Gray Defender: Recent Episodes

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Retro Gaming Reviews / Tutorials / Movie Reviews

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In this video I try to figure out if the C64 four player interface board will work with Vision Basic.

Get your copy of Vision Basic 1.1 here:
https://visionbasic.net/

Pick up your own 4 player interface board:
https://www.protovision.games/shop/product_info.php?products_id=34&language=en

Grab the source here:
https://github.com/graydefender/RandomStuff

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/conclave.mp3

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/theoutlaws.mp3

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/weliveintime.mp3

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/smile2.mp3

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In today’s video, I unbox the upcoming release of Vision Basic 1.1 and take a look at some of its key features. I also update the program disk with the latest fixes downloaded from the website.

Vendor website:
https://visionbasic.net/

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In this video, I discuss the fairly new feature to the CBM Prg Studio software, “PBASIC” support.

Vendor Download link:
https://www.ajordison.co.uk/

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/afraid.mp3

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/1992.mp3

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In this video, I discuss three different versions of Wizard of Wor for classic consoles and computers. There is a brief discussion on the hardware and packaging before diving into playing the games.

Wizard of Wor Arcade – Champ Games Atari 2600 version:
https://champ.games/store/ols/products/cart-wizard-of-wor-arcade

Atarivox+ Purchase link:
https://www.atariage.com/store/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1045

Galaxy Audio JIB/R RCA Combiner (JIBR):
https://amzn.to/45ZCIkn

Corresponding Audio Y adapter cable:
https://amzn.to/4eSGK1Y

Headphone to RCA adapter:
https://amzn.to/45TRiKe

8-Bit Show and Tell review of C64 Magic Voice:
https://www.youtube.com/@UC3gRBswFkuteshdwMZAQafQ

Magic Voice Classics link (Play C64 version without Magic Voice hardware)
https://csdb.dk/release/?id=139481

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/aquietplacedayone.mp3

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This is a quick look at the newly released “For Basic To One-Liners” book by Holger Weßling

Book Purchase link:
https://amzn.to/4eHJHCD

8-Bit Show and Tell Youtube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@8_Bit

The 8-Bit Theory Youtube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@the8bittheory

Basic-C64 Mini-Compendium (PDF Download):
https://1drv.ms/b/s!AqMAc7hYHgL380R5z3ammeCRRjz6?e=RmfrbP

For Basic To One Liner Excerpt English (PDF Download):
https://1drv.ms/b/s!AqMAc7hYHgL380V3OTTh4CVI4x_V?e=36S1KD

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/hit-man.mp3

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This is my tour of the Stranger Things store in Las Vegas, NV. This was on Wednesday 6/12/2024.

Stranger Things Season 4 Gray Defender Review

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In this video, I discuss my visit to the SCGE in Pasadena CA. I was there on Saturday, June 8th 2024. I show some of the loot I picked up at the end of the video.

https://socalretrogamingexpo.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@UC8cZ9g1sopNc50D9NqVBbug
https://www.youtube.com/@monsoonstu

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This is my review of the 8bitdo Keyboard C64 Edition from a retro gaming perspective. In the video, I demonstrate programming the keyboard buttons and using the controllers in Vice64 & Stella emulators.

Amazon (USA) link:
https://amzn.to/4aGZ2QA

Amazon (UK) link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CYSQWYZP

Chapters
00:00 Unboxing
04:41 Programming the keyboard
05:16 Vice 64 Example
08:33 Stella Atari 2600 example
09:34 Macro Example
11:07 Conclusion

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/furiosa.mp3

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In this video, I unbox and assemble the Lazer3D Commander X16 Official case.

Commander X16 Developer Edition Unboxing and First Look:
https://youtu.be/sRWGAKRaY0s

PS/2 Keyboard from Amazon:
https://amzn.to/3WYXCgX

PS/2 Mouse from Amazon:
https://amzn.to/3Kji7xl

Gorilla Tape shown in video:
https://amzn.to/451b0Du

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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In this video, I piece together a Commodore 64 Reloaded MK2 motherboard and case from Individual Computers.

Vendor:
https://icomp.de/shop-icomp/en/shop/product/c64-reloaded-mk2.html

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I purchased these items Friday April 19th, 2024. I didn’t post this on the main channel, because I didn’t want it to incorrectly be seen as bragging so I thought I would post it here. This is understanding that it probably means nobody will see it, but I am okay with that.

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In this video, I unbox the Commander X16 Developer Edition and start digging in a little bit.

Vendor website:
https://texelec.com/product/cx16-preorder/

3D printed case from Lazer3d:
https://lazer3d.com/product/commander-x16-case/

PS/2 Mouse on Amazon:
https://amzn.to/4amPsmw

Mini-Speakers on Amazon:
https://amzn.to/49t1VDO

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ghostbustersfrozen.mp3

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/gladiator.mp3

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In this video, I unbox the Gold Edition Pac-Man Plug and Play. This unit boasts 12 built-in games and even saves your high scores. Really there are only 11 games here because one of them is just Pac-Man at level 255 just before the infamous 256 level glitch. This gives you a much easier way to see it happen. The 11 video games contained on this unit appear to be near arcade perfect. I really like this unit and think it would make a great gift for any occasion.

