ATARI DAY - On the 26th day of each month, show the world how much you love Atari!

[RickR]

I saw it on Facebook.  Looks good.  Have a great day!

[HDN]

Happy Atari Day, all!

[nosweargamer]

I just finished up my Atari Day review, and will post it on my YouTube channel at 7 pm EST.

Here's a pixelated preview, that will probably give it away to a lot of you!

[HDN]

18 minutes ago, nosweargamer said:

I just finished up my Atari Day review, and will post it on my YouTube channel at 7 pm EST.

Here's a pixelated preview, that will probably give it away to a lot of you!

Is that... A GemStik?

[Justin]

2 hours ago, socrates63 said:

Happy Atari Day! My first one 🙂

I posted this in a few Facebook groups today. I'm going to have to get more Atari shirts. I only have 2 and they have the same design and look very similiar (one has a smaller logo than this one is all).

 

 

I LOVE IT!! Super cool to see this!! Thank you for sharing in the spirit of Atari Day! Do you mind if we repost this in the future?

[Justin]

31 minutes ago, nosweargamer said:

I just finished up my Atari Day review, and will post it on my YouTube channel at 7 pm EST.

Here's a pixelated preview, that will probably give it away to a lot of you!

THANKS for doing a special Atari Day review @nosweargamer!! You always get the word out and it's always really helpful  ☺️

[socrates63]

49 minutes ago, Justin said:

I LOVE IT!! Super cool to see this!! Thank you for sharing in the spirit of Atari Day! Do you mind if we repost this in the future?

Nope -- feel free to use, Justin.

[socrates63]

1 hour ago, HDN said:

Is that... A GemStik?

I was thinking that too because of the button color. But I think it's the Atari joystick. The stick looks little too thin and tall to be the GemStik. I think the button color came out that golden color because of the pixelation effect.

[HDN]

10 hours ago, socrates63 said:

I was thinking that too because of the button color. But I think it's the Atari joystick. The stick looks little too thin and tall to be the GemStik. I think the button color came out that golden color because of the pixelation effect.

If you were to hold the controller like you were playing it, in the upper right corner there's that white pixel line. There's no equivalent to that on the standard Atari-brand controller. Plus, those little pixels around the joystick look like they might be the white arrows on the GemStik. And there looks to be that the plastic around the button is bulging out a bit. Much like the GemStik.

Here's a picture I took at roughly the same angle and distance:

[socrates63]

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

Edited August 26, 2020 by socrates63

[RickR]

Or it could just be the nosweargamer deploying a giant middle finger after too much pent-up no-swearing.  But it's probably a Gemstik. 

Edited August 26, 2020 by RickR

[nosweargamer]

4 hours ago, socrates63 said:

Happy Atari Day! My first one 🙂

I posted this in a few Facebook groups today. I'm going to have to get more Atari shirts. I only have 2 and they have the same design and look very similiar (one has a smaller logo than this one is all).

 

 

Head exploding out of Mt. Fuji!!! That's Great! 😂🤣😅

[HDN]

40 minutes ago, socrates63 said:

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

I guess we'll have to wait until 6 (where I live, at least)

[HDN]

5 hours ago, socrates63 said:

Happy Atari Day! My first one 🙂

I posted this in a few Facebook groups today. I'm going to have to get more Atari shirts. I only have 2 and they have the same design and look very similiar (one has a smaller logo than this one is all).

 

 

Someone should make a sticker of @socrates63's head. I'd put that on  all my Atari consoles, including the 7800 when I pick it up hopefully later today.

[TrekMD]

Happy

Day!

[nosweargamer]

Y'all figured it out. Here's my Atari Day Review of the Gemstik!

 

[HDN]

Awesome, @nosweargamer! I guessed it! The GemStik is special to me as it's the first Atari controller I ever fixed. It was unresponsive and the rubber coating thing was coming off. Not my favorite, but a good second player controller. Has a nice button.

Sadly, it seems my 7800 won't be coming today either. They HAVE it, so that's good, but they need to test it or whatever. I won't be able to play on Atari Day, but I WILL be able to play it tomorrow and Japanese Atari Day (28th, 2800)!

[Atari 5200 Guy]

Happy Atari Day Everyone!  Hope we all had a good one.  While not on an Atari my nephew and I did play a game together on the 360 that sort of has roots to the Atari days.  Splunky on the 360 which I believe is a more modern adaptation of Spelunker.  I've never played any of the Spelunker games but after playing Splunky I might just have to try.  

Earlier today, though, I've been playing Solar Star for the Atari home computers.  This is one game I have not been able to put down easily.  The visuals are just amazing to me and I can't seem to get enough of it.  This is one game that should have been on a console as well.  I am enjoying it very much.  I highly recommend this one.  It's tough as nails, though, but still a LOT of fun.  

 

[Sabertooth]

I spent Atari Day evening organizing these 2600/7800 compatible joysticks. Gotta have the right tools for the right job! 😂🕹️

Happy Atari Day everyone! 

[socrates63]

5 hours ago, TrekMD said:

Happy

Day!

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

[Justin]

6 hours ago, nosweargamer said:

Y'all figured it out. Here's my Atari Day Review of the Gemstik!

