DegasElite

I picked Caverns of Mars Recharged.  First attempt:  305 points!  I think I need a manual 🙂 

It is so cool of Atari to do this.

Atari is showing the love this Valentines Day with a free game code. Any game.
The code was distributed in the VCS Insider newsletter and is good through the end of February.
Make sure to login to your VCS and take advantage of the code. Let us know what you game you picked up in this thread!
Also, there are some fun tidbits in the newsletter,  so it's worth checking out.

I guess so, too. But originality might be a good point for the voting chart. Currently reading about how to start a Game Jam on itch.io and if it would be allowed to give out prices there. Would not know where else to start something like that other than itch.io, or maybe @Justin would be interested in doing this via atari.io?

I'm surprised Alexa is something you'd want to use.

I don't use it to turn my TV on or off, but I do have it turn on and off lights and a couple of other items.  Just don't ask it to fart, trust me.

I do use Alexa to turn on my TV and even my Xbox, plus I tell it to go straight to my streaming app bypassing the ad ridden home screen.
But lately Alexa doesn't do voice search for shows anymore plus the Prime subs are getting out of hand so if my Fire TV Cube dies I'll only get a Roku stick... 🤷‍♂️
(Still good for instant weather reports before I go to work.)

I don't use Alexa, I use Google Assistant and it is indeed amazing what these things can do.  Assistant is going to be enhanced with the BARD AI, so it will be interesting to see what else it can do. 

So one of the things I like about Alexa is adding things (by voice) to my "shopping list" as I think about them, then telling it to print my list when I'm ready to go shopping.  Well, it apparently Alexa keeps track of the toner levels in my printer as well.  Today, out-of-the-blue I got a notification on Alexa and an email from it informing me my cyan level was down to 15% and that I needed to reorder.  Wow, that was unexpected, but nice to know before I ran out.

That looks so cool!  Wish I had the space for it! 

Kinda looks to be the A1UP Centipede cab, but with a joystick added in.  I dig.  Guessing the joystick is for the "50 classic games" part.

Pre-orders open today ($499.99)
https://atari.com/products/arcade1up-atari-50th-anniversary-deluxe-arcade-machine?_kx=DvPCjsHzpB01zDUwRNWoImIscxgT64-PWwMYdNIgn_E%3D.Vvtdy7
It has 50 classic games, including many arcade classics.  Is that a track-ball I see?
I have wanted a mini-cab version of Missile Command for ages, but haven't ever been able to find one.  I may just splurge on this instead.

Who remembers? I recall being into tech as I am following these stories. Linux / Open Source consoles that never got farther than the prototype stages. Were they simply too ambitious? HEAD OF THEIR TIME MAYBE? After all Valve proved Linux based gaming systems CAN be successful even though their first attempt also failed. 


Links for more info / context:
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/07/ars-reader-so-a-guy-walks-into-my-shop-with-an-infinium-phantom-console/
https://retro-replay.com/indrema-l600-the-greatest-console-that-never-was/
 
 

It's unfortunate that Zero Page Homebrew intentionally doesn't cover some homebrew developers and publishers. I'd be more excited about this if they were open to everybody.

I stumbled across this looking for 5200 games I don’t have.
And they are sold on EBay here:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/115911714663

Aha!  More research shows that this is a hardware limitation of the SID, and that it has been hacked for hobbyists who have added a second SID to their system! 

Here is the hacked version on C64:
 
 

I just noticed something that I found a bit surprising.  For the EA classic M.U.L.E., the theme song for the Atari version (which came first) has 4 voices.  The C64 version, with the mighty SID chip, there are only 3!  Here are a couple of videos cued up to a spot where it is easiest to hear.  It starts with drum, then bass, then synth line.  The Atari version clearly has two.  C64, only 1!  The lower-pitched rhythm synth is missing!! 
Do you hear it too? 
In any case, it is one of my all-time favorite video game theme songs. 
Atari version (start at 39 second point if I didn't embed this properly):
Commodore version:
 

This is such a cool game!  Activision always made the 2600 shine!  Did you earn that patch back in the day?

You know, despite the limitations, this port of Q*bert is really nicely done. 

Casual gameplay only of Activision's Spider Fighter (1982) for the Atari 2600.  Programmed by Larry Miller, players protect an orchard from a host of bugs.  
Played (poorly) with a CX-40+.
 

I cannot play this game on one of my 7800's (without the expansion port), the one with the expansion port does and it is cool to see the 2600+ can also play it!  This version would have benefited from a POKEY chip.  The Lynx version is still my favorite.  🙂

The recent firmware resolved graphics glitched in Pole Position II.  To celebrate, I decided to give the iconic Fuji track a spin. Programmed by the wizards at GCC, Pole Position II was the pack-in title for the Atari 7800 ProSystem. Had the 7800 released in 1984 as planned, this game would have been an impressive step forward from the consoles of the previous generation. However, released in 1986 in a post-NES Super Mario Bros. world, it felt dated. The TIA sound is dull and droning. Also, the colors of the racers - particularly the player car - feels somewhat muted to me.  I do recall a graphics hack some years back that improved the look of the cars. 
Still, Pole Position II is a solid arcade racer that looks good and controls well. It's also possibly the most common 7800 game. If you're new to the 7800, be sure to pick one up on the cheap!
What do you think of Pole Position II?
 

"It is the nineties and there is time for KLAX..."
I'm celebrating beta firmware v1.1 REV2 with gameplay of the prototype of KLAX for the Atari 7800. This was one of the games that had not worked for me until the update.
Programmed by David Dentt, KLAX was one of several completed titles that were shelved by Atari late in the life of console. A port of the Atari Games' arcade game, the 7800 version does a fair job of bringing the puzzler home. It's too bad that we didn't get the full release as this is far superior to the 2600 game. If only it had some sweet pokey music to compliment the gameplay...
Is there time for KLAX in 2024?  You bet!
 

One of my favorites on the 2600!  I keep hoping the game can be hacked so it gets true Trak-Ball control!

Bringing Crystal Castles home to the 2600 was ambitious to say the least.  Some would argue that attempting a pseudo-3D, trackball controlled arcade game filled with bright castles and colorful characters to Atari's (by 1984) seven year old console was an effort in futility.  But when did that ever stop Atari?
Programmed by Peter Niday, this port does an admirable job with pseudo-3D castles, a variety of enemies, between level tunes and - most importantly - Bentley Bear! The translation to the 2600 is not all gems and honey. Control with the joystick - particularly a stiff CX-40 - can be a wrist wrecking chore. Still, worth checking out if only for Atari's furry mascot!