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Atari Adventure Square

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Everything posted by Atari Adventure Square

  1. Great find, and great cart art on these! Imagic basic design gets a pass cuz those colors give me a retro tingle at the cool gameplay memories of all owned titles.
  2. Given my long-running love of this tasty product, it's not surprising I'd look it up and find one of its root commercial from the early 70s, where my other addiction - Television - was starting to kick in and dropped me into this conceptually-pleasing candy formula, much like the accidental alchemy in this output:
  3. Watched episode 3 of the new series and I could not have imagined a better follow-up to a longtime pending cliffhanger. Everybody involved with this show is amazing.
  4. Agreed! Twin Peaks is one of the best television series ever! I was around when it launched and - having been intrigued by David Lynch's dreamzone output - I taped it to watch later. Turns out to have been the best decision I could make, as that weird and wonderful experience of the pilot would be a place I'd jump back into over and over again. I continued to tape the series, which aired while I was at work, (only to find out the show had been pre-empted on one evening for football and I missed one!) and would dive into its mad logic in the wee hours of the night. I mention recording the show because these tapes would become treasure, as years later, I introduced some good friends to the series and we'd talk endlessly about the journey it took us on. The mystery itself was great, but somehow you could feel the resolve was not the endpoint. By the time that llama stopped and stared at Coop, you were sold on wherever this show would go. I was one of the sorely disappointed viewers who watched that 2nd season cliffhanger knowing the show had been cancelled. Nonetheless, I appreciated Lynch and his dreamscape and returned to it over and over again. This third season...I barely have words for how great and inspiring it is to see Lynch return to form, get his hands dirty and lead us all back into a world beyond logic, where nightmares and angels co-exist, where we can lose ourselves once again to this soothing madness that feels so right. It's the best thing ever! And now I wanna dive back into Lynch's work and appreciate his genius all over again. Fire Walk With Me just gets better with time - and those lost scenes add spice to the mix. The new show feels like we being reintroduced to Eraserhead, Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet and all of Lynch's dreams. Not as an imitation, but as an epic homage to this long, strange and exciting trip we've been on with his work. eh, I feel I'm repeating myself. But I don't know that many Lynch fans anymore. Seems with older generations (even from back then) that appreciation of strangeness has been lost or is worrisome. It's so cool to have this thread right here for this purpose! Thanks Justin! And I'd really love to hear what everyone thinks of the new show, the original show, any of his movies for that matter. Don't let talks of 2nd season disappointments turn you away. It was never about the plot. It's all in the journey. And what a ride it's been! And we're getting a new road trip back to these roots as a reward for sticking around! Neat-o!
  5. Oh, so true about Tempest! A VR experience in that frenzied 'comin at'ya!'style would be terrific. I remember the Battlezone periscope as my first VR experience. And it would still hold up today in its original vector format. PS VR has a version of it - all colorful and busy. I dunno, I'll reserve judgement for when I try it out. And indeed, Row, TRON has had a steady trickle of follow-up games throughout the years. Maybe the shortened quick-play games aren't eneough for me, and the long-form XBox and PS3 ones...I just haven't played them enough, as the initial neat design wasn't followed by immersive, TRON-inspired gameplay. Or maybe I have to jump back into it after a rewatch of the movies and TV series. I still like that arcade port on XBox 360, but I miss the original controllers.
  6. Wow! I didn't think as a grown cube I'd still be into stickers - but these look great! I'd also prefer not to change the look of the original INTV carts, but there's a whole world out there waiting for a old-school gaming screen to randomly pop onto surfaces!
  7. I had a great time with Duke Nukem 3D, as it added some nice touches to the interstices of my gaming time on Doom wads filling my monitor with cool but somewhat repetitive 2D hellscapes. I looked up this series as I knew a new one had come out recently, and was surprised to find that 13 DN titles exists! So technically, the series is as alive as it's ever been. Although the poor ratings for most of these (and the jump from one platform to the next) ensured obscurity in the long run. As for series additions, I'd be curious to see what could be done today with Dragon's Lair, or its conceptual Don Bluth style of storytelling. Even though I never mastered it (one you'd seen someone do a full playthrough at the arcade, you got your reward anyway) it's a cool approach to gaming. You could say Telltale Games took it to the next level, though, with actual episodic adventures from favorite franchises filled with dialogue branches and action set-pieces in a FMV setting. I'd also love to see TRON get continuous gaming support love and title releases on a regular basis.
  8. Terrific new edit, indeed! Although it could've used Carlos' stirring soundtrack to greater effect, imho. Shows what a great imagionation can bring to a classic movie like this. Would've been great to see Disney put out a trailer like this when Legacy came out, even if just for us original fans. Better late than never, in any case. Also I now gotta rewatch this fave! Thanks Row!
