Atari Adventure Square

Twin Peaks begins anew tonight on Showtime at 9pm EST with the premiere of "Season 3" and the first new episode in over 25 years. This show influenced everything from LOST to Sopranos to Stranger Things. Twin Peaks is tied as my "favorite show ever" and I cannot tell you how much of a dream come true it is to see my favorite show returning to television with so much of the original cast and crew involved. I can remember nights in 1990, playing the games that we now talk about in the forums, waiting for a new episode of Twin Peaks to begin and wondering "Who Killed Laura Palmer?"
 
Was anybody else here a fan of Twin Peaks during it's original run, or looking forward to the return?
 
 

Full disclosure:  I received these stickers for free in a contest.
 
Let's face it, the Intellivision cartridges were pretty plain.  They only have an end label with very little embellishment.  You may have seen these already, but a user over on AtariAge has created some really nice screenshot stickers that fit perfectly on the blank front of Intellivision carts.  They really look good, and it's kind of fun to apply them.  The carts end up looking a lot better -- they remind me of the Activision cart design.  They are glossy and have a very professional look/feel. 
 
Here are the two sets i received (I think there are a total of 3 to buy). 

 
And here are a few of my loose carts with stickers applied.

 
If interested, look up "Age of Atarius" on Facebook.  Or PM me and I can hook you up with the guy who makes them.  They are priced very fairly IMO. 
 

What video game series would you like to see come back that haven't had new, official game in years?
 
You can see my top four choices in the video below.
 

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!

Wow, this is well done!

Working all these hours is brutal. Although my days have been getting shorter and shorter as of late which is nice. It's great seeing the sun is still out when I get out of work.
 
Before my days got really long all of a sudden it was breath of the wild that was stealing my life

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

As most of you know, the Mrs and I piddle around with selling games and game related crafts for quite some time. 

Well, we've decided to take the next step.   We're going to the County Clerk this week to register a DBA form for our new business, and we are rebranding from  The Nerdery of Southeast Texas to....

The Game Czar
"Where the Games Are"

I am hiring a friend who is a talented graphic artist to give us a logo and banner art to work with, and we've signed on for Retropalooza V in Dallas (the big one).

It's a big step, and I'm nervous and excited. 

My experience at Atari.IO over the past couple of years has definitely expanded my desire to make this work in some capacity, so thank you guys.

Good thoughts and prayers are appreciated!

Also:

http://www.game-czar.com

These handhelds definitely have more of a 'You-had-to-be-there' appeal to us retro gamers who started out with these mobile games back when electronics was turning out to be a kid's best friend.
 
Portability, multi-player ops, brief time-efficient rounds, basic strategy - all-in-all some incredibly-tight fun in a small package.
Battery turnover was the biggest setback, and even that didn't affect us as much as it did when larger sets came about (looking at you, Coleco Pac-Man...aww c'mere, gimme a hug old pal!).
 
I dunno what they expected out of a big screen port. NoSwear's vid pretty much sums it up. Just a terrible idea.
 
But those original handheld re-issues I see popping around? Pure gold!
Get those instead. Impress your friends, family and co-workers.
Amaze the dog!
Bore the cat!
Get some batteries!
 
Still have my Battlestar Galactica: Space Alert.
Had so much fun with it, it earned a spot in the family and I gave it a name.
 
uh...I named it Battlestar Galactica: Space Alert, to avoid confusion.

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.

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.

I saw this online today and it was too hard not to post here. Balki Bartokomous and Cousin Larry of "Perfect Strangers" reunited for the first time in 25 years! Who remembers Balki and Cousin Larry? "Perfect Strangers" debuted in 1986 and was the first show on ABC's Friday Night TGIF lineup. It would also serve as the basis for a spinoff show, "Family Matters" better known to some as Urkel. The show was akin to a Yakov Smirnoff act or a proto-Borat, with Balki leaving his Eastern European / Mediterranean island of Mepos for a new life in Chicago, where he shows up unexpectedly one day at the door of Cousin Larry, and the two eventually end up working at the Chicago Chronicle.
 