My review of the original yellow edition Plug and Play unit:
https://youtu.be/h7irxD0SdUc

Amazon Link(Gold Edition):
https://amzn.to/4atvWEr

Amazon link (Original Yellow Edition):
https://amzn.to/3UaOpAT

Your questions (from comments on original review) answered!!
https://youtu.be/gf3_NAGZFjY

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/immaculate.mp3

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Just yesterday, it was announced that Atari has purchased Atariage.com

Announcements & forum links:
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-acquires-atariage
https://forums.atariage.com/topic/354609-atariage-atari/
https://forums.atariage.com/topic/354589-atariage-atari-qa/

The post Atariage has been Acquired by Atari first appeared on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/justifiedprimeval-revived.mp3The post Justified City Primeval (2023) first appeared on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/equalizer3-revised.mp3The post The Equalizer 3 (2023) first appeared on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/granturismo-revised.mp3The post Gran Turismo (2023) first appeared on Gray Defender.

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This is my review of the Tiny TV Mini from an Indiegogo campaign. https://tinytv.us/

The post Tiny TV Mini Review first appeared on Gray Defender.

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This is Corinne Bailey Rae’s third studio album and was released on May 13, 2016, by Virgin EMI Records., six…

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In this video, I perform the Firmware update on the Ultimate 64 and Ultimate 2+L hardware boards. https://ultimate64.com/Firmware  

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Better late than never… I am glad they finally came through for all the backers! Correction, at first I thought…

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There’s a new Dig Dug in town! Let’s take a look at Dig Dig Revival for the Commodore 64 by…

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Today I explore if it is possible to use a Quadtari on a PC with emulation. http://www.2600-daptor.com/index.htm https://www.bitethechili.com/quadtari/ https://www.retronicdesign.com/en/store/

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Let’s take a look at the newly reimagined Intellivision Sears Boxes!

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Background: Qix is an arcade game developed and published by Taito in 1981. Upon release, Qix was a commercial hit…

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In this video, I unbox the new Ultimate II+L from Gideon Zweijtzer Purchasing website: https://ultimate64.com/Main_products My review of the Ultimate…

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This is the new Chess game put out by Homebrew Inc. for the Intellivision, Mr. Chess. This video does include a game playthrough.

Purchase Link:
https://www.intellivisioncollector.com/index.php

Oscar Toledo G. development blog:
https://nanochess.org/mr_chess.html

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Examining the Atari Archive 1977-1978 book by Kevin Bunch.

Purchasing link:
https://limitedrungames.com/collections/atari-archive-vol-1

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/renfield.mp3

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I attended this years Southern California Retro Gaming Expo (SCRGE) yesterday 05/06/2023. It was a great time and I purchased a few keepsakes.

https://socalretrogamingexpo.com/

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/dontworrydarling.mp3

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Gameplay of three console ports of Missile Command.

Intellivision Missile Domination:
https://intellivisionrevolution.square.site/product/missile-domination-dx/60?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=7

C64 Missile Defence:
https://drmortalwombat.itch.io/missile-defence

The post Three Missile Command Console Ports (Inty / Atari / C64) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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Complete playthrough of the new Commodore 64 game, “Rambler” by Stepz

Ians Playthrough (youtube.com/@IanScott0):
https://youtu.be/97FjFkok4U4

Download Rambler for free:
https://stepzc64.itch.io/rambler-free-c64-game

Indieretronews coverage:
https://www.indieretronews.com/2023/03/rambler-lets-go-rambling-in-this-free.html#more

The post Rambler complete playthrough for the Commodore 64 by Stepz appeared first on Gray Defender.

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This is my third video covering the C64OS. This one covers creating custom backdrops, setting up the real time clock, and creating program aliases.

Link to part 1:
https://youtu.be/bCfSQYeYjsI

Part 2:
https://youtu.be/ElIpwioIxWQ

Link:
https://c64os.com/c64os/usersguide/applauncher#backdrops

The post C64OS Part 3: Backdrops, RTC, PRG aliases appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/A-thousand-and-one-revised.mp3The post A Thousand and One (2023) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/johnwickchapter4-revised.mp3The post John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/cocainebear-revised.mp3The post Cocaine Bear (2023) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/mancalledotto-revised.mp3The post A Man Called Otto (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/tetris-revised.mp3The post Tetris (2023) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/CreedIII-revised.mp3The post Creed III (2023) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Mh370-revised.mp3The post MH370: The Plane That Disappeared appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/theconsultant-revised.mp3The post The Consultant appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/tehranseason2-revised.mp3The post Tehran (2020) Season 2 appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/beast-revised1.mp3The post Beast (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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Let’s take a look at the new game by Luca Carminati, “Scout the Stray”

https://lowcarb.itch.io/scout-the-stray-c64

The post C64 Scout The Stray Gameplay appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Knock-at-the-cabin-revised-1.mp3The post Knock at the Cabin (2023) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/You-people-revised.mp3The post You People (2023) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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This is my second video covering the C64OS. This one covers the installation & update process. Then we take a look around!

