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June is Atari Month!

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Attention our fellow Atarians (fans of the old Atari),

The month of June is fast approaching and you all know what that means – it’s !

To celebrate 49 years of Atari, we are asking you to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and get writing about your affinity for this iconic brand.

This is your opportunity to let your writing juices flow! To get you started, check out Matt Lacey’s Atari story from the last time we ran for Atari’s 42nd anniversary.

Once you are satisfied with your written masterpiece, just submit it to us here. The most entertaining submissions will be immortalised on ausretrogamer.com!

There is no word limit, so go for your life (just keep it clean)! Article submissions are opened from now till June 25 2021. That means you have (almost) 3 months for your submission, so get cracking you awesome Atarians!

 

 

A Brief History of Women in Gaming: The 1980s

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It is awesome to see that The Strong (National Museum of Play) has a Women in Games Initiative and their International Center for the History of Electronic Games creating brilliant history exhibits, like A Brief History of Women in Gaming.

You can check out A Brief History of Women in Gaming: The 1980s on Google’s Arts and Culture forum, which showcases a plethora of amazing and talented women in the gaming industry, from the assembly line to the marketing department, this exhibit highlights how women have shaped the games industry through hard work, creative coding, artistic imagination, and business savvy. This exhibit tells this vital but underappreciated part of history!

source: Arts and Culture – Google

From Carol Shaw at Atari and then Activision, creating her best-selling game River Raid, Hope Neiman leading the Vectrex home game console manufacturer General Consumer Electronics’ marketing efforts in the early 1980s, to Gail Tilden creating and editing everyone’s seminal favourite magazine, Nintendo Power, this exhibit is brimming with amazing and talented women in gaming.

Check it out right now!

 

The Players Guide to Programmable Videogame Systems from 1982

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Now this is a blast from the past! Well, a blast from 1982!

While trawling good ole eBay, our nostalgic interests were piqued when we found this 12-page ‘The Players Guide To Programmable Videogame Systems’ advertorial, which is cool to read in hindsight. We were glad to see the Bally Astrocade featured amongst the heavy hitters.

Check it out!

 

Once Upon Atari: How I Made History By Killing An Industry

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Our friend and Atari developer extraordinaire, Howard Scott Warshaw, you know, he made Yars’ Revenge and E.T. amongst other notable Atari 2600 games, has released his new book, Once Upon Atari: How I Made History By Killing An Industry, which is available right now on Kindle and Paperback.

Upon the release of his new book, Howard stated that, “I needed to put something fun and interesting into the world. Is it “The feel good book of 2020″? Nah, that’s too low a bar. This book was a labour of love, but a labour nonetheless. If you know me, you know this is a fun read. If you don’t know me, it’s still fun. I’m happy with the result and I hope you enjoy reading it”.

This book provides an intimate view into the dramatic rise and fall of the early video game industry in the US, and how it shaped the life of one of its key players. Howard’s book offers eye-opening details and insights from someone that was there during Atari’s heyday.

What are you waiting for, go and grab it!

 

Last Minute Retro Gaming Inspired Xmas Gifts

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Last week we published our Christmas Gift Guide, which we hope that it helped finding that special pressie for that special someone, including yourself.

Well, since then, we have found even more cool retro gaming inspired gifts that are currently on special (30% OFF!), which means it’s a win, win for everyone! So if you need some last minute gifts for your geeky friends or family (or for yourself), then check out these:

Micro Arcade games $17.49 (30% OFF)

Tiny Arcade games up to 30% OFF

Pac-Man Icon Lamp $13.99 (30% OFF)

TMNT Virtual Pinball $17.49 (30% OFF)

 

Battlezone: One of Atari’s Best

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Several years ago, my brother bought an Atari Flashback 64 console, and I became obsessed with playing the 1983 tank video game Battlezone. As crude as the first-person shooter graphics may be, the game feels like a real tank simulator (minus the volcanoes and UFOs).

I’ve always loved tank games. Usually, the more realistic ones are the most entertaining, but Battlezone’s simplicity is what makes it so fun and interesting. I didn’t know until I did some research that Battlezone is often considered the first virtual reality arcade video game. The home version doesn’t feel like virtual reality, but I can definitely see how the original 1980 arcade version can be seen as a “3-D success”. Looking through the “periscope” viewfinder, which the player used to play the game, had to be exciting and different. The originality of it had to help the player immerse themselves in the classic game. I’ve never had the pleasure of playing Battlezone in an upright arcade cabinet; I hope one day I will.

There is also a smaller version of the cabinet where the screen was angled upwards, and there was no periscope. I think I remember seeing that version of Battlezone at a local supermarket when I was little.

When I play Battlezone, I have a battle manoeuvre where I circle around and pick off enemy tanks and flying saucers, then I pick up speed in one direction for a while until something pops up on my radar. I wish the game had a better radar, but the primitiveness of it adds to the retro feel. You must be fast on the joystick’s trigger when opposing tanks just pop up on screen in front of you. Playing the ’83 game is still a challenging and thrilling experience.

Atari 2600 version of Battlezone. Source: Retro Gamer

 

What’s Up America! – Video Warriors Mini Documentary From 1980

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We love finding obscure mini documentaries from the early 80s, just like this What’s Up America! mini documentary, titled Video Warriors, which provides an insight on the state of the arcade video games industry circa 1980.

This documentary features a fresh-faced Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell, Lyle Rains (Atari VP of Engineering, Coin-Operated Games Division), and Roger Hector (Atari Manager of Advanced Products) to name a few. The focus is primarily on Atari Coin-Ops games, but arcade games from other manufacturers are also shown. We really love the part where Roget Hector discusses his co-creation, Atari’s (unreleased) Cosmos holographic handheld games system!

