July 2023
•SPECIAL SPACE 41st ANNIVERSARY EDITION•
I am just back from a road trip out East. I was surprised to see a big billboard for The Strong National Museum of Play along the highway. I am aware of it as one of the serious archives of Atari historical artifacts. I was not aware of where it is, in Rochester NY. I was driving by Rochester! Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to visit. But someday when I’m out that way again, that will be an actual destination for me, I’m sure I would be able to spend multiple days digging into what’s there. This month’s SPACE party is looking to be another great one, read Greg’s article for details and then make plans to be there! Thanks, keep using that Atari, and come to your next SPACE meeting and PARTY: Friday, July 14, 2023.
Four members were present for the June SPACE meeting. We spent quite a bit of time reviewing the monthly DOM. The hot topic for the meeting was the mention of a “Revised Machine 800XL.” Right now there are more questions than answers, but we think it will be FPGA-designed. Look it up online for much more about this exciting machine. Only one DOM was sold for $3.00 and that was all we took in for June. Added to our May balance of $1,263.45, we now have a bank balance of $1,266.45. We will be spending some of that balance next month for our July SPACE Birthday Party. The menu will include baby back ribs, pork burnt ends, potato salad, coleslaw, root beer floats, and anything else you want to bring and share. Of course, I will bring the table fixings, cookies, ice, and beverages. It will be another great party, and we expect a good turnout for this meeting. So, please mark your calendar for July 14th, and we will see you all there. TRIVIA TIME! The word “robot” comes from the root word “robota,” which means “servitude” or “forced labor.” The Atari Cosmos game system was an experiment with holography in the early 1980s. It had a few games during development, including a “Superman” title, but unfortunately it never made it to retail shelves. Superconductivity was discovered in 1911 by a Dutch scientist named Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, proving electrical resistance would be reduced or nil at lower temperatures. The term “ohm” in basic electronics was named after German scientist Georg Simon Ohm, who formed Ohm’s Law.
Message from Captain Irata: “In the world of arcade gaming, the Lurk Strategy matters!” HOO-RAH!
–TABLE OF CONTENTS– PAGE ONE: The President’s Corner Treasurer’s Report Secretary’s Report PAGE TWO: Atari 8-bit DOM Review
HELLO WORLD! Well, another month and another Secretary’s Report! This time, for July, I will be going to the SPACE Birthday Party. I have to renew some Memberships for Lance and the out-of-state members, as well as pick up new DOMs for Lance and myself. I am nearly done with 2022’s set of DOMs, so the next batch will come in handy for future Atari 8-bit DOM Reviews. So, rest assured, I will be there. Besides, I have to check up on things down in Saint Paul with my folks anyway. I was reading Greg’s Treasurer’s Report. He mentioned the re-imagined RM 800XL computer, the 21st Century update to the Atari 800XL. I know it will be coming in 2024, at least that is what I have heard anyway. According to the website, it will be FPGA-based, which doesn’t surprise me. I also know that the people who are creating this computer only can program in C and HDL. I just hope the RM 800XL is pretty much as backwardscompatible as the Atari 7800 is to the Atari 2600 VCS. That would really be something then. It’s wishful thinking, anyway. If they accomplish that, it might coerce me to want one. But, since I have a 130XE computer already, the need isn’t too great for me to purchase this computer that is coming out soon. Again, It is just wishful thinking. Would be fun, though. Personally, I would rather get a CosmosEx device for my Atari MegaSTE computer. They might resume production of that in a couple of months, but the production hiatus for that was due to COVID and supply chain issues. Well, here’s to hoping that it gets produced again soon. I emailed a guy on the CosmosEx team, Radovan, and he told me it might be later this year for the CosmosEx project to resume, and I hope it does resume in the future. Nevertheless, it would be fun to own. So, I really hope they can resurrect that project. They need FPGA chips and Raspberry Pi 4Bs, which at the time I emailed were 10-15 months out before they could get them. So, the project doesn’t seem dead yet, fortunately for us Atari 16/32 owners. Like I said, I will be at the SPACE Birthday Party. I think it will be an enjoyable time for everybody, and I look forward to the food and the conversation. So, looking forward to it! Well, this concludes the Secretary’s Report for June of 2023. I will close now. But, I will be back with another Secretary’s Report, this time with Meeting notes for a change, in August. In the words of the late, great artist, Stan Lee… EXCELSIOR!
