ew Retrogaming Times Monthly (free online magazine) features my first Atari Playfield article on ST game developer Michtron . Richard Davey (www.atari.st and www.photonstorm.com) was invaluable help on this article.

I have been reading this splendid on-line magazine every month for a long time, but over the last year, Atari and especially  Atari computer coverage has been minimal. So, I have volunteered to do a monthly column on Atari ST and Atari 800 games. This month features the early ST game developer, Michtron.

There are also 18 other articles in this issue, ranging from a tribute to Michael Jackson, to  a movie review of the video game inspired film, The Wizard, and all kinds of other goodies in-between for various systems and consoles.

If you would like to contribute to the magazine and see your favorite computer or video game system covered, please contact Bryan Roppolo, the current, very hard working editor of this great, free, web-only magazine. (Squize, that means you and your Amiga).

The Atari Playfield names is a tribute to the long running Atari Playfield column in the great, now defunct, Computer Gaming World Magazine.

ackers and the Beautiful System

On the heels of Steve's wonderful post on the joys of being a creative programmer, we get an idiotic Infoworld post on why American programmers are so bad...because they are hackers?

I like to think that the Hacker Ethic (creative, open exploring of systems and solutions) helps to create beautiful systems, but Neil McAllister seems to think that hackers are actually "hacks" - kids with no coding skills or business knowledge that must be streaming out of our university system if he felt the need to write such a long piece on the subject. He got one thing right, most university students can't code worth shit because coding is assumed to be the "dirty" job in a Six Sigma - like development process system. There are virtually no classes on proper coding in a university IT departments...

believe that I was born to be a computer programmer. Somewhere, deep in my soul, there is a need to organize my thoughts in ways that are both new and interesting, but also foundational and reusable at the same time. I've always felt that there is something atypical about this kind of work, and about the people who have chosen to do it. Not that it is better or worse than any other profession mind you, but that it was very unique, and at the same time both interesting and powerful.

However over the years, I have learned that this is not exactly a commonly-held belief.

just read this news story that Time Warner Interactive is planning to buy Midway Games. This would stand as just another boring game industry story for me, if it was not for the "Atari" connection.

You see Atari was bought by Warner Communications in 1976.  When Warner "sold" Atari in 1984, they kept the arcade business and named it Atari Games. They sold it to Namco in 1985. When Nintendo struck gold with the NES, Atari Games created a home division named Tengen, and continued to make games... 

suppose you could call this "gallows humor".  I actually liked much of Michael Jackson's early 80's output, so I'm fairly sad to see that he could not turn himself around.  Anyway, this "Moonwalker" Game came out at just about the time Jackson took his final turn into "Neverland". 

Commercial For The Game

(More videos after the jump including a news report and an "Angry Video Game Nerd" review)

avorite Video / Computer Soccer (Football) game of all time

In support of the USA's remarkable 2-0 win over the vaunted powerful Spanish side in today's Confederation Cup semifinal, I wanted to up the quiz anti with a poll of sorts.   I have played a number of Soccer (Association Football) games over the years and I wanted to list my 10 favorites in order.  Are your favorites on this list?  If you are an American, Soccer hater, then can just say "Madden is the only Football game that matters", but I would rather you give an answer to the poll.  Mind you, this is a list of my favorites, not technically the "best", but the ones I find the most fun to play again and again.

1. Kick Off 2 (ST/Amiga)
2. Kick Off Player Manager (ST/Amiga)
3. New Star Soccer (3 and 4) (PC/MAC)
4. Sensible World of Soccer (ST/Amiga)
5. Fifa (series) (Genesis / PS2)
6. Winning 11 Series (PS2)
7. Microprose Soccer (ST / Amiga)
8. Pele's Soccer (2600)
9. NASL Soccer (Intellivision)
10. Super Mario Strikers (Nintendo Systems)

Which do you choose? I have surly not played all of the best footie games, so what am I missing?

uiz: Can You Name These Classic Computer Games From Their Old-School Reviews (#1)

In this quiz we will give you a few lines of a review from a classic computer and/or video game. Your job: Name The Game.  Leave a comment with your answers below.  The first person to get all 10 will win something worthless and virtual.

1."Computer speech synthesis has just been revolutionized by a product by Don't Ask Software. Unlike all the other systems, [this product] requires no special hardware. That's right, [it] provides the highest-quality computerized speech currently available for ATARI computers, and does it with software only. All you need is an ATARI 400 or 800 with at least 32K RAM and one disk drive."

2."The scenario of [the game] takes us back several years to the Middle Eastern desert where 64 Americans are being held captive in several sets of barracks. The [game] arrives on a starry night with a full moon beaming. As pilot, you push the stick forward to lift off in search of the first of four groups. You spot them, find a clearing and land. Be careful not to crush the hostages. ."

(8 more after the jump)