For those of you outside of North America, the What’s Up America! TV series ran on the Showtime channel from 1979-1981. Now go and enjoy this hit of nostalgia!


source: Scottith Games

 

VergeWorld: ICarus – A Nostalgic Blast!

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Whoa, the team at Retro Bones have been busy tinkering on VergeWorld: Icarus, a new sci-fi racer shoot’em up game (with exploration elements) for the Amiga, Atari and Mega Drive!

What is VergeWorld you ask? Far into the future, on a distant and inhospitable planet, mankind engages in one thing it knows well – war. The tyrannical corporate regime wants to enslave all inhabitants of the Kingdom – humanity’s new home. As a young smuggler, Nix, aboard the aircraft Icarus, you want to help the oppressed by joining the Revolt.

Download the Amiga demo to prove your worth by completing the infamous Death Run challenge and convince the Revolt to accept you as one of them!

image source: Retro Bones

 

HIGH SCORE – A New Netflix Docuseries Tracing The History of Classic Video Games

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If you have Netflix, then mark August 19th on your calendar to watch HIGH SCORE, a new 6 part documentary series tracing the history of classic video games.

Narrated by the voice of our favourite video game plumber, Charles Martinet, this docuseries traces the history of classic video games, featuring insights from the innovators who brought these worlds and characters to life.

We have watched a plethora of documentaries on the history of video games, so we expect to hear some of the same stories, but that isn’t a bad thing at all. With Netflix behind this documentary, we are assured of high production value!

We can’t wait to watch this to get our nostalgia hit! Get Ready!


source: Netflix

 

Online Pre-Orders For Atari VCS and Accessories Start Today for Gamers in Australia and New Zealand

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PSA: For those of you not in the know, Atari have been tinkering away for a while, creating a new Atari gaming system. The time has come where an official announcement was made this morning about this new gaming system, its availability and price for Australian and New Zealand gamers. We hope to get our hands on an Atari VCS system in the near future and give you our thoughts on it!

The press release is provided below with photos of the system(s), their peripherals, where to pre-order, and most importantly, the prices:

Atari® — one of the world’s most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers — today announced that it has signed a distribution agreement with Bluemouth Interactive, a supplier of premium video game products, as part of its worldwide Atari VCS hardware launch strategy into the Australian & New Zealand market.

Atari® returns to the living room with the Atari VCS — a completely modern gaming and video computer system, blending the best of consoles and PCs to delight a whole new generation of  gamers and creators.

The all-new Atari VCS home gaming and video computer system is a unique PC/console hybrid platform inspired by classic Atari consoles and contemporary gaming and multimedia PCs. Like the legendary Atari 2600 did in 1977, the new Atari VCS is set to invigorate the TV-centric gaming and home entertainment experience. Users will enjoy an ever-expanding Atari world of all-new games, classic and remastered favorites, streaming media, and personal apps. The Atari VCS is powered by an AMD RyzenTM 1606G high-performance Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) with Zen-core and Radeon Vega Graphics, enabling gaming and video streaming up to 4K HDR at 60fps.

Atari VCS 800 Black Walnut All-In-One Bundle

Atari VCS 800 Onyx Base

Unlike other home game systems, owners can also install Windows or Linux operating systems via the unique Atari VCS “PC Mode” and use a mouse and keyboard to transform the Atari VCS into an expandable PC to enjoy more of their favorite games and applications. The Atari VCS combines the best of consoles and PC into one ultra-versatile device.

“We are delighted to announce our new partnership with Bluemouth Interactive to bring the Atari VCS overseas to Australia and New Zealand,” said Atari CEO Frédéric Chesnais. “Bluemouth Interactive is an experienced distributor of video games, accessories, and gaming hardware, making them the ideal partner to help Atari launch its first new home gaming system in decades.”

David Provan, Managing Director of Bluemouth says, “Working with the Atari team and being given the responsibility to drive this exciting new piece of the iconic Atari brand in this territory is both a privilege and an honour for me personally and professionally. One of the most recognisable and authentic brands not just in gaming but as a lifestyle brand itself, the Atari VCS will honour its past but will be ready for the future.

Atari VCS Wireless Classic Joystick
 

Atari VCS Wireless Modern Controller

At a time when we are all looking for fresh and innovative ways to consume various forms of content (both new and old), the VCS combines nearly 50 years of entertainment into one stylish
creation, opening up our lounge rooms to near infinite content possibilities from one device. Its form and function is unapologetically different, as Atari fans want it to be. Being a PC/Console hybrid device allows for a stylish yet minimalistic icon to grace our lounge rooms, whilst offering the power, openness, and upgradeability that typically only comes with a big ugly PC. That for me is its ‘X Factor’, and for that I’m very excited!”

Bluemouth Interactive will commence full distribution of the Atari® VCS Console and peripherals range effective immediately.

Scheduled to launch in November 2020, the Atari VCS lineup of video computer systems, bundles, and peripherals are available now for preorder at EB Games, JB HiFi, The Gamesmen,  Catch.com.au, Mightape.co.nz, and Atarivcs.com.au.

The Atari VCS 800 (8GB) Onyx Base system will retail for just AU$699.95 (NZ$749.95), while Atari VCS 800 “All-In” system bundles include
the Atari VCS Classic Joystick (available separately for AU$109.95 (NZ$129.95) and Atari VCS Modern Controller (AU$109.95 (NZ$129.95) all for AU$849.95 (NZ$899.95) combined. The Atari
VCS Classic Joystick and Modern Controllers were created in partnership with PowerA.

image source: Bluemouth Interactive