Airshack

Except honestly, Intellivision was the Rum & Coke then because it simply blew away Atari and Odyssey. Odyssey was the AMC Gremlin. Atari was the Ford Mustang. Intellivision was the Corvette. The Mustang out-sold the others but the Corvette was still way better. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Yoda! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Hahahaha! This game was so simple I was able to port it over to the TI-99/4 in BASIC, at the age of sixteen. My first port! Of course I misspelled the title screen to read “Helecopter Rescue.” Found it in the TI-99/4 Gamebase 36 years later! How fun! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I must have lived in the strangest neighborhood in America, in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. We had Odyssey2 users out-numbering Atari people 4-to-1. The number one reason was the O2’s Football and Baseball games, and the affordability of O2 over Atari. O2 was cheaper as were the games. Paperboy’s budgets demanded early fiscal responsibility. Sports titles usually take a beating in the retro community for some reason. Call it lack of Dragons or Space Ships? Maybe most gaming nerds aren’t athletic so they avoid sports titles? I don’t get it. Our 1970s introduction to computer gaming was with Mattel Electronics LED handheld games: Football, Baseball, Basketball, and Hockey. Our expectations for graphics can be summed up by saying, “If the graphics on the screen look better than a series of red LED dash symbols on our handhelds, then the graphics are awesome.” O2 graphics simultaneously met and exceeded our graphics needs. The big US sports titles, Football and Baseball, featured excellent gameplay and looked 100% better than the Atari versions. Again, they were cheaper too. So for a group of athletic guys snowbound for several months a year, the Odyssey2 was a Godsend. The first kid in our neighborhood to get a video console had an O2 so that probably sold the other three as well — familiarity. One guy received the Atari with Space Invaders which was cool. He later acquired some Atari sports titles and our enthusiasm for the VCS subsided. Then another guy sold his O2, and purchased an Intellivision, and everyone was jealous. GAME OVER. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Football was the killer O2 app in my neighborhood growing up. It sold 3-4 O2s on my street and absolutely destroyed Atari Football. It actually ruled the sports genre until Intellivision Football and Baseball came around. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Tip1: Whenever I get an LCD TV from a thrift shop I order the remote from eBay or Amazon. I usually pay $5-7 and never have I not found what I need. They usually arrive brand new from China. Tip2: Thrift stores other than Goodwill still have cheap CRT TVs. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I am going to Lubbock this summer. Haven’t gone yet. I do know where to go now. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Composite cable is cheaper and 100% better. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Even a working RF modulator is vastly inferior to the composite out. I’d recommend ordering a composite cable. The C-64 and Atari 800/400 cables work on the TI-99/4A as well. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

There is The Orphan Chronicles book which the first half is factual and interesting yet drifts off into weirdness of post-1983 99/4 survival topics. https://archive.org/details/tibook_the-orphan-chronicles I’ll summarize the things I find out from Brett and will post here.

So you have the source code? Share? Loved that movie because as I recall Barbara Bach was hawt! How did Ringo get the best looking wife? Game I suppose. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Ha! He saw the 99/8 line they were building once. He does not know where the few machines he saw in the R&D area ended up. Probably went to higher ranking employees he said. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Interesting. Part of an internal TI program or that OK City Intl TI Program Exchange deal? Did he get anything published? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

My buddy Brett was transferred to Sherman after the third line of TI-99/4s shut down. Unfortunately, Brett was only there for a year before it all collapsed. He was hired in Dec 1982. Told me an interesting story on how he got contacted in Detroit by TI recruiters, and hired at the age of twenty to move down to Lubbock. Brett was hired to repair the 99/4s that failed testing at the end of the new third assembly line. He says they were going at full steam when he arrived in Jan 1983. He included a few interesting details about life working on the line. I’ll try to fill in the gaps and post if anyone is interested. Maybe we can start a thread of these kind of memories? The history of our favorite 1970s computer is rather ignored by the Fake News retro media. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Tonight I’ll be meeting with my buddy whom worked at the Consumer Electronics TI-99/4A facility in Lubbock Texas — back in the day. He worked as a tech fixing returned TI-99/4 systems. He’s claimed to have seen the then secret 99/8 and 99/2, to include the ramping up of a 99/8 production line. I brought my Lubbock map and plan to ask about where everything was located. This summer I’ll be in Lubbock and figured it’d be fun to track down the old buildings. Anyone have any good questions I should ask? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I’d like a second external like this one but the guy won’t budge on price. It’s untested so I’m thinking probably $60 overpriced? Looking for others opinions. I’m thinking $95 max. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F283417337287 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Wondering if arcadeshopper has Gremlin’s Blasto the arcade game from 1978? https://youtu.be/pZlI2ssGHhQ Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

This device was oddly functional and cosmetically pleasing. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Anyone have the link to the ZeroZap II dev thread? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Facebook use for me is to keep up with family members across the globe. I’ve noticed many retro computing and gaming groups which I’ve joined, and I am sincerely glad the service is there. I’ve made a number of discoveries using these Facebook groups. You may join and lie about your vital information. I believe mine says I work at Sears. Who works at Sears? Ha! They don’t have my valid birthday or anything. I’ve made a game out of misinforming them. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Something for all users to keep in mind is the Facebook factor. I notice a lot of forum activity across all interests slowly migrating over to groups on Facebook. Unfortunately, the information in Facebook is severely unsearchable. If AtariAge forums eventually get replaced by Facebook groups the archives will be in a world of hurt. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Sparkdrummer demo’d his copy at March VAST meetup. Enjoyed playing this amazing port! CONGRATULATIONS TURSI!!! Awesome!!!! I remember it costing two quarters per play back in the 80s which is why I never played much. Well done sir! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Bohoki saved the soul of my 5200. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

We salute you Alan. Video game pioneer. Celebrate his legacy on your TI-99/4A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcgLZU3_8HQ&feature=youtu.be

Biased! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro