socrates63

I'm not a drinker, but @Gianna I think we need to go to a bar and drink and reminisce 🥂🍻 Here's to our childhood memories and Geoffrey. May he live in our hearts and memories forever. We ❤️ you and miss you, Geoffrey.

It's a generational thing. In the 80s, we shopped at toy stores. I guess our grandparents mail-ordered from the Sears catalog. Did you know that computers were sold at computer "dealers"? PCs were not something that you can buy off the shelf like today. It was almost like buying a car. I remember helping my church to buy an AST 286 PC in the late 80s. We talked to a salesman and went over the different models and configurations, negotiated, and then placed our order. During the 90s, we saw the rise of mail-order PC manufacturers (Dell, Gateway, etc.) that changed that model. Nowadays, I wonder what kind of memories kids today are cultivating. It's all online shopping now.

I like the sticker 👍 Creep It Real

Anything in particular you may be looking for @Duckie25?

30,870 Wow, I suck 😆 I wish this game supported CX30 Evolved paddle and used the second button to shift gears.

The 80s gives me the feelz. Looking back now, the first half of the decade was extremely influential to an impressionable kid. That's when I discovered Atari, D&D, computers, Star Blazers, and 50s 60s 70s TV show re-runs. The second half of the 80s was when I developed my taste in music as a teen. As I've gotten older (now in my early 50s), I find myself looking back and enjoying all the things that I enjoyed during the 80s more than any other time in my life. My kids, who have been the center of family life for the past 20 years, are now older, so I now have more opportunity to reflect on myself and the life I had before them. For some, I suppose it may be mid-life crisis. For me, it's simply a time to reflect and appreciate the past experiences that shaped who I am today. I think the process started two years ago when I attended my high school reunion (photo below). It was the 30th anniversary, and it was the first reunion that I attended. Since then, I've re-connected with Atari consoles and computers, and I find myself here 🙂.

Toys R Us was my go-to in the early to mid-80s. I bought my 2600, 800, C64 (which I returned), and Vectrex at the Toys R Us in Southcenter Mall (Tukwila, WA). I didn't shop at the other toy stores like KB Toys. Thinking about it now, it's amazing how such a short amount of time has had such a large impact on my life. Growing up, my life mantra was the TRU slogan -- I don't want to grow up. I'm a Toys R Us kid. That's a mentality that has stayed with me my entire life.

Good stuff @TrekMD! I’ll need to check those out on Netflix.

Allergies ugh! Rest up! May the 🐟 🐠 swim strong and bite hard on your bait tomorrow, @HDN.

Wrapping up Friday night with a couple of 2600 homebrews and a hack(?). Voice enhanced Berzerk for the 2600 sounds really good 🕹️ Not a bad relaxing way to unwind and head into the weekend. I might catch an episode of the original Twilight Zone before calling it a night 📺 What's everyone up to on a Friday night?

Hi, Duckie! Welcome to the I/O. I'm actually new here myself. Yes, it's pretty amazing we can continue our relationship with all things Atari so many years later.

Completely forgot about Noxzema! Looks like it's still around. My teens could use it.

Very fun game! I played Cosmic Ark for the first time a couple of months ago during a high score challenge. It didn’t take long for it to get pretty intense 🕹🕹

Seeing your Pitfall! walkthrough video a few months ago was when I learned for the first time that the goal of the game was to collect all the treasure and that there was an end to the game 😮 🤯 💥

A fun game with utility! Win win! LucasFilm made some terrific games back then. I remember being amazed by the graphics of Rescue on Fractalus.

I added some sealed 5200 games to my collection, but more exciting to me is the CX30 Evolved paddle controller and the fact that I've discovered a store for Atari stuff that I didn't know about before! Everything arrived today from @Video 61 and atarisales.com. I initially found out about the CX30 Evolved controller through @btbfilms76's 7800 paddle controller giveaway post. Being a controller guy, I couldn't wait until December to score the CX30 Evolved from BTB's giveaway and had to order my own pronto. Go see BTB's post and video linked in the post for details on the CX30 Evolved. This is the best paddle controller that I've used -- velvety smooth movement and very comfortable to hold. I've stored away my 2600 paddles.

oooh I love 🍍 drinks. Didn't know about this one. Although I only drink diet soda, I'd make an exception to try pineapple Fanta.

They are! They look like they were designed this way by Atari. And they almost got me to re-consider getting the 7800 Pro-Line controller. I briefly tried it at PRGE last year and didn't like it, and my 7800 didn't come with it anyway.

@btbfilms76 I couldn't wait until December so I bought my own CX-30 paddles. They arrived today, and I tried them out on the 2600 with Super Breakout. You are 💯 percent correct in your description -- "super smooth feel" almost velvety. I also found them more comfortable to hold than the 2600 paddles. I am a controller guy, and I am extremely happy with the CX-30. I may get another in my next order with Video 61.

I loved Fanta as a little kid in Korea. We only had the orange one in Korea iirc. I have a 43 year old story about orange Fanta... 📖 Once upon a time, there was an eight year old boy who had newly immigrated to the US in April of 1977, just in time to partake in May the historic cultural event that forever changed the US and the world over -- the premiere of Star Wars. But this story isn't about that event. This story centers on a very unassuming and ordinary circumstance, one that people engage in daily, but for one little boy who had been in the country for only 6-8 months and possessed very limited English communication skills, nothing could be taken for granted as ordinary. One day, he followed his classmates to Burger King for lunch (open❗ campus elementary school back in the late 70s, just bring a note from home). He got in line to order lunch along with his classmates. When it was his turn, he saw a familiar drink on the menu and promptly asked for "oh-wren-jee." "What?" Burger King's assistant replied. "Oh-wren-jee," repeated the newly transplanted little Korean boy. "Excuse me?" "Oh-wren-jee." What's wrong with this person? Why doesn't he understand? I said 오렌지. That's what the drink is called. After the miscommunication ensued for another round of exchange, one of the little boy's classmates stepped in and said, "Orange. He wants the orange soda." ==== end part 1==== Saving part 2 for another day and what happened after the boy received his orange soda

I didn't think of that! I commuted to school from home. I did however take advantage of free food towards the end of quarters when my (girl) friends, who had too much meal allowance remaining (it didn't roll over), called the guys over for dorm food feasts. My favorite was beef stroganoff at University of Washington 🙂🍽️

You kool kids who grew up with cable in the house -- I missed a lot of great shows because I had to fiddle with the TV antenna and aluminum foil. I remember Ultra Man was on Turner, but I only saw it the one time when I was at my friend's house.

Ah yes, Waterworld. Earlier this year, I bought the blu-ray release by Arrow that is supposed to have a longer and better cut... which I haven't watched yet 🙁 Have you seen it?

That is an awesome gif! I've never seen it before 👍

Ooh, I think you're right, Harry 👍 Thanks for the photo. I was thinking of a different joystick.