Hello again, and welcome back! Today, we’re going to explore the games and demos of the November 2022 DOM. So, without any interruptions, let’s get started with the Atari 8-bit DOM Review for July of 2023!
Graphics: Animation: Music/SFX:
10 10 9
TOTAL SCORE:
29/30 (97%)
The next three files are 262 bytes in size, with the first called “Put Things in Perspective,” by Kamil Trzaska. It shows a warping, cascading green wave on a blue background. This really works.
November 2022 DOM, Side One:
to some, but it never ends. I think it could be more, but it is an excellent experiment in tight code, that’s for sure. It’s fast and the animation is very fluid. I think it’s OK. But, I think it coul dhave been better. But, I like the animation in it. Here’s my score: SCORE: Graphics: Animation: Music/SFX:
7 10 7
TOTAL SCORE:
24/30 (80%)
“Pong384” is a 383-byte file by Ralf Patschke. It shows a Pong playfield, but I think it’s supposed to play the game. I tried to press Start, Space Bar, and the joystick button. Nothing happened.
The first file on this great DOM is a 256-byte demo called “End of Holidays,” by Marek Cora. As you will see, It is a drawing of a mountainous, sunny landscape scene.
I am guessing it is interactive, but I would need It looks really good, as the wave rises like a spire into the heavens, so to speak anyway. But, I like it. It says something to me. It has an interesting effect. I am impressed with the technical achievement this displays. I will score now. SCORE:
I like the rendering. It has detail and it is appealing. The mountains look cool and it is pleasing to watch. The birds give the picture a nice touch. The sky looks nice with the gradient and so does the setting (or rising) sun. The code is limited, granted. But, it has a nice touch to it despite that. People can do a lot with tight code, and this shows the ability well. It truly is a great-looking rendering. I will score this now. TOTAL SCORE:
Graphics: Animation: Muisc/SFX:
10 10 9
TOTAL SCORE:
29/30 (97%)
Piotr Radecki created “Cactus Billy” to be an interactive demo. It’s like a game. Billy is running through the desert and you must keep him from hitting the cacti. If you hit a cactus, you lose.
more information on how to interact with this game to see how it works. It would be intersting to see this game in action. I am interested in scoring it, but need more information on how to get it to work. I cannot score it because of the lack of information. Sorry. The next file is a demo called “Smack My Candy Up,” by Karolj Nadj. It is a text-ticker demo from Desire and it looks swell. Great animation and
9/10 (90%)
The next file is a 261-byte file called “SillyVenture SE 2022,” by G. Zyla. It’s an exciting demo to watch, as you will be able to tell.
As you can see, I lost. But, it is intriguing. It’s challenging, like “Flappy Bird.” You never stop running or neither can you change your speed. It’s so simple to see, it’s actually pretty good. Let me score this. SCORE: Graphics: Animation: Music/SFX: Gameplay:
7 10 8 10
TOTAL SCORE:
35/40 (88%)
The next 262-byte file is called “Party-zantki,” by Pawel Matusz. It shows two characters going up and down hills. Interesting, maybe a little boring
music combine for a great demo. The way the text cascades across the screen is a delight to see, and with peppy music. So, with this, I will score this great demo.
It shows cascading and warping ribbons that say “SillyVenture Summer Edition.” The animation is fluid and the graphics are top-notch. The sound needs work, but it’s pretty cool otherwise. It all still works out for the good anyway.
SCORE: Graphics: Animation: Music/SFX:
10 10 10
Here’s my score:
TOTAL SCORE:
30/30 (100% perfect score)
SCORE:
The next file is by SillyVenture 2022, an intro called “Greets from the Top.” It has a building that
the camrea pans up on. At the top, there are partygoers shown celebrating the 50th anniversary of Atari’s founding. It’s an interesting file.