Link to part 1:

Official how to install updates video:

Link to SD2IEC video:

Link to SAVYOUR mouse interface:

SD2IEC Speed enhancer video:

The post C64OS Part 2 Install, Update, Explore appeared first on Gray Defender.

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This is part 1 in a small series of videos I am working on, to demonstrate the new C64 Operating System in action.

Vendor link:
https://c64os.com/

Mssiah Savyour:
https://mssiah.com/features.php

SD2IEC from the futurewas8bit.com:
https://www.thefuturewas8bit.com/shop/commodore/sd2iec-range.html

The post C64OS Part 1 – Unboxing of the text based Operating System for the Commodore 64 appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/M3gan-revised2.mp3The post M3GAN (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Theoldway-revised1.mp3The post The Old Way (2023) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/tehran-revised.mp3The post Tehran (2020) Season 1 appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/werethemillers-revised.mp3The post We’re the Millers (2013) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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In this video I run some basic unscientific speed tests on the Ultimate64 using DolphinDos and JiffyDos.

Highlander71 Video on the subject
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xj7Jf5R5us

Resource for DolphinDos
https://rr.pokefinder.org/wiki/Dolphin_DOS

JiffyDos ROM store links:
https://store.go4retro.com/jiffydos-64-kernal-rom-overlay-image/
https://store.go4retro.com/jiffydos-1541-dos-rom-overlay-image/

JiffyDos Manual
http://www.jbrain.com/pub/cbm/manuals/JiffyDOS/JiffyDOS_V6_User_Manual.pdf

JiffyDos Patch utility:
http://dtvforge.i24.cc/sjiffy/
http://www.zahnarzt-adler.de/nlq/ajnsjd41.htm

The post C64 SD2IEC Speed Enhancer tests appeared first on Gray Defender.

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Lots of exciting new games are for sale over at the Atariage store .

Vendor link:
https://atariage.com/store/

atari #quadtari #johnchampeau

The post Atariage store 2023 Lineup appeared first on Gray Defender.

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In this video I checkout the 2023 Zzap64 Annual book.

https://fusionretrobooks.com/

The post Browsing the 2023 ZZap64 Annual appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Black-echo-revised.mp3The post The Black Echo: Special Edition Harry Bosch, Book 1 appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Missing-revised.mp3The post Missing (2023) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Plane-revised.mp3The post Plane (2023) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/House-party-revised.mp3The post House Party (2023) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Halloween-Kills-revised.mp3The post Halloween Kills (2021) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Wednesday-revised.mp3The post Wednesday Season 1 appeared first on Gray Defender.

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The post Exploring CHATGPT for Commodore 64 by openai | Gray Defender appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Glass-onion-revised.mp3The post Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Poker-face-revised.mp3The post Poker Face (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Justified-revised.mp3The post Justified (2010) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Dhamer-revised-1.mp3The post Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Elvis-68-Comeback-revised.mp3The post Elvis ’68 Comeback Special Edition (2006) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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In this video I cover most of the Commodore entries submitted in the recently concluded 2022 Logiker Christmas challenge, including my own

Logiker Website download links available:
https://logiker.com/Vintage-Computing-Christmas-Challenge-2022

Logiker 2022 Christmas FULL Results show:
https://youtu.be/xVKEaRogw-s

Correction:
For serato ASM 34 byte program I demonstrated running it with “SYS 4096” it should have been “SYS 4121” for proper execution.

The post Logiker Christmas 2022 Challenge Commodore Results appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/The-whale-revised.mp3The post The Whale (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Violent-night-revised.mp3The post Violent Night (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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In this video, I check out the MSSIAH Savyour device for the Commodore 64. I will also play a few games of Duck Hunt using a USB mouse and the Savyour.

Vendor link:
https://mssiah.com/index.php

Indie Retro News link:
https://www.indieretronews.com/2022/12/classic-nes-game-duck-hunt-has-been.html#more

mssiah #savyour #duckhunt

The post C64 Savyour Device and playing Duck Hunt appeared first on Gray Defender.

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In this video we take a quick look into the new CHATGPT bot by openai and see how well it can produce code for the Commodore 64.

