June 2026
•June 2026 Edition•
Recently, I’ve been gifted several small Atari wall signs - an Atari logo, a Centipede sign and an Asteroids sign. They do look great on the wall! As far as I can tell these are properly licensed, so the profits go to today’s Atari. Atari seems to be coming out with new merchandise pretty much constantly! Isn’t it weird that there’s such an endless market for things with the Atari logo on them? Or, maybe the logo for some classic Atari game? It would be pretty sad if that was how they made most of their money today. But, not so! They keep releasing new products, and they keep buying up more product lines and developers. They’re up to five game publishing labels: Atari, Digital Eclipse, Nightdive Studios, RollerCoaster Tycoon (when did that game series become a label?) And Infogrames. Most recently, Atari acquired the mobile developer, Hipster Whale. Never heard of them? Me neither. Still, it’s another sign that today’s Atari continues to grow and diversify its product line. And given that they also seem to really respect the history and heritage of the Atari brand, that can only be a good thing, right? What do you think? Thanks, keep using that Atari, and come to your next SPACE meeting: Friday, June 12, 2026.
We only had four members present for the May SPACE meeting: myself, Glen, Roger and Tom. Steve was present via Discord. We haven’t had a regular meeting for months, and it’s getting to seem that this is the way it may be for now on. There seems to be a lot to discuss especially when Tom and Roger are present. Atari is still here for the future, so I hope we will be too! I get lost with all the technical stuff, but it is very interesting to hear. With AI showing up on a game within our DOM this month who knows where this is going to lead Atari. Our treasury has not been growing much lately with the lack of members present. Glen puts in a lot of hours creating the monthly DOMs, and they have always been a much needed source of income for the Club, so it’s disappointing that we sell only one or two DOMs on average per month.
HELLO WORLD! I am back with the Secretary’s Report. So, I will get started. Let’s go! MEETING COMMENCEMENT: The Meeting commenced at approximately 6:00 PM, on Friday, May 8, 2026, with four members present physically and myself virtually on Discord. So, five members were at the Meeting in total. MEMBERSHIP COUNT: As Greg stated previously in the Treasurer’s Report, we have ten members paid up for the next year. DOM REPORT: As always, Glen came through again with yet another great DOM to share with everybody. I will have a double-DOM Atari 8-bit DOM Review in the June SPACE Newsletter, for January and May.
At least we still have ten paid-up members. Being able to have our meetings at Wilder has been a godsend since we don’t have to pay for the monthly meeting room. I hope that does not change, but you never can predict the future.
Also, my thanks to Glen for delivering Lance’s DOMs and my DOMs for the year of 2026. He has my gratitude and I will send him my money for future DOMs and get them mailed for now. My appreciation knows no bounds, so thanks again for the generosity!
Our treasury has stayed pretty stable so far this year at around $700.00 and May, ditto that. We started the month of May with a bank balance of $725.06 and we ended with a balance of $695.06. This included $9.00 for the sale of three DOMs, and a refund of $30.00 to Tom for his idea of donating to Wilder.
WEBSITE REPORT: No Website Report was discussed, so I assume the SPACE Website is in good working order and functioning properly.
Unfortunately, Tom was the only one who donated, so we decided to end the idea since it just didn’t seem to catch on. This was a great cause for what the Wilder Foundation does for the community, but when we don’t have regular meetings to discuss these types of ideas they just fall apart! That’s all I have to rant about this month, so all I can say is I hope we can all start to think about what we want out of our Club for the future. Atari is going strong, and we have some great members that keeps us apprised on all the new accomplishments that Atari users keep coming up with.
We had technical difficulties with Discord, so I wasn’t present for the very end of the Meeting. However, I did enjoy the Meeting and being with everybody virtually, so no worries. Anyway, with this I will close for now. I will be back, virtually anyway, for the next SPACE Meeting. I will see you then and I will catch up on the new DOM Reviews for the A8. See you later! In the words of the late, great Stan Lee. EXCELSIOR!
