timdu

Hello all For a limited time, I am selling the first 50 issues of the 2600 Connection available in two bound "book-style" volumes. There are 2 volumes: 1. 2600 Connection #1 - #25 (Volume 1) : the first 25 issues. Price: $12 (and $2.50 shipping) 2. 2600 Connection #26 - #50 (Volume 2) : issues 26 - 50. Price: $12 (and $2.50 shipping) http://2600connection.atari.org/bi.html This is only available for orders in the USA. Please send me a Private Message if you live outside the USA and would like to place an order. thank you Tim Duarte

Jerry Lawson, the man behind Videosoft, is finally receiving some accolades for all of his accomplishments. Check it out: http://www.mercurynews.com/mike-cassidy

In 1992, I interviewed Garry Kitchen but I never published it. Well, here it is! http://2600connection.atari.org/gkitchen.pdf This PDF file requires Adobe Acrobat reader. It is 15 pages. 29 megabytes in size. Doing a little marketing here. Includes an ad for MEAN SANTA and an ad for the six "new" VIDEOSOFT Atari 2600 videogames Enjoy! Tim D.

Actually, there was some talk about putting all the 3-D games on one cart, and possibly putting Depth Charge and S.A.C. Alert on a cart together, but that was it it. My error - everything was not going to be offered on one cartridge.

I think what he is trying to say is that he believes 6 separate carts is wasteful - why not put all theses games on one cartridge as a multi-cart... ??? There was a scramble to do so according to Scott, but finding an available programmer with the time to create a multi cart loader prgram to handle all six games was difficult. In my opinion, I think each of the six games should be released as is - one cart per game. Call me a traditionalist, but that's how it was done "back in the day." Tim

Don't forget MEAN SANTA. It's from last year, but 'tis the season for this type of game. And they are in stock! http://2600connection.atari.org thanks Tim D.

Mean Santa is a christmas-themed Atari 2600 videogame. While it was independently published by a group of us at the 2600 Connection, it is not an Atari Age cartridge. I think you are referring to the Holiday carts that Atari Age offered over the past few years. I think your son would enjoy Mean Santa. My 5 year old gets a kick out of it. He can complete the easy level. We still offer it for sale. $15 for a "loose" cart, basic manual, shipped in a bubble mailer. check it out on our web site http://2600connection.atari.org If you have any questions about Mean Santa, please let me know. Tim D.

http://2600connection.atari.org/pbteen.html You can view the catalog @ http://www.pbteen.com/pages/pbteen-catalog/august-2010.html

I have the following NES games for sale. Prices do not include shipping. Legend of Zelda $3 SOLD Duck Tales $4 Family Feud $10 Solar Jetman $3 Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt $1 Road Runner $7 Double Dragon II $3 PENDING Track & Field II $3 Balloon Fight $5 Orb 3D $3 Double Dragon III $5 Jordan vs. Bird One on One $5 Mike Tyson's Punch Out $3 SOLD Send a PM if interested in any of these.

Al Backiel has reviewed the AtariAge game LEAD. Read it @ http://2600connection.atari.org/lead.html Tim

Hello all Just wanted to let you know that a review of INCOMING!, a homebrew Atari 2600 game programmed by Ben Larson, is posted on our web site. You can read it at: http://2600connection.atari.org/incoming.pdf thanks and ENJOY! Tim

David I hear you loud & clear. No worries. I commend you for releasing an Atari 2600 game. I "grew up" with messing around with Atari BASIC on the 8-bit Atari computer. I am trying to learn and absorb BATARI BASIC. I have a long road ahead of me. I admire that you had a vision for the style of gameplay and you released it as you wanted to and as how you saw it. Congrats to you. Tim

