The Night Phantom

Pac-Man was my greatest disappointment, but not because of a disparity between the box art and the game; actually, it resembled the box art more than it did the arcade game (which is the crux of the problem). I don’t think I was ever disappointed by the actual game because of the box art; rather, the opposite occurred. For example, I remember being intimidated by the freaky dematerialization scene on the Defender package and kept my distance! Eventually I came to my senses.

I’m not familiar with this one. How are you supposed to hold and operate it? Is that red thing on the right toward the bottom supposed to be a firing button? I use mine a lot too. The only drawback I’ve noticed is that occasionally I slowly, unwittingly rotate the base about 45° in my left hand but still move the joystick as though I were holding it at 0° or even -45°, thereby producing bad gaming results. So long as I am careful to hold it properly, no problem. AtariKari, your new joystick looks fantastic. I’m jealous and wondering where it’s been all my life.

Channel 1 is excluded by virtue of nonexistence. My VCS, 7800, and XE Video Game System all allow me to select either 2 or 3.

I haven’t heard about any copyright terms being 75 years under current law. I believe the standards since ca. 1998 have been life plus 70 years for works copyrighted by individuals and a flat 95 years for works copyrighted by organizations. From about 1976 until the current law, the terms were life plus 50 years and a flat 75 years, respectively. Recently the Supreme Court heard a case challenging these extended terms but hasn’t issued a ruling yet.

I’ll have to settle this argument by nuking you, then.

Something similar happens in Rampage, and I’ve never considered that bit of human nudity to be sexually charged or inappropriate for children. (On the other hand, the game promotes wanton violence, but let’s keep that to this topic’s twin thread. )

No way. I’d rather have the three firing bases, plus the groovy “THE END” when the game is over.

The weirdest thing I ever found inside a 2600 game cartridge was inside a copy of Beany Bopper. Inside the case was...well, Beany Bopper. (But I liked it!)

I should have mentioned that I also enjoy the VCS version’s graphics more.

I put these quotes together because, although I think AtariDude has a valid point about technological advancement, I think it’s possible that a new entry in the console market might have a strong advantage if it simply were different enough from the competition. Perhaps a VCS redux would qualify, perhaps not. But I for one don’t enjoy the current direction of the home video game industry and might welcome an alternative, and perhaps many other people (including people who do enjoy the current crop) would too.

The answer depends on what defines the “best” arcade port. VCS Space Invaders is not the most faithful translation, but its many options improve on the original, in my opinion, and it’s one of my all-time favorite VCS games. So, by those criteria it should be the best...or right up there, anyway.

To deal with this problem, I place some padding (bubblewrap or wadded newspaper) back behind the cartridges.

Exactly: such material is suggestive, not blatant like the ad StanJr described. Inky’s example sounds sexy because we”re dirty-minded adults. But “it” could just as easily be “eating chocolate ice cream” or “playing Yars’ Revenge”. Frankly I’m not against children being exposed to sex and violence. I merely question the nature of that exposure. In recent years a friend was fretting over her older son’s imminent adolescence and wondering what to tell him about sexuality. I had a hard time giving useful advice because if he were my son, I would have started telling him years earlier. But I wouldn’t have started with G-spots and the prophylactics and the like; I would ease him into the subject starting with topics like where puppies come from and avoiding kissing someone you’ve just met (because you could send the wrong message about how you feel, plus that person might have cooties). Over time we could work our way to more advanced knowledge. But more and more, the general media expose children to advanced knowledge right away, before they’re ready; it’s like explaining about electrons and conductivity and IBEW bylaws and the workings of the retina and power generators when all a younger child needs to know about light switches is how to turn them on and off, plus something vague about “saving energy”. You can move on to the other stuff later. I have no children. If I had children at an impressionable stage, I wouldn’t have them watching South Park. Heck, I don’t let myself watch South Park. I tried a few times, and although the show has some good moments, I find it too crass and valueless to be worth my time. I would apply similar standards to comics and other media when raising my hypothetical children, just as I apply them now in the real world when dealing with other people’s children.

Oh, I hate those translucent drawers. Last fall I bought similar drawers from Homz that were all-black, and I think they look a lot niftier in a home entertainment setup. I could use some more, but now I can’t find anything that matches, even from another manufacturer.

I already knew that stuff, but I’m gratified to see the VCS affirmed once again as an educational tool.

Because the demographics of comics include all sorts of readers. If it were an issue of a magizine known to be for kids and just kids, i wouldnt like it. But the issue is that comics are read by all age groups, esp. the alpha male who likes guns, football, and violent videogames. This line of reasoning is analogous to saying that the MPAA should rate a movie G so long as it contains some material suitable for young children, even if other material in the same movie is definitely in NC-17 territory. Hogwash. If the general presentation really is for a general audience, then the entire presentation must be.

I’m just glad a human soul is all he’s offering. When I read the topic title I assumed he was going to amputate the lower part of a foot or maybe cross a Homo sapiens with a fish. I’m not sure which is more disgusting. I suppose it would be even worse if he were going to amputate the lower part of a foot-fin belonging to a cross between a Homo sapiens and a fish.

This is the reason I have Stella Gets a New Brain. I like having the cassettes, as well as the manuals and packaging, but I don’t like depending on technology so fragile as audiotape. I figure having both SGNB and (some of) the original Supercharger game materials is the best of both worlds.

I suppose I shouldn’t knock Jedi Arena, since I’ve never even played it; but that’s because it’s always looked rather uninspired. Maybe it’s a decent game but looks lackluster because it’s a Star Wars game...I might have had a positive attitude toward it if it were called something else. OK, I’ll see about giving it a try sometime.

Even Jedi Arena? Agreed. Between the visual and sound effects, Death Star Battle would be cool even without the Star Wars connection.

Around 6:55 this morning I also heard a story about ferries, and I thought that was a pretty rude way for NPR to talk about retrogamers. Seriously, I missed the story, but at least I got up in time to shave and to have a decent breakfast. Later I listened to the story on the Web, via the page that Atar1G1rl mentioned. I’m guessing it aired around 55 minutes into Morning Edition’s second hour. It was a nice piece (though not very informative for an old AtariAge vet), and I think Albert did a nice job of presenting the situation. I’m also a little envious that he got to talk with Bob Edwards—I love hearing that sonorous voice in the morning. I’m glad to see that in at least one case the interview has already gotten someone in touch with our little hobby.

The Night Phantom has a Morning Job (alas), and I usually listen to Morning Edition. Well, parts of it, since I tend to drift back into and out of sleep. By 55 minutes into the first hour, I am usually scrambling like a madman to get out of bed and into the bathroom for my shower and other bathroom business. So, to listen to the show tomorrow, I’ll have to force myself to get up earlier (like I should every day), so that I’ll have time to listen to this mysterious story. So, I guess I’d better go to bed now. Night-night!

NPR’s Web site has an area for locating your local affiliate.

I always figured it was...you know...just the normal functioning of a Corellian hyperdrive.

No. No, no, no, no, no. No. Courtesy of KLOV: [*]Gaplus