So, in closing I just want to say please try to make it to our meetings, so even if you are like me and get lost in what is happening with all the new stuff you will never be disappointed with what your Atari is capable of! Here is hoping to see you on June 12th for our next SPACE meeting. –TABLE OF CONTENTS– Page One: The President’s Corner SPACE Officers’ Reports Page Two: Atari Multi-Platform Game Review Pages Seven and Eight: SPACE Comics Section
TRIVIA TIME! Engineer and inventor Robert Fulton built the world’s first commercial steamboat in 1807.
Message from Captain Irata:
His boat was known as Clermont.
“Practice makes for great scores! It also makes permanent!” HOO-RAH!
Personally, I think it is a great little file. It shows some prowess. I like the way the coins are falling down and it shows some real-life physics in the animation. The animation is fluid, like I stated before, and it is fun to look at. It is a great file and relaxing to look at. Let me score this file now. Well, it has been a while, but I am back with the Atari 8-bit DOM Review, and like I said it will show TWO DOMs! I am going to review the January and May DOMs for 2026. We will start with the January DOM, saving the best for last by then showing the May DOM. Now, let’s stop the hiatus and get reviewing! Here we go! January 2026 DOM, Side A: The first file on this DOM is “Star Filler,” by Freddy Offenga, also known as F#READY. It is a 44-byte file showing an animated star field. It shows the illusion that the user is descending downward from the sky as the stars go by. The animation is quite fluid and there is sound simulating a hum, I guess like a rocket engine in the background noise. It is relaxing and fun to look at. It may be somewhat repetitive, but it isn’t bad. I like it. As small as this demonstration is, it really works.
SCORE: Graphics: Animation:
9 10
TOTAL SCORE:
19/20 (98%)
The next file is 1,020 bytes in size. It is called “Hey Kids What’s for Dinner.” It was created by an anonymous coder. I didn’t see a name for the person who created it. It looks like you have to guess what the word is, but it is in hexadecimal code. However, every hex byte equals a symbol in ASCII code. In short, it looks like you would have to guess what the ASCII letters are in hex to see what is for dinner. However, the cursor moves by itself and I didn’t get it to move correctly. At least, I think it is interactive anyway.
The animation is fluid and the graphics are top-notch. However, I think there might be a PAL issue as it flickers. Nevertheless, that doesn’t stop it from being a greatlooking demo that really shines. Plus, I think the anthropomorphic dancing bananas give it some comedic effect. It really is a nice demo with kicking dance music and it’s a nice’-looking advertisement for SillyVenture. I don’t know how long it took to program this, but it is well thought out. With that, I will score this demo.
I wonder if it works with a joystick controller and not some other type of controller. If I knew, I could probably figure it out because I have the hex-to-ASCII charts that can convert hex to ASCII characters. It looks really challenging, if you don’t know what you are doing.
SCORE: Graphics: Animation: Music/Sound FX:
10 10 10
But, if you understand it, it’s a really cool little brain-teaser. I like the premise. Very smart idea for a game.
TOTAL SCORE:
30/30 (100% perfect score)
The next file is a game called “KOBO800,” an entry in the ABBUC Software Contest for 2025. It was created by Janusz Chabowski. The game is similar to the classic arcade game “Bosconian,” which we have had on a pervious DOM in the past. In the game, you must pilot a spaceship through space destroying space stations. You must destroy the space stations before they destroy you. Unlike “Bosconian,” where if you get shot once you get destroyed, you have a shield meter where you can get shot multiple times.
It really shows the animation capabilities of the A8. It’s fluid, fast and has no flicker in it or slowdown. But, it is a small file, so you can expect that. Very good animation. I will score this file now. SCORE:
If this is an interactive game, or a demo for one, it would be a great tool for teaching hexadecimal math and its relation to ASCII code. I really like that idea! Kudos!
