RickR

I hope you feel better soon!

I think it's safe to assume most of us retro gamers were watching this with a bit of excitement from the start. And that slowly turned to horror as things unwound. I personally was willing to give them a huge benefit of the doubt for the pandemic. After all, that also delayed the Phoenix for several months. But alas, while the Phoenix eventually shipped (and the project team kept communication to a minimum), the Amico was smoke and mirrors. And there's still that cult/crusade feeling as now it's turned into youtubers calling each other out and pointing fingers. For what? Report the facts and move on fellas. Please.

Here you go. Well earned!

Yeah, I love the 7800 too. But too many "what-if's" and facepalms with Atari. I guess that's part of the fun.

I have no issue with any of these choices, and I really like those two games @Silver Backmentioned of One on One and Water Ski. I'd add "Asteroids" to the list. It seems impossible that Atari could breathe new life into that old rock, but they did, and it turns out to be the best home version period. The main issue I have with looking over the 7800 library is how limited it feels. So many arcade games and rehashes of computer games that had been out for several years already. For all the talk of the 7800 hardware vs the NES, we fail to credit the creativity of NES game designers. SMB, Zelda, Kirby, Castlevania, etc....how many series got cemented into classics on the NES? Would Atari have ever been able to duplicate that level of creativity in software? In the end, the hardware is irrelevant. It's the software. Midnight Mutants fits the bill then for a hidden gem to me. If only we got more like this! What kills me is that Atari probably would have NEVER figured this out. After all, think about 2600 "Adventure", the best 2600 game of all time (IMO). Did they ever come up with a follow up or build a story/mythology around it? NO! They simply lost that ability to think creatively about software.

I need to find the time then to watch Lower Decks. My wife and I are in the market for a 30 minute show to stream. For those nights when we just don't have a lot of time or need something for filler. We just finished Boba Fett and Ghosts in that 30 minute role. I'm not sure what to do next. I will suggest Lower Decks, but it may not be her cup of tea. If anyone has any other suggestions, please let me know.

These are great, you guys. I'm saving them in my Windows wallpaper directory (the computer is set to randomly cycle the desktop background). Thanks!

Star Trek: Wesley and Alexander. They're grown up and telling all of Starfleet to shut up.

They are saturating the market, aren't they? Strange New Worlds is the next one. I know we've had others recommend the animated series of Lower Decks and Prodigy. I haven't had the time to check those out.

On your #2, try baby oil instead. It smells nicer. It's just scented mineral oil. Your trick does work, but I don't do it. Why? It's messy. And a several good wrist shakes of your razor usually gets all the water off.

Here's something new I am trying now. Burt's Bees Natural Shave Cream. This stuff is really very strange to me, as there is no foam at all. You put it on as a cream -- like lotion or sunscreen. That takes some getting used to. But how does it work? Surprisingly: Excellent! The shave is close...like really close. And that's with an old razor! Pros: It works great. Close shave. No nicks. It smells great. Even my wife comments on it. Smells of lemons and flowers. Very nice. Not terribly expensive - between 4 and 8 dollars for a tube. Cons: The lack of foam takes some getting used to. I don't think the tube will last as long as my usual gel. Two to three weeks of shaving daily is my guess.

And here's the first trailer. I'm quite excited for this, given the excellent quality of the Madalorian/Boba Fett series.

Art by Gaz Williams

Pro tip...watch and finish the shows you like. Then cancel. In a few months, they'll offer you a free month to rejoin.

No argument. Given time to think more about it.... Season 1 of Picard was completely forgettable. It really shined when someone from the old cast showed up (Data or Seven or even Hugh, for example). And that one episode with Riker/Deanna was outstanding. I thought all of the newer characters were meh. Several scenes were downright disgusting. Why'd they have to go there? Season 2, Ep 1 has a bit more of the older characters and a lot of little Easter eggs. That's what makes it good. Hopefully, they can keep it up.

A step too far.

@Justin, your post is so good and I can't disagree with a word of it. Well done. I agree that it wasn't a premeditated scam. I think it was a dream and plan that was done in the worst possible way by folks that didn't really know what they were doing and in way over their heads. I also think it's weird -- really weird -- the have Mr. T calling youtubers on the phone to talk about things but also demand they don't reveal it. Dude, don't you have any real friends? WTF? For me, that kind of encapsulates the whole weird feeling about this system I felt since day 1. People use the word "cult", and I think a better word is "crusade". It was made so personal and schmoozy and no professional company would ever run things that way.

OK, I've watched S2, E1 just now. That was a lot of fun! Very good so far.

BOOM! Rot usually starts at the very top. That's been my experience in corporate live over the last (gulp) 35 years.

I didn't go (LOSER!), but here's an overview from a local youtuber for anyone that's interested. It's a swap meet hosted by PRGE and a local gaming store.

Amen to this. Another great "what-if" in the Atari story. What if they'd have released that Pam system as a gaming console as originally intended and skipped the computer market? In hindsight, we know that the 5200 was a sign of a company that had innovation decay. I hope no one misunderstands -- I don't hate the 5200. It's just that it was 4 years too late. They didn't take the time to push for new technology but instead just reused existing tech. I think a lot of us read Atari-lore of how Nolan Bushnell was ready to move off the 2600 and release a new better console when Warner took over and think "No!". Or that he did that on purpose just to get booted. But I think now how right he was.

Thank you guys. I hope anyone else that has one will share their story. This is so fascinating! I've been thinking about whether I've ever actually seen one in the wild or at a show. I'm sure we all have that experience where you finally learn about something new-to-you and then realize "oh yeah, I've seen those once in a while at Goodwill!". For example, the Sega Pico is a personal example of this. But no, I can honestly say the CDX is something I haven't ever seen in person.

Fees for me for most items are holding steady right between 14 and 15%. Shipping costs are a lot higher now, and you paying fees on those is what takes you above their stated fees for each item category. Still, sales are brisk. The ebay economy is in good shape. My monthly sales continue to rise if I spend time keeping a stock of listings up and active. There is simply no better place to get top dollar for specialty items. Ebay is king, and all other sites are too small to compete with the ebay customer/seller base.

This reminds me of the time recently when I decided to re-watch Star Trek:DS9 for the first time since it originally aired, and I found a bunch of small pockets of episodes that I had never seen before. It was the most amazing thing ever. When that show aired originally, my kids were young. Ages 3 and infant. So I must have fallen asleep or been busy reading books and putting the kids to bed or something.

You know that feeling when you're an old crusty fart who things you've seen it all, and then something you never heard of turns up? And by a major gaming company no less! WOW. So let me get this straight: The CDX was a portable CD player that you could take with you and if you plug it into a TV, Sega CD games and also has a cartridge slot for Genesis carts??? HOLY SH@T! So even if you skip the portability part, you get a miniaturized Genesis + SegaCD system that doesn't need 2 giant power bricks and a slew of extra wires! Man. I want one. Are they easy to find?