Website link:
https://openai.com/

My github link:
https://github.com/graydefender

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:21 Display Hello world
02:46 Try creating text scroller
04:00 Create a guessing game
06:32 Try making hangman game
07:32 Draw random characters
09:50 Repeat a phrase
10:46 Draw PETSCII Dinosaur?
11:02 Display a sprite?
12:42 Generate sound effect
13:43 Draw a box
14:34 Analyze code
15:52 Rewrite code from scratch
18:12 Analyze another program

chatgpt #c64 #programming

The post Exploring CHATGPT for Commodore 64 by openai | Gray Defender appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Devotion-revised.mp3The post Devotion (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Enola-Holmes-2-revised.mp3The post Enola Holmes 2 (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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https://graydefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/lastseenalive-revised.mp3The post Last Seen Alive (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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The post The Contractor (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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The post The Preacher’s Wife (1996) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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Missile Command FTE Replicade by New Wave Toys This is my review of the Missile Command Field Test Edition by…

The post Missile Command FTE Replicade by New Wave Toys appeared first on Gray Defender.

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C64 Lulu Programmers Reference Guide Reprint Guide to reprint the C64 Reference Guide using Lulu.com Blog Site/ Download location: https://pickledlight.blogspot.com/p/commodore-64-guides.html?m=1…

The post C64 Lulu Programmers Reference Guide Reprint appeared first on Gray Defender.

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The post The Bishop’s Wife (1947) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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The post The Menu (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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C64 SD2IEC+ from thefuturewas8bit.com Let’s take a few minutes to explore the SD2IEC+ from thefuturewas8bit.com Purchasing website: https://www.thefuturewas8bit.com/ C64OS website:…

The post C64 SD2IEC+ from thefuturewas8bit.com appeared first on Gray Defender.

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The post The Munsters (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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The post Hell or High Water (2016) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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The post See How They Run (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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The post Breaking (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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The post Barbarian (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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Complete playthrough of the Boulderdash clone Flaschbier for the Commodore 64. Download link: https://csdb.dk/release/?id=222459 Indieretronews article: https://www.indieretronews.com/2022/09/flaschbier-final-version-of-c64-game.html#more Saberman YT video:…

The post C64 Flaschbier Complete Playthrough appeared first on Gray Defender.

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Lord British wrote a memoir! Explore/Create Book Review Richard Garriott, the creator of all the amazing Ultima and Ultima online…

The post Lord British wrote a memoir! Explore/Create Book Review appeared first on Gray Defender.

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The post Day Shift (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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The post The Invitation (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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The post Stranger Things Season 4 appeared first on Gray Defender.

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The post The Gray Man (2022) appeared first on Gray Defender.

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In this video I demonstrate how to run the firmware update on the Amiga A500 mini from Retrogamez.biz Vendor website:…

The post Amiga a500 Mini Firmware Update 1.1.1 appeared first on Gray Defender.

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Let’s take a look at the Amiga 500 Mini Review by the same people that made THE C64. Vendor website:…

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Purchase link on the AA forums:

https://atariage.com/forums/topic/331314-new-4-intellivision-cds-pandora-incident-sea-venture-robot-army-heli

The OSTs are available for digital purchase here:

https://nyuundere.bandcamp.com/

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Robot War: 2684 Atari 2600 Deep Dive Review

Background:

Here it is, 2022, and Champ Games is back with yet another amazing Atari 2600 port. Remember them? Champ Games was well known in the ’90s for their amazing ports of popular arcade classic video games such as Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, and Centipede, to name a few. Even back then they would add their own “Champ” mode options to every game, adding extra levels, options, new graphics, and sound effects. I remember how incredible it was for the first time to be able to play arcade games on my PC thanks to them. This was well before MAME became popular. Now, many years later, Champ Games is back, making Atari 2600 console Games. This time they are covering the 1982 Williams Classic video game “Robotron: 2084”.

Arcade Robotron had sold over 19,000 units back in the 80s and was innovative at the time in that you had to use two joysticks to control the action, with eight-way movement, and it was one of the first arcade units to include a graphics co-processor. The year is 2084. You are living in a world where the robots have taken over and started a revolt against the humans.

Champ Games port of Robotron is titled “Robot War: 2684”. In it you control a genetically modified human being with superpowers. “The aim is to defeat wave after wave of robots, rescue surviving humans, and earn as many points as possible”.

The manual expounds:

Inspired by their never-ending quest for progress, in 2684 man perfects the Robotrons: a robot species so advanced that man is inferior to his own creation. Guided by their infallible logic, the Robotrons conclude: The human race is inefficient and therefore must be destroyed; war is declared. You are the last hope of mankind. Due to a genetic engineering error, you possess superhuman powers. Your mission is to stop the Robotrons and save the last human family. Good luck!

GAME DESCRIPTION:

When you first power on “Robot War: 2684”, we are presented with the Atariage logo and tune. On the bottom of the screen, the detected joysticks and devices are listed. The game’s title proudly fills in from left to right followed by the player options and game difficulty settings. The copyright and Champ Games logo are displayed bottom center.

If no selections are made, the title screen switches into a sort of demo mode and will display your high scores. On the high score screen, player one can press left or right to view the high scores for all the difficulty settings. Pressing up or down on the joystick will toggle between the various demo mode screens. If nothing is pressed an amazing demo plays, explaining what this game is all about, and depicting all the enemies you will face and their corresponding point values. Here you learn the humans are referred to as “Daddy”, “Mommy”, and “Mikey”. This is followed by the game’s credits.

Game Modes

Robot War: 2684 has three different game modes. The appropriate mode can be chosen by pressing “Game Select” on the console. Alternately pressing fire with the joystick in port 2 will toggle between the game modes. To begin the game, either press the “Game Reset” button or press fire with the primary joystick in port one.

The available modes are single-player mode, two-player mode alternating play, and two-player cooperative mode. The goal in each mode is to score as many points as possible, by killing the enemies and rescuing the humans.

When playing in two-player mode, each player takes turns in their quest for scoring domination.

In two-player cooperative mode, both players control their own character or mutant on the screen and must cooperate to achieve as high a score as possible. Both players share a pool of spare lives. In this mode when one of the players is hit by the enemy, they are temporarily paralyzed, start flashing and a sound effect will play. The other player has a few seconds to revive their partner before they lose their life subtracting a player from the shared pool of reserve lives. The amount of rescue time decreases based on the games selected difficulty, 12 seconds in Novice, 9 seconds in Standard, and 6 seconds in Advanced modes. This rescue can only occur once per wave.

Game Settings

The three difficulty settings are, NOVICE, STANDARD, and ADVANCED. The player can select between these settings by pressing LEFT or RIGHT with the primary joystick, port one. The manual points out an extremely subtle detail; The player’s helmet color matches the color of the difficulty level selected.

In NOVICE mode each player is granted 5 lives, STANDARD, four, and three for ADVANCED. Suffice it to say the more difficult the selection made the more enemies you will face from the jump.

When the game is started, the screen is cleared and the “Start Wave” indicator is displayed. At this point, the player can choose to increase the starting wave from level 1 to, 11, 21, or 31 by pressing left or right on the controller. Pressing fire will begin the game.

Bonus lives are awarded every 25,000 points and every 50,000 points in cooperative games.

The game ends after you have exhausted all your spare lives, or if you are a BOSS at this game and somehow reach level 256. A message will be displayed. John shared with me that he and his son were able to reach past wave 130, so I believe level 256 is achievable at least in a cooperative game.

GAMEPLAY

As the gameplay begins, you start in the center of each wave. You will notice a colorful border surrounding the arena. Again, your goal is to rescue all the humans, protecting them from endless waves of enemies. Your bullets will not harm the humans. To rescue them, all you have to do is touch them before the enemies do. I’ll give a quick breakdown of all the enemies. For a more detailed description please take a gander at the terrific manual included with the game.

Grunts

The “Grunts” are the sort of square-shaped multi-colored boxes that slowly seek you out. They are shaped that way mostly due to the limitations of the Atari 2600 graphics since there can be more than 100 objects simultaneously displayed at the same time. More on that later. Here you are forced to use your imagination to think of them as enemies with arms and legs.

Hulks

The “Hulks” are the green indestructible annoyances. They primarily go after the humans you are trying to protect. They were originally inspired both by the Incredible Hulk and by Evil Otto from Berzerk. Although they cannot be destroyed, your fire will temporarily push them back a bit.

Enforcers

The “Enforcers” float around, hunt you down, and can fire what the manual calls “deadly sparks” at you.

Sparks

The sparks will travel in your direction and when they hit a wall, they will then slide down the wall before disappearing.

Sphereoids

The “Sphereoids” move all around the screen and can spawn new “Enforcers”. They shapeshift as they move, sort of resembling bouncing balls.

Tanks

“Tanks” make their appearance in the seventh wave. They move toward the player and can shoot “shells” toward you.

Shells

The shells are shaped like balls. They are also reflective, bouncing off the walls, the only projectiles in the game with this property.

Quarks

The “Quarks” bounce around the screen moving randomly. They must be destroyed quickly otherwise they can spawn more “Tank” enemies.

Brains

The “Brains” search out surviving humans and can re-program or convert them into “Progs” projectiles. The “Brains” make their appearance every five waves. They will periodically fire what are referred to as “Cruise Missiles”.

Progs

Progs are human converted into weapons by the brains. They move quickly in a straight line toward the player.

Cruise Missile

Fired by the Brains, The Cruise Missile projectiles are dangerous since they move toward your player and they can change their direction of travel, including moving diagonally toward the player. They are sort of like “heat-seeking” missiles.

Electrodes

The “Electrodes” are randomly placed on the map and are simply in your way. They do not move but can be destroyed. Think of them as mines.

