Into The Vertical Blank: Generation Atari S3:E19 Interview with Thomas Cherryhomes. How Fujinet and Irata-Online Give Plato New Life Fujinet is an exciting new creation for Atari 8bit computers that, among other things, allows them to connect up to the internet and load disk images straight off of FTP sites. It is the brainchild of the genius Thomas Cherryhomes who would like to have this type of device built for all home computers. Thomas started out by building IrataOnline, a version of the Pl...
Sep 24, 2020•1 hr 28 min•Season 3Ep. 19
In this episode we have updates on news from around the world of Atari, including the very sad and depressing passing of Curt Vendel, who we only just interviewed this season. We also have a discussion about the game "Karateka" along with a book review of Jordan Mechner's "The Making Of Karateka" Recorded, Engineered and Produced by Steve And Jeff Fulton Branding by Daryl Litts Additional Music : 8bit Wonderland by Tony Longworth Visit Us http://www.intotheverticalblank.com https://twitter.com/A...
Sep 09, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 3Ep. 18
Into the Vertical Blank: Generation Atari - Episode 50! In this Episode we both ranked out top 50 games released by Atari across all platforms and came up with our combined top 50 + about 30 honorable mentions. Systems - Atari 2600, 5200, 400/800/XL/XE, ST, Lynx Jaguar and even more. Written, Edited, Produced by Steve Fulton and Jeff Fulton Branding by Daryl Litts Additional music - “8 Bit Wonderland” By Tony Longworth Mentioned:: https://www.dankitchengames.com/ https://www.netflix.com/title/81...
Aug 11, 2020•1 hr 47 min•Season 3Ep. 17
In part 2 of our discussion with Steve Golson, we cover the glory of the Ms. Pac-Man, arcade game, and fate the lay ahead for GCC as Atari's silent but productive game and hardware producing secret weapon. Betty Ryan bio: http://www.atariwomen.org/stories/betty-ryan-tylko/ Electronic Games June 1982 : http://www.digitpress.com/library/magazines/electronic_games/electronic_games_jun82.pdf Electronic Games September 1984: http://www.digitpress.com/library/magazines/electronic_games/electronic_game...
Jul 10, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Season 3Ep. 16
In this episode we talk to Steve Golson, hacker/engineer for GCC and creator of the hardware that converted Pac-Man into Ms. Pac Man. In part one of a two part conversation, we chat about the era of coin-op “speed-up kits” and how GCC's revolutionary ideas for converting "Missile Command " into “Super Missile Attack” led to the upstart company becoming Atari’s Secret Weapon. Don't miss this one! Golson is an amazing story teller! Written, Edited, Produced by Steve Fulton and Jeff Fulton Branding...
Jul 03, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 15
S3:E14 Tempest, Yars’ Revenge And The Advent Of Hardcore Games In this episode Steve and I discuss the games Tempest and Yars' Revenge and how they represented a change, at least to us, in the home and arcade gaming experience. We also have some home brew news, and a new song from Tony Longworth Written, Edited, Produced by Steve Fulton and Jeff Fulton Branding by Daryl Litts Additional music - “Spineless Wannabe Tinpot Dictator” By Tony Longworth Visit us: http://www.intotheverticalblank.com ht...
Jun 25, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 3Ep. 14
A father's day story about being the "right-kind" of obsolete. Written, Recorded, Edited, Produced by Jeff And Steve Fulton Branding by Daryl Little Some music created with 8-bit Weapon Loop Library
Jun 20, 2020•14 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Into the Vertical Blank: Generation Atari: S3:E12 :Atari News In A time When You Probably Shouldn;t Care About Such Things In this episode we cover news from around the internet and the globe about all things Atari, New and old. Written, Edited, Produced by Steve Fulton and Jeff Fulton Branding by Daryl Litts Additional music - “Beyond The Realms Of Possibility” By Tony Longworth Interviews Mentioned:: Johnny Wilson: https://intotheverticalblank.com/2011/12/28/my-interview-with-johnny-wilson-cgw...
Jun 04, 2020•54 min•Season 3Ep. 12
An Interview with Jon Williams a Gamer Developer for the Atari 8bit computers, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Commodore C16, Amiga and many other platforms. We discuss some technical details about developing for the Atari 8bits, Commodore C16 and C64, and well as dive into his game development history and what he is working on now. Jon Williams Game Video https://intotheverticalblank.com/2020/05/27/the-atari-8bit-and-st-games-by-jon-williams/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-HJR2WpWTc&feature=emb_...
