AtariAge.com is your best source for classic Atari news, rarity guides, scans, discussion, homebrews, and more! http://www.atariage.com en-us Copyright 2013 AtariAge editor@atariage.com editor@atariage.com Video Games Sat, 25 May 2013 06:09:20 -0400 Search AtariAge News search http://www.atariage.com/news/ http://www.atariage.com/index.html#138757 Tempest for the Atari 5200 is now available for purchase from the AtariAge Store! For 15 years, the existence of an Atari 5200 version of Tempest was thought to be only myth. No prototypes had ever surfaced. A crude 2600 version had come to light, along with a prototype box. Then, in 1999, an unfinished working 5200 prototype appeared on eBay. The game was eventually dumped and the binary freely distributed around the Internet. Another decade has gone by since the game's discovery, and the original Atari 5200 Tempest programmer, Keithen Hayenga, worked to complete Tempest so it could finally see the light of day in completed form! Tempest 5200 includes the game cartridge with glossy label, twelve page full-color, glossy manual, professionally offset printed box using chipboard paper stock, and cartridge insert to keep the cartridge in place. Only 250 boxed copies of Tempest will be produced! After that, the game will be sold without the box. If you want a boxed copy of the game, don't wait too long! Order Tempest for the Atari 5200 Today! Thu, 07 Feb 2013 08:00:00 -0500 AtariAgehttp://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=208673 http://www.atariage.com/index.html#138756 Team Pixelboy, maker of many fine ColecoVision homebrew games, is giving ColecoVision fans a chance to order past releases which are currently sold out, namely Pitfall II Arcade, Track & Field, Destructor SCE, Circus Charlie, Star Force, Golgo 13, Ninja Princess, Bank Panic and Konami's Ping-Pong. More copies of these games will be manufactured in February 2013, but only for those who will have placed a pre-order for these games before January 31st 2013. This is a limited-time offer, and after new supplies of these games have been manufactured and sold, they will all be permanently sold out. If you're a ColecoVision fan looking to expand your collection of games, don't miss this opportunity! Visit teampixelboy.com for more information, and contact Pixelboy himself by e-mail to place your pre-order. Note that you can also send him a private message on AtariAge, but Pixelboy prefers being contacted by e-mail for matters of orders and pre-orders. Sat, 19 Jan 2013 08:00:00 -0500 AtariAgehttp://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=207045 http://www.atariage.com/index.html#138755 It's been a while since we've posted news about the Atari SAP Music Archive (ASMA), but it continues to be updated on a yearly basis with new music. This year's Christmas update added 315 new Atari 8-bit tunes. The archive now consists of 4,630 songs, comprising a playing time of 7 days 18 hours 33 minutes 33 seconds. Here are some other statistics: Number of songs: 4,630 (5,795 including sub-songs) Compared to HVSC: 10.7 % (HVSC r58 contains 43,116 songs) Disk space occupied: 26,317,431 bytes (excluding documents and playlist) Average SAP file size: 5,684 bytes Songs in stereo: 441 Number of musicians: 210 Most active musician: Michal Szpilowski (Miker) (201 songs + 4 cooperations) The Atari SAP Music Archive contains the best tunes from Atari 8-bit computers in a format that can be reproduced perfectly by various SAP players. You can get the latest collection of music as well as players for a variety of platforms at the Atari SAP Music Archive. Wed, 09 Jan 2013 08:00:00 -0500 AtariAgehttp://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=206765 http://www.atariage.com/index.html#138754 The first 2013 issue of Retrogaming Times Monthly has been published. This month's issue features a look at Wreck-It Ralph, the top retro games of 2012, and more. Here's what you'll find in issue #104: Caught On Film - Wreck-It Ralph The Pixelated Mage - Top 10 Of 2012 Apple II Incider - Christmas Gifts For The Apple II Fan CoCoLicious! - The CoCo's 3rd Time Is A Charm (Part 1) The Way Things Were - January 1983 MAME Reviews - Astro Blaster NES'cade - Cabal Beyond The Plastic - Tom & Jerry (SNES) The Retro Junkie - NHL '94 And More! You can read these articles and more inside the Retrogaming Times Monthly, now in its 184th month! You can also browse the RTM archives to catch up on past issues. Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500 AtariAgehttp://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=207377 http://www.atariage.com/index.html#138753 The Retro-Gaming Connexion (RGC) association is proud to announce the upcoming release of the game Another World on cartridge for the Atari Jaguar console. The iconic game, released in the early 90s, has been adapted by Sebastien Briais of the group Removers of Jagware with the blessing of the original developer, Eric Chahi. You can view a video of the game being on YouTube. The RGC is producing the game in the truest spirit of the original Jaguar releases, in cartridge form with a box and manual. In order to fund the project through the various stages of manufacture the game is being offered by pre-order. Release of the game is currently slated for Spring 2013. Each person who reserves a copy will receive a numbered confirmation slip by e-mail. The price for Another World is 62 Euros by PayPal, and you can pre-order a copy here. Thu, 20 Dec 2012 08:00:00 -0500 AtariAgehttp://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=206660 http://www.atariage.com/index.html#138752 Reboot of Jagware and RGCD are pleased to announce the release of Kobayashi Maru: Final. Kobayashi Maru: Final is an updated and fine-tuned version of Reboot's freely-released game of a year ago. The game is based on an arcade favorite from the early 80s. Use your rotary controller (adjustable to allow for sensitivity of your particular spinner) or regular Jaguar pad to steer your warpship in this arcade space shooter, battling countless drones and huge boss craft in ever-tougher waves of attack. Featuring subtle use of the Jaguar's RMW graphics capabilities, background graphics blend together as you tear around in the upper atmosphere over four worlds. This version of the game has updated graphics, new sound effects, webscores, and also supports Memory Track game saves. The physical copy comes cellophane wrapped in a standard DVD box with full color printed inlay and full face printed, glass-mastered CD, direct from the factory (100% professionally produced in the UK). You can purchase your copy directly from the RGCD website. Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0500 AtariAgehttp://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=205783 http://www.atariage.com/index.html#138751 The Christmas 2012 edition of Retrogaming Times Monthly has been published! Inside issue #103 you'll find the following articles: The Retro Junkie - The Batman Effect Retro Collecting 101 - Perler Mania! CoCoLicious! - It Takes Two, CoCo2 That Is! The Thrill Of Defeat - The Dragon That Faintly Roared MAME Reviews - Pirate Ship Higemaru Apple II Incider - Scouting The MicroLeagues The Retro Junkie (Strikes Back) - TMNT III: The Manhattan Project Freeware Alert - Iji & Not Tetris 2 And More! You can read these articles and more inside the Retrogaming Times Monthly, now in its 183rd month! You can also browse the RTM archives to catch up on past issues. Wed, 05 Dec 2012 08:00:00 -0500 AtariAgehttp://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=206081 http://www.atariage.com/index.html#138750 Atari Inc. - Business is Fun, the book that goes behind the company that was synonymous with the popularization of 'video games,' is now finished and for sale! Nearly 8 years in the making, Atari Inc. - Business is Fun is comprised of thousands of researched documents, hundreds of interviews, and access to materials never before available. An amazing 800 pages, including nearly 300 pages of rare, never before seen photos, memos and court documents, this book details Atari's genesis from an idea between an engineer and a visionary in 1969 to a nearly $2 billion dollar juggernaut, and ending with a $538 million death spiral by June of 1984. Several key and important fully detailed side stories are included, such as: The creation of "Rick Rats Big Cheese Restaurants" which later became "Chuck E. Cheese's" The amazing story of Atari's very own "Xerox PARC" research facility up in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains The dramatic dealings and double-dealings between Atari Inc. and Amiga Corp. for months prior to Jack Tramiel coming into the picture. You can learn more about Atari Inc. - Business is Fun and order a copy here. Mon, 26 Nov 2012 07:00:00 -0500 AtariAgehttp://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=205778 http://www.atariage.com/index.html#138749 Pre-ordering is now open for the new Atarimax MyIDE-II CompactFlash Cartridge. The MyIDE-II Cartridge is a professionally produced Compact Flash interface for Atari XL/XE computers. The first production run is limited to 100 cartridges, which are expected to ship on or before December 15th, 2012. The MyIDE-II cartridge includes the following: Compact Flash Hardware Interface 512kB On-Board User Customizable Flash Memory 512kB On-Board Application SRAM Mr-Atari's MyBIOS Included Available in Clear, Red, Blue and Green Cases CNC Machined Case Openings Professionally Assembled Immersion Gold PCB Hardware Support from Atarimax Real Lifetime Warranty Pre-order pricing for the MyIDE-II is $69.99 + shipping. To learn more about the MyIDE-II and place and order, please visit Atarimax.com. Fri, 23 Nov 2012 08:00:00 -0500 AtariAgehttp://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=205565 http://www.atariage.com/index.html#138748 Left Turn Only Productions and the Intellivision® High Score Club invite you to a very special edition of the High Score Championship: Carol vs. The WORLD! Play the game "Christmas Carol vs. The Ghost Of Christmas Presents" and help Carol Greenleaf save Christmas from the Evil Snowman. Rise to the top of the ranks of Santa's Elite Elf Squad and submit your top score to the judges. The person with the highest score received by the deadline of December 31st, 2012, wins a very special gift from Santa Claus himself! Plus, as if all that were not enough, Left Turn Only Productions is giving away the game to everyone! In keeping true to the Christmas spirit, and as a gesture of good will, they are offering the game in ROM format as a free download. To get your copy of the game ROM or for more information on the contest, please visit the official Carol vs. The World! Championship web site, or the Intellivision® High Score Club forum here in AtariAge. Mon, 19 Nov 2012 07:00:00 -0500 AtariAgehttp://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=205492 http://www.atariage.com/index.html#138747 Congratulations go out to Dave Dries for winning our Space Rocks Label Contest! Quite a few great entries were submitted for this contest (over 50 in all!), making for a difficult decision on part of the game's author, Darrell Spice, Jr. For his winning label design (pictured to the right), Dave Dries will receive a $50 gift certificate in the AtariAge Store, as well as a boxed copy of Space Rocks once it is available for purchase. For the first time, we've decided to award three Runner Up prizes as well! The runner ups for the Space Rocks contest are Brian Ostrowski, André Bolfing, and Nathan Strum. Each of the runner ups will receive a copy of Space Rocks adorned with