 

@nosweargamer I really enjoyed this review. When I first got into my Atari obsession in the fall of 1993 I wanted to hunt down any Atari products I could find. I mean, Atari had been so HUGE, there HAD to be something left out there. It wasn't easy, but if I looked hard enough once in a while I'd find a game at Kay-Bee Toys or something. At the very beginning of all this I asked my dad if we could stop by Toys R Us after school that friday. As long as I live I'll never forget he said "sure, just remember that we did these nice thing when I'm old." I wanted to see if Toys R Us had any Atari 2600/7800 products left. In September, 1993 they really didn't. Except for the Gemstick. I can tell you first hand, the Gemstick was still on store shelves into at least 1995 at this store. I looked all over Toys R Us hoping to find any games or accessories left over. Atari Lynx was still there along with its shelf of games, which was awesome. Nothing for Atari 2600 or 7800 though. Then I walked over into a different area away from video games but still in electronics, more by the radios, boomboxes, keyboards and video tapes. There was an area with pegboard hangers that had different "TV & VCR Accessories" hanging on it. Blank VHS tapes, coaxial cables, TV antennas, game switch boxes, and the Gemstick. All of the products on this shelf were from Gemini. I recognized this company because Gemini made our TV antenna that we had at home. It was a surprise to find these joysticks on the shelf. I remember being thrown off, thinking "Why are joysticks considered 'TV Accessories'?". I remember the Gemstick was $9.99. I thought about buying it but decided against it. I was looking for actual Atari products, and in those days I was young and $9.99 was a chunk of change that could go towards more important things, like an actual 2600 or 7800 game. There were also Gemini Paddle Controllers too, they were on the shelf next to the Gemstick. I think those were $14.99. I'll post a photo below. (These Gemini controllers shouldn't be confused with the Coleco Gemini, which was a different product line from a different company.) Your review is awesome NSG! Seeing the Gemstik again in it's packaging brought back all these memories. I never got the Gemstick, maybe I should track one down that's in good shape. I like that the yellow button is noticeably bigger than on the standard Atari joystick. I'm thinking it might be just the right size to mod with a nice Sanwa fire button. Would be a fun project! Thanks for the video NSG, and thank you again for getting the word out about Atari I/O and Atari Day.

 

[nosweargamer]

7 hours ago, Justin said:

@nosweargamer I really enjoyed this review. When I first got into my Atari obsession in the fall of 1993 I wanted to hunt down any Atari products I could find. I mean, Atari had been so HUGE, there HAD to be something left out there. It wasn't easy, but if I looked hard enough once in a while I'd find a game at Kay-Bee Toys or something. At the very beginning of all this I asked my dad if we could stop by Toys R Us after school that friday. As long as I live I'll never forget he said "sure, just remember that we did these nice thing when I'm old." I wanted to see if Toys R Us had any Atari 2600/7800 products left. In September, 1993 they really didn't. Except for the Gemstick. I can tell you first hand, the Gemstick was still on store shelves into at least 1995 at this store. I looked all over Toys R Us hoping to find any games or accessories left over. Atari Lynx was still there along with its shelf of games, which was awesome. Nothing for Atari 2600 or 7800 though. Then I walked over into a different area away from video games but still in electronics, more by the radios, boomboxes, keyboards and video tapes. There was an area with pegboard hangers that had different "TV & VCR Accessories" hanging on it. Blank VHS tapes, coaxial cables, TV antennas, game switch boxes, and the Gemstick. All of the products on this shelf were from Gemini. I recognized this company because Gemini made our TV antenna that we had at home. It was a surprise to find these joysticks on the shelf. I remember being thrown off, thinking "Why are joysticks considered 'TV Accessories'?". I remember the Gemstick was $9.99. I thought about buying it but decided against it. I was looking for actual Atari products, and in those days I was young and $9.99 was a chunk of change that could go towards more important things, like an actual 2600 or 7800 game. There were also Gemini Paddle Controllers too, they were on the shelf next to the Gemstick. I think those were $14.99. I'll post a photo below. (These Gemini controllers shouldn't be confused with the Coleco Gemini, which was a different product line from a different company.) Your review is awesome NSG! Seeing the Gemstik again in it's packaging brought back all these memories. I never got the Gemstick, maybe I should track one down that's in good shape. I like that the yellow button is noticeably bigger than on the standard Atari joystick. I'm thinking it might be just the right size to mod with a nice Sanwa fire button. Would be a fun project! Thanks for the video NSG, and thank you again for getting the word out about Atari I/O and Atari Day.

 

Yes, that packaging is very iconic to me, with the grid and rainbow on top, that reminds me of Breakout. And now that you mention it, I recall some of their switch boxes and such.

One day I'd like to try their paddles to see how they compare to Ataris. I can't think of many other 3rd party paddles.

Edited August 27, 2020 by nosweargamer

[Justin]

Here’s the TV antenna: 

[RickR]

I had a TV antenna childhood too (no cable).  Most of the time, it was fine.  But I remember once we had a new TV channel come into existence, and it was our first "UHF" -- channel 49.  They played a special feature as a "grand opening".  The Creature from the Black Lagoon in 3D!  They'd put 3d glasses in the local newspapers as a special promotion.  Long story short -- I couldn't get the 3d effect to work because the UHF reception was too fuzzy!  D'OH! 

 

[RickR]

3 hours ago, nosweargamer said:

Yes, that packaging is very iconic to me, with the grid and rainbow on top, that reminds me of Breakout. And now that you mention it, I recall some of their switch boxes and such.

One day I'd like to try their paddles to see how they compare to Ataris. I can't think of many other 3rd party paddles.

I've got a set of those Gemini paddles and used them during our last "Super Breakout" challenge!  I can assure you, they are almost identical to Atari paddles.  Only the casing is a little different (there's no indentation for the sticker).  Internally, they are the same, as I had to open and clean mine to compete in the challenge. 

Commodore also made paddles for the VIC-20.  They also look identical to Atari paddles except that the top part of the casing is white!  However, they have a slightly different potentiometer inside.  Atari paddles are too touchy on a VIC and the Commodore ones work much better on that system.