February 2025
•February 2025 Edition•
Last month’s first-ever SPACE meeting at the Wilder Center seemed to be a pretty great success, great seeing everyone there! I remained baffled about how Google site indexing works. At this time there are 477 pages on the SPACE website, almost all issues of our Newsletter. Right now there are 200 not-indexed pages, and 277 indexed pages. This represents a sudden jump from 232 not-indexed and 242 indexed as of January 31, but this isn’t even a new record of indexed pages because it peaked this high back on November 16, and had been creeping worse since then. I tried making and submitting an XML-formatted sitemap recently, maybe that helped? Why not 100% indexed pages? It seems like that should be more than possible! Thanks, keep using that Atari, and come to your next SPACE meeting: Friday, February 14, 2025. And don’t forget, we are meeting at the Wilder Center!!
What a surprise that six members showed up for the January SPACE meeting at our new location! I got there early with my wife so that I could greet each member and show them where the meeting room was located. They all seem satisfied with the meeting room and Tom got us hooked up with the equipment that was installed in the room. We need to get a better reception so we will try a new A/V cord to see if that does the job. One hiccup we had was the timing of our meeting. At the Falcon Heights location we started our meetings at 7:30, but most of us got there much earlier than that. Now, that we are meeting at the Wilder location, we need to start our meetings earlier. We have the meeting room reserved from six to eightthirty so there isn’t much time to review the monthly DOM. We need to discuss the timing at our next meeting so that we can have our regular meeting and have time to review the monthly DOM. Because we hadn’t had the time to figure out the timing we missed having our regular meeting last month. I want to give you the Treasurer’s report for both the January and the February meetings. In January we started the month with a balance of $668.81. We had two expenses from December for our Christmas party, $85.80 for the chicken strips and $19.98 for the salads. We had receipts for one membership renewal and sold three DOMs for a total of $24.00. So we ended the year with a bank balance of $563.03. In February we had no expenses but took in $21.00 on the sale of seven DOMs. So, we now have a bank balance of $584.03.
Message from Captain Irata: “If at first you don’t succeed, continue within ten seconds and try again!”
It was nice to get the first meeting done so that most of you know where to go and what we need to discuss next month. Don’t forget the next meeting because it falls on Valentines Day, February 14th, the latest day a second Friday can fall on a month. I hope this doesn’t mess with any plans you may have on that day. Anyway, stay warm and I hope to see you all next month.
HELLO WORLD! Although we never really had a traditional SPACE Meeting in the truest sense on Friday, January 10, 2025, we still had a great Meeting at the Wilder Center in Saint Paul’s Midway area. It was a fun time, and I enjoyed meeting everybody there. The January 2025 DOM was very nice, as usual, and I enjoyed playing the game stored on the DOM. I will have more on the January DOM in the Atari 8-bit DOM Review, and remember that I will review two DOMs this month, so be in for a treat! I liked the new location we have chosen for our future SPACE Meetings. I honestly thought the Merriam Park suite (room 2410) would have been even smaller, but to my surprise it was just right. In my honest opinion anyway. I am intrigued to have more meetings at this location, and I think we will do well here. I I know there were some safety concerns about the area, but it is a secure building with security personnel, and I think we will be fine. I had lived near the Midway area most of my life (thirtysix years of it), and I am impressed by the security and safety assurances. I think we will have a good time there. Thanks to Tom for figuring out the overhead video projector and using it as a monitor for our Club’s 800XL. It’s really a godsend that we have that as an option. It makes things much easier for all of us that way, too. Also, thanks to SPACE President Michael Current for his show-andtell of his wireless Atari CX40+ joystick. I had a ball playing it and it is very responsive. It was a pleasure. I know we are just settling into our new digs. So, I am sure I will have a more detailed report about the Meeting Minutes next month. So, this concludes the Secretary’s Report for now. I will be back in March with another Report. In the words of the late, great Stan Lee. EXCELSIOR!
HOO-RAH!
TRIVIA TIME! A compact disc has pits inside its interior for the laser to burn information into. The smaller the pits and more compact they are, the more information can be stored. This technique is prevalent in DVDs., giving them the capacity to store quality video. Herman Hollerith formed a company that created tabulating machines in the early Twentieth Century. This company eventually became IBM.
