Interview with Bob Polaro

[Albert]

http:///features/interviews/BobPolaro/index.htmlIf you've followed what took place at last month's PhillyClasic 3, you know that Atari programmer Bob Polaro was on hand to launch a previously unreleased version of Bugs Bunny. Sarah Szefer sat down with Bob Polaro at PhillyClassic and talked with him about his previous work and the history behind Bugs Bunny. Here Bob Polaro talks about what he did after leaving Atari:

 

Bob Polaro: After I left Atari, I started my own company, developing educational software, self-publishing that, and I did that for about three or four years. And then, there was a resurgence of the 2600 due to Nintendo, I believe, and then I got into contract 2600 games, first for Atari again, and then for Mediagenics, which was Activision, and back to Atari. That's what I did in the short term. Then eventually, I got into Sony Playstation and Super Nintendo, and now I'm doing Java Internet games.

 

The full interview can be found here.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Very interesting interview. Bob even knows about my Sprintmaster hack. Great!

 

To bad, that you didn't ask, why he did not used the driving controller.

 

And it looks like he has no idea how 2600 development is working today. You need an editor, DASM and a good emulator, that's all. No "full development system".

 

Things have become a lot easier today.

[Ranthulfr]

Sarah did a great job. Very interesting to hear about the programming challenges that different types of games bring to the 2600. I also thought it was interesting how Easter Eggs went from "zero to hero" in the eyes of the the company. Heh.

[ATARIPITBULL]

Bob Polaro is a great guy and it was nice to meet him at the Philly Classic and he even patted my 1 year old son on the head and signed my copy of bugs bunny to him.

[+Cafeman]

Very interesting interview, Sarah!

 

Funny, I got into a discussion with Bob at the bar on Friday night and he was explaining to me that whole thing about the ship disappearing because he swapped the sprite for the quad-length laser shot. I wonder if Sarah had just asked him that, because it seemed fresh in his mind.

 

I didn't even know who he was. I was sitting at the bar, I think it was either Joe Cody or Albert I asked "who's that guy next to Hardie" and they said "That's Bob Polaro, who programmed Defender and Bugs Bunny and .. " , well at that point I knew who he was & slipped over for an inebriated discussion.

 

I think he also said that all the guys at Atari used to play Defender all the time , but "not my version". Oh, if I had a nickel for every hour I spent playing 2600 Defender ... I'd buy an arcade machine!

 

[ 05-12-2002: Message edited by: Cafeman ]

[StanJr]

Bob Polaro rules! I had the honor of playing 2 player Bugs against him at Philly. Needless to say, he slaughtered me. I had a blast talking to him.

 

Very good interview.

[Tempest]

I had the honor of scaring him by reciting 2600 cartridge numbers. I wanted to know why Road Runner was CX-2663 but released so late. He didn't seem to know, but he said Road Runner wasn't based on any existing game, it was all original.

 

Tempest

[Lady Jaye]

Thanks guys for the response to my interview!

I'm preciously keeping the original tape (my boyfriend works as a reporter, and I borrowed his tape recorder, unknowing that I'd really need it over the weekend).

 

Actually, Cafeman, I did the interview on the Saturday morning (imagine how it would have gone had I done it at the bar on Friday...). The weird thing is that I didn't even talk to Bob on that night. Go figure... I might have been the third person to ask him that question (it must be the number one question about Defender 2600 that anyone wants to ask).

 

Tempest, you really started quoting Atari cart numbers? I suppose that was before the evening was too far along.

[MattyXB]

Yes, great interview.

 

SOund interesting, that maybe some more games release in the future.

 

But what controller he mean? I own Paddle and Driving Controller, and I think they are not so hard to get.

 

Ok, by my Paddles alway one not working fine, but if I want I can get some like new.

 

Or he maybe mean other controller like the Mindlink? Then he is right, the most don't own one.

[Albert]

quote:

---

Originally posted by MattyXB:

But what controller he mean?

---

 

Yes, I was wondering about this as well! He could mean just about any controller other than the standard Atari controller, although most people have or can get their handds on paddle controllers, so it's probably not that either. Could be the racing controller, keypad controllers or an unreleased controller like the Mindlink (which you mentioned).

 

I'd really like to know what unreleased games he has.

 

..Al

[cx2k]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Albert:

[QBCould be the racing controller, keypad controllers or an unreleased controller like the Mindlink (which you mentioned).

 

I'd really like to know what unreleased games he has.

 

[/QB]

---

 

I'm betting he's referring to a kid's controller and the game is one that he did called Holey Moley!

 

But, it's just a hunch.

 

John

[Nukey Shay]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tempest:

I had the honor of scaring him by reciting 2600 cartridge numbers. I wanted to know why Road Runner was CX-2663 but released so late. He didn't seem to know, but he said Road Runner wasn't based on any existing game, it was all original.

 

Tempest

---

 

It seems to me that the programmers would have little (i.e. nothing) to do the catalog number...that would probably fall to marketing.

[Tempest]

Yeah it would, but I was wondering if he had picked up an existing game and finsihed it or if they had had RoadRunner planned early on and not actually done anything with it until the late 80's. I guess the latter has to be true, otherise why would they skip that number? They may have had a good reason to skip it in the first place, but why wouldn't they fill it in before 1989? They did with all the other numbers (except for CX-26100, but that's special).

 

Tempest

[slapdash]

I'm almost certain he means the Mindlink controller... Did he code Bionic Breakthrough or something else?

[Scott Stilphen]

Tempest - the Road Runner coin-op is the same game (albeit more detailed) so either the coin-op was based on the home game (and if so, Polaro should be credited in the game somewhere) or they were both designed/started at the same time.

 

Russ - I'd guess that John is right about Polaro referring to Holey Moley (maybe he doesn't know that the game is available?).

 

[ 05-14-2002: Message edited by: Scott Stilphen ]

[Tempest]

Hmm... Your right and it's at least 2 years before the 2600 game. Either he was mistaken or maybe he meant it wasn't based off any previous 2600 game (like whatever was in that slot originally).

 

Tempest