I heard back from Mark Androvich (the reviewer ) and he stated: "My comment about the small screen-- look at Superman, Adventure, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Dragonfire, Secret Quest, etc. It is certainly possible for programmers to include moving enemies on the screen along with the hero. Yes, it might flicker a bit, but it is possible. Imagine if Adventure had been played in such a small area of the entire television screen, and when you entered a room with a dragon, instead of being able to flee from it, the image of the dragon was instead shown next to your square. Neither moved. Instead, you took turns pressing the button to see if you hit him enough before he hit you, and if so, the dragon would disappear. Then you pushed up or down on the stick and the new room walls would be drawn around your character. Not the same game, right? Not the same sense of exploration and adventure? It's the difference between those early PC Star Trek games using ASCII characters and calculating movement and HP, and Star Raiders. I think you misunderstood me. I didn't mean the programmer should have taken that small square and expanded it to fit the entire screen. I meant that the character sprites should have remained the same size, but that the entire screen should have been utilized by other things. Thicker walls, more walls, other objects, etc. My point was that the motion was too restricted and that the programmer didn't use the screen as he could have. If it was a design decision--he could have done it differently, but chose not to for time, simplicity, money, etc.--I disagree with that decision because it makes the game less interesting. If it was a matter of programmer skill and ability, I understand that this is a homebrew guy and not David Crane or Rob Fulop, but 20 years later we know what the 2600 can do so I'm sure the documentation was there. "

In reading Mark's review again, where he writes: "The small screen and lack of animation isn't necessary a deal breaker--look at games such as Minesweeper for example--but I was hoping for a game where the dungeon filled up the entire screen and the turn-based combat would be activated only after coming into contact with a moving, animated enemy" I don't think the Atari 2600 could have handled full screen graphics - without it looking like a blocky mess. Remember Karate (by Froggo)? I think David (the programmer) kept the graphic sprites small and manageable so they would at least look OK. And as for the animation, well, it's not really required in an RPG type of game like this. If it wasn't an RPG, then such animations would be required. Tim

Just wanted to let you know that I updated the 2600 Connection web site today. The Dungeon review ( a 32K homebrew by David Weavil ) is up there. Dungeon was programmed with BATARI BASIC. http://2600connection.atari.org/dungeon.pdf Enjoy! Tim Duarte

Yes... in a way! In the next few days, I hope to have a PDF review of INCOMING! up on the web site. Tim

Glad to be "back" It is certainly still a great hobby... Ben, I will send you a P.M. Tim

Yes, I do sell the print issues ( #1-50 )that I produced when I was publisher / editor: http://2600connection.atari.org/bi.html Tim

The 2600 Connection newsletter has started a new era... well, sort of , in a way... Today, I am proud to announce the "publishing" of the first PDF file which I have posted on the web site today. (You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view / print the document.) It's a review of CAVE IN and it looks like a page out of the 2600 Connection printed newsletter... I designed it that way. It is only 1 page. Maybe the future PDF files will be more than 1 page. My idea for "the new era" is to offer the PDF files for free, and let anyone and everyone print then out and distribute them. I hope to have more PDF files up in the future. Check out the Cave In review: http://2600connection.atari.org/cavein.pdf Enjoy! Tim

http://www.hozervideo.com/ "Stella Gets A New Brain, Version 2" is listed for $5 on this site under "STELLA STUFF" on the left. -Tim

PM sent. FYI - I am selling the game for $15 plus $3.50 for shipping to U.S. residents. If you live outside the USA, the price is $15 plus $5.00 for shipping. Tim Duarte 2600 Connection PO Box N632 Westport, MA 02790 USA

Just an update that I do have Mean Santa "unlimited edition" cartridges for sale. Price is $15 plus shipping. Hey, check out this youtube review of Mean Santa - the limited release. It does contain some mature language, so make sure the kiddies are not nearby... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06NXd_DfUXc -Tim

Colts 67

Just wanted to let the folks who are on our pre-order list from the end of December know... The first batch of "unlimited edition" Mean Santa game cartridges are now available and ready to be shipped via US Mail. Mean Santa "unlimited edition" is a loose, unnumbered game cartridge with a slightly different game label and a basic manual shipped in a basic economy bubble mailer. You should have heard from me by now. If you missed out this time, not a problem. I am taking names for our next pre-order list. thanks Tim

Today, I received an email from a fellow collector who missed out on buying Mean Santa. He is wondering if any of the 100 owners are willing to sell theirs. He is willing to pay double the price it sold for. I told him I would post a note for him. So here it is: WANTED: MEAN SANTA. LIMITED EDITION. 1ST 100 ISSUED. MUST BE AS NEW CONDITION - BUYER WILLING TO PAY $50 US + postage (EITHER PAL OR NTSC) Please send me a PM if you are interested. Tim