TOTAL SCORE:
10/10 (100% perfect score)
The next file is a picture file called “Lowki,” and it was created by an unknown artist. It shows a grayscale picture of a man staring at the screen.
Side Two: The entire second side of this DOM is a demo devoted to the 50th anniversary of Atari, called “SV22SE Unity Demo.” SillyVenture really goes out to wow us here. It shows Atari logos, one from the past and three “Atari50” logos. These have been digitized, and they look great. It shows what the A8 can do with digitized graphics.
It’s simple, but dynamic. The panning of the camera looks pretty cool. I like the “Atari50” logo on the top of the building. It’s really a good job. I will score this intro now. SCORE: Graphics: Animation: Music/SFX:
9 10 8
TOTAL SCORE:
27/30 (90%)
The next file is another intro called “SV22WE_ Invite,” by C. Duesterhoeft. It looks pretty cool. It shows a SillyVenture 2022 logo for the Winter Edition of the program, which was in Gdansk, Poland, on December 8-11, 2022. It has fluid animation, excellent graphics and a text ticker. Also, it has a warping Fuji logo that transforms into a logo that says “F030 30 Yrs.” Great job with the graphics and the wonderful musical effects.
It is an excellent rendering of this guy staring at us from the screen, sinister yet cool. I think it is supposed to be a rendition of the Norse god Loki. At least, that is what I gather from it. The gradations in tone and shade really make this stand out. The graphics are top-notch and to die for. You can see the dynamics of this pic. It draws to you. He looks sinister, like he is up to no good, but it is done so well. I will score this pic now. TOTAL SCORE:
10/10 (100% perfect score)
The next file is called “Sun Race,” by Maciej Hauke. It shows a car race in the setting sun. Again, it’s really good. I love the graphics and detail in this rendering. It stands out for sure.
Striking for sure, this pic stands out, and I will score it now. TOTAL SCORE: It is an amazing job with dynamic musical range. Again, I am impressed. Here’s my score: SCORE: Graphics: Animation: Music/SFX:
10 10 10
TOTAL SCORE:
30/30 (100% perfect score)
9/10 (90%)
The final file is another pic, called “Saludos Atarros!” It is done by an unknown artist. It shows a character who looks like Zorro greeting the viewer with a written message in Spanish.
The next two files are music tracks. The first track is called “Zetnij Wuosy,” by ZoltarX and NG. It sounds like it has a lot of action and it is pulsepounding. I think it’s pretty good, it sounds like cops on a beat doing their job. Here’s my score for this track: TOTAL SCORE:
10/10 (100% perfect score)
Again, we have C. Duesterhoeft with a music track this time, called “Insomnia XL.” It is a track with a lot of tone to it. It sounds kind of weird, but has a lot of beat to it and it’s actually pretty cool. It has a lof of range to it as well.
Of course, it’s from SillyVenture. They have a very good group of artists and programmers in their club. It looks prety good. The Zorro silhouette is striking. Plus, the colors compliment each other quite well. I will score this.
It sounds great! I like the tune and I think it really works. I will score this track now.
TOTAL SCORE:
8/10 (80%)
Now, we will explore Side Two of this DOM.
The colors are off a bit, but it is pretty good. Apologies for the blurry photos, but my camera was out of focus sometimes. You still can get the gist of it. I will score this file now. TOTAL SCORE:
10/10 (100% perfect score)
We’re at the end of the Review. I will close now and I will be back with yet another Review next month for August of 2023. Carpe Diem, SPACE Cadets, and thanks for reading!
FOOD! FUN! FROLICS! That’s What Life Should Be About!
Vice President: Brian Little E-Mail: demomantna@gmail.com
The next SPACE meeting will commence on Friday, July 14, 2023, at 7:30 PM, local time! Then, after that meeting, we will celebrate the SPACE 41st Birthday Party! We hope to see you there! Thanks for coming!
Another Message from Captain Irata: “That’s all she wrote, SPACE Cadets!” HOO-RAH!