Atari 2600 Game by Game Podcast #71 - Barnstorming & Grand Prix by Activision

Greetings programs! This week I'm looking at Barnstorming and Grand Prix, both by Activision. Next week I'll be discussing the Avalon Hill company and two of their games, Death Trap and London Blitz. Upcoming games include Swordquest: Earthworld by Atari; Edtris 2600 and Sound X by Ed Federmeyer; AD&D Treasure of Tarmin, Burgertime, and In Search of the Golden Skull by M Network; Frogger and Amidar by Parker Brothers; and Sssnake and Airlock by Data Age. If you have any stories about these games that you'd like to share, or about any of the games I've already covered, please send them to 2600gamebygame@comcast.net. All get read or played on the show, and it is my favorite part of recording the podcast. Thanks for listening!

Prixotic Links

Barnstorming patch
Grand Prix patch
Grand Prix patch accompanying letter
Grand Prix medal (scroll down to bottom for large pic)
Willie's Grand Prix video! Awesome!
Willie's Barnstorming video
Steve Cartwright's web site
How To Beat the Home Video Games - Barnstorming
Super Action Pak Easter Egg
1984 Info World David Crane interview
James' Howard Scott Warshaw interview CGE 2005
James' HSW Once Upon Atari commercial

GamerCast - Fun Factor: Difficulty, Tech Specs, Life Span

The gloves come off on this episode of Gamercast! Rob shares his feelings on "The Last of Us: Remastered" and poses the question: does better tech make for a better game? Do games have a built-in life span, and is that a good or a bad thing? Plus, the guys discuss games they haven't finished while fielding listener questions, Glenn drops a "Fallout 3" rant, and Jay pimps his video game ride.

2 Dudes and a NES # 27 - Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!

The Dudes are back!!! And they are bringing with them your most asked for game from the NES library... Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!

Atari 2600 Game by Game Podcast #70 - Haunted House & Yar's Revenge by Atari

Today I look at two of my favorites for the 2600, Haunted House and Yars' Revenge. There's a lot to talk about, and now that I've finished recording I forgot to mention the Kids Stuff records. Yars' Revenge had an LP and a book and 45, each having some exclusive content. Like Asteroids, the LP is online but I could not find the 45. Now that's 2 videos I have to make, maybe Willie! will give me some pointers. :) Next week it's Barnstorming and Grand Prix by Activision! Seems like it's been awhile for Activision on my little show here. After that, it will be Death Trap and London Blitz by Avalon Hill; Swordquest: Earthworld by Atari; Edtris 2600 and Sound X by Ed Federmeyer; AD&D Treasure of Tarmin and Burgertime by M Network (I may add another game here, as Tarmin was not released and remains unavailable), and Frogger and Amidar by Parker Brothers. If you have any feedback or memories you'd like to share for any of these games, or if you're getting caught up with my show and want to talk about a game I've already covered, please send it to me at 2600gamebygame@comcast.net, in written or audio format. I love hearing from you! Thank you all so much for listening!

Haunted Links

Haunted House Easter Eggs
How to Beat The Home Video Games: Yars' Revenge
Willie's awesome Haunted House Video
Willie's Yars' Revenge video (featuring Clutch Cargo as Yar)
Yars' Revenge Kid Stuff album
Mystery Mansion (Haunted House prototype)
Howard Scott Warshaw interview by Scott Stilphen
HSW Keynote at Electronicon, 1997, filmed by Scott Stilphen (this is part 1 of 5, the other parts will show on the right)
HSW on Matt Chat (part 1 of 2, see above)
HSW's Once Upon Atari site
HSW's personal site
HSW's books on Amazon
Original Steve Hendricks Haunted House artwork (scroll down)
Hiro Kimura's web site
Brian's Yars' Revenge review

GamerCast - The Future: Forecasting, Evolution, Players

The guys get together in one room to forecast the future of games. What's the next evolution in gaming? How will social media and mobile phones influence the continued growth of the industry? What role will indie games play? Plus, Glenn's seen "The NES Club" and shares some thoughts on the screening, the fan feedback battle continues, and much more!

GamerCast - Competition: Bragging Rights, Rivalries, Strategies

Competitive gaming is the subject of this episode, as Rob, Jay and Glenn discuss the culture of speed runs and point pressing, and recall their earliest experiences with head to head challenges. The guys get nostalgic for arcades, debate the finer points of strategy guides, and discuss the titles that still get them fired up while playing. Plus, Rob provides an update on "The NES Club", Glenn remembers actually being good at "Mega Man 2", and Jay lays down the law on "Goldeneye 007" multiplayer rules.

GamerCast - Franchises: Characters, Reinvention, Oversaturation

On this episode, the guys discuss franchises. Which franchises would we like to see more of? Which character has taken the most abuse from the games released with his/her name on them? Is there a way to freshen up the annual series release formula? Plus, Rob provides some film updates, Jay discusses meeting some game celebrities, and Glenn finally introduces himself.

