StickyNotes displays one or two scrolling messages of your choice in the middle of a pulsating rainbow screen on your 2600. The messages can have up to 990 characters for one message, or 490 each for two. There's no choice of font or font color, or a choice to forgo the rather annoying rainbow effect. The font itself is readable, but rather clunky-looking, and there's no sound, or any other options.

StickyNotes is a one-trick pony, and a disappointing one at that. There really should be more to it. Even if used as a "surprise" message for someone, the fact that it comes with a label that says "StickyNotes" on it, would likely tip them off that something was up.

Here are some suggestions for improving it:

• A better display kernel, allowing the full message to be displayed onscreen without scrolling across a tiny window.
• A choice of fonts, font colors, background colors.
• A user-programmable message using the AtariVox/SaveKey.
• Background music - load the cart up with some of the fantastic songs that have been created for the 2600.
• A mini-game. Or two. Or three. Give the user something to play before the message appears to enhance any "surprise".
• Optional labels, to hide the true nature of the cart, and enhance the "surprise" factor.
• The option of digitizing a bitmap for display onscreen (a photo, drawing, logo, etc.).
• Some sort of screensaver, that alternates with the message: graphics demos, a clock, etc.

StickyNotes is a good concept, but because it's so limited, even if I received one as a gift I'd likely be disappointed with it. Once the message has been delivered, there's just nothing else you can do with it. It desperately needs some sort of value added to it. Beyond being a novel idea, the only positive it has going for it is that if you spend the extra money on the Melody board version, you can trade it back in for store credit.