-
The Pitfalls Of Trying To Recreate Atari Christmas 1982 in 2020
This year for Christmas bought myself new copies of River Raid and Vanguard for the VCS so I could open them and try to recapture some of the feeling of 1982. I bought the games with very little eBay research, choosing the price over most everything else. At the same time,…
-
S3:E24: Three Ghosts From Christmas Past
As we prepare for the 2020 Christmas episode of Into The Vertical Blank, here is a supercut of three Christmas stories from past seasons told for the first time, in Chronological order: -The Best @*#! Christmas Ever (1983) -Atari 7800 Christmas (1986) -The Christmas Train (1982-2011) Written, Edited, Produced by…
-
Atari ST/E Santa Goes Berzerk #1 Exploring the STOS Standard Feature Set
Watch the companion video. I story explanation follows: A couple weeks ago I started working a little game as a demo for a Bill Lange hosted “Zoom” (it wasn’t Zoom, but Zoom is a generic term now) sort of demo / Holiday party. The party was really fun with about…
-
Pokey Player Sound Tool (Atari 7800)
Here is a tool I built a tool to help me figure out what pokey sounds on the 7800. It lets me test out sound mixing on all four channels at the same time. You can view it here; JS7800: Atari 7800 Emulator (raz0red.github.io) Controls:-Joystick/arrow keys select the value to change (orange)-Left…
-
XEGS Games Carts that should have been – if Atari had decided to continue. Vol 1
When Atari Corp dropped support for all 8bit systems in 1992, they had only produced a couple dozen official game cartridges for the XEGs console. But Atari UK and Germany produced or were in the middle of producing a number of high quality semi-budget games that could have been used…
-
Atari ST / STE / Mega STE Activision Game Reviews Vol 2: From Galaxy Force 2 to R-Type 2
Atari ST / STE (8mhz) and Mega STE (16mhz) Activision Game Reviews: Action / Arcade Games. In this series we will cover game play and capsule reviews and scores for Activison UK Arcade and Action Games Galaxy Force II (ST 8MHZ) – 80% – Ambitions fun blaster that is a…
-
Into the Vertical Blank: Generation Atari S3:E23 Companion Video
In this video we investigate of the games that we discussed in the episode: S3:E23: Why We Are Thankful for STOS: The Game Creator In every episode we discuss games from across multiple systems, they may not be the main game or subject discussed, but they do deserve to have…
-
Using A8bit #fujinet to play “Pet” Galaga from – Homesoft Game Disk 404
By Jeff D. Fulton Today we are going load up Homesoft game Disk #404 and play the only version of Galaga available for Atari 8bit 400/800/XL/XE Machines. We Will play directly an Atari 130XL by loading it over the internet via WIFI with #Fujinet! Disk 404 Download #Fujinet Here is…
-
S3:E23: Why We Are Thankful for STOS: The Game Creator
In this episode the brothers talk about the creation of their one and only completed Atari ST game (“Zamboozal Poker Dice”) and the tools that helped them complete it: the Mandarin / JawX Software products under the STOS banner. Come along for the ride as they discuss the old days…
-
STOS Tutorial #2: Brute force Blitter Sprites, Joysticks and more.
By Jeff D. Fulton In this, STOS Tutorial #2, we will expand on what we did in Tutorial #1 by using a BRUTE FORCE method to Blit a non-destructive Sprite on to a complex background and move it with the joystick. We will be Using the Missing link Extension by…
-
STOS Tutorial #1: Setup STOS On Hatari and Blitter Hello World
By Jeff Fulton In this STOS Tutorial we cover setting up a development environment in the Hatari Emulator, and do a simple Blitter Hello World example. Many people would like to to start programming games on retro hardware but have no idea where to start. This was me just a…
-
The Journey Begins
Thanks for joining me! Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
-
S3:E9: One Left Turn: An Atari Mother’s Day Story
A story about the day in 1981 when our mom made a split decision that helped us discover Atari computers. Written, engineered, and produced by Steve Fulton and Jeff Fulton Additional music from Tony Longworth Branding by Daryl Litts Subscribe Links Tunes Google Play Player FM Spotify
-
S3:E8 Westworld Redux 1976: Our First Venture In An Arcade
In this episode we discuss the affect the movie Westworld on us as kids, and try to figure out why its’ “anti-technology” message did not resonate. This episode also includes a remastered version of “Sharpshooter”, the Westworld themed story from way back in Season 1. PS: We will soon have…
-
S3:E7 Discussion with Curt Vendel about the Atari 7800 XM Module
Into the Vertical Blank Generation Atari Season 3 Episode 7: Discussion with Curt Vendel about the Atari 7800 XM Module In this Episode we dive deep into the 7800 Expansion Module with Curt Vendel. We also discuss some history of the 7800, the original development and why it took Atari…
-
S3:E6: I Want Candy. Atari’s Biggest Mistake Part 3: A Discussion with Curt Vendel
Subscribe Links Tunes Google Play Player FM Spotify Show Notes Into the Vertical Blank. Generation Atari Season 3, Episode 6. I Want Candy. A Discussion with Curt Vendel : Part 1 In this episode we go into a deep discussion with Atarimuseum.com’s Curt Vendel about what Atari could have been…
-
S3:E5: Monthly News and Notes for those who grew up Atari.