May 27, 2020•56 min•Season 3Ep. 11
In this episode we cover Evercade Lynx 2, Pong Quest, Atari 2600 Game By Game Podcast, Atari Bytes Podcast, Antic The Atari Podcast, Atari Party East, Champ Games VCS Robotron, Atari 7800 Dragon's Havoc, and more! -Written, edited, produced by Steve Fulton and Jeff Fulton -Additional Music - "Sense Delete" by Tony Longworth - -Branding By Tony Litts
May 20, 2020•54 min•Season 3Ep. 10
A story about the day in 1981 when our mom made a split decision that helped us discover Atari computers. Written, engineeerd, and produced by Steve Fulton and Jeff Fulton Additional music from Tony Longworth Branding by Daryl Litts
May 12, 2020•33 min•Season 3Ep. 9
In this episode we discuss the affect the movie Westworld had on us as kids, and try to figure out why its' "anti-technology" message did not resonate. This episode also includes a remastered version of "Sharpshooter", the Westworld themed story from way back in Season 1. PS: We will soon have new branding by professional graphic designer and podcast listener Daryl Litts. Watch this space
May 04, 2020•43 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Into the Vertical Blank Generation Atari Season 3 Episode 7: Discussion with Curt Vendel about the Atari 7800 XM Module In this Episode we dive deep into the 7800 Expansion Module with Curt Vendel. We also discuss some history of the 7800, the original development and why it took Atari Corp so long to put it out into the market. Subscribe Links Tunes Google Play Player FM Spotify Show Notes Tony Longworth https://tonylongworth.bandcamp.com/ http://www.atarimuseum.com/ Buy Atari Business is Fun (...
May 01, 2020•1 hr 55 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Into the Vertical Blank. Generation Atari Season 3, Episode 6. I Want Candy. Atari's Biggest Mistake Part 3: A Discussion with Curt Vendel In this episode we go into a deep discussion with Atarimuseum.com’s Curt Vendel about what Atari could have been if the Atari 400 was actually released as “Game Player non expandable” instead of as the Atari 400 computer. Tony Longworth https://tonylongworth.bandcamp.com/ http://www.atarimuseum.com/ Buy Atari Business is Fun (not an affiliate link): https://w...
Apr 22, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 3Ep. 6
The Vertical Blank: Generation Atari. Season 3 Episode 5: Monthly News and Notes for those who grew up Atari, Or Atari News and HomeBrew Update for Q1 of 2020: Apocalypse Edition. In this episode we cover news from the Official Atari as well as other new hardware projects that have sparked our interest. We also attempt to cover homebrew games for all of Atari Systems including the 2600, 5200, 7800, 8bit Computers, ST, Lynx and Jaguar. 8bitrocket Pong Returns Post Mortem Video https://www.youtube...
Apr 13, 2020•39 min•Season 3Ep. 5
In part 2 of “Atari’s Biggest Mistake” we explore the core reasons why Atari blundered in 1982 with their biggest releases and explore a “what if” scenario right out of The Vertical Blank. What really was Atari’s biggest mistake? Was it ET for the 2600, was it Pac-Man for the 2600? Was it over confidence and inexperience? Or was it some else entirely? In this 2nd part of our brand new investigative series on the real failure of Atari, we delve deep into the exact moments that we feel turned Atar...
Apr 06, 2020•58 min•Season 3Ep. 4
In the 2nd part of our Dan Kitchen interview, we discuss the ground-breaking title "Garry Kitchen's Game Maker", Dan's new game "Gold Rush" and try to figure out what to call new games that are made by original developers for vintage systems. Http://www.dankitchen.com http://www.garrykitchen.com/
Mar 30, 2020•48 min•Season 3Ep. 3
In our quest to discover the secrets of programming 8 and 16 bit computers this season, we caught up with Dan Kitchen, a true survivor of the 80's video game crash, still making games today. In fact, he's on a quest to build and publish a brand new set of games for the Atari VCS n the spirit of Activision, the company he and his brothers Garry and Steve once worked for and ran the east coast branch We Catch Steve and Dan Talking about Dan’s new game and then start to dig into the History of the ...
Mar 23, 2020•40 min•Season 3Ep. 2
What was Atari's biggest mistake? To truly be inside The Vertical Blank is to ruminate on "what could have been." For Atari, there are many "what could have been" moments. What if they produced The Amiga computer? What if they released the NES? In this two-part season opener we delve into, what we believe, was the biggest mistake Atari ever made. Any mention of the games Pac-Man and E.T. for the Atari VCS elicit groans from Atari fans because they have heard the arguments before: they are "the w...
Mar 16, 2020•55 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Remember back in the 70's, after May sweeps, when in the TV Guide it would say Happy Days had a (New) episode, but when you watched, it was just Fonzie, Ritchie and Laurie Beth reminiscing about what-not or whatever, as an excuse to play old clips and save money on production. This is that, but oh so much worse. Enjoy! Includes: - A new discussion with updates on past episodes - Clips from all season 1 episodes - An "emily" supercut -A new "season 3" opening we are testing out...
