Rhindle The Red

quote: Originally posted by Ze_ro: Thanks, I got the fonts now Was there any error message on the bounced email? I've never noticed any problems before... --Zero Just something about the address not being recognized by atari.net. Unfortunately, I deleted the message, so I can't say what it said exactly.

Here's another idea from, of all people, Lee R. Krueger. Virtual Boy Lamp-o-Tron

Well, short of mounting it to your head, there's little you can do if you can't find a comfortable place to play. That's really the key. Find somewhere where you can sit with your head parallel to the machine (or at a slight angle, as the viewer is adjustable). And it was probably designed for the size of a typical Japanese person. So, take that as you will.

I used to use a simple text file, but once I got over 1000 games (for all systems) it was impossible to keep up. I eventually ended up creating an Access database, which holds not only my games, but has seperate tables for action figures, records, videos, etc. Using the Access database and a report program called Crystal Reports allows me to run reports on my collection based on certain data, such as listing all "Donkey Kong" games in my collection or making a list of all games available for sale. It also allows me to show only what information I want when I print it (such as leaving out the prices if I'm listing my personal collection). Unfortunately, Access and Crystal Reports are not cheap, so it's not a great solution for those who don't already have it. (I used to use them in my work. When my job shut down, I got the computer and the software + licenses that went with it.) As for the data, the basic storage form I use is: NAME - Title of the Game MANUFACTURER STYLE - label variation, import, etc. CONDITION - Since everyone has a different idea of what 'Mint' is, I only use Poor, Fair, Good, or Sealed BOX - (Y/N) INSTRUCTIONS - (Y/N) OVERLAYS - If and how many RARITY - from AtariAge when available, of course CREATOR - as in creator of the system: Atari, Coleco, etc. FORMAT - System or platform name (i.e.: Atari 2600, DOS, 3DO,etc.) TYPE - Storage medium (CD, GD, Cartridge, etc.) FOR SALE - Whether it's available and for how much It's very flexible and easy to update, but I don't know about cross-platform compatibility. Both Access and Crystal can spit out one's data into several different forms (such as html, Word .doc, .txt file, etc.), but I don't know if there is a Mac version of Access or a program that reads the Access .mdb file.

quote: Originally posted by Mindfield: [QB]I haven't been in a Toys "R" us since those days, so I don't know how they do such things, if they even still handle video games. QB] That's basically how they did it until just about a year ago. They started installing the 'R' Zone sections: sections of the store devoted to games. (I don't know if Tiger sued over the 'R' Zone name.) These sections are blocked off from the rest of the store with security gates, and, of course, every game has a security tag on it, so you can't get out without the alarm going off. This allows them to put the stuff on the shelves just like everything else, now. As a side note, the very last time I bought a 2600 game new in a real chain store was at a big going-out-of-business sale at one of Toys 'R' Us' biggest competitors: Child World. I got Atari Donkey Kong Jr. and Summer Games for $2.00 each. (This was around 1990.) My sister went nuts playing 'hackey sack' on SG. While I bitterly wept at what they had done to Jr. It was a special farewell for me to that store, where I had worked just a few years earlier, trying (fruitlessly) to convince people to buy an Atari Lynx and not that goofy little Game Boy.

quote: Originally posted by Nateo: I think twit is right. The Game.com had next to no good games. In fact, I can only think of three games that were released for that system (Duke Nukem, Lights Out, and Williams Arcade Classics). I also thought the Virtual Boy was a bad system. Oh, I'll disagree about those two. I have a Game.com and every game made for it except WOF2: Batman & Robin - sucks Centipede - pretty good (Atari branded) Duke Nukem 3D - not really 3D, but fun Fighters Megamix - awful Frogger - excellent Henry - fun Indy 500 - awful Internet Cartridge - mainly useless Jeopardy! - ok Lights Out - good puzzle game Lost World: Jurassic Park - bad Monopoly - good Mortal Kombat Trilogy - awful Quiz Wiz: Cyber Trivia - ok Resident Evil 2 - not scary at all, but fun Scrabble - excellent Sonic Jam - awful Tiger Casino - ok Tiger Web - mainly useless Wheel of Fortune - good Wheel of Fortune 2 - ? Williams Arcade Classics - awful Of course, I have one with a light, so the issue of how hard the screen is to see is lessened. As for the VB: Speak not ill of Gunpei Yokoi's Red Wonder! VB Wario Land is one of the best Wario games, Mario Clash is a unique and fun Mario platformer, Mario's Tennis is a blast, Panic Bomber is a quality puzzle game and the import Space Squash is a riot. Seriously, though, I like those games (and a lot of the other VB titles). I wouldn't give up the opportunity to play them for anything. I know a lot of people had a problem with the VB (visibility, the red screen, etc.), but I always liked it.

quote: Originally posted by Ze_ro: Doesn't look like they got through Can you try sending to [email protected] instead? Perhaps atari.net is screwing things up. Thanks --Zero Just sent them again (to the home.com address). It's funny you posted this now. I got the original message bounced back not ten minutes ago.

1: Adventure 2: Pitfall 2 3: Mario Bros.

I always loved the arcade games: Joust Klax Ms. Pac-Man Pac-Land Rampage I could play those for hours. I especially liked being able to play as Player Two in Joust even in a one player game. Did you get a battery pack? Using the D-Cells may be a trifle incovenient, but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than using AAs.

There are definitely some games that require the BASIC cart if you don't have a system with BASIC built in. These are mostly home brew games written in BASIC: APX, Antic Magazine, etc. But they are out there.

I got those fonts on the old Atari Arcade Hits 1 from Hasbro Interactive. I wonder if the other PC extras are the same.

This has always been unclear, but in that recent interview Leonard Tramiel states that "We had the rights to all of Atari's games in the non-coinop field." This means that as of the split, Atari Corp. had all rights to home use for all Atari titles up to that point. Atari Games Corp. retained the coin-op rights to all Atari titles up to that point. Titles like Klax, however, were from after the split and remained firmly in the hands of Atari Games Corp. That's why Atari Games Corp. (under the Tengen name) could release Klax for the NES. Atari had to license Klax from Atari Games/Tengen, just as they did Gauntlet and other post-1984 titles. Where it got murky was in the Midway era when Midway released Atari compilations for the home based on Atari titles, including those from pre-1984. It was this sort of thing that led to the big con-fab between Midway and Hasbro around 1999/2000. These discussions/lawsuits-in-the-making centered around just where the line was drawn and the agreements pretty much match what was said above. Atari Corp. (now Atari Interactive/Hasbro Interactive) held the rights for the home for all Atari titles prior to the split. These negotiations also led to the decision to kill the Atari Games name. (Which was just as well, I guess, as the entire arcade operations were shut down, so it would have died anyway.)

I know I've told this one before. My best deal: River Patrol - $1.00

quote: Originally posted by Ze_ro: Blah, I've been looking for an Atari font for a while, but the only place I've seen it is on PC cd's... of which I have none Anyone care to pass these fonts on to me? Must I suffer simply because I bought the Dreamcast version instead? --Zero In case no one else did, I sent them to you. Let me know if you got them or not.

I still don't think that a stamp on the bottom of a machine (even a molded one) is that interesting. But that's me. As for the Brazilians, I try not to pay more than $5 each for pirate carts (unless it was something ultra cool like a Dactar that had four ER games or somthing). And, sorry, but I don't have an Brazilians available myself. I have exactly three CCE carts: Bank Heist, Jaw Breaker, and Frogger. I don't even have the regular versions of the first two and I love Frogger, so that one's out too. Any time I get a hold of some bootlegs and find myself with extras, though, I'll let you know.

quote: Originally posted by Pitfall Harry: A third possibility is that it the game you bought on eBay is SMURF. SMURF (without the pluralizing S) was distributed by CBS for the European market. It was a legitimate licensing agreement and NOT a bootleg. Ben Ooooooooo. I didn't know that. Cool. I'm assuming that's just 'Rescue', is it not?

Now that "Sega Master System Girl" the guy with the Polyvox carts has up seems great. But where can I get the $160+ to buy it? Sega Master System Girl on eBay

I wouldn't pay more than I would for a regular 2600 for that one. It's just a regular box with a sticker on it, so it just wouldn't interest me. As for the Polyvox carts, the only ones I saw were at $6.00 each to start. Considering the high cost of shipping from Brazil, I don't think they're worth it. Maybe if the titles were better, but not for those. The brazilian bootlegs are more interesting to me, but the Polyvox ones just don't have that certain something that, say, a Tron or Microsoft title does.

