebrew games in the forums, but I totally forgot in this instance (it's been a busy summer so far). Have you played Space Raid by Oscar Toledo Gutierrez? It's basically a port of Zaxxon that actually plays in mock 3D 3/4 view or whatever it is. You can find it here: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/217250-space-raid-2600
     
    Also here: http://www.nanochess.org/space_raid.html
     
    I'll be recording the episode about 7 hours after this is posted. Thanks in advance for your feedback!
  11. Like
    fergojisan got a reaction from DegasElite in Last minute request: Feedback for Space Raid homebrew by nanochess   
    Hi guys, I host the Atari 2600 GBG podcast (why did I pick such a long title). Normally I try to solicit feedback for homebrew games in the forums, but I totally forgot in this instance (it's been a busy summer so far). Have you played Space Raid by Oscar Toledo Gutierrez? It's basically a port of Zaxxon that actually plays in mock 3D 3/4 view or whatever it is. You can find it here: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/217250-space-raid-2600
     
    Also here: http://www.nanochess.org/space_raid.html
     
    I'll be recording the episode about 7 hours after this is posted. Thanks in advance for your feedback!
  12. Like
    fergojisan got a reaction from Justin in Last minute request: Feedback for Space Raid homebrew by nanochess   
    Hi guys, I host the Atari 2600 GBG podcast (why did I pick such a long title). Normally I try to solicit feedback for homebrew games in the forums, but I totally forgot in this instance (it's been a busy summer so far). Have you played Space Raid by Oscar Toledo Gutierrez? It's basically a port of Zaxxon that actually plays in mock 3D 3/4 view or whatever it is. You can find it here: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/217250-space-raid-2600
     
    Also here: http://www.nanochess.org/space_raid.html
     
    I'll be recording the episode about 7 hours after this is posted. Thanks in advance for your feedback!
  13. Like
    fergojisan got a reaction from DegasElite in Atari Box   
    Not as bad as the CatBox for the Jaguar.
  14. Like
    fergojisan reacted to DegasElite in Atari Box   
    Oh. OK. I am glad of that fact. "Ataribox" sounds tacky to me anyway. 
  15. Like
    fergojisan got a reaction from TrekMD in The Atari 2600 Game by Game Podcast   
    Again, I am horrible at remembering to post here (let alone my own forum). But episode 139 is now out, featuring Survival Run and the Cosmic Commander controller by Milton Bradley. Thank you for listening.
     
    http://traffic.libsyn.com/2600gamebygamepodcast/139_-_Survival_Run_by_Milton_Bradley.mp3
  16. Like
    fergojisan got a reaction from StormSurge in The Atari 2600 Game by Game Podcast   
    Again, I am horrible at remembering to post here (let alone my own forum). But episode 139 is now out, featuring Survival Run and the Cosmic Commander controller by Milton Bradley. Thank you for listening.
     
    http://traffic.libsyn.com/2600gamebygamepodcast/139_-_Survival_Run_by_Milton_Bradley.mp3
  17. Like
    fergojisan reacted to dauber in Pie Factory Podcast   
    So, uhhh....we're going to be talking to Jeff Lee, graphic artist who worked at Gottlieb and has illustrated books and other stuff. There's a chance you might have heard of a character he created. Little bouncy guy named Q*Bert?
     
    Aaaaaaaaaaaaanyway...if you have any questions you want us to ask Jeff, please e-mail us said questions to piefactorypodcast @ fab4it . com
  18. Like
    fergojisan reacted to nosweargamer in An AMAZING Gift Box From GRay Defender   
    Actually boxes, since it came in two.  Seriously, this blew me away!
     

     
    We have some seriously generous people here in the community.
  19. Like
    fergojisan reacted to The Professor in Caldor "Price Break!" Ad for Atari & ColecoVision - Friday, March 11, 1983   
    Here is a vintage Caldor newspaper ad for Atari and ColecoVision games. This ran in the Poughkeepsie Journal on Friday, March 11, 1983. I think it's interesting that they're advertising Donkey Kong for Atari 2600 in the ColecoVision section. It was a Coleco product, but better suited in the Atari section, not mixed in with ColecoVision games. That seems like it would be confusing to some. My first thought was "Why would they be advertising Donkey Kong on its own if it came with every ColecoVision sold?" Then I saw it was for the 2600. Also notice that by March, 1983 E.T. was already marked down to $14.76. E.T. had retailed for around $40 during the 1982 Christmas shopping season only a few months earlier. That's quite a price drop!
     

     
    Caldor was a discount retailer that was popular in the North East during the 1970s and 1980s. Caldor could best be explained as K-Mart dressed up to look like JCPenny. The interior of each Caldor store was designed to look more like a department store than a discounter, and many were even designed by the same firms used by more up-scale retail environments. They featured wide aisles, bright lighting, and large, colorful display treatment, and were typically remodeled every 6 years. They were best recognized for "The Caldor Rainbow" with a mix of brown, yellow, and orange. Caldor struggled to compete against Wal-Mart and filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection in 1999. Here are some vintage pictures of Caldor:
     

     

  20. Like
    fergojisan got a reaction from StormSurge in Caldor "Price Break!" Ad for Atari & ColecoVision - Friday, March 11, 1983   
    Got both of my NES Zelda games and the Nelsonic watch at Caldor. We didn't have one in the Atari days.
  21. Like
    fergojisan got a reaction from Lost Dragon in Caldor "Price Break!" Ad for Atari & ColecoVision - Friday, March 11, 1983   
    Got both of my NES Zelda games and the Nelsonic watch at Caldor. We didn't have one in the Atari days.
  22. Like
    fergojisan got a reaction from The Professor in Caldor "Price Break!" Ad for Atari & ColecoVision - Friday, March 11, 1983   
    Got both of my NES Zelda games and the Nelsonic watch at Caldor. We didn't have one in the Atari days.
  23. Like
    fergojisan got a reaction from DCG in Hyperkin - Retron 77. HD Atari 2600?   
    I'll have to get an HDTV first. I guess they're catching on.
  24. Like
    fergojisan got a reaction from Justin in Hyperkin - Retron 77. HD Atari 2600?   
    Looking at the back, I guess that means it is HDMI only? I don't have one so I'm not sure. Missing the physical switches will affect some games like Phil said. I guess it will work with a Harmony cart, that is good news. The price point is incredible. As long as they don't find a SNES inside later on, this should be a great thing for the community. Except for cart prices going up.
  25. Like
    fergojisan got a reaction from StormSurge in Hyperkin - Retron 77. HD Atari 2600?   
    Looking at the back, I guess that means it is HDMI only? I don't have one so I'm not sure. Missing the physical switches will affect some games like Phil said. I guess it will work with a Harmony cart, that is good news. The price point is incredible. As long as they don't find a SNES inside later on, this should be a great thing for the community. Except for cart prices going up.
×
×
  • Create New...