SPACE Newsletter

1982 •SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY EDITION • 2017

Message from Captain Irata: “Over hill, over dale, we have hit the gaming trail, as the pixels go moving on…” Happy 4th of July and Happy 35th Anniversary, SPACE! HIP-HIP-HOO-RAH (x3)!

35 Years!! THIRTY-FIVE YEARS!!! SPACE, the Saint Paul Atari Computer Enthusiasts, has been in existence for 35 years since its founding in April 1982. Can you believe it?? We wouldn’t be here without you!

What a meeting in June. After the May SPACE meeting when it seemed it might only be Glen and myself in June, I got a late text from Steve Peck saying that he, Lance and Brian had found a ride and would be able to make the June meeting after all. So instead of two we ended up with five members present and since we only have nine total SPACE members we had over 50% of our membership present. How many social clubs can claim that? Just when you think Atari 8-bits were just about dead along comes enough news to make any Atarian 8-bit user to go bonkers. Table top games making a comeback, new platform being presented in a demo, a new video card upgrade being made in Europe and so much more. Enough to make my head spin. With the knowledge that Steve, Lance, Brian and Glen brings to our meetings it makes for one of a hell of a SPACE meeting.

I am pleased to report that we have a website once again: http://space.atari.org. Check it out! It’s certainly plain and simple, but hopefully it gets the job done. I didn’t really think I wanted to take it on again, but once I discovered that our old version had actually been hidden in place, on the very server where we had it hosted before about 10 years ago, I quickly realized it would not be hard at all to bring that version back, integrate it with the complete website backup I had made just a couple years ago, and then finally gather up the Newsletters from the last couple years. Mission accomplished, we are whole once again.

Please don’t forget the SPACE annual July Birthday Party next month. Chicken tacos on the menu with beans, little Franks, chips and dip, and root beer floats. If you are attending don’t forget to bring a dish to share. Hope to see as many members and guests as we can get.

Anyway, time to celebrate year 35 at the SPACE Annual July Birthday Party! Chicken Taco pot-luck is on the menu, don’t miss it! Hope to see you there!

With only nine current members we bring in only $135.00 in membership receipts so in order to cover our $300.00 a year room rental the DOM sales are very important for our Club. So far our members have done a great job in supporting the DOMs. Glen puts in a lot of time to produce the 8-bit DOMs and we are very appreciating to our out of town member who produces our ST DOM when he can find the time. Thanks to both.

Thanks, keep using that Atari, and come to your next SPACE meeting and PARTY, Friday July 14, 2017. TRIVIA TIME

Atari Corporation was originally going to be named “Syzygy,” until a candle making company in Mendocino, CA, of the same name, threatened a lawsuit. The rest is video game history.

I almost forgot what this column is all about. Our SPACE bank balance was $402.54 at the start of June and with no expenses and only three 8-bit DOMs sold our bank balance changed by only $9.00 for June ending the month at $411.54. At least we keep going in the right direction.

That is all about I have for now. So, until the party next month see you all there.

HELLO WORLD! Welcome to the latest Secretary’s Report. We had almost half of our members at the Club, paid up or not. I was impressed that five people showed up for the meeting, just as Greg was, and I am looking forward to an excellent Birthday Party for SPACE. Now, that was the talk of the night, and who can blame us since the Party is in July anyway. Also, there was talk of a new release: Tempest Elite, which is another re-hash of the classic Atari arcade hit, Tempest, originally programmed by Atari legend and Minnesota native David Theurer. It has ninety-six different web combinations, and 120 levels. I can guarantee you will like the game. For more info, go to the Video 61 and Atari Sales URL: www.atarisales.com The game will retail for $49.95. Hats off to Lance and the V61 team for a job well done. Also, Brian brought up the idea about the new AtariBox, Atari’s latest attempt to break into the video game market. Although it is years in the making, not much is known about this machine, except that it is going to be a modern gaming console. Well, I wish then luck. Let’s hope it works for them. Well, folks, this concludes the Secretary’s Report. I conclude in the words of the great comic book maestro, Stan Lee: EXCELSIOR! TABLE OF CONTENTS: President’s Corner: Treasurer’s Report: Trivia Time: Secretary’s Report: Recent Atari News: 8-bit DOM Report: Bylaws Proposal:

1 1 1 1 2 2 4

Recent Atari News AtGames® and Atari® Announce Fall 2017 Classic Gaming Hardware Lineup Press Release - updated: Jun 9, 2017 Company to Deliver Value, Portable, and Premium HD Releases of its Classic Gaming Hardware El Segundo, CA, June 9, 2017 (Newswire. com) - AtGames® Digital Media Ltd., a leader in interactive entertainment products, alongside Atari®, one of the world’s most recognized publishers and producers of interactive entertainment, today announced their latest classic gaming releases: Atari Flashback® 8 Gold, Atari Flashback® 8 Classic Game Console, and the Atari Flashback® Portable Game Player. Each console and portable system includes an amazing selection of built-in Atari 2600 games, as well as an impressive range of innovative features. The systems, which are headlined by a brand new premium high definition (HD) output model, will be available for pre-order via select retailers July 2017, and in stores everywhere September 2017. “We are excited to partner with AtGames again to release three new gaming systems,” said Fred Chesnais, Chief Executive Officer, Atari. “The new hardware includes a robust collection of classic games and features which will give our audiences many options to relive the golden age of gaming at home or on the go.” The brand-new Atari Flashback® 8 Gold features 120 built-in all-time favorites. These games include iconic Atari 2600 classics like Missile Command®, Asteroids®, Centipede™, and Millipede™, as well as many other legends like Konami’s Frogger™, and Activision’s Pitfall! and River Raid™. Two all new high performance 2.4ghz wireless controllers, styled after the Atari 2600 originals, are included, as well as two legacy controller ports for optional wired joysticks or paddles. Other new features for the Atari Flashback 8 Gold include 720p HDMI output, scan line filtering, and a save/pause/ rewind feature for every game. The Atari Flashback® 8 Classic Game Console returns in a new value-priced edition, complete with 105 all-time favorites. Amazing new additions to the game line-up include Activision legends like Pitfall!™, Kaboom!™, and River Raid™. Two wired controllers, styled after the Atari 2600 originals, are included, as well as two legacy controller ports to add your own optional wired joysticks or paddles. After a blockbuster 2016 debut, the Atari Flashback® Portable Game Player returns in 2017 with an amazing selection of 70 built-in games, including the legendary BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment arcade hit, PAC-MAN™. Other blockbuster games include Dig Dug™, Pitfall!™, and Frogger™, and you can even add your own games with an optional SD card. A built-in, rechargeable battery means the on-the-go fun never ends. Games can be played on the portable’s built-in, high-resolution 2.8”

display, or on a TV via optional cable. “These upcoming products are our best hardware lineup ever,” says Dr. Ping-Kang Hsiung, CEO of AtGames. “Building on our long history of delivering value-packed, nostalgic products for our customers, this new line-up takes classic gaming to a stunning new level.” With an expanded product line, new titles, and smart new features, AtGames is creating a modern home for all things retro gaming. The AtGames Flashback Zone (AFZ) has an all-star roster of classic publishing partners, including Atari, Sega, Taito, Warner Bros, Konami, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, and Activision, making it the definitive destination for classic gaming at major retailers everywhere. Celebrating classic gaming heritage has never been easier, whether for nostalgic old-timers or newer generations looking for a taste of the best of the past. Expect these products and many more from AtGames in stores this holiday season and beyond. AtGames Atari Game List (titles vary by system): 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe, Air Raiders, Adventure, Adventure II, Air·Sea Battle, Aquaventure, Armor Ambush, Asteroids®, Astroblast, Atari Climber, Backgammon, Barnstorming, Basketball, Beamrider, Black Jack, Boxing, Bowling, Breakout®, Bridge, Canyon Bomber®, Centipede®, Championship Soccer, Checkers, Chopper Command, Circus Atari®, Combat®, Combat® Two, Cosmic Commuter, Crackpots, Crystal Castles®, Dan Kitchen’s Tomcat, Dark Cavern, Decathlon, Demons to Diamonds™, Desert Falcon, Dodge’Em, Dolphin, Double Dunk™, Dragster, Enduro, Fatal Run, Fishing Derby, Flag Capture, Football, Freeway, Frog Pond, Frogs and Flies, Frostbite, Fun with Numbers, Golf, Gravitar®, Grand Prix, Hangman, Haunted House®, H.E.R.O., Home Run, Human Cannonball™, Ice Hockey, International Soccer™, Indy 500, Kaboom!, Keystone Kapers, Laser Blast, Maze Craze, Megamania, Millipede®, Miniature Golf, MotoRodeo, Night Driver™, Off The Wall, Oink!, Outlaw™, Pong® (Video Olympics), Plaque Attack, Pressure Cooker, Private Eye, Radar Lock™, Realsports® Baseball, Realsports® Basketball, Realsports® Soccer, Realsports® Volleyball, Return to Haunted House, River Raid, River Raid II, Robot Tank, Saboteur®, Save Mary, Seaquest, Sea Battle™, Secret Quest, Skiing, Sky Diver, Sky Jinks, Slot Machine, Slot Racers, Solaris, Space Shuttle, Space War, Spider Fighter, Sprintmaster, Star Ship, Steeplechase, Stellar Track™, Street Racer, Submarine Commander®, Super Baseball, Super Breakout®, Super Challenge Baseball, Super Challenge Football, Super Football, Surround, Space Attack™, Stampede, Starmaster, Star Strike™, Swordquest: Earthworld™, Swordquest: Fireworld™, Swordquest: Waterworld™, Sword Fight™, Tempest®, Tennis, Video Checkers, Video Chess, Video Pinball, Warlords®, Wizard, Yars’ Return, Yars’ Revenge® About Atari Atari Interactive, Inc. (www.atari.com) is an interactive entertainment production

