|
 |
| Have You Played Atari Today? |
2600|5200|7800|Lynx|Jaguar|Forums|Store  |
 We haven't posted news about the exceptional Atari 2600 emulator Stella in some time, but thanks to its primary maintainer, Stephen Anthony, Stella continues to see frequent releases. Stella is a multi-platform Atari 2600 VCS emulator released under the GNU General Public License (GPL), and versions have been released for a wide variety of operating systems. Emulation is a great way to sample the large Atari 2600 library, including new homebrew titles being developed today. It's also a great tool for developers, as Stella has an excellent debugger built in.
The current version of Stella is 3.7.3. Changes in this version include:
Discuss online: 6 comments in Emulation Forum
 Two years ago a boxed copy of the Atari 2600 game Air Raid was discovered in Austin, Texas. This was the first discovery of a box for this rare title, and little was known about its release or even the company (Men-A-Vision) that produced it. We examined the game in person, deemed it to be authentic, and the game was ultimately auctioned for $31,600 on eBay.
A second boxed copy of Air Raid has now surfaced, after being discovered by a father and his daughter after the game had sat mostly idle the past three decades. The father had worked as an Assistant Manager in a drug store and had been given a copy of this game as a sample by a sales rep who represented smaller third-party game developers (such as Spectravision, US Games, and Imagic). The game was played only a few times and then relegated to sit unused for years, first in a closet and later in a storage unit. It wasn't until its owner read a story about the only known boxed copy of Air Raid selling for over $30,000 in 2010 that he was inspired to locate his copy. This instance of Air Raid appears to be in pristine condition compared to the copy found in 2010. Additionally, this copy includes the manual, which is the first manual of Air Raid to have been discovered. Given that 30 years have passed since the heyday of the 2600 and because only two boxed copies of this game have surfaced in that time, it's unlikely we'll see another complete example in this condition. This unique game is now up for auction on GameGavel. The auction contains many photos of the game, two videos, and a more detailed accounting of its history and rediscovery. Many eyes will be watching this auction to see where it ends in relation to the first boxed Air Raid auctioned two years ago. You can discuss this copy of Air Raid with the owners and keep tabs on the auction in our Atari 2600 Forum. Edit: Bidding is quickly approaching $20,000 and we're only in the first 24 hours! Discuss online: 404 comments in Atari 2600 Forum
While on a routine Stellar Cartography mission, UESC Rains experienced a malfunction and warped into an asteroid field in an unknown sector of space. Unable to get a bearing to safely warp out, the ship must blast the asteroids into smithereens to prevent imminent destruction. To make matters worse, the local inhabitants are xenophobic and have sent warships and Magna-Mines to eliminate the alien (that's you!) threat. AtariAge and homebrew author Darrell Spice, Jr. are proud to announce a label contest for the upcoming game Space Rocks! If you're a fan of the arcade games Asteroids or Asteroids Deluxe you'll love Space Rocks. While Atari released a version of Asteroids for the 2600, it pales in comparison to what Darrell Spice, Jr. has crafted in his version. Space Rocks is a 32K game that takes full advantage of our Melody Board resulting in a game that pushes the Atari 2600 hardware to its limits. The graphics, animations, and sound effects are well above what is typically experienced on the 2600. You can learn more about the contest and how to enter at our Space Rocks Label Contest page, which includes more detailed information about the game and the requirements for entry. You can also discuss the contest with other AtariAge members in our Contests Forum. The contest ends at 11:59pm on Sunday, November 11th, 2012 and all submissions must be received by then! Good luck! Discuss online: 76 comments in AtariAge Sponsored Contests Forum
 We're pleased to announce the immediate availability of several new Atari 2600 and 7800 homebrew games! We first made these games available at the recent Portland Retro Gaming Expo, and now everyone can enjoy them! Here's a list of the games we've added to the store:
You can find all of the above games, as well as a large library of other original homebrew titles for the 2600, 5200, 7800, and ColecoVision, in the AtariAge Store! Discuss online: 56 comments in Atari 2600 Forum
 This year's Houston Area Arcade Expo is taking place on November 2nd and 3rd at the Houston Northwest Crowne Plaza. Hosted by the Houston Area Arcade Group, the Houston Area Arcade Expo is an annual event celebrating the electronic games people love to play. Gamers buy, sell, and trade pinball, video game and game console items, and, best of all, pinballs, arcade cabs and consoles are set up on free play. Tournaments with prizes keep competitive gamers busy throughout the weekend.