GamerCast - Collecting: Rarities, Special Editions, Promo Items

The guys debate whether the term "collector's edition" has any real meaning, discuss titles and hardware from different regions, and put up an argument for promotional releases being included in official libraries. Plus, Rob provides an update on "The NES Club", a Gamercast listener gets nostalgic over Street Fighter II, and Jay tries to answer a very popular question: what's next?

GamerCast - Nintendo: Past, Present, Future

Jay, Rob, and Glenn examine Nintendo's best and worst business moves, the current state of the Wii U, hopes and predictions for Nintendo's E3 showing, and the notion of an officially-licensed retro gaming console. Plus, Rob laments forgotten Super Mario villains, Jay shares a tale of some Star Wars trolling, and Glenn gets coaxed into voicing Solid Snake.

GamerCast - Announcements: Hype, Excitement, Surprises

E3 season is upon is, and the guys get into the spirit of things by discussing game industry announcements. What are some of the panel's favorite trailers? What unveiling got the members of the NES Club most excited? What game or console had the biggest hype prior to release? Plus, Jay shares his enthusiasm about the new "Star Wars" film, Jay and Glenn debate the merits of "Metroid Prime", Rob recalls the first pick-up video he and Jay ever made, and much more.

GamerCast - Q&A: Price Trends, Road Trips, Advice

Gamercast returns with some listener mail and more of your questions answered! Now that Jay's NES quest is on film, what's next? Do Rob and Jay notice any patterns in the going rates for classic games on the buyer's market? How do the guys think a title like "NES Remix" impacts the collecting community? What are the "holy grail" collectibles for Rob and Jay? Plus, some debate about which games would make great movies, the guys share some collecting nightmares, and Jay gives a listener some... relationship advice??

GamerCast - Gameplay: Re-releases, Reproductions, Emulation

It's time for listener Q&A on this episode of Gamercast. Rob, Jay and podcast producer Glenn Stanway discuss and debate a variety of topics raised by the NES Club community. Has collecting gone mainstream, and is that a good or a bad thing? Is it okay for video games to be graded like baseball cards or comic books? What is the impact of re-released titles or variants on the collector's market? Plus, discussions about emulators, old hardware on new televisions, reproduction carts, and much more.

GamerCast - Games: Memories, Design, Gameplay

Jay and Rob are joined by podcast producer Glenn Stanway to discuss the group's favorite titles from the NES era. Which games had the most memorable box art? What soundtracks continue to resonate today? If you had three game choices to play until the end of time, what would they be? Why are birds bad news? Plus, Glenn gets obsessive about "Metroid", Rob has some choice words for the "Ghost 'n Goblins" demon, and Jay invents "Super Mario RPG".

GamerCast - Collecting: Cost, Karma, and Hoarding

For this episode, Jay and Rob are joined by podcast producer Glenn Stanway to discuss a variety of topics surrounding collecting. Are rare, hard-to-find games really worth the price a collector pays? Are collectors hoarders? When do we cross the line from enthusiast to collector, and is there such a thing as "collecting karma"? Thoughts on all these questions and more this week, plus an update on "The NES Club" film.

2 Dudes and a NES #26 - Power Punch II

The dudes are finally playing Punchout for you guys... no... wait... it's Power Punch II!? Doh!

WARNING: This episode is on the fringe of family friendly. No cursing, but some crude humor near the end.

Atari 2600 Game by Game Podcast #68 - Blackjack, Casino, and Slot Machine by Atari

This week's episode talks about Blackjack, Casino, and Slot Machine by Atari. I apologize for the delay, I am still trying to get over being sick. Thankfully, my dad should be getting out of the hospital on Friday, and again, I thank you all for your patience and your well wishes. It really does mean a lot to me. Next time, since I am a 12 year old boy at heart (as I mention in this episode and should be readily apparent), episode 69 will be about Custer's Revenge, Beat 'Em and Eat 'Em, and Bachelor Party. These are the three Mystique adult games that cause a lot of controversy and at least one lawsuit when they were originally released. I will have a warning at the beginning of the episode and it will also be labeled explicit in iTunes. I realize this will be offensive to some. I don't want to leave these games out because they are part of the game library, so if you are offended by this kind of material or if you listen with your kids, please skip this episode and come back for the Haunted House and Yar's Revenge episode right after this one. As always, if you have any feedback, please send it to me at 2600gamebygame@comcast.net. I am thinking that episode 69 will probably not be out until the 13th; hopefully after that I can go back to once a week, because all of this stuff is driving me crazy. Thank you for listening everyone, see you next time!

Pertinent Links

Bob Whitehead interview by Scott Stilphen
Ryan's Atari 2600 site
Player/Missile podcast
Zerbinator Land