Miss 2600

I think you should change your avi to that screen shot! Maybe even your user name: Mr. 300!

Ugh! I don't want to play tonight, so I'll just concede. Good luck Classicgamer! I'll be rested and ready for next season!

Like those Ms. Pac-Man commercials say: "with a style of entertainment Pac-Man never knew."

If the point is to provide an opportunity for folks who couldn't afford to purchase the game (or didn't want to spend the asking price) a chance to play it, charging a lot out of the gate (even if it were to be refunded a couple weeks later) seems to be defeating the purpose. $200 can be a lot of money out of an account even if it is temporary.

Doubt I could ever get to that level, and don't really want to spend that much time on it. 4260

Wow, Dimple Records! I haven't thought about that store in years. I used to go there every time I was in the Sacramento area (was it in Roseville?). Is it still around? I remember them carrying all sorts of music memorabilia like vintage posters, buttons and magazines like Kerrang! I'm sure some of my Atari cartridge collection is from there. They had so many games at one time. I think I remember their games not being that cheap, but I'd splurge if they had something I didn't have.

Glad I don't have to face you in the first round! You're definitely a Gold Medal player!

ET? Space Shuttle?

That's cool!

So the patch was for C64?

I saw an Activision patch on eBay called "Toy TroubleShooters." I was racking my brain as to what game that was for. I did some research and see it was for a game called "Toy Bizzare," but can't find any info on it. Was that a more recent game? Any screen shots or ROM available?

Well, I achieved my personal goal: I qualified for the Billy Club! So, if I ever buy the patch on eBay, I know that I have earned it. 37,600

I purchased the CD Rom version back when it came out. I'm glad I did as, checking Amazon, it is going for a lot more money now. I wrote a review. I've pasted it below: "A blackness battles / A blizzardly channel ends / Curiosity"--Machined Haiku "A Slow Year" is a disc and book set where videogames meet poetry. Ian Bogost is a videogame researcher and designer and a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. For this unique package, Bogost has created four games based on the seasons made for the Atari Video Computer System (later known as the Atari 2600). A limited run of an actual Atari cartridge was also made for these games, but this set includes a computer disc in a plastic sleeve attached to the back of the book. In the first part of the book, Bogost describes similarities he sees between videogames and poetry, what inspired him to design "A Slow Year," and instructions on how to play the games. The main part of the book is filled with haiku that were formed from a computer program he designed. There are 256 haiku for each of the four seasons. The title of this review is one such haiku. He explains that 256 is 8 bits, which was the largest value the microprocessor of the Atari VCS could manipulate. Multiplied by 4, 256 also equals one kilobyte. The instructions for the games are rather vague; in fact, they are written in haiku form. These games are not your typical Atari shoot-'em-ups, racers, adventures, or mazes; they are games of patience and observation. Those who are not familiar with Atari, will probably laugh at the games' graphical simplicity and lack of action. Fans of the 2600, however, will notice the impressive details in the visuals and the uniqueness of the game play. In the game Spring, for example, the screen is filled with shades of gray. The houses look tiny and insignificant as the rain beats down. It looks gloomy and miserable. So much rain falls that I almost expect the houses to float away any moment. Then, there is a flash of yellow...lightning. Your goal is to try and anticipate the thunder's roar. In the Autumn game, you are greeted by a giant tree. It seems like a clear, peaceful day, but the winds pick up. Lines across the screen give the feel of how hard the winds are blowing. Sometimes it seems like a hurricane is coming, but the tree stands strong and, occasionally, a leaf dangles down seemingly not affected by the winds at all. Then comes the point when the leaf is ready to drop. You control a leaf pile ready to catch it, but where it falls is often a surprise. The games for Winter and Summer take even more patience and experimentation. For me, the Summer game is the most difficult to grasp. The only keys used to control the games are the space bar (red button) and the arrow keys (joystick). The Tab key works like the Game Select switch. "A Slow Year," conceptually, takes the game style of the Atari 2600 to new areas. The limitations of the Atari system (especially in terms of graphics) left more to the imagination of the player. The cover art and text style of "A Slow Year" mimics the illustrations on Atari boxes back in the day that captured the eyes of young players like myself. The box art of games like Missile Command showed images that could not be replicated on the Atari, but did bring life to the dots and block figures that made up the game. Bogosts's games are graphically much more detailed and attractive than the early contributions to the Atari VCS (using the same technological limitations), but the game play of his games are more of reflection and observation--I guess, like poetry. They are nice games to which to kick back and relax. The computer-generated haiku did not do much for me, but I am not a fan of poetry in general. Poetry enthusiasts might pick out certain haiku or discover some interesting patterns that the computer came up with. One thing this reviewer takes issue with, however, is a review excerpt from the back cover by Frank Lantz (Area/Code). He states, "'A Slow Year' resurrects an abandoned platform and excavates from it a series of sad and lovely meditations on perception and time." The Atari 2600 is not an abandoned platform. Homebrew games are still being programmed for the system. Cartridges of common games are recycled for these new additions. Just recently, a Halo game was released for the system and Boulderdash was adapted for the Atari 2600, both in original cartridge form. Still, I am glad I made this purchase as the games are very unique and quite challenging; however, I recommend "A Slow Year" for fans of the Atari 2600, as gamers only familiar with more modern systems will probably not "get it."

