Category Archives: Atari Nerd

Atari Vets “Getting The Band Back Together” To Rock Mobile Games Like’s It’s 1979 All Over Again

Posted on February 3, 2012 by 8bit_admin

Denis Koble, Rich Adam, Ed Logg, Lyle Rains, Bruce Merritt, Tim Skelly, Owen R. Ruben, Ed Rotberg, Bob Smith, and Rob Zdydel are forming a game company named Innovative Leisure, and you should take notice. If you don’t know who … Continue reading →

Posted in Atari Nerd | 3 Comments

Atari Nerd Fantasy: What If Our Games Had Been Released As Cartridges For A Classic Console (photo)

Posted on February 1, 2012 by 8bit_admin

We were thinking over the weekend that it would be nice to have some kind of physical way to represent the many games we have made over the years. Since most of them have been web games, they are fleeting … Continue reading →

Posted in Atari Nerd | 1 Comment

Common, Off-The-Shelf, Dad : Why My Dad Never Joined The Computer Revolution

Posted on January 13, 2012 by 8bit_admin

Jeff and I loved computers as kids, and my dad supported that love as well as he possibly could.  He bought us a our first Atari 800 computer for Christmas 1983, a Gemini 10X printer and 850 interface for our … Continue reading →

Posted in Atari Nerd, Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Atari Nerd Chronicles: The Best Christmas Ever

Posted on December 25, 2011 by 8bit_admin

  Although I had no idea in early 1981, my brother and I were video game obsessed twins on a collision-course with the pinnacle of ultimate geekdom: computer ownership.    We both loved arcade games and owned an Atari 2600 that … Continue reading →

Posted in Atari Nerd, Atari Nerd Chronicles | 2 Comments

The 12 Years Of Atari Christmas 1981-1992

Posted on December 23, 2011 by 8bit_admin

On Christmas ’81 Atari gave to me, a VCS under the Christmas tree   On Christmas ’82 Atari gave to me, two arcade conversions and a VCS under the Christmas tree   On  Christmas ’83 Atari  gave to me three … Continue reading →

Posted in Atari Nerd, Atari Poetry, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Atari 80′s Christmas Commercials (More Filler For A Slow Week)

Posted on December 22, 2011 by 8bit_admin

Nothing brings back 8-bit Christmas memories like atrocious video game commercials from the 80′s.  The funny is, we LOVED these commercials.   They represented the mainstream accepting our love of Atari and video games…at least that is how we thought … Continue reading →

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Atari History Book Kickstarter Project Launches

Posted on December 21, 2011 by 8bit_admin

Marty Goldberg and Curt Vendel have launched their Kickstarter.com project to help get their massive Atari History book project off the ground.  Here is a video about the project:    

Posted in Atari Nerd | 1 Comment

Image Gallery : From Altair To Nintendo : Christmas Themed Computer And Video Games Ads and Editorial Pages, 1975-1989

Posted on December 20, 2011 by 8bit_admin

When I was growing up, getting into the Christmas spirit usually involved reading my favorite computer and video game magazines and paging through the special Christmas content created just for the holiday. Since the physical magazine era is quickly coming … Continue reading →

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Finally: Atari Museum Atari History Book Is On The Way!

Posted on November 30, 2011 by 8bit_admin

We’ve been politely pestering Marty Goldberg and Curt Vendel from The Atari history Museum to finish their book on Atari history for at least 5 years now. Well, it looks like the day might arrive soon. Today Curt announced a … Continue reading →

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The Kinect : Only The Illusion Of “Fun”

Posted on November 23, 2011 by 8bit_admin

So I’ve been branded a “Kinect” lover by some people, and for the past year that has been a fairly accurate statement.  Before that, I was a Wii lover.  In both cases, I truly believed in the idea of “motion gaming”. … Continue reading →

Posted in Atari Nerd | 5 Comments

R.I.P. Gary Garcia of “Pac Man Fever” Fame : Now It’s time For Hollywood To Make A Movie About “Pac Man Fever”

Posted on November 18, 2011 by 8bit_admin

“To create a song that has mass appeal is among the most difficult things you’ll ever do.” -Jerry Buckner   According to Gamasutra, Gary Garcia, 1/2 of Buckner and Garcia died yesterday.   Back in February we contacted Jerry Buckner … Continue reading →

Posted in Atari Navel Gazing, Atari Nerd, Movies the Need To Be Made | 2 Comments

The Day Wii Played Hooky : How My Family Loved And Lost The Nintendo Wii

Posted on October 24, 2011 by 8bit_admin

In 2006 my family played hooky: All 5 of us.  It was a Monday in November.  The previous day I had gotten-up very early to stand-in line at the local Target.  It was rumored that they would have about 100 … Continue reading →

Posted in Atari Nerd, Atari Nerd Chronicles | 1 Comment

Sometimes Destiny Lies Between The Lines or How 4th Grade Isn’t Necessarily The End Of The World