Subscribe Links Tunes Google Play Player FM Spotify Show Notes The Vertical Blank: Generation Atari. Season 3 Episode 5: Monthly News and Notes for those who grew up Atari. Or Atari News and HomeBrew Update for Q1 of 2020. Apocalypse Edition.In this episode we cover news from the Official Atari…
-
S3:E4: Atari’s Biggest Mistake Part 2: Game Player Non Expandable
Subscribe Links Tunes Google Play Player FM Spotify Show Notes In part 2 of “Atari’s Biggest Mistake” we explore the core reasons why Atari blundered in 1982 with their biggest releases and explore a “what if” scenario right out of The Vertical Blank. What really was Atari’s biggest mistake? Was…
-
S3:E3: Dan Kitchen Interview Part 2: The First “Pro Brew” Game Developer
In the 2nd part of our Dan Kitchen interview, we discuss the ground-breaking title “Garry Kitchen’s Game Maker”, Dan’s new game “Gold Rush” and try to figure out what to call new games that are made by original developers for vintage systems. Http://www.dankitchen.com http://www.garrykitchen.com/ Subscribe Links Tunes Google Play …
-
S3:E2 Dan Kitchen Interview Part One: The Rise Of The Kitchen Brothers
Summary In our quest to discover the secrets of programming 8 and 16 bit computers this season, we caught up with Dan Kitchen, a true survivor of the 80’s video game crash, still making games today. In fact, he’s on a quest to build and publish a brand new set…
-
S3:E1: Atari’s Biggest Mistake (part 1)
Atari’s Biggest Mistake (part 1): The Day Atari Lost The Video Game War Summary What was Atari’s biggest mistake? To truly be inside The Vertical Blank is to ruminate on “what could have been.” For Atari, there are many “what could have been” moments. What if they produced The Amiga…
-
S2:E19 : It’s A Clip Show! “Best Of” moments From Season 1 and Season 3 Preview
Remember back in the 70’s, after May sweeps, when in the TV Guide it would say Happy Days had a (New) episode, but when you watched, it was just Fonzie, Ritchie and Laurie Beth reminiscing about what-not or whatever, as an excuse to play old clips and save money on…
-
s2:18 Bonus #2: Pork Chops And Retro Games Sizzle At CES 2020
In this season 2 bonus episode, Steve makes a visit to CES 2020 and looks in all corners for signs of retro games. Subscribe Here Tunes Google Play Player FM Spotify Photos Below
-
S2:E17: Bonus – Book Review Of Galaga From Boss Fight Books And More!