 

 
 
From 106.7 Lite FM:
Balki and Cousin Larry of "Perfect Strangers" Reunite For The First Time In 25 Years
Bronson Pinchot & Mark Linn-Baker stopped by Lite FM for their first interview together in 25 years
http://litefm.iheart.com/onair/the-bob-and-christine-morning-show-4874/balki-and-cousin-larry-of-perfect-15759112/
 
 
 
 
...and here are some clips of their funnier moments:
 

I use both, I think the science behind it is bringing the PH level back to zero ... for acid damage; Baking soda. For Alkaline leakage; White vinegar
 
if you mix the baking soda with white vinegar you can get a "scrubbing action" as it bubbles
 
oh yeah , don't do this while eating & make sure to wash hands really good when done

I always start very gentle and then move up.  So I start with just plain soapy water and a soft toothbrush.  If that doesn't do the trick, baking soda/water is the next step.  And finally, a mix of water and "Barkeeper's Friend".  Always with a soft toothbrush. 

http://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/interviews/michael_becker/interview_michael_becker.html
 
This interview was a long time in the making, but I think it was worth the wait.

Just posted these on my site: http://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/interviews/interviews.html
 
Ross interviews:
 
B.J. West
Carrie Tahquechi
Dan Hunter
Lee Actor
Richard Costello
and Ted Tahquechi.

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.

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.

I thought I'd share some pictures of my Atari 7800 Kiosk that I assembled during the earliest days of this website, in 2001. This is not an original kiosk from Atari as to my knowledge there was never an official Atari 7800 retail kiosk, aside from Atari's display at the 1984 Consumer Electronics Show - so I decided to make my own. Unfortunately this kiosk no longer exists and these are likely the only pictures I have. I may attempt to build another one of these kiosks sometime in the future.
 
I made this kiosk mostly using the structure of a generic Toys R Us game kiosk from that time, along with some other components and custom parts. The Atari 7800 Kiosk is about 80% complete in these pictures. Custom "Atari 7800 ProSystem" signage, controller mounts, custom wiring and a larger Sony Trinitron TV were added a bit later on. Custom Atari artwork was made for the sides of the kiosk which you would not have been able to see in these pictures. Additional games would hang from the back pegboard panel on either side of the first 7800 box, and a more substantial set of games were displayed on the two shelves below. Atari 7800 systems and accessories were displayed on the bottom shelf, and Atari Lynx systems and games were displayed on the upper shelf. All items displayed were brand new.
 
I had considered mounting a flat screen monitor against the back panel where you see the first Atari 7800 box hanging, but I opted not to do this. While I wanted the kiosk to be really cool, I also wanted it to look and feel as if it could have plausibly been used in a retail space during the 7800's lifespan. Flatscreens were pretty new in 2001, and that wasn't really the feel I was going for.
 
These pictures popped up when I found some old images from the earliest days of this website (2000-2002) on an old laptop this week. There's some really cool stuff in there that I can’t wait to share with you over coming weeks. I'll be posting more soon in a new thread giving you a glimpse into life at Atari I/O / Atari7800.com back in the day. Be sure to follow our Facebook and Instagram as I'll be posting on there too! Enjoy 

Hi, everybody!
 
I've had a podcast for a while now, but am FINALLY posting something here. Atari Bytes is a weekly show reviewing 2600 games (and occasionally 7800 games). Really, though, the show is only partly a straight-up review show. The other big part of the show is answering burning questions like: What was Yar seeking revenge against? Why did they send Mario the plumber to take down an ape? What made that dude go Bezerk? If I don't know the answers, I make 'em up with my own story.
 
Please do check it out and let me know what you think!
 
http://ataribytes.libsyn.com/Show notes and episodes are here. You can also get the show just about everywhere podcasts are: Stitcher, iTunes (please leave a review!), Google Play, iHeart Radio, TuneIn, etc.
 
Like the show page on Facebook
 
Follow the show on Twitter @ataribytes
 
Thanks, everybody!
 
Bill

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.