You mean it isn't Smurfs: Rescue in Gargamel's Castle or Smurfs Save the Day ? (click to see their pages) If not, it's probably a bootleg. Try leaving a link to the auction here, so we can see it. [ 07-30-2001: Message edited by: Rhindle The Red ]

"Tengen" was a brand name for home video games used by Atari Games, Corp., the arcade division of Atari that the Tramiels didn't want. When the Tengen name was originally introduced, Atari Games was a subsidiary of Namco (to whom Time Warner sold the Atari Games portion at the same time the Tramiels bought Atari, Corp.) Atari Games, Corp. was restricted by the terms of the Tramiel deal from using the Atari name outside of the arcade. Therefore, the Tengen brand was used for all home titles, including NES, Genesis and Lynx games. Eventually Namco sold it back to Time Warner. I believe the Tengen name eventually gave way to Time Warner Interactive and then Time Warner sold Atari Games again, this time to Midway. Atari Games then continued to make arcade games, while home versions bore the Midway brand. Midway changed the name of Atari Games to Midway Games West under pressure from Hasbro, and that left us with the only Atari we have left (which is now Infogrames).

Oh well, still nothing...

Good luck. The exhaust system fell off my car today so I never made it to the local one. I'm fairly sure they don't have any anymore, but they did have Jaguar stuff for quite a long time. The last time I clearly remember seeing some was sometime last year. But I don't go there that often, so I can't say if they'd still have anything.

Marco, the issue of lab loaners (very dear to you I know) is a very grey area. It falls under the same grey area as Oscar screeners, Rental screeners, and promotional CDs. Almost all of these contain clear language to the effect that they belong to the company in question i.e. quote: For promotional use only. Sale or other transfer is prohibited. Must be returned on demand of recording company. But there is no such language on the loaner carts. They are, of course, called 'loaners' so the intent was not to let them stay outside of Atari Labs. But without clear language, the burden falls on Atari to prove you shouldn't have them. Making this harder for them would be the fact that it is well known that they often sold large sections of their inventories to raise cash. It would be impossible to prove where and when your loaners left Atari's hands, so the burden is again on them. Also, here is an area where there most probably is a statute of limitations, and it seems unlikely to me that it extends beyond 15 years. I think you're perfectly fine. Mindfield, the problem with your argument is that you say that the author "has no intention of actually trying to pass his title off as an Atari release" but you also point out how he's doing everything he can to project the illusion that it is. It would be hard to make any such distinction in a court of law. I also don't know why you say that "Atari would certainly have no intention of okaying the use of copyrighted Atari properties for this purpose". They have allowed this sort of thing (on a larger scale of course) before. The Game Boy Yar's Revenge began its life as a home brew title with no intention for a public release. Telegames picked it up, got the proper clearances from Atari/Hasbro and out it came. I'm not saying they would give permission, but I don't see how you could be so certain that they wouldn't. I don't see why you can't make a strong resemblance to the Silver2 box without using the actual Atari logos. Here's a link to the cart image I sent in when he was asking for submissions. Airworld label You'll notice that it has all the feel of a Silver2 without using the same fonts, or any reference to Atari, outside of the "Atari 2600" name, which is just to identify the system it's made for. It should, therefore, pass muster except for the issues of the 'Swordquest' name and the use of the (no doubt copyrighted) image (which I believe is also Atari's is it not?). These would need to be solved to pass legal muster. Anyway, as you say, there is risk involved in this. And you're probably right that the likelihood of action is small. I'm just trying to make sure that everyone understands that (small though it may be) the risk is there and that the law should not be shrugged off. I will maintain that you should seriously consider asking Infogrames for their blessing. They in all likelihood have no interest in the Swordquest brand name and may look favorably on you in the name of good will to fandom.

Okay, I've seen a lot of numbers bandied about recently and it got me to thinking. How does everyone here count the number of carts they have? I for one go by title and manufacturer. Hence, a collection that consists of: Adventure - Atari text label Adventure - Atari picture label Championship Soccer - Atari Combat - Atari text label Donkey Kong - Coleco Donkey Kong - Atari Pele's Soccer - Atari Tank Plus - Sears text label would count as seven carts. I don't count label variations, but the same title from two publishers or the same game under two titles each count. My custom label carts don't count, either. Then it would be too easy to boost my numbers. For the record: I'm at 331 by this reckoning and 599 including variations and extras. (Great Caesar's Ghost! I had no idea I had so freakin' many extras. I gotta start trading more.)

The local KB Toy Works had them (for about $10.00) but I don't know if they still do. I'll check this weekend and get back to you. You might want to call around to any in your area, especially the ones that deal in only mark-down stuff.