  9. Qix seemed rather low-profile when it first appeared at my favorite big city mall arcade. Its look and sounds made more of an impression than the gameplay itself...at first. Loved the game, but it was one of many at that arcade, and coins were few. I stopped by that place with my dad maybe once a month, or less, as I traveled to this home city of mine whenever he had business there. After maybe the second time playing it, the game strategy became enticing, as it was unique in a sea of fun copycat driving, asteroiding, earthbound-shooting, galactic-shooting, maze-wandering titles all around. To this day, it stands alone as a conquering territory in a sparse electrosonic sparky kind-of-way. I'd love to try out the 5200 version someday. If it's even half as good as the original, you can't go wrong!
  10. Simply terrific, Row! Yeah, you gotta go dashing onwards with acquired skills and a heartful of desire to get what you want in the great maze of life. That Chalice dream ain't gonna put itself off the home castle walls! Insert Game Czar cart and Power On!
  11. Watched Beverly Hills Cop this week. I think Pinchot broke out and was discovered in that small role as a major comedy character actor and went on to Perfect Strangers shortly after. It's good to see them like this, today. True, there were some fun, goofy TV comedies on those days.
  12. Ah Rick, you earwormed this into my head! Yeah, I know that feeling as well, Kid. Been doing a work beat that, while steady, takes up all the social space as those precious few hours at home are spent way too fast to seemingly stop and smell the burning cabinet chips. Indeed, breaks are welcome and moments to share our retro gamer perceptions even moreso.
  13. Just wonderful! It's always tremendously cool to see cart boxes displayed alongside the mothership. You get a good sense of history (and Things To Come, back then) when a kiosk is brought to life like this.
  14. I can see the value of having interest - years after the fact - of collecting this bit of unsavory third-party 2600 titles. I mean, it's definitely a collector's item, objectively speaking. But personally, I share the feelings of most commenters in this thread as not favoring its presence around my console. I'd hate to engage in discussion about its historical arrival with coda of actual gameplay, so just plain talk is nicer. Also, I remember seeing ads for it in VG mags when they came about, and possibly even an article. It seemed astonishing but maybe also inevitable, given the home gaming consoles were as much an adult's party toy as kids' 24/7 gameplay option. Everybody thought interactive TV games were fun and cool (and they still are to this day!). But these were full-on gimmick games that - when tried out decades later in ROM format - proved to be idiotic and derivative as expected. I mean, you could forgive undercooked but inoffensive titles like Lost Luggage, somewhat (C+ for effort). But these x-rated games were sexist and mean, and Custer was racist, to boot, as Row mentioned. They simply did not live up to the noble existence of these gaming machines, which greeted us kids after school, kept us company and brought us together and made us hopeful for the future, as tech now seemed fun and innovative as the bits could turn into anything...just not rejected Hustler cartoons, please. Yeah, all in all, I was relieved these lurid attempts at cashing in on the VG trend went nowhere, even at that time. And they're ultimately just a footnote in this wonderful console's otherwise proud history.
  15. Lotsa cool memories. In particular, thinking back on those mall arcades years, the scent of burning circuits as dauber mentioned was also unforgettable to me and forever linked to those moments walking into a roomful of pixelated discoveries. I remember trying to describe it to people years later and stopping halfway as trying to explain the nostalgia contained within those lost aromas was nearly impossible. Kind of a 'you had to be there' thing. And I do believe we were glad we were.
  16. Found these gems around the castle. Original prices indeed. Played these titles every single day. 30 for the Activision star ride, 16 for a doghouse sky ride. Worth every penny of my folks' money!
  17. I was so elated at seeing Whorf mentioned for his linguistic relativy theory as the construct for this cool-as-heck sci-fi story that this movie has been bumped to the top ten faves of all times in my list. It's more of a paced movie than most fares out there. And luckily, I knew Villeneuve's approach to pacing before entering it, cuz it's usually very deliberate. Also, have fallen in love with Amy Adams in Enchanted years ago and am still under that spell. But really, this movie kinda reminds me of really cool STTNG type of stories they used to come up with which makes me believe in hope for humankind.
  18. Terrible news. He had so much passion in him. Watch Frailty if you haven't already, his directorial debut. And thanks for the podcast info, Fergo, I'll check it out. Also - Near Dark is another fine performance which elevates an already great movie. Bill Paxton did that in every movie he was in.