Scoring

The Grunts are worth 100 points, Hulks, cannot be destroyed, Spheroids, 1000, Enforcers, 150, Quarks, 1,000, tanks, 200, brains, 500, Progs, 100, Shells, 50, Sparks & Cruise Missiles, 25, and Electrodes, zero points.

The first human you rescue is worth 1,000 points. This amount is multiplied by the number of humans you are able to rescue, 2,000 points for the second, and 3,000 for the third, etc.

When the game ends, if you have achieved a high score, you will be given the opportunity to enter your initials. This high score ONLY pertains to the difficulty mode you played in. The high score table includes your rank, score, the last wave reached, and your initials. A plus sign is added before the initials to denote it was a cooperative game or that you started the game after the first wave.

There are three high score tables one for each difficulty. These high scores will be saved to your “save key” device if present. You have the ability to reset the high scores by toggling the Color/BW switch on the console while on the high score screen. Pressing Fire will confirm the reset. This score reset will only affect the scores for that particular difficulty. The Atariage website also mentions another way of resetting your high scores, by holding down reset while powering on your console, but keep in mind this method will reset ALL settings, including all high scores, # of players, skill level, etc.

Controls:

The game can be started by pressing fire on the joystick from the game’s menus or by pressing the console “RESET” at any time. The game can be paused by toggling the B/W switch at any point during gameplay.

When it comes to the controls, the first thing I wanted to mention is, this has to be the most configurable Atari game that I have ever tested out. There are just so many options and it is such a joy to cover them here. First, let’s discuss the wonderful device called the “Quadtari”. The Quadtari is a device sold by “Byte the Chili” productions for about $50.

It is a must to get the most out of playing “Robot War: 2684”. To properly emulate the arcade gameplay you need what is referred to as a “twin-stick” configuration, where the “left stick” controls the player’s movement and the “right stick” controls the direction of fire. Now don’t get me wrong, you can accomplish this without the use of a Quadtari, but you will not be able to save your game results using a “Save key” device in this configuration. You also would not be able to play “two-player” mode games with both players in a “Twin-Stick” setting. That’s where the Quadtari comes in.

It allows up to four devices to be plugged into the Atari 2600 simultaneously. With this device, you could for example utilize a controller like the Edladdin “Super Twin 78” while “player-two” uses a single joystick controller… Or… You could play in a configuration where both players utilize a “twin-stick” device. But perhaps more important than that, you can play with a “Twin-Stick” controller and still utilize a “Save key” device. A “Save key” is an external memory card for the Atari 2600. The Atarivox has Save key functionality built in. These devices will save all your high scores. They will also save your default skill level and number of players making them your default settings for the next time you play.

SaveKey (atariage.com)

Okay, enough about the Quadtari, let’s discuss playing “Robot War: 2684” WITHOUT that device.

Single Player options:

Twin-Stick:

As I had previously mentioned, you can still play the game in single-player mode using a “twin-stick” configuration. Simply use both joystick ports, the left port will control the player’s movement while the right will control the firing direction. With this option “auto-fire” mode should be turned off by setting the difficulty switch to “B“. “Twin-Stick” is in my opinion the best way to play this game.

Singlestick options:

There are several options for playing “Robot War:2684”. In two-player mode games, player one users the left controller port while player two uses the right one. Players can also alternate play using a single joystick.

One of the single-player mode options is to have a single joystick plugged into the left port, and optionally a “Save key” plugged into the right port. In this mode, the left difficulty switch comes into play.

In setting “A“, “auto-fire” mode is enabled. The firing direction can be controlled by moving your player in a specific direction and then pressing the “fire button”. This will cause the firing direction to match your player’s movement. While moving your player, holding the fire button will “auto-fire” in the player’s direction of movement.

Setting “B” enables “manual fire” mode. In this mode, while moving your player, repeatedly press the “fire button” to fire in the direction of movement. You also have the option of holding the fire button down to lock the direction of fire while you move your player.

Stationary Fire

With either difficulty mode, when your player is stationary while holding the fire button, you have the option of firing in multiple directions while rotating the joystick.

Sega Genesys / Megadrive gamepad support:

“Robot War:2684” supports the optional Sega Genesys-style gamepad.

Difficulty setting “A” again, enables “auto-fire” mode. On the gamepad, the button labeled “B” rotates the fire in a counter-clockwise direction, while the button labeled “C” rotates the fire in a clockwise direction.

Difficulty setting “B” is “manual-fire” mode. Repeatedly pressing button “B” will fire in your direction of travel, while pressing button “C” will fire in the opposite direction.

Stationary Fire

In either difficulty setting, if your player is stationary while holding down both buttons “B” and “C“, your player can fire in the direction indicated by your d-pad. While on the topic of the Sega Genesys gamepad, if you intend to play using the Stella emulator, be sure to download the latest stable version so that it can be properly detected by the emulator.