–TABLE OF CONTENTS– PAGE ONE: The President’s Corner Treasurer’s Report Secretary’s Report PAGE TWO: Atari 8-bit DOM Review PAGE FOUR: Recent Atari News
It’s February and time for another Atari 8-bit DOM Review, so welcome back! We are going to review two DOMs this month for December 2024 and January 2025. So, sit back, read the Review and enjoy! December 2024 DOM, Side One: The first file on this DOM is called “ForXenium,” by Marek Cora. It is a 1,023-byte graphics and text file. It looks great and the animation on the text ticker is fluid and in real time. It really is a great example of what a programmer experienced in tight code can do.
It has a lot of challenge and it’s cool to play. It can be one to two players. I don’t know if it won the Software Contest, but it still stands out! SCORE:
Overall, the graphics are great and so is the music. I am sure a lot of thought and time into it, and it shows. I like the implementation of this presentation. Spot-on! It’s an invite to a retro computer party in Poland and it looks very attractive with the graphics. I like the plasma cloud effects in the middle of the screen. It looks really well-rendered. The sound effects and music may be repetitive, but that’s not a big deal.
SCORE: Graphics: Animation: Music/Sound FX:
10 10 10
Lovely file to look at. It shows prowess and promise!
TOTAL SCORE:
30/30 (100% perfect score)
SCORE:
The next file is Oliver Cyranka’s “Zauberball,” which means “Magic Ball” in German. You control a bouncing ball in the game and you can shoot your enemies. If you touch your enemies, you will pop, exploding into pieces. You also get points for shooting enemies while you bounce around.
Graphics: Animation: Music/Sound FX:
10 10 8
TOTAL SCORE:
28/30 (93%)
The next file is called “DottyBeats,” by Tomasz Biela. It shows, well, dots on the screen. But, the dots make great animated patterns on the screen and has great animation. The music isn’t bad either. It looks spectacular.
Graphics: Gameplay: Animation: Music/Sound FX:
10 10 10 10
TOTAL SCORE
40/40 (100% perfect score)
The next file is another game called “Jail,” by Mariusz Ejchsztet. The game says it all. You are in jail, but you have a chance to escape. The object is to avoid the camera on the wall, and there is a shadow that moves along in the game. You have to hide in that shadow to escape. If the camera sees you trying to escape, you will be caught and start over where you left off. You have to time the movement of the shadow exactly to escape and hide in it. Sometimes, that isn’t easy. However, you can get better with practice. So, there is a challenge factor to it.
This was an entry into the ABBUC Software Contest of 2023. It has beautiful digitized graphics of a Jack-OLantern at the title screen, probably produced in RastaConverter. The game is intricate and difficult to play. It’s also fun to play. You’ll have a “ball” playing this game!
The graphics could be better, but it is very challenging to play. It’s a great and original idea for a game. I enjoyed it. You might like it, too. Very well thought out as a game. SCORE: Graphics: Gameplay: Animation: Music/Sound FX:
8 10 10 9
TOTAL SCORE:
37/40 (93%)
The next file is an intro called “105F,” by Christian Duesterhoeft. It looks really detailed and has a great mu-
sic track built-in. It shows a thermometer at 105 degrees, Fahrenheit. There is a nice-looking animated text ticker at the bottom of the screen, and it looks great!
It has nice animation and the sound effects work. I like how it was animated as well. It’s amazing that it could be animated on the A8 at all. I guess there are workarounds for that on our A8s. But, it looks great nonetheless. SCORE: Graphics: Animation: Music/Sound FX:
10 10 10
TOTAL SCORE:
30/30 (100% perfect score)
The next file is called “Death of the Right Side Garbage,” by Mono, Kaz, AtariFan and Misza. It is a photo montage of well-rendered images of a dog, a lion, a horse and a woman with deep blue eyes. It looks really impressive. The graphics are spot-on and the animated text is equally pleasing to look at. It’s very well-implemented. I like the graphics because they look digitized, making it look more realistic in appearance. It also has nice music, and I believe it is from the POKEY chip. Nice job! SCORE: Graphics: Animation: Music/Sound FX:
10 10 10
TOTAL SCORE:
30/30 (100% perfect score)
The next file is a music track called “Prick Up Your Ears,” again by Christian Duesterhoeft. It got a nice tempo and beat to it, and sounds sort of trippy. This was done on a POKEY chip for sure, and it shows. It has a nice sound to it and I enjoyed it. TOTAL SCORE:
10/10 (100% perfect score)
The next file is a pic called “Aramejski Sen,” which means “Aramaic Dream” in Polish, according to Google Translate. It was created by Krzysztof Ziembik, and it’s about Jesus of Nazareth. It looks very detailed and polished. It shows people in the background with three crosses.
It’s definitely an interesting picture. I like the background and the complimentary colors. It represents Jesus well, as a brave figure and a powerful person. It’s very well rendered and I like it. In fact, I am impressed. Very good job. TOTAL SCORE:
10/10 (100% perfect score)
The first file on Side Two is called “8-Bit Underground,” and it’s an animated mask. The mask rotates and it is actually well-rendered. It also has sound effects and it looks really well done.
This is really good stuff and I quite enjoyed looking at it. I like the pic of the blue-eyed woman the most because I think it has the most detail, and the other three are just impressive works. It pushes what the A8 can do and very well. It blows me away with the quality. TOTAL SCORE:
10/10 (100% perfect score)
The next file is called “Sudotris,” a game created by Paw, Kaz and Zoltar X. It’s a really cool game. You have to match the pieces exactly with the squares on the grid, sort of a combination of Tetris and Sudoku. It can be challenging, and it is an interesting twist on both games. It is a brain-teaser for sure. I thought it was fun and difficult at the same time.
The game is really well-thought out. Fill the checkerboard squares with pieces and it leaves more room for other pieces to be put down. It also have very nice graphics overall. It’s a cool game to play and will boggle you!
It is different, but I like the detail in it regardless. It kind of reminds me of a mosaic picture. Different characters are like different tiles on the picture. Nevertheless, it’s clever. It looks surprising impressive. I love it!
It shows prowess. If this is for a game intro, I wouldn’t mind playing it sometime. Very talented stuff.
SCORE:
TOTAL SCORE:
Graphics: Music/Sound FX:
9 10
TOTAL SCORE:
19/20 (95%)
9/10 (90%)
Graphics: Gameplay: Animation: Music/Sound FX:
10 10 10 9
The next DOM is equally as impressive, with cool files on the disk. So, let’s review it.
TOTAL SCORE:
39/40 (98%)
The first file on this DOM is called “Dash,” a 1,030-byte file by an anonymous creator. It shows patterns on the screen and a scrolling field in one-point perspective. The animation is very detailed and it looks pretty nice. It looks like the user is running forward on the field.
The next file a game by FIlip Golewski called “BumBum Box.” It is a WIP, but I could not understand how it plays. I don’t know how the game interacts with the falling notes, which fall into certain columns.
January 2025 DOM, Side One:
It looks like the game gives hints on what to do, but there aren’t clear instructions on the DOM on how to play it. Nevertheless, it looks like a fun and cool game to play.
Since this is a work in progress, I will reserve judgment for this game. I won’t score it yet. But, one thing is for sure, it does look nice and has great graphics. The next file is a music track called “Train Station Candy Shop Shuffle Bop,” a fun little tune by Triace. It has pep and nice tones to it and it’s cute. It sounds like something like a Mario game might have.
The areas you have not traversed to yet are unseen. Once you get there, it stays on screen for the rest of that level. You also have to avoid bats that randomly appear flying across the screen in different areas of the dungeon maze.
The scrolling field remind me of the field you see on games like Space Harrier or Nintendo’s WorldRunner 3D. It looks vast and scrolls very nicely. For the size it is, it is very well-rendered. I like the execution of the file. It makes me wish I can do this stuff myself. Wonderful work, by the way! SCORE: 10 10 9
Pretty cool, and it really stand out.