Posted on October 22, 2011 by 8bit_admin

I sat next to Michael Jackson in the 4th grade.  Not that Michael Jackson, but Mike Jackson, my friend since he moved from England to  attend our Kindergarten at Pennekamp Elementary school in 1975. Mike and I and my brother … Continue reading →

Posted in 8bitrocket History, Atari Nerd, Atari Nerd Chronicles, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Worst Products And Services For Classic Gamers (circa 1982-1984): Final Roundup Of Even More Useless Products

Posted on October 13, 2011 by 8bit_admin

In the past two article (part 1 and part 2 ), I have tried to tell stories with insight into just how useless some of these products, services and offers were back in the day.  However, there are a bunch more … Continue reading →

Posted in Atari Nerd, Electronic Games Magazine | 3 Comments

Video Games Are My Hobby: My Essay From English Class, March 1982

Posted on October 10, 2011 by 8bit_admin

My essay for Mr. Davis’ 6th grade English class, March 22, 1982, Foster A, Begg, Junior High, Manhattan Beach, CA. (text below) Steve Fulton 3-22-1982 Essay My favorite thing to do is play a video game. After school on Thursdays … Continue reading →

Posted in 8bitrocket History, Atari Nerd, Atari Nerd Chronicles | 3 Comments

The Top-10 (or so) Worst Real-Life Products For Video Gamers (circa 1982) Part 2: Your Future Career In Video Games

Posted on October 9, 2011 by 8bit_admin

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, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atari Nerd, Electronic Games Magazine | 1 Comment

Truth In Advertising #1: Atari 2600 Launch Games

Posted on October 3, 2011 by 8bit_admin

We love the box-art for the original Atari 2600 games.  The amazing game paintings inspired by the “idea” of the game (but not the action) went a long way to fill-in our imaginations when we played the games, because their … Continue reading →

Posted in Truth In Advertising | 4 Comments

Katz/Kunkel/Worley : The History Of Video Games From Holy Trinity Of Game Journalism

Posted on October 2, 2011 by 8bit_admin

Bill Kunkel, Arnie, Katz and Joyce Worley were the pioneers of game journalism.   Here, in chronological order, are links to a good portion the writing they created in the golden age (and beyond) of video games. 1970-1980: Arcade Alley: … Continue reading →

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The Top-10 Worst Real-Life Products For Classic Video Gamers

Posted on September 29, 2011 by 8bit_admin

The back pages and new products sections of Electronic Games magazine in 1982 and 1983 were filled with all sorts of products, services and offers that were dubious at best, and possibly, criminal at worst.   It appears that in … Continue reading →

Posted in Atari Nerd, Retro Game Magazines | 4 Comments

What Video Game Journalists In 2011 Could Learn From Electronic Games Magazine in 1983: Standards

Posted on September 27, 2011 by 8bit_admin

I was looking through my old copies of Electronic Games, and I happened upon an editorial by Arnie Katz from the March 1983 issue.  It lists the “standards” that the publication had decided to employ to make sure that they … Continue reading →

Posted in Atari Nerd, Retro Game Magazines | 2 Comments

Unboxing the iCup Atari Drinking Glasses From The Target Clearance Sale : A Photo Essay

Posted on September 19, 2011 by 8bit_admin

Today I purchased the iCup set of four classic Atari drinking glasses that were on clearance at Target.  Instead of telling you this story, and I’m going to show it to you with a web-only exclusive photo-essay of this exciting … Continue reading →

Posted in Atari Nerd | 1 Comment

The 8-Bit Game: Digesting Archon

Posted on September 15, 2011 by 8bitjeff

The word “Archon” roughly translated from Greek means the ruler of a particular nation or state. The 8-bit computer game, Archon was the king or ruler of “real-time” strategy in the early 80′s well before the genre was actually “invented”. … Continue reading →

Posted in Atari Nerd, The 8-bit Game | Leave a comment

Twisted Pixel’s Beard Secret: An Atari 800

Posted on September 14, 2011 by 8bit_admin

Twisted Pixel, the guys who created Gunstringer, ‘Splosion Man and Ms. ‘Splosion Man for the XBox 360, have revealed their secret.  An Atari 800.  Check out this video below:

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Rest In Peace Bill Kunkel: Video Game Journalism Pioneer

Posted on September 7, 2011 by 8bit_admin

Bill Kunkel, part of the duo of Arnie Katz and Bill Kunkel who created Electronic Games the frst magazine about video games, Electronic Games, died on Sunday at the age of 61. We were big fans of Bill Kunkel.  One … Continue reading →

Posted in Atari Nerd, Rest In Peace, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Taito is going after unlicensed Space Invaders re-makes

Posted on August 25, 2011 by 8bitjeff

The news has been filled recently with game companies using legal means to go after trademark and copyright offenders who infringe on classic and retro intellectual property. The latest to come across our news feed is that Taito (now part of … Continue reading →

Posted in Atari Nerd | 8 Comments