Ion Patrol

[The Mr. Video]

In Volume 2, Number 5 of Atari Age magazine, they did an April Fools section with articles on faux Atari products.

On the "Sneak Pokes" section, they had this gem of a game:

Makes me wonder if anybody attempted to recreate this game as described in the article, despite the fact that this game sounds like a sure fire way to ruin your 2600's switches.

[+Nathan Strum]

Pretty sure Todd Rogers already has the high score for that.

[Supergun]

Well, I've got something really cool to share with everyone here regarding that article (and an indirect / coincidental realization of something in it) that you will all undoubtedly find to be extremely fascinating.

 

But I'm too busy with work at the moment, so it will have to wait until later. But trust me, come back here and check it out after I post it. It was incredible to me & I have never forgotten it. (I still think about it every time I play the game) And my friends & I bring it up all the time!

[Pac-Guy 26]

HOOOOOOOLY CRAP that game sounds stupid!

[Supergun]

So here's the story.

 

I will never forget the first time I read that Atari Age article about the "GLS" chip.

I of course came to understand that it was just a joke, (an April Fool's prank),

but it always kind of stuck in my head as a "what if" kind of a thing.

 

I also remember from that same time period, reading about the "cheating" that

Atari Video Chess computer would do. Kind of an artificial intelligence thing.

And so it always made me wonder if these electronics could sometimes "think"

for themselves.

 

My friends and I never forgot about the "GLS" chip, and always joked that someday it would come to light.

 

Well, several years later, when I was heavily into the NES, one of our favorite games to play was Zanac.

An intense shooter with great graphics & sounds. I absolutely loved the music in that game.

We used to play it competitively, both with & without using the NES Advantage (rapid fire & slow mo features)

for both furthest distance and high scores. (we did the same with Track & Field; with & without the advantage)

And we kept separate score logs for each style of play.

 

Anyhow, Zanac sometimes seemed kind of "odd" certain times when I would play it. Sometimes I was in the zone,

and would kick ass with a great game. Other times it would kick my ass! Well low and behold, we were reading

through the instruction manual one day, looking for tips & tricks and guess what we found?

 

Atari's joke became REALITY! Zanac had a "GLS" chip!

 

Here is a picture of the page in the manual describing it.

 

[Pac-Guy 26]

I'd rather Big Brother.