I've been very lucky that the joystick I had when a kid still works. I played Decathlon with it, too.

Cool! That game is one of my best "in the wild" finds! Found it probably 7 years ago. Loose cartridge with complete label (with actiplaque), but the Goodwill worker wrote 1.00 in sharpie on the end label. At least that reminds me what I paid for it.

1. The manual to Swordquest: Waterworld for free at a thrift store in Fort Bragg, CA. 2. Guardian loose cartridge (with front and end labels) for $1.00 at a Goodwill in Yuba City, CA. 3. Stargunner loose with the color label handle cartridge for $1.00 at a thrift store in Chico, CA

Well, I have had some difficulty getting into the elevators, but it is more of a centering issue. I don't play long enough to make it a hand strength issue, I'm just not good. How much time is left on average when you catch the crook in the later rounds? It seems to dwindle quite a bit for me which means not many points. It must take hours to get to a million. Then, I think, hand strength would definitely come into play. I've been utilizing the elevators more in the early rounds to nab the burglar sooner and get more points. Doing this, I was able to improve my score while probably getting to the same level as last time. I'm still having difficulty with the low bouncing balls. I managed to clear them maybe once or twice. The frustrating thing is, I'll keep slowing down and re-positioning myself to jump them and clear two or three only to hit the last one. Then I waste time trying to clear them AND get hit with the penalty. It would be better just to hit the first one, LOL. 25,500

It took 35,000 to join the "Billy Club." I never got there because I would have sent for the patch back then (I got Pitfall, Pitfall II, River Raid, and Plaque Attack).

I've had this game since I was a kid. I always thought it cute and unique, though I was never good at it and still am not. The two low bouncing balls are the time killers for me. 19,050

Ha! Northcoastgamer: I assumed you lived in Oregon or Washington State. I often don't notice places on the profiles. Congratulations!! You are excellent on so many types of games.

179,300 I improved my score after I learned to not try to shoot the rocks. I accidentally deleted my photo but, since it is not a great score, I hope you take my word as a lady that it was achieved. Update: If a photo is required, I played again. I couldn't repeat the above score but did slightly better than my previous high score. 147,400

I remember you from a long time ago. When I first got on the Internet I visited your Church of Pac-Man site. I think it's been maybe 15 years ago.

ShoEboX!

I usually use a Harmony cart even if I have the cartridge (I don't have Gyruss) because it saves me having to dig it out. I play on a genuine heavy sixer with a joystick I've had since I was a kid (came with my 4-switch Tele-Games unit). I used it so much, one of the pads on the bottom wore down to the adhesive and became sticky, so I put tape over it. The TV is a 1986 Sony my parents bought new. It may have been our first "cable ready" TV (remember that term?). This area of my apartment still looks like I recently moved (since July, LOL). Maybe I should think about getting a TV stand for it.

On the board with my first ever score on Gyruss. Seems like a pretty easy game that gamer could play for a looong time. 69,000 Update: My second ever score on Gyruss. More than doubled my first score! 144,900