Mar 01, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Season 2Ep. 19
In this season 2 bonus episode, Steve makes a visit to CES 2020 and looks in all corners for signs of retro games. Some photos here: http://www.8bitrocket.com/2020/01/15/s218-bonus-2-porch-cjops-and-retro-games-sizzle-at-ces-2020/
Jan 15, 2020•18 min•Season 2Ep. 18
This episode is a quick apology for mixing an episode of The Alarm podcast into the Into The Vertical Blank Feed. This episode contains content that never made it into season 2 including book reviews for Galaga from Boss Fight Books and American Nerd, The Story Of My People, as well as a remote collecting excusrion and a lost intro for S2:E15. Again, sorry about the mix-up.
Jan 01, 2020•29 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Republished Decamber 24th 2023 From 2019: The best @#$! Chrustmas Ever! The Season 2 finale of Into The Vertical Blank. In this episode we pull out all the stops and explain exactly why Atari means so much to us. This honest, naked, all-cards-on-the-table, frank episode includes an Eponymous Story named "The Best #*@! Christmas Ever" that tells all. There is also discussion and a remix that incorporates the entirety of Season 2. This is probably not the final episode ever of Into The Vertical Bl...
Dec 23, 2019•1 hr 25 min•Season 2Ep. 16
In this episode we dig into American Thanksgiving 1986 and discuss our transition from the Atari 800 to the Atari ST with the Atari 7800 squeezed in between. Tony Longworth: https://patreon.com/tonylongworth Some of the music in this Episode was created using an 8bitweapon Loop Library: https://8bitweapon.com/ The original Atari playfield From 8bitrocket.com http://www.8bitrocket.com/2018/07/28/atari-play-field-atari-st-games-1-michtron/ All other audio content, production and engineering by Jef...
Nov 29, 2019•1 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 15
We salute Asteroids 40th anniversary with a discussion of how things have changed since 1979, and with a rebroadcast of the story "Escape To The Asteroids Zone"
Nov 03, 2019•51 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Into the vertical Blank: Generation Atari Season 2 Episode 13 : The Haunting of the Vertical Blank See some photos of the actual ESP tests here: http://www.8bitrocket.com/2019/10/20/s2e13-the-haunting-of-the-vertical-blank/ This time the guys discuss “scary” Atari games (mostly *not* scary all), some real-world experiences that beg the question “Was Jeff and Steve’s 520 Atari ST haunted?”, a story about a creepy pen and paper “game” that had a profound effect on the pair growing up, and finally,...
Oct 20, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 13
In the follow-up episode to the Season 2, Episode 12, Steve and Jeff continue their discussion of the impact that Star Wars on their video game experience and video games in general. They also add in a story by Steve and have a game play session of the Arcade, Atari 2600, and Atari 400/800/XL/XE version(s) of Star Wars Death Star Battle. Twitter: https://twitter.com/Atari_VB_Pod FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/intotheverticalblank/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/into_the_vertical_blank/...
Oct 04, 2019•1 hr 17 min•Season 2Ep. 12
In this two-part series we delve deep into Star Wars (or Star Wars:A New Hope for those who didn’t see the movie in the summer of 1977). We examine the movie’s affect on us as 70’s kids and how Atari’s 1983 coin-operated “Star Wars: The Arcade Game” finally gave us the chance to be Luke Skywalker. See the photos from Sept. 26th, 1977 here: http://www.8bitrocket.com/2019/09/22/s22es2e11-star-wars-and-atari-in-the-vertical-blank-part-1/ References: -Coin Connection, May 1983 -Jed Margolin, Ed Rotb...
Sep 22, 2019•1 hr 16 min•Season 2Ep. 11
To salute the end of summer, w e are re-running a story from last season named "Big Mouse And Little Mouse" that has been updated, expanded and remastered. This is a story about the type of imaginative play that occurs when kids are trying to discover the world. This was play in world of the mid 70's, without screens (except the wood console one on the living room). The events in this story are all real, and all took place on a single day that I recall vividly from our childhood. The story take ...
Sep 13, 2019•26 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Into the vertical blank: Generation Atari: Season 2, Episode 9 DragonStomper In the episode, Steve and Jeff take a deep look at the Atari 2600 game Dragon Stomper, what it meant to them in the grand scheme of gaming, and also how it had an effect on early 80’s video and computer games as a whole. AtariProtos.com Dragon Stomper Page http://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/dragonstomper/dragonstomper.htm Halcyon Days Interview with Steve Hales https://dadgum.com/halcyon/BOOK/HALES.HTM Forbes maga...
Aug 23, 2019•55 min•Season 2Ep. 9