Graphics: Animation: Music/Sound FX:
9 10 8
Let me score this now:
TOTAL SCORE:
27/30 (90%)
Animation: Music/Sound FX:
10 9
TOTAL SCORE:
19/20 (98%)
Moving on, we have another small file, but this time it’s 134 bytes in size. It is called “Abundance,” by Kamil Trzaska. It shows the A8 computer ready screen with gold coins falling down from the top of the screen to the bottom of the screen, & the coins are in front of the screen. The coins rotate as they fall, like they are spinning in midair. It is a nice animation and pleasant to look at. The animation is fluid and has some dimension to it other than the movement. It looks somewhat realistic in that respect.
SCORE:
The next file is a demo called “We Like 2 Party,” created for SillyVenture by Christian Duesterhoeft and others on his team of coders. Their work really pays off, too. It is brilliant, full of cool music and dancing bananas. I also like the warping text ticker in this demo. It’s great.
If you get shot too many times, and the shield meter gets depleted to nothing, you lose a life. There is a weak spot in the stations that you would need to uncover. If you destroy the weak spot, the station is instantly and completely destroyed. You advance a level by destroying all stations in the previous level.
This game seems to have a little more challenge than “Bosconian.” The stations seems to shoot more weapons at the player, which is a good thing. It doesn’t skimp on difficulty. It is definitely worth playing if you like games like this. I like it and I can attest to that. I will score this game now. SCORE: Graphics: Gameplay: Animation: Music/Sound FX:
8 10 10 8
TOTAL SCORE:
36/40 (90%)
The next file, another game, is called “Hard Snake,” programmed by Mariusz Ejchsztet. In the game, you play a snake that has to eat all of the fruit in a maze to advance to the next level. As you eat, you get longer and bigger. If you crash into yourself, you lose a snake. It reminds me of games like “Snakebite” for the Apple II and “Tapeworm” for the Atari 2600. It is of the premise of those games. The game can get challenging after a while. As you get longer, it get harder to avoid crashing into yourself. It is a good game. I like the challenge and it’s fun. It definitely has cool graphics and sound. It can be addictive because of its appeal. It isn’t really a bad game. It may be a bit overused, but it is still nice to play. You can change the difficulty in the game if you want it easier or more difficult.
delightful and has a pulse-pounding effect to it. The track is well-composed and works for me. It definitely sounds cool. I will score it now. TOTAL SCORE:
8/10 (80%)
The next music track is called “Crystal Lake,” by Krzysztof Bryla. It reminds me of the movie “Friday the 13th.” Crystal Lake was the location of the camp where Jason Voorhees’ murders occurred in the movie. It definitely has a pulse-pounding effect to it and sounds kind of sinister and quiet. It’s a sort of eerie feeling listening to it. It is a good track, as these all are. Very well done.
Now, we will go to Side B, where there is only one huge file. It looks pretty good, given the size of it. Side B: The final file on this DOM is a game called “Schranker 4,” a Mario-like platform game. You can play as Tibil and Deana, two kids exploring the world. Avoid any creature that crawls or flies and collect the diamonds. You can jump very high. You can also use elevators to get to higher parts of certain levels. You have only five lives, so it takes practice to make it through.
I will score this track now. TOTAL SCORE:
10/10 (100% perfect score)
The last music track is called “You Are the Machine II,” by Marek Pesout. It sounds mechanical. It has a gritty sound to it, like grinding gears. This was the intention of the composer. I think its pretty cool the way it sounds. The composer knows what he is doing and it shows. Let me score this tune now. TOTAL SCORE:
9/10 (90%)
The next file is a picture called “Cosmic Nurse,” by Robert Smolinski. It shows an red-skinned and red-haired alien woman tending to her helmet-wearing patient. There is a flying saucer in the background floating in the sky. It looks weird, but it is pretty cool and well rendered.