The first H.A.A.E. was held in 2002, making the 2012 convention the 11th show. Special events to celebrate the occasion include: Disney's Wreck-IT-Ralph give aways and console games by Activision, AtariAge Console Section, a Donkey Kong Multicade raffle, a trivia contest, a pinball shop and repair clinic with John Costa, The History of Pinball with Dan Ferguson of Lone Star Pinball, shop talk with former Williams programmer Ken Graham, Atari Homebrew Programming with Darrell Spice Jr. of SpiceWare, and much more. AtariAge will be at the show, and we'll have a slew of classic gaming systems setup for play! There aren't many opportunities to enjoy large collections of classic arcade games and pinball machines, so if you are in the Houston area (or can get there!), you should be at this expo! Admission is $30 for a weekend pass or $20 for a single day. You can save $5 by purchasing your tickets in advance. For more information, please visit ArcadeCenter.com. Discuss online: 12 comments in Events Forum
 Eduardo Mello of Opcode Games has recently started taking pre-orders for his upcoming Super Game Module (SGM). The SGM is a small device that plugs into the ColecoVision expansion port and increases the console RAM memory and sound capabilities. With the SGM you can run especially designed games that offer more complex gameplay than ever before. And of course arcade ports that play just like the real thing.
Specs:
Discuss online: 253 comments in Opcode Games Forum
 We're excited to announce that AtariAge will be attending this year's Portland Retro Gaming Expo (PRGE), taking place September 29th and 30th at the Oregon Convention Center. We last attended PRGE in 2009, and we're excited to return to this event, which has seen phenomenal growth over the past several years.
AtariAge will have several new Atari 2600, 5200 and 7800 homebrew games available for sale, demos of various "In Development" games, and at least 15 game systems on display for attendees to enjoy. We'll also have a selection of other homebrew games from our store, as well a variety of other classic gaming merchandise available for sale. Please visit the official Portland Retro Gaming Expo website to learn more about the show. We've also setup a forum to discuss the event for those who are attending. If you're attending the show, please stop by our booth and say hello! Stay tuned for an upcoming announcement detailing all the games and demos that will be available from AtariAge! Discuss online: 188 comments in 2012 Portland Retro Gaming Expo Forum
 The May 2012 issue of Retrogaming Times Monthly issue is now available for viewing! Here's what's in this month's issue:
Discuss online: 2 comments in Gaming Publications and Websites Forum
 Several former Atari employees comprising Actual Entertainment are developing an all-new game titled Gubble 3D based around the long-lost art of arcade maze games. The designer of the classic Crystal Castles arcade game, Franz Lanzinger, is among those involved, and anyone familiar with Crystal Castles will feel right at home in Gubble 3D. Other designers participating include Eric Ginner, Mark Robichek, Steve Woita, Susan Woita, Karl Anderson, Dave Ralston, Paul Barton and Seppo "Zep" Hurme. Gubble 3D is itself based on an earlier game called Gubble. Gubble 3D will use a 3D engine and will introduce new tools, weapons, and entirely new gameplay mechanics.
You can learn more about the project on Kickstarter, where the team hope to raise enough money to fund development. Included on the Kickstarter page is a video narrated by Franz Lanzinger, along with a detailed description of the game and what the team hopes to accomplish. Discuss online: 18 comments in Modern Gaming Forum
 We're proud to announce that Boulder Dash® for the Atari 2600 is now available for pre-ordering! Andrew Davie and Thomas Jentzsch have been working on this Atari 2600 port of Boulder Dash® for almost a decade. Together these two Atari 2600 veterans have used their insight and sophisticated knowledge about the Atari console to bring to life a faithful rendering of the classic, action-puzzle game (first released on the Atari 8-bit computer platform in 1984) from First Star Software, Inc. Game-play, sounds, and graphics have been faithfully reproduced, culminating in a game for the Atari 2600 unlike any previously seen. With the full cooperation of First Star Software, Inc., this title will finally be available on the 2600!
AtariAge and First Star Software, Inc. recently held a box and label design competition for Boulder Dash®, and the winning entry was crafted by Andr� Bolfing. Andr�'s artwork will appear on the cartridge, manual and box (slight adjustments will be made before publishing). Boulder Dash� includes the game cartridge (running on a special version of our Melody Board) and professionally printed manual and box. The box includes an insert that keeps the cartridge in place and helps protect the box from being crushed. Only 250 copies are available to purchase, so make sure to buy your copy today! In order to be fair to everyone who wants to buy a copy of Boulder Dash�, we are limiting sales of the game to one per customer at this time. Boulder Dash� will ship once production (currently underway) is complete, in early 2012. Pre-Order Boulder Dash Today! Discuss online: 1210 comments in Atari 2600 Forum |
October 30, 2012Did you know?2600 Asteroids was the first game to use 'bank-switching' that doubled its ROM space. ContestsMailing List |