Two-Player options:

The simplest configuration for two-player mode games is to use two CX40 joysticks, plugged into port 1 and 2 of the Atari 2600. If you would instead prefer to utilize a twin-stick configuration, then a Quadtari device would be required. I’ve already mentioned how this device can be used but the instruction manual illustrates these configurations best on page 7.

Strategy

Let’s read the tips from the manual first and see if I can add anything to it:

  • Be sure to save as many humans as you can before shooting the last enemy in a wave, since you are awarded the most points for this deed.
  • Shoot Sphereoids and Quarks as soon as possible before they are able to spawn and manufacture enforcers and tanks.
  • Sphereoids will retreat to a corner before attack; this is your chance to blast them before they can gather their bearings!
  • Blast Hulks with your laser gun to push them backwards or alter their path to save a human for a future rescue.
  • On some Brain levels (5, 25, 45, etc.), there is one Mikey humanoid. The Brains will not pursue any other humans as long as Mikey is kept alive, so protect him as long as you can!
  • If you shoot a Brain while they are in the middle of programming a human, that human will be set free (NOVICE and STANDARD skill only). Be careful to not shoot the human, though!
  • In later levels, it is easy to get surrounded by the GRUNTs as they grow in number. Plan out your escape route at the beginning of the wave while the enemies are spawning.
  • If Enforcers are spawned, avoid the deadly sparks that they launch towards your mutant. The sparks tend to travel along the borders so avoid them if possible.
  • If Tank Robotrons are manufactured, shoot them quickly before they are able to fire a volley of the bouncing Tank Shells

Wow, those are some really great gameplay tips. The only thing I would add is before you even start playing be sure to prepare the proper joystick configuration. The one you’re most comfortable with. My preferred set-up is the twin-stick mode. I feel like I have the best chance when I can independently move and fire at the same time. In my experience at the beginning of levels especially the later levels, it seems easier to blast your way to the top or bottom then work your way left and right.

Difficulty Settings / Level Ramp Ups:

I asked John Champeau, the game’s designer and programmer, about the specifics of the difficulty ramp-ups as you progress through the waves. He responded:

Mostly there are more enemies, they move a bit faster, spawn faster, fire at a faster rate, spawn additional enemies faster (Quarks and Sphereoids). On Advanced the # of enemies for each wave 1 – 40 matches the arcade; on Standard, there are 75% as many enemies and on Novice there are 50% as many to start. For waves 41-60, Standard gets 100% of the number of enemies (same as advanced) and Novice bumps up to 75%. For waves 61 and beyond, all skill levels will have the same amount of enemies (100%). However, the difficulty level for Novice and Standard top off before Advanced so they are always a little bit easier (rate of fire, spawning, enemy speed, etc.).

One thing I would add is the longer you take to complete a wave, you will notice the “grunts” for example ramp up their aggressiveness. They will start moving faster toward you. So there is a sense of urgency to complete each wave as soon as possible.

Graphics:

Keeping in mind I am playing and reviewing this game designed for a machine that was released more than forty years ago, the graphics are, in a word, Astounding. The sheer number of objects that are displayed on the screen, relatively flicker free, is unheard of for an Atari 2600 game. Combine that with the fact that many of the objects are also animated, it’s just really impressive. The “humans” and “Hulks” have walking animations, the “Sphereoids” have a bouncy animation as do the “Quarks”, the “Enforcers”, materialize and animate into their form, then they shoot animated “sparks” toward you. The “Brains” head cycles colors. Their “Progs” appear to be animated even if it’s an illusion, their color is also shimmering. Speaking of shimmering the “Electrodes” also shimmer. The “hulks” have a walking animation and their bodies change with their direction of travel. The “tanks” stomachs are animated. Even with all these animations happening on the screen, every time you destroy an object, there is an explosion animation. My favorite creature graphic are the “Brains”. They look exactly like brains. The humans look like people. The bouncy objects like the “quarks” feel bouncy.

I asked John Champeau why the “Grunts” were not animated to confirm if it was some sort of a technical limitation and this was his response:

The 2600 can only display two 8-bit sprites, two 1 bit missiles and one 1 bit ball at a time. Since there are sometimes 60+ grunts and 40+ electrodes on the screen at once, drawing these with an 8 bit sprite would have meant massive flicker. Since the grunts move in large steps (4 pixels) in the arcade game, it made sense to render them with the playfield graphics (which are also 4 pixels wide); same for the electrodes. Also, I draw electrodes on one frame and grunts on the other which allow me to have them different colors.

To further reduce additional flicker, all sprites are drawn every other frame so they all flicker at 30hz at best, but since it’s a black background and we’re using brightly colored sprites, they shimmer more than flicker. We also draw diagonal missiles with the ball sprite and some of the enemies (the bullets from the tanks for example). Finally, your horizontal shots are drawn with the playfield. This is why the game can run with over 100 “enemies” on the screen at once (including grunts, electrodes, enemies, your man, all missiles, etc.) without much flicker.