Although somewhat monochromatic, being there are a lot of reds in it, the rendering is very well done. It looks like a graphic design. The colors all compliment and are warmer colors, adding a certain nuance to it. Nice! I will score this picture now. TOTAL SCORE:
10/10 (100% perfect score)
The next file is the last file of Side A of the May DOM. It is called “Shroomland,”by Rafal Szycztko. It shows a young woman surrounded by mushrooms. This is rendered achromatically, or black and white. It’s a nicelooking graphic with a lot of detail to it. By the way, this was also a contender in the ABBUC Software Contest in 2025. I am sure there are a lot of titles that are really good and I can see it can be a difficult contest to win. These ABBUC Software Contest titles are really good programs. Keep up the good work! I will score this title now. SCORE: Graphics: Gameplay: Animation: Music/Sound FX:
8 10 8 8
TOTAL SCORE:
34/40 (85%)
The next file is a music track, one of three on this side on the May DOM. It is called “Blinky’s Scare Sch00l - Fearsome Remix,” by Michal Szpilowski. It’s eerie and funny at the same time with the way it sounds. It is also sort of
As a matter of fact, it looks like a stamp or a print from a wood carving with the lines in the picture. Very well rendered. I will score this pic now. TOTAL SCORE:
10/10 (100%perfect score)
The game is thought out very well and plays great. Since it takes one side of the DOM, it’s pretty big. It looks cool and it seems like a cute game for kids. It is a nice platform. I will score this game now. SCORE: Graphics: Gameplay:
9 10
Animation: Music/Sound FX:
9 9
Animation: Music/Sound FX:
TOTAL SCORE:
37/40 (93%)
TOTAL SCORE:
Now, onto the May DOM, and there are lots of fun files on both sides of the disk! Let’s explore it!
4 6 14/30 (47%)
May 2026 DOM, Side A:
The next file is called “Love Hard,” by Krzytian Sergiejew. It is a demo that shows a beating heart. The graphics are good and the music is great. It must be using the POKEY chip to generate the music, because it sounds really good.
The first file on the May DOM is called “No Signal (Mr. Wolf),” by an unknown programmer. It shows what is supposed to be a static screen on the monitor, suggesting no signal is there to be picked up. It is a lot of flickering code, with a lot of ATASCII characters on the screen.
It looks like a Lite-Brite screen, like the famous toy from the 1970s, where you take pegs and create LED-like images using a light box (which was a lot of fun for me when I was a kid). The demo looks really cool and sounds better. I like the end result.
To me, the 256-byte file looks like a system crash because you can still see data on the screen. It’s interesting to look at. It reminds me of the frustration I have with my TV antenna when the signal doesn’t come in because of the weather or the wind.
By the way, sometimes you can also collect weapons to shoot with for defense and maybe to solve puzzles. It is a difficult game to play, but can be lots of fun. I am sure you will enjoy it. I will score this game now.
Cool stuff. There’s not a lot to say about it, but I like the premise. It’s simulated garble, so I get it. I think this programmer can relate to all the frustrations we have with bad television signals. I am sure he has had his share.
SCORE:
It also lights up from time to time, changing from red to a brighter color. It really looks and sounds nice. I will score this demo now. SCORE:
It does look more like static from a distance. It is a great simulation in that respect, at least from a certain vantage point. I will score this file now. TOTAL SCORE:
8/10 (80%)
The next file is a 261-byte file called “Kraftwerk,” by Krzysztof Rogowski. It shows two graphics in the middle of the screen. The German word “KRAFTWERK” is at the top of the screen, with the letters A, T and R shown as highlighted characters. It looks like two men work on something. But, the graphics are so simple I could be wrong. Also, the highlighted letters spell .ATR, which is the 8-bit file format for Atari floppy disk archive images that can be used in emulation. Interesting trivia there. It also has the music from the music test for the 8-bit diagnostic program that is built into the operating system in every Atari 8-bit computer. It is very simplistic.
Graphics: Animation: Music/ Sound FX:
9 7 10
TOTAL SCORE:
26/30 (87%)
Graphics: Gameplay: Animation: Music/ Sound FX:
6 10 7 8
TOTAL SCORE:
31/40 (78%)
The next file is another game called “Carcer,” by Ali Pouladi. It’s another puzzle game, where you have to go through dungeon mazes collecting stuff. You have to get to the next maze without losing all of your coins. You lose coins every time you move, but you can pick them up again and reuse them to get where you want to go. This is a tough one. It makes you think about what to do next. It’s a pretty good game for thinkers who like to rack their brains on puzzles.