TOTAL SCORE:
29/30 (97%)
TOTAL SCORE:
The next file is called “LII Intro,” by Christian Duesterhoeft. It shows an intro to a game called Turbo Challenge 2. At least, I think it is a game intro. It has nice music, too. It shows the Lotus logo in the middle of it and says “Turbo Challenge 2” underneath it.
The last file on this DOM is called “Iced Earth,” by Jarek Wyszynski. It shows a mammoth and a person with a staff in his hand. It is shown as ATASCII characters. It has an interesting look to it. It’s shown with black characters on a white background to show a frozen world.
The next file is called “Dungeon Adventurer,” by D. Kozminski. In this game, you go through a dark dungeon. Everywhere you go is traced on the screen. You have to find the exit in the time allotted to escape. You can get weapons and extra time along the way.
If you make it on time, you go to the next level, if you get hit by a bat or time runs out, it’s game over. It really is a well-thought out puzzle game. It’s challenging. It’s excellent. I really like this game.
Graphics: Animation: Music/Sound FX:
10/10 (100% perfect score)
SCORE:
I like the title screen. It looks inviting and it is a challenging game that you really need to use your brain with and in time. It keeps you on your toes, that’s for sure. SCORE: Graphics: Gameplay: Animation: Music/Sound FX:
9 10 8 9
TOTAL SCORE:
36/40 (90%)
The next file is called “BoberDash,” a game by programmers Salmax and Marduk. You play a squirrel and you have to collect fruit. There is a problem, though. You are faced with lights you must avoid. They can shine in four directions, and they rotate. You must collect the fruit without touching the light beams, or it’s game over. It seems rather easy to learn, but can be difficult to play. It is another neat little puzzle.
It’s a cool picture, but I think it could be more. But, aside from that, I like it. Nice work. TOTAL SCORE:
8/10 (80%)
The final file on Side One of this DOM is called “CyborgOp,” by an anonymous artist. It shows a person in a cybernetic suit with a pistol. It looks very futuristic.
Music/Sound FX:
10
TOTAL SCORE:
39/40 (98%)
The next file is a game by Inufuto, called “AntiAir.” It’s fun and kind of easy to understand. You have to launch missiles at ships that drop blocks and bombs on you. You cannot destroy blocks, but you can destroy bombs and enemies can destroy blocks. If blocks drop toward you, they can keep you from moving around on the bottom of the screen. Only an enemy bomb can blow a block up once the block is on the ground. Try not to get bombed by a bomb or a block. You only have a few lives to play with. Although somewhat easy at first, it does get harder over time. I think when I played it, I made it to Level 6. It does get faster and bombs fall more often as the game progresses. Inufuto has made many games for the A8, and they are pretty good. This is a very good game.
One word I can say about this pic: sleek! It’s extremely detailed and looks really cool. I like the chrome on the cyborg. It’s really well-rendered. Again, this is really nice work. Well done! TOTAL SCORE:
10/10 (100% perfect score) Side Two:
The next file is “Code Brown,” a game by Piotr Lis. In the game, you have to stay ahead of the game, which is always scrolling up. There is also a drone trying to shoot you. You only have one life. If you get shot by a drone or if you get stuck on the bottom of the screen, you’re dead.
It’s challenging and, to the beginner, it can be tough. Collect all of the fruit and you can find the open door to get to the next level. If you get caught, it’s game over. Great game, and I would love to play it again! SCORE: Graphics: Gameplay: Animation: Music/Sound FX:
8 10 7 9
TOTAL SCORE:
34/40 (85%)
You are always jumping up, trying not to hit bottom and disappear or get shot. It is interesting. It’s like a Jaguar game I like to play called Downfall. But, Downfall is reversed. Downfall scrolls down. But, basically, the games are the same premise. I think “Code Brown” is really fun. It’s challenging, difficult and addictive. It’s also really fast-paced as you keep ahead of the scrolling effect of the game.
It’s easy to learn, but it gets more challenging. These games are pretty fun. It really is a nice effort.
