Last week on the podcast, in KEYSTONE KAPERS, our beat consisted of the back alleys and mean streets of Keystone where Harry Hooligan made his mischief. This week, in Spectravision’s 1983 adventure PLANET PATROL, our beat is, well, the whole darn planet. It’s like when, after the sitcom “Gilligan’s Island” ended, the castaways ended up in the cartoon “Gilligan’s Planet”. Yeah. Exactly like that.  Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs “Reformat”, “Take a Chance”, and “Pinball... Read More

Leapin’ Lizards!  Sorry, that’s Annie. Is there an Annie Atari game? Anyway, leapin’ leprechauns! In the 1983 Activision (We love us some Activision on the podcast) game KEYSTONE KAPERS, Harry Hooligan is on the loose, plundering Southwick’s. Arguably, the store deserves it, given it leaves huge bags of money sitting all over the sales floor, but Keystone Kelly, finest kop on the force, is determined to bring in his man. The keystone kops are an elite law enforcement unit here to protect you from villainy, even if they can’t spell very well. So, slap on the thumb... Read More

This week’s episode drops on September 24, which is also the birthdate of Muppet creator Jim Henson (9/24/36 – 5/16/90) and is dedicated to his memory. Doctor Who, Star Wars, Peanuts and Muppets pretty much sum up my childhood preoccupations (with a sprinkle of “Dukes of Hazzard” and “Superfriends” for color) The game we’re playing this week is the 1982 Atari children’s title (the last of the line) PIGS IN SPACE, based on the recurring sketch from the 1970’s iconic series THE MUPPET SHOW. And really, for one price of admission, you’re... Read More

So, hey, remember at the end of the September episode I said the rundown for the October episode was subject to change? Well, it changed. Andrew Farago – author, comics historian, curator of the Cartoon Art Museum – agreed to chat with me about his upcoming book THE COMPLETE PEANUTS FAMILY ALBUM: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CHARLES M. SCHULZ’S CLASSIC CHARACTERS. And I am thrilled to share that conversation with you in October.  But, good grief! What does that mean for THE SCHEDULE! Hold on to your security blanket and everything will be okay. We’ve still got WHAT A NIGHTMARE,... Read More

You barely have time to adjust your athletic supporter before ATARI BYTES episode 86: SUPER CHALLENGE FOOTBALL is thrust upon us. Is this game super and/or a challenge? Discuss. In this week’s story, this rag-tag team just needs some 21st century motivation… The articles we referenced this week: Monopoly in the Park ; Atari Planned to incorporate ColecoVision in 1983 My thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for creative commons use of his songs “Reformat”, “Take a Chance” and “Pinball Spring”. Atari Bytes show notes and so much more here. It’s... Read More

I demand absolute silence. I, the Great Podcastini, will now guess what number you are thinking of… It’s 17! As in episode 17 of the podcast! Now, pick a card! Do it!  *Gazes magically at you while I wait* Is this your card? The queen of hearts! I knew it was because the little heart is bent. I learned that trick from Marcie. (You’ll understand that once you listen to the episode.) Until then, just bask in my powers over the dark arts. In IT’S MAGIC, CHARLIE BROWN, which first aired 4/28/81, Snoopy pulls off the impossible as The Great Houndini and makes the already figuratively... Read More

Quick! Name every pool/billiards – related movie you can! There’s “The Hustler”, “The Color of Money”, and, uh, there’s a great pool scene in “The Cat From Outer Space” (What’s that, you ask? The title says it all. Go check it out. Sandy Duncan and Ken Berry at their finest. Trust me.) And, of course, the game of pool reduced River City to a radioactive, rubble-strewn Hellscape in “The Music Man”. So with that pop culture pedigree, we couldn’t resist checking out iMagic’s 1982 TRICK SHOT this week for the show.... Read More

Classic ’80s detective series “Magnum P.I.” was supposed to end ****SPOILER HORN FOR THIRTY YEAR OLD SHOW**** with Magnum dying from multiple gunshot wounds, the last shot of the episode being Magnum walking up to the pearly gates with a contented smile on his face. That finale was actually aired. But then CBS convinced Tom Selleck to return to the show and Magnum survived. What does any of this have to do with this week’s game, the 1986 Atari space odyssey SOLARIS? Absolutely nothing. Except for this. SOLARIS was a follow up to STAR RAIDERS that came out in 1986, the... Read More

A running gag in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” finds the knights riding on imaginary horseback. What does that have to do with JOUST, the 1982 Atari port of the Williams Electronics arcade classic? Absolutely nothing, except that both involve knights. Also, I just realized as I type these notes, the Python story and my backstory for the game both involve catapulting four-legged creatures – cows for them, horses for me. I could be the next generation Python! See ya, suckers! In JOUST, you are thrust into a world of airborne jousts over fire pits, but that’s not the weirdest... Read More

This week on episode 82, like the Phoenix of old, the podcast rises from the ashes, says “Ow! That’s hot!”, then jumps into the cooling waters of Taito’s 1980 classic PHOENIX (well, the 1982 Atari 2600 port anyway) about what happens when the mythological bird from ancient Greece goes bad. We also say “hi” to Ferg from Atari 2600 Game by Game. A lot. Oh, and we learn more about sting ray tails than you’d ever want to know. Yes, really. And when I say “we”, I mean it. For this week, the studio is a wee bit crowded… The Digital Antiquarian... Read More