  19. Laserdiscs were the gateway media for me, as Criterion and MGM discs brought Special Features to their line-up. And since they were too expensive for me to own, I could actually rent out a player for the weekend along with a half-dozen titles and rip through them, sleeplessly, until all commentary and all extras were covered. It was like film school, with intensely-produced materials by film-lovers who never put together fodder like today's 'film-clip>talking-head>film-clip' marketing approach to extras. Criterion's Magnificent Ambersons had never-before-seen and never-since-seen background info and stills from the original print of Welles unsung classic. Scorcese breezed through Taxi Driver in a stream of insanely informative and entertaining commentary (I think that one got eventually re-released, not sure). Midnight Cowboy had loving tributes to every aspect of this stunner. MGM's Bond films had commentary so candid the studio quickly pulled them and recorded new tracks. Laserdisc brought the idea of DVDs as a new staple and we lucked out, eventually. But yeah, like atarifan mentions, these are a fragile format. DVDs get scratched to uselessness too easily, and laserdiscs suffer from disc rot, eventually. So far, Blu Rays are cool for this, having more wear-resistant coatings. But I wonder what the future holds for us movie fans. I'd say, if you're into laserdisc collecting, take the opportunity to get your fave titles with bonus features, if possible, cuz most of these extras have never been released in other formats. Yeah laserdiscs are cool. And the units are heavy, from what I remember bringing them back.
  20. Here in Canada, K-Mart was a staple of affordable items for every member of the household (castle). While we'd go there for clothes (ugh), boots (meh) and schoolware (nooooo), there was a middle section of the store with glass display cases holding Super-8 films. Projector reels like these were the Netflix of the day. Would get to grab some Disney, old (40s old!) Batman serials and just about anything really. This section became the VG area, with Atari proudly displayed for testing. Carts would run about forty dollars, so these were gift items sparsely acquired. Of course, toss in some Kenner SW in there and you got yourself an idea of the treasure trove K-Mart was for me. SInce the toys and reels were 'family-priced' - so that you could buy these while getting essentials and it didn't break the bank - I always walked out of there with a toy or a 'be good and we'll see' out of it. I'm kinda surprised this chain has lasted this long, as ours closed down in the mid to late 80s, if I recall correctly (replaced by a Sears, appropriately enough). Fond memories of this store, ayup
  21. Good reads! While cabinet titles explored trends and advances in technologies and increased bit range, their initial appeal got stomped by the next Big Thing (until our terrific cycle of retro appreciation evened the perspective and allowed us to appreciate everything on its own terms, outside the 80s vision). But Pinball is forever. It sure has dwindled in production, but I hope it never fades, cuz it's the basic arcade gaming experience that ties the experience of life as a gamer. I'm sure most arcade gamer folks' first quarter was plunked inside a pinball coin box - and we were hooked! Well, maybe not if you got into it around the Pac years, cuz that attract mode sure did attract. But yeah, a lotta pinball flippin' fun was had around here!
  22. These titles look great and a great addition to the 2600 library. Yeah, not being able to save on older games like these makes them time-prohibitive for gameplay. Same with Riddle of the Sphinx for me, which I love but am unable to commit an entire afternoon like back in the day. That's why the first golden cart Zelda was so wonderful, and made the NES a strong contender in the next-gen console wars. Promo time: That's why our Atari Adventure kingdom offers a full-range of RPG experiences at a low starting time rate of 2 minutes! Come and discover the Random Game 3 possibilities (and frustrations!) for more commited play! Open 24/7! (p.s. Don't feed the dragons)
  23. Good work! The neon future envisioned by the design style of the arcade era lends itself well to cool abstractions and ideas. I love this style to bits! (bits? yeah? yesyesyes?)
  24. Saw Carpenter's The Thing at the movies when it came out. Terrific stunner that was way ahead of the gore/splooshy horror trend that would eventually come about, springing out of the slasher genre like Freddy Krueger's hand out of a narcoleptic victim's chest. And ooh yeah, great chest scene in The Thing. The movie went over like gangbusters with us teens. That night with the crowd hollering and hooting along with the movie's expert pacing, Carpenter had won his bet to make an edgy and unfilmable story come to life and entertain like nothing else. Unfortunately, while the gross-out was cool for young folks, movie sales in the 80s weren't aimed at this market, and the older crowds harrumphed or ignored the call. It was a bet indeed. And this fave director of mine remained sore about it for years. Too bad he wasn't there when we rewatched this classic over and over again, on VHS and whenever cable was hip enough to air it. He woulda loved our continual amazement at the greatness in every frame of its run. it remains to this day a perfect movie, for mostly the reasons in the article you posted, Rick. That thumping, low ebb soundtrack, that claustrophopic environment, that terrific cast, those crazyfying effects that might make you insane if you think about such creatures too long. Rob Bottin emerged an effects god out of this. Fangoria magazine fed us the skinny on upcoming fantastical features to keep an eye on. This movie was highly anticipated as a result, from it readers. ah man, what a time that was Things are just as cool today, only different. Pacing ourselves through effects tidbits from Fangoria, knowing Carpenter's craftsman reputation and Russel's hero presence would make this high adventure. It all led to one night of explosive joy. To me, that is what The Thing is all about. One of my top movies, as well.
  25. Reminds me of that acoustic Africa piece by the two acoustic guys in a small club. Low-key setting, killer version. This: I'm sure it's been posted somewhere here before, but eh bears repeating
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