The next file is a game called “Glut!” It is a puzzle game created by Krzysztof Ziembik. You play a little creature that has to collect bottles and keys to get out of certain levels in the game. There are obstacles to face, and they can be deadly. The trick is to open the door to the next level to advance. You have to find the best way to do that, and there is a pattern to it. If you collect enough bottles, then you can escape to the next level. You can get stuck and you can even get shot. It can be challenging. I noticed that there was a PAL problem while playing this game. The screen flickers and gets unstable transitions to the next screens of any level. But, that is something that cannot be helped on an NTSC television. The graphics need work, but it is a great game otherwise. It is a challenge and takes practice to master. It reminds me of the game “Robbo,” which has been on the DOMs before from our friends in Poland. It looks very similar to that game.
It’s a game where you have to retrace your steps to get it right sometimes. It does have its reward, but you have to work for it for sure. I will score this game now. SCORE: Graphics: Gameplay: Animation: Music/Sound FX:
8 10 7 10
TOTAL SCORE:
35/40 (88%)
The next file is a music track called “Bonio,” by Przunk. It has a lot of tone and beat to it. It also has a nice tempo and it’s upbeat. It’s a cool little tune and I enjoyed listening to it. Very nice, lively and fun. I will score this file now. TOTAL SCORE:
I wonder if it is two people working on something or if it is something else. What they are working on is anyone’s guess. Let me score this now: SCORE: Graphics:
6
9/10 (90%)
The next file is another track called “Automata,” created by Makary Brauner. It is pulse-pounding music and it sound like there is a lot of action in it. Again, cool music. It reminds me of playing Mega Man in Dr. Wily’s factory. Again, nicely done. I will score it now. TOTAL SCORE:
10/10 (100% perfect score)
The next file is a picture called “Lost World Coronation,” by Arachovitis. It shows a crowned lizard on a throne. It
is quite colorful and it looks really good. I like the detail in this picture and the colors. Really cool work.
Graphics: Animation: Music/Sound FX:
10 10 10
TOTAL SCORE:
30/30 (100% perfect score)
The next file is a 1,013-byte interactive file called “1K ATASCOIID,” by Frederik Holst. It is a Breakout simulation. You can play it. It just moves to another level if you miss the ball with your paddle. There is no dying, it looks like. Lots of color in the bricks, too.
I will score this pic now. TOTAL SCORE:
10/10 (100% perfect score)
The last file on Side A of this DOM is called “Gruße Vom Planet Irata,” by an unknown artist. The name in German translates to “Greetings from Planet Irata” in English. It shows a distant planet with a woman in a space helmet. It looks monochromatic, but with detail. I like the look of this picture. It’s very good. It must have been quite an undertaking to create such a nice-looking picture like this. I like the sci-fi theme in this picture. It shows promise and talent.
It is simple, but hard to play because the ball is fast. It’s a neat little interactive file. I do like it, and it’s fun to take a break and play it. Nice work for tight code. With that, I will score this file now. SCORE: Graphics: Gameplay: Animation: Music/ Sound FX:
8 9 10 7
TOTAL SCORE:
33/40 (83%)
The next file is a SillyVenture demo called “Earth (R0ger), by Antonin Holik, and it shows a spinning Earth with a text ticker on the bottom of the screen. It has a PAL problem and it flickers, but I won’t hold it against the person who created it. It is beautiful and detailed. Nice job!