their winning label. Congratulations again to Dave Dries and to all the participants who took the time to enter the contest and show off their talents! You can view all 55 submissions here and discuss the contest (and results) with other AtariAge visitors in our Contests Forum. If you'd like to be notified about our next label contest, please use our Contact Page to drop us a line. See you next time! Fri, 16 Nov 2012 08:00:00 -0500 AtariAgehttp://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=204356 http://www.atariage.com/index.html#138746 Kevin Savetz has published a new book, Terrible Nerd. It's a memoir about growing up nerdy in the '80s: being part of the first generation of kids with computers on our desks. Pirating games on floppy disk, calling BBSes, coding on the Atari 800, crashing the Internet for all of Europe, helping clueless newbies as AOL's Internet AnswerMan, and many more true stories. From Amazon: Rich in detail and personal memories, this is the story of a boy coming of age in the dawn of home computing. This tech memoir gives readers a front-row seat to a self-confessed geek's early experiences with computers. Accessible to non-techy readers and computer nerds alike, this treasure trove of memories shows how growing up as part of the first computer-native generation shaped friendships, hobbies, and, ultimately, a career. Terrible Nerd brings to life late nights swapping software, hacking the school computer, causing trouble on college radio, a stint as AOL's Internet AnswerMan, and hosting a team of Microsoft suits in his small-town home office. Kevin brings his experiences to life, writing with insightful candor and historical accuracy. Terrible Nerd celebrates an era in all its geeky glory. You'll enjoy following along as Kevin flunks out of P.E. class, gets busted for reading the Intellivision game catalog at church, and accidentally crashes the Internet for all of Europe – yet ultimately triumphs and even gets the girl. Terrible Nerd is also the first book with an Atari 800 on the cover in a very long time and is available on Kindle and paperback. Kevin is the creator of AtariMagazines.com and AtariArchives.org (sites hosted by AtariAge). You can discuss Terrible Nerd with Kevin Savetz in our online forum. Wed, 14 Nov 2012 08:00:00 -0500 AtariAgehttp://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=204920 http://www.atariage.com/index.html#138745 Super Fighter Team is proud to announce that new stock of their popular horizontal shooter for the Lynx is now available for order and immediate shipping! Developed by PenguiNet, Zaku is an all new, all original game that ships complete with full color instruction manual printed in both English and French, sturdy cardstock box and game card encased in a "curved lip" plastic shell! The game's story: After stealing a powerful game development tool known as Rarity 9, Captain Bran threatens to flood the markets of the world with his questionable quality software! But in all his plump luxury, he has forgotten about one person: Zaku! Help her soar to new heights and take the world by low coastal fog through 16 beautiful stages filled with lightning fast action and some of the most zany enemies you've ever seen! You can order your copy at the official Zaku website. Thu, 08 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500 AtariAgehttp://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=151560 http://www.atariage.com/index.html#138744 Your elfy mission should you choose to accept it: Send one gift to your randomly assigned recipient. Then get one back from another super secret elf! The holiday season is quickly approaching and is a time to share with family, friends, and the community here on AtariAge. If you are good natured and wish to enjoy some lighthearted holiday fun, please join us for the 2012 AtariAge Secret Santa gift exchange. To learn how you can participate, visit our Secret Santa 2011 thread. You'll need to submit answers to several questions to help your secret santa send you an appropriate gift. Participants will be randomly assigned one person to send a special gift based on their recipient's answers. In return they will receive a gift from another Secret Santa. The deadline for signing up this year is November 15th. The AtariAge Secret Santa is open to members who have joined our forum no later than August 15th, 2012. Mon, 05 Nov 2012 08:00:00 -0500 AtariAgehttp://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=204795 http://www.atariage.com/index.html#138743 The popular chiptune band 8 Bit Weapon has released a complete collection of their music (from 1998 through 2012) for a low price through their website. 8 Bit Weapon was formed in 1999 by Seth Sternberger and was joined later by Michelle Sternberger. Their instruments comprise of 8-bit and 16-bit computers, including the Vic-20, Commodore 64, Apple II, and game consoles such as the Atari 2600, Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy and more. Inspired by classic video game soundtracks and electronic music from the 70s and 80s, 8 Bit Weapon delivers a sound that is as unique as it is original. They have performed their chip music across two continents using their arsenal of classic video game consoles and vintage computers as instruments. After 14 years, 5 tours, many studio albums, and countless live shows 8 Bit Weapon has amassed a healthy body of work. Multiple albums, singles, remixes and rare demo tracks make "The 8 Bit Weapon Collection" a must for any fan new or old. Even the holiday album with Michelle's solo band ComputeHer is included in the collection! You can sample all the tunes and purchase this collection over at 8 Bit Weapon. Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0400 AtariAgehttp://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=204751