The next file is called “Dream Off,” by Filip Golewski. It’s a music track. It sounds slow at first, but the beat picks up and it gets interesting. It eventually picks up the tempo and it sound pretty good. I though it was a pretty peppy tune and it’s pretty catchy. TOTAL SCORE:
SCORE: Graphics: Gameplay: Animation: Music/Sound FX:
9/10 (90%)
TOTAL SCORE:
Filip Golewski comes back with another tune, called “Boiler Pokey.” It starts a little slow and the tempo picks up. It is an average tune, but then the drum beat picks up. It really sounds interesting and I think it is a cool little tune to listen to during some spare time. TOTAL SCORE:
8 9 7 7 31/40 (78%)
The next file is a music track by Christian Duesterhoeft called “The Duel.” It was generated by POKEY chip. It is the theme for the movie “Electric Dreams.” Originally, it was done by Giorgio Moroder. It starts slow but picks up. It has a nice beat to it and is easy to listen to.
8/10 (80%)
TOTAL SCORE:
The next file is a pic called “Lovely Melody,” by Christian Duesterhoeft. It shows musical notes with a heart.
10/10 (100% perfect score)
Mr. Duesterhoeft created another track called “KaminRomance,” which is the next file. It is nice and easy listening. It’s pretty mellow and has a nice beat to it. TOTAL SCORE: It is definitely a game that keeps you thinking. SCORE: Graphics: Gameplay: Animation:
9 10 10
9/10 (90%)
The next file is a pic called “Shade Troopers,” by an anonymous artist. It shows a group of armor-clad soldiers in grayscale. It is extremely well-rendered and has a lot of detail. It is also well-illustrated. I really enjoyed this pic. It really stands out in front.
Definitely, it looks amazing, if not a little foreboding. TOTAL SCORE:
10/10 (100% perfect score)
The final file in the Review is another pic called “Night Watch,” by Robert Smolinski. It shows a warrior with a lantern and a spear in the woods, waiting for danger to pop out. It looks really well rendered. It has a lot of detail. I like it! It really captures the drama.
I like the way the colors compliment as well. It looks welllit for an night scene with the lantern. This is a really good job. Nice work! TOTAL SCORE:
9/10 (90%)
Well, that’s all she wrote for this edition of the A8 DOM Review. I will be back for another Review next month. Until then, Carpe Diem, fellow Atarians, and thanks!
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY FROM SPACE!
UNABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE NEXT MEETING? Then, sign into our Discord server On the night of the physical Meeting! Here is the permanent invite link To the SPACE Discord server: https://discord.gg/r9Q4AxuNmQ You can copy and paste this URL link from this PDF onto your browser in the search bar. Once on the SPACE Discord server, Go to the Meeting Stream in the sidebar on the Discord page. There is a screenshot of the sidebar on this page with the Meeting Stream link circled. THANKS FOR COMING VIRTUALLY AND PHYSICALLY!
We need your articles! If you wish to channel your inner F. Scott Fitzgerald and want to send in an article, please feel free to send them to the SPACE Newsletter Editor! Please try to send your articles within two weeks of the Club’s occurrence every month. They then will be posted. The SPACE Newsletter Editor’s contact information is, of course, on the back of every SPACE Newsletter! Thanks for posting and for supporting your SPACE Club! We hope to see more articles soon!
SPACE COMICS SECTION COMIC CROSSOVER!
Vice President: Brian Little E-Mail: demomantna@gmail.com
https://space.atari.org The next SPACE meeting And Election will commence on Friday, February 14, 2024, At 7:30 PM, local time! We hope to see you there! Thanks for coming!
OUR MEETING LOCATION We meet at the Wilder Center at 454 Lexington Pkwy. N., in Saint Paul’s Midway area. You will need to check in with security if you come to the building after 5:30 PM. We will meet on the second floor in the Merriam Park Room (room 2410). The Meeting time is allocated from 6-8:30 PM, every second Friday of every month. Thanks for coming to SPACE! The map below shows the location of the Wilder Center.
E-Mail greglites1@outlook.com S.P.A.C.E. (Saint Paul Atari Computer Enthusiasts) C/O: Gregory Leitner 3407 78th St. E Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076-3037
(Map courtesy of Google)
Another Message from Captain Irata: “That’s all she wrote, SPACE Cadets!” HOO-RAH!