This episode is a quick apology for mixing an episode of The Alarm podcast into the Into The Vertical Blank Feed. This episode contains content that never made it into season 2 including book reviews for Galaga from Boss Fight Books and American Nerd, The Story Of My People, as…
-
S2:E16 Finale: The Best Atari Christmas Ever
The Season 2 finale of Into The Vertical Blank. In this episode we pull out all the stops and explain exactly why Atari means so much to us. This honest, naked, all-cards-on-the-table, frank episode includes an Eponymous Story named “The Best #*@! Christmas Ever” that tells all. There is also…
-
Season 2: Episode 15: The Atari 7800 and ST. Our Next Gen Super Systems
Notes: Season 2: Episode 15: The Atari 7800 and ST. Our Next Gen Super Systems In this episode we dig into American Thanksgiving 1986 and discuss our transition from the Atari 800 to the Atari ST with the Atari 7800 squeezed in between. Tony Longworth: https://patreon.com/tonylongworth Some of the music…
-
S2:E14 – Asteroids 40th Anniversary
We salute Asteroids 40th anniversary with a discussion of how things have changed since 1979, and with a rebroadcast of the story “Escape To The Asteroids Zone” Please Subscribe And/Or Give Us A Review Tunes Google Play Player FM Spotify
-
S2:E13: The Haunting of the Vertical Blank
Into the vertical Blank: Generation Atari Season 2 Episode 13: The Haunting of the Vertical Blank This time the guys discuss “scary” Atari games (mostly *not* scary all), some real-word experiences that beg the question “Was Jeff and Steve’s 520 Atari ST haunted?”, a story about a creepy pen and…
-
S2:E12: Star Wars and Atari In The Vertical Blank : Part 2
Tunes Google Play Player FM Spotify S2:E12: Star Wars and Atari In The Vertical Blank : Part 2 In the follow-up episode to the Season 2, Episode 12, Steve and Jeff continue their discussion of the impact that Star Wars on their video game experience and video games in general.…
-
S2:E11: Star Wars and Atari In The Vertical Blank : Part 1
Tunes Google Play Player FM Spotify Read Show Notes Here Watch Video Of The Star Wars “A Nerd Is Born” story below: See the photos from Sunday Sept 25th, 1977 below. A Nerd Was Born By Steve Fulton Some time in September 1977 there was an advertisement in the local…
-
S2:E10: Playing Outside in Generation X
To salute the end of summer, w e are re-running a story from last season named “Big Mouse And Little Mouse” that has been updated, expanded and remastered. This is a story about the type of imaginative play that occurs when kids are trying to discover the world. This was…
-
Into the vertical blank: Generation Atari: Season 2, Episode 9 DragonStomper
In the episode, Steve and Jeff take a deep look at the Atari 2600 game Dragon Stomper, what it meant to them in the grand scheme of gaming, and also how it had an effect on early 80’s video and computer games as a whole. AtariProtos.com Dragon Stomper Page http://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/dragonstomper/dragonstomper.htm…
-
S2:E8 The Exact Moment Nintendo Won the Video Game War
The Exact Moment Nintendo Won The Video game War (A Short, Left Handed Episode) In this short summer bonus episode, Steve explores what he thinks is the exact moment Nintendo beat everyone and and won the video game war. I imagine, it’s not exactly what you expect. The Into The…
-
S2:E7 Emits a shower of Sparks: Pele’s Soccer
Into the Vertical Blank: Generation Atari – Season 2 Episode 7 : Emits a shower of sparks: How we stopped playing soccer and started playing Atari (along with Pele) In this episode, Steve and Jeff cover Pele’s Soccer for the Atari 2600, and the cultural as well as business atmosphere…
-
Armageddon In The Morning (The Alarm: “Sigma” Album Review)
(This is a review of the new album “Sigma” by The Alarm by way of a very personal story about one of the included songs. If you just want the nuts and bolts, feel free to skip to the end). It has been, so far, without a doubt, one of…
-
Claw Hammer : Father’s Day Special Edtion
iTunes Google Play Player FM Spotify This is a rebroadcast of the the story ‘Claw Hammer’ from season 1, episode 2. specially for father’s day (Note: My dad died 8 years ago today. This is story I’ve written reminds me of everything my dad stood for in life, and in…
-
S2:E6: Why We Collect Atari
In this episode, Steve and Jeff have a frank discussion about what they collect and why they collect Atari. Also includes a couple segments from Steve’s “Fultonbot’s Atari Quest” blog series, as well as an impromptu live remote visit to their favorite retro game store. Stories from the podcast:
-
S2: E5 Electronic Games Magazine
In this episode of Into The Vertical Blank: Generation Atari, Steve and Jeff celebrate the magazine that started it all. The first publication in the USA that was strictly devoted to video and electronic games, Electronic Games Magazine. The brothers bring you two stories of thos glories magazine, each featuring…
-
S2:E4: The Top-10 Worst Real-Life Products For Classic Video Gamers
What were some of hidden factors that led to the fall of Atari and the golden age of classic video game consoles? Did the world at large really understand video games at all? In this episode we set out to prove, through the lens of some truly awful products and…
-
The Top-10 (or so) Worst Real-Life Products For Video Gamers (circa 1982) Part 2: Your Future Career In Video Games
By Steve Fulton Last week I posted a story named The Worst Real-Life Products For Video Gamers (circa 1982-1983) . However, that was not the end of the story. You see, you survived that Halloween in your Asteroids costume, Bat Mitts and Gobbler hat, and while you were not fooled by…
intotheverticalblank.com 