company. As an iconic brand that transcends generations and audiences, the company is globally recognized for its multi-platform, interactive entertainment and licensed products. Atari owns and/or manages a portfolio of more than 200 games and franchises, including world-renowned brands like Asteroids®, Centipede®, Missile Command®, Pong®, and RollerCoaster Tycoon®. Atari has offices in New York and Paris. Media Contact Tony Chien Senior Marketing Director, Atari 1-212-726-4280 Tony.Chien@Atari.com About AtGames AtGames Digital Media Inc. (http://www. atgames.net) is a leader in innovative consumer-oriented interactive entertainment products. The company leverages the latest technology to develop and publish its best-selling classic video game products for worldwide distribution. AtGames is based in Los Angeles, with international offices in Taipei and Shenzhen. Media Contact pr@atgames.net Source: AtGames, Atari AtGames® Announces the Atari Flashback® 8 Gold Activision Edition Console Press Release - updated: Jun 9, 2017 AtGames, in Partnership with Atari and Activision, to Deliver the Atari Flashback® 8 Gold Activision Edition Premium Plug and Play Console El Segundo, CA, June 9, 2017 (Newswire. com) - AtGames® Digital Media Ltd., a leader in interactive entertainment products; Atari®, one of the world’s most recognized publishers and producers of interactive entertainment; and Activision, a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment; today announced the Atari Flashback 8 Gold Activision Edition console that features the greatest Activision published Atari 2600 games along with Atari first party favorites. The console will be available at major retailers in Fall 2017. The all-new Atari Flashback® 8 Gold Activision Edition features 130 built-in games, including 39 Activision classics. These games include legends like Activision’s Pitfall!, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary, as well as many other all-time Atari 2600 classics like Centipede™, Chopper Command™, Enduro™, and River Raid™. Two high performance 2.4 GHz wireless controllers, styled after the Atari 2600 originals, are included, as well as two legacy controller ports for optional wired joysticks and paddle controllers. (Recent Atari News: Continued on Page 3)

(Recent Atari News: Continued from Page 2) Other features for the Activision Edition include 720p HDMI output, scan line filtering, and a save/pause/rewind feature for every game. “Atari is delighted to welcome Activision to the Flashback family,” says Fred Chesnais, Chief Executive Officer, Atari. “Activision created amazing Atari 2600 content that deserves to be enjoyed alongside other contemporary classics by a new generation of gamers.” With an expanded product line, including the Atari Flashback® 8 Gold Activision Edition, and smart new features, AtGames is creating a modern home for all things retro gaming with the AtGames Flashback Zone (AFZ). AFZ features an all-star roster of classic publishing partners, including Activision, Atari, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, Konami, Sega, Taito and Warner Bros., making it, in cooperation with major retailers everywhere, the definitive destination for classic gaming. Thanks to AFZ, celebrating classic gaming heritage has never been easier, whether for nostalgic old-timers or newer generations looking for a taste of the best of the past. Expect these products and many more from AtGames in stores this fall and beyond. “The Activision Edition is a unique, valuepacked premium console that celebrates two of classic gaming’s giants together on one of the most iconic consoles of all time,” says Dr. Ping-Kang Hsiung, CEO of AtGames. “We invite gamers of all generations to have a blast rediscovering the joy of these proven Activision and Atari 2600 classics.” Atari Flashback® 8 Gold Activision Edition Game List: 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe, Adventure, Adventure II, Air Raiders, Air·Sea Battle, Aquaventure, Armor Ambush, Asteroids®, Astroblast, Atari Climber, Backgammon, Barnstorming™, Basketball, Beamrider™ , Black Jack, Bowling, Boxing™, Breakout®, Bridge™, Canyon Bomber®, Centipede®, Championship Soccer, Checkers, Chopper Command™, Circus Atari®, Combat®, Combat® Two, Cosmic Commuter™, Crackpots™, Crystal Castles®, Dan Kitchen’s Tomcat, Dark Cavern, Decathlon™, Demons to Diamonds™, Desert Falcon, Dodge’Em, Dolphin™, Double Dunk™, Dragster™, Enduro™, Fatal Run, Fishing Derby™, Flag Capture, Football, Freeway™, Frog Pond, Frogs and Flies, Frostbite™, Fun with Numbers, Golf, Grand Prix™ , Gravitar®, H.E.R.O.™, Hangman, Haunted House®, Home Run, Human Cannonball™, Ice Hockey™, Indy 500™, International Soccer™, Kaboom!™, Keystone Kapers™ , Laser Blast™, Maze Craze, Megamania™ , Millipede®, Miniature Golf, Missile Command®, MotoRodeo, Night Driver™, Off The Wall, Oink!™, Outlaw™, Pitfall!™, Plaque Attack™, Pong® (Video Olympics), Pressure Cooker™, Private Eye™, Radar Lock™, Realsports® Baseball, Realsports® Basketball, Realsports® Soccer, Realsports® Volleyball, Return to Haunted House, River Raid™,

River Raid II™, Robot Tank™, Saboteur®, Save Mary, Sea Battle™, Seaquest™ , Secret Quest, Skiing™, Sky Diver, Sky Jinks™, Slot Machine, Slot Racers, Solaris, Space Attack™, Space Shuttle™, Space War, Spider Fighter™, Sprintmaster, Stampede™, Star Ship, Star Strike™, Starmaster™ , Steeplechase, Stellar Track™, Street Racer, Submarine Commander®, Super Baseball, Super Breakout®, Super Challenge Baseball, Super Challenge Football, Super Football, Surround, Sword Fight™, Swordquest: Earthworld™, Swordquest: Fireworld™, Swordquest: Waterworld™, Tempest®, Tennis™, Video Checkers, Video Chess, Video Pinball, Warlords®, Wizard, Yars’ Return, Yars’ Revenge® About Atari Atari Interactive, Inc. (www.atari.com) is an interactive entertainment production company. As an iconic brand that transcends generations and audiences, the company is globally recognized for its multi-platform, interactive entertainment and licensed products. Atari owns and/or manages a portfolio of more than 200 games and franchises, including world-renowned brands like Asteroids®, Centipede®, Missile Command®, Pong®, and RollerCoaster Tycoon®. Atari has offices in New York and Paris. Media contact: Tony Chien Senior Marketing Director, Atari 1-212-726-4280 Tony.Chien@Atari.com About Activision Publishing, Inc. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading global producer and publisher of interactive entertainment. Activision maintains operations throughout the world and is a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), an S&P 500 company. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com, or by following @Activision. Media Contact: Kerstine Johnson Activision Kerstine.Johnson@activision.com About AtGames AtGames Digital Media Inc. (http://www. atgames.net) is a leader in innovative consumer-oriented interactive entertainment products. The company leverages the latest technology to develop and publish its best-selling classic video game products for worldwide distribution. AtGames is based in Los Angeles, with international offices in Taipei and Shenzhen. Media contact:

Atari 8-bit DOM Report By Steven Peck Well, folks, here I am, back going for broke with another DOM Review for the A8! I hope that the readers enjoyed the last 8-bit DOM Review. If you did, or even if you didn’t, well, let’s get started anyway. June DOM, Side A: Blue Sky Action is the first file on the DOM and it is a music track. I like the mellow, smooth music and it has a nice beat on top of it. It may not be perfect, but it ranks right up there anyway. Good tune. TOTAL:

8/10

Star is a childish-looking picture of a pig holding a atsr at night. For a kiddish-like drawing, it looks OK. So, I will score acccordingly: TOTAL:

7/10

Bad Joke shows a warning about a group named P.H.A.T. saying that will hack your Atari. It has animated steam and a radiation warning sign flashing in the intro. This is a pretty good demo, and the most graphically put together file so far on Side A of this DOM. This is mint! Oh, and another thing, it really is a bad joke. Har-har. Graphics: Animation: Sound:

10 10 10

TOTAL:

30/30 (perfect)

Gunfight is the first game on this side of the DOM. The player plays a bounty hunter and needs to hunt down a certain outlaw. I don’t know how to play this game. I think it needs instructions. So, I will score this game as I see it: Graphics: Gameplay: Animation: Sound:

7 7 6 6

TOTAL:

26/40

Happy New Year is an intro showing a bunch of balls in single-file, swirling around a Happy New Year sign with delightful music. This is an awesome demo and and well crafted. KUDOS! Graphics: Sound: Animation:

10 9 10

TOTAL:

29/30

(DOM Review: Continued on Page 4)

(DOM Review: Continued from Page 3) HNY 2017 is an intro from ABBUC in Germany. It shows simple graphics, like fireworks that spell “ATARI” over a cityscape. In my opinion, I think that ABBUC should have gone for broke and made it look monumentally better looking. It looks too simple. But, maybe they were pressed for time. It gets the message out anyway. Graphics: Sound: Animation:

7 7 7

TOTAL:

21/30

Last Christmas (Lastxm00) is a SID emulation of the classic George Michael song. It is pretty good, being that it comes from a Commodore 64 computer and that it is emulated on the A8. It is a little bit more peppy than the original, but that is OK. It is a great little tune. Graphics: Sound: Animation:

5 8 4

TOTAL:

17/30

Section 4. The Executive Board shall actively seek volunteers to fill the following positions: Membership Chairman, Newsletter Editor, DOM Librarian, BBS Operator, and Webmaster. These volunteers shall be subject to the approval of the club membership. Rationale: We don’t have a BBS, and I’m not aware that we have any intention to start one up again. If we’re not going to run a BBS, we should remove our requirement that we do so from out bylaws. Our full Bylaws are available at: http://space.atari.org/bylaws.html NOTE: Providing we vote out the BBS in the bylaws, I will gladly make changes in the SPACE Newsletter concerning that. So, Until then, we will be patient. Thanks. Steve Peck, SPACE Secretary and Newsletter Editor

UPDATE: My 1050 disk drive died after the last file was reviewed in the article. I will get more information on this Review and will present it in the next DOM Review. My apologies for the inconvenience. TO BE CONTINUED

Bylaws Proposal from President Michael Current, SPACE Member I hereby submit the following SPACE Bylaws change proposal to the membership. It is my hope that we can discuss and vote on the measure at our July meeting. The proposal is to strike Article VII in its entirety, and to strike “BBS Operator” from Article IX Section 4, which is the list of official volunteer positions. Article VII currently reads: BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM Section 1. A Bulletin Board System (BBS) supporting Atari computers shall be made available by the club. The BBS provides an online forum for Atari discussions, and an optional communications medium for club matters. Section 2. The BBS System Operator shall be responsible for maintaining a friendly and welcoming environment on the BBS. Illegal software or offensive language shall not be tolerated. Article IX Section 4 currently reads:

“I WANT YOU TO HAVE A HAPPY INDEPENDENCE MONTH 2017 AND TO PARTY HEARTY, SPACE CADETS!” –Uncle Sam Has Spoken!

The next SPACE meeting is on Friday, July 14, 2017 At 7:30 P.M. We hope to see you there! Please feel welcome!