It commemorates SillyVenture’s 25th anniversary. Really cool stuff to look at. I will score now. TOTAL SCORE:
Now, onto Side B, with nine more files to review for the DOM! Going down the home stretch, folks! Side B:
It also has great music and shows the Atari Fuji Logo orbiting Earth as it rotates in space. For an 8-bit rendering, is really top-notch. I like the detail and it looks spectacular. Again, very nice rendering. I will score it now. SCORE: Graphics: Animation: Music/Sound FX:
10 10 10
TOTAL SCORE:
30/30 (100% perfect score)
The next file is a game converted to Atari format by Fandal and Buddy called “Licence to Kill,” which I believe is from the James Bond movie. It’s like the game “Spy Hunter,” but with more vehicles. You pilot a helicopter, a car and a boat through different levels. Again, despite the pixels in this simulation, it’s decidedly realistic. I like the color. It looks like a close-up of a bonfire at nighttime. This is excellent work. I will score now. SCORE:
SCORE: Graphics: Gameplay: Animation: Music/ Sound FX: TOTAL SCORE:
7 8 7 7 29/40 (73%)
We have a first with the next file on here. Staworzynski used artificial intelligence to code this game, called “First AI Shooter.” It plays quite well, and it’s a good first attempt with AI in programming. You pilot a spaceship and shoot at targets coming down from the sky. If you miss with your guns, you also have mega-bombs. The premise is very simple: shoot or bomb every falling target. Very easy to play and understand.
10/10 (100% perfect score)
The first file on Side B is called “Shades of Summer,” a 261-byte file created by Igelski. It shows a simulated fire with smoke. Well, as small as it is in file size, it’s really well put-together. It looks quite realistic minus the pixels in it. The animation is good and in real time. Nice job!
The colors could be better, but that’s OK. I think this might be a Spectrum conversion or something like that because of the colors. It is an interesting game, and I am sure I could do better with practice. Fun game and a nice conversion. I will score this game now.
In the vehicles you can crash into things and get killed, like buildings and other obstacles. You also can get shot at by your enemies. You do have a damage meter. You will lose a life if the damage meter is completely depleted.
This AI-coded game reminds me of “Space Invaders” or “Galaxian,” but it’s simpler than that. Still, it works for me. I think it is a very good start for such a programming feat. Very good work. I will score this game now. SCORE: Graphics: Gameplay: Animation: Music/ Sound FX:
6 9 10 5
TOTAL SCORE:
30/40 (75%)
The next file is a music track by Filip Gowleski, called “Fred Goes Home.” It’s fast and pulse-pounding, like the title character is running home for his life or something. It’s full of action and has a nice tempo and beat to it. Interesting music. I will score it now. TOTAL SCORE:
8/10 (80%)
Makary Brauner is the creator of the next track, called “We Are the Noise Makers,” and it’s pretty nice. It has a nice beat to it and a lot of action in the track. Very well composed, and I tip my hat to the creator of it. Let me score this track now. TOTAL SCORE:
9/10 (90%)
The final two files on this DOM are pictures called “Correct Symbol Lantern Light” and “8-bit Beat Keyboarder,” both rendered by Christian Duesterhoeft, as it appears in the menu on the DOM. The first pic shows a street light shining down on the Atari Fuji Logo. The second picture shows a musician with a keyboard playing music and enjoying himself. Both are rendered well, but I think the keyboarder looks much better and more colorful than the first pic in the Side B menu. Nevertheless, both are good renders and I like them.
Have a Safe, Pleasant and Happy Summer from SPACE! See You Soon!
I will score both there pics: TOTAL SCORES: “Correct Symbol Lantern Light:” 8/10 (80%) “8-bit Beat Keyboarder: 10/10 (100%) Well, this concludes the Atari 8-bit DOM Review for May of 2026. I will be back with yet another doubleDOM for February and June of 2026. Until then, I will see you all later. Carpe Diem, fellow Atarians, and thanks for everything! Have a Happy!
SPACE COMICS SECTION! The Misadventures of A-Man and C.D.
Ferret Fracas
SPACE Meeting Friday, June 12, 2026, From 6:00 - 8:30 PM. DOM Demonstration Meeting Thanks for coming!
You will need to check in with security if you come to the building after 5:30 PM, We will meet in the Midway Room 2310.The Meeting time is allocated from 6:00-8:30 PM, every second Friday of every month.