PASS THE ‘SHROOMS, MAN! Atari goes down on the farm in this episode. Atari’s CENTIPEDE from 1982 is our topic.  While other elves are out fighting wars and hanging with Hobbits on epic quests, your poor little elf Oliver is stuck tending a mushroom farm. If that isn’t bad enough, you’re being pummeled by giant centipedes, scorpions, spiders and FLEAS. No one would blame you if you used that magic wand to teleport yourself out of here. But no! That’s not the Atari way. On this farm, we beat our swords into plowshares…then use those plowshares to beat the holy... Read More

When we talk about the story within the games on ATARI BYTES, we approach it as if we are analyzing a piece of literature. Every story basically has five points: Introduction, where the setup happens; the rising action (building up to the big reveal); the climax (te high point of the story), the falling action (where the story winds down); and the resolution or denouement (how the story is wrapped up) If you charted it, it might look like this:                                                        CLIMAX                                                    ... Read More

In Cosmic Space Patrol, “roid rage isn’t a failing, it’s a job requirement. On a routine patrol, your ship is beset by a monster asteroid storm. Even armed with photon torpedoes and hyperdrive, will you have the quick reflexes to survive? Well, no. You only get so many ships and the game will end eventually. But in the meantime, you’ve got a job to do. Cosmic Space Patrol is a cruel mistress, but she’s the only one for you. Why is that? Well, that’s the story within the game part and we have thoughts. If we didn’t, this would be a really short episode.  Be... Read More

IT’S A BIRD! IT’S A PLANE! IT’S A PODCASTER! Er, I mean, IT’S SUPERMAN! That’s an easy mistake to make. This week’s game is the 1979 Atari game Superman. Will Superman defeat Lex Luthor? Will he save Lois Lane from the evil (?) helicopter? Or will he be left powerless by the kryptonite satellites? There’s a whole lot of plot in this game – and the story within an Atari game is this podcast’s KRYPTONITE (See what I did there? That’s why I have a show.) Join me, won’t you? Metropolis needs us. The songs you hear in the show –... Read More

Why send a Pac-MAN to do a job when Ms. Pac-Man can do it so much better? Episode 8’s game is Atari’s 1982 version of Arcade legend MS. PAC-MAN. The gameplay does not disappoint. It looks and sounds about as close to the arcade version as you could get. Sure, the artwork in the manual has Ms. Pac-Man wearing thigh high boots and crimson lipstick, but, then, so am I. Ahem. As always, we’ll go beyond the fun of merely playing to dig into the story within the game. Is Ms. Pac-Man looking to pick up where Pac-Man left off? Is she looking for revenge? Is she totally unrelated to Pac-Man... Read More

Feeling a little warm? Aching for an adrenalin rush? Does the echoing siren call of wanna-wanna-wanna drone in your brain? YOU’VE GOT PAC-MAN FEVER, BABY! And this week on the podcast, so do we.  This 1981 Atari version of the iconic arcade classic is the focus of our story-telling gamer scrutiny. For more about the movie “Pac-Man: Come Out to Play” from Australian filmmakers Fury Fingers, talked about in this episode, go to www.ausretrogamer.com/fury-fingers-pac-man-come-out-to-play Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for the use of his songs “Take a Chance”,... Read More

OH, THE CLOWN-MANITY! In this 1980 Atari game, clown after clown face-plants under the Big Top trying to bounce off a trampoline onto a teeter-totter. After then leaping from the teeter-totter and popping some balloons, you, player, are supposed to catch them. But you can’t. Because you stink at this game. Or maybe…it’s serial clown murder. Either way, this is good, family, slaughter-fun. Pass the circus peanuts and let’s do this. WARNING: At about the ten minute-thirty-eight-second mark, I more or less spoil the ending to Stephen King’s DARK TOWER novel series. It... Read More

The carnival is in town! The majesty of the Ferris wheel. The roar of the ferocious lions. The siren call of demons from the underworld enticing you to play their game. If you do, you’re off on a hellish roller coaster of demons that mock, diamonds that bounce and skulls with post-nasal drip. What in the world is going on here? Put down that corn dog and help us figure it out. Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com for the creative commons license to the songs “Take a Chance”, “Reformat” and “Pinball Spring”.   ... Read More

Episode 4 is up! Old Man River, that Old Man River…He says, “Keep the noise down!” What noise? EXPLOSIONS! This week’s game is the 1982 Activision game RIVER RAID. It has jets. It has helicopters and fuel depots. Boats and bridges all over the place. And they’re all blowing up…Thanks to you. I’ve been playing Atari games for 30+ years, but I’ve only had this one about a week. AND IT’S AWESOME. Where has this thing been all my life? And yet, such is the nature of this podcast that we have to ask, “Sure, blowing up stuff is fun, but WHY?”... Read More

If your knowledge of the Old West comes primarily from “Back to the Future III”, then this is the episode for you. OUTLAW is our game; the game where gunslingers rule the town…unless there’s a stagecoach or a cactus blocking their path. This 1978 Atari game promises players they “can become expert gunslingers during these games”. Go head to head and leave your opponent in the dust. Throw in a sarsaparilla six-pack and shine my spurs and I am all in. Music provided by Kevin McLeod at Incompetech.com via creative commons license. ... Read More