I love that techie explanation, I never knew it was that complicated. Another subtle detail which is really easy to overlook are the border colors which surround the playfield. These colors change for each wave played, including starting on wave 4, a shimmering border and on wave 9, a black border. John explained these colors repeat every 10 waves and are arcade accurate.

Sound:

One of the best attributes of any game are the music and sound effects. If you can nail the sound effects, it can really bring a project to life. That is exactly what has been done here. Credit to David Brown. John Champeau “borrowed” most of the sounds from the Atari 7800 version of Robotron 2084. Thanks to this effort, Robot War: 2684 has a ton of great sound effects. Some even playing during the title screen demo. There’s the sound effect for the Atariage logo as soon as you power up the game. There are some reused in-game sound effects on the title screen while you are making your game mode decisions. This reminds me, Williams Robotron 2084 also reused a bunch of great sound effects from their own arcade game Defender, why not. Robo War: 2684 captures the spirit of the incredible arcade game sounds.

There are sound effects for when you first start up a round, the grunts make a sound as they walk around the map, there’s a great firing sound, there’s an enemy destroyed sound, I love the sound effect for rescuing the humans and when the humans are captured, a sound effect plays similar to that of killing a dragon in Adventure. There are sound effects specific to coop mode when a player is stunned and needs rescuing. When the enemies chuck items your way a sound effect is played. When the “Brains” make their appearance, they usher in their own ominous sound effects and my absolute favorite sound effect plays when you complete a wave. There is even a song that plays when you enter your initials.

Bugs
Now let’s discuss all the bugs I found playing the game. Wait a minute.. I am just kidding!! I have yet to find any bugs in Robot War: 2684. There’s definitely some solid coding here. Earlier when I was reading the strategies from the manual, they mentioned the Brain wave strategy related to the human named Mikey. This is an homage to a bug in the arcade version of Roboton 2084, where on the Brain levels, due to a coding bug, all the Brains would seek out the human Mikey, rather than the nearest human. So again the strategy is to keep Mikey in the game as long as you can rather than rescuing him making it a lot easier to destroy all the Brains, and a lot easier to save all the humans on the wave.

Suggestions for Improvement

I believe on this port, Champ Games laid all their cards on the table leaving nothing behind. I mean they practically thought of everything from the controller configurations, two-player modes, co-operative game play, even down to the smallest details have been addressed. About the only thing I think I could have benefited from, although not arcade accurate would have been “Smart Bombs”, similar to those present in Williams Defender.

Packaging:

The box artwork for this game evokes a sort of dystopian robot future. It has what appears to be three robots on the cover about to be attacked by our Mutant player protagonist while in the duty of protecting a human crouched down beside him. It’s really a difficult thing to pull off; the feel of an entire game in one piece of artwork. Credit to David Exton, who was responsible for the artwork on the box, poster, cartridge, manual and labels. The back of the box is broken into three sections. The top part explains some of the games lore, with the middle section covering the best features of the game and the bottom section showing two screenshots from the game.

Media Coverage

On February 12th, 2022 it was announced that Robot War: 2684 which was nominated for four awards, had won three; “Atari 2600 Best Homebrew (port)”, Best Graphics (port) and best Music & sound for a port. It was runner-up for best packaging. Congratulations to John and the team for that amazing achievement, well deserved in all categories!

The popular Atariage user & YouTuber, the “Immortal” John Hancock covered this game on his channel with an unboxing and review.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH5ZPuUkFOk

World Record

As this is a fairly new release, I was unable to locate any official World Record or even high score posting on the Highscore.com website. However, the Guinness Book of world records website currently has the arcade Robotron world record listed as 102,904,275

by David Gomez.

Easter eggs

There are a couple of easter eggs in Robot War: 2684. I have been authorized to share one of them here. While on the title screen, when the instructions start to play, the sound can be muted by toggling the B/W switch on the console. This selection will be “remembered” if a save key device is present.

Conclusion:

With Robot War: 2684, John Champeau of Champ Games has again done what most thought was impossible to do. A terrific port of Robotron 2084 for the Atari 2600. They managed to pull off the same incredible feat with Scramble back in 2017 so this should not come as a surprise. With Champ games nothing is impossible. The game captures the look, feel, and playability of arcade Robotron 2084.

In addition to the amazing graphics, gameplay, and sound effects, this game supports several modern devices, such as the Atarivox/Save key, Twin-Stick controllers, Sega Genesys gamepad, the Quadtari, and it uses a special 32K Melody enhanced cartridge board.

The complete in-box version of RobotWar: 2684 is available for purchase through the Atariage webstore for $60.00 in NTSC or PAL60 format. Included in that price is a free 10″ x 14″ poster in the box, featuring David Exton’s original RobotWar:2684 artwork that adorns the box, manual and label. The ROM is slated to be available for purchase on or around April 1st on the Champ.Games website along with the ROM for Ladybug Arcade. I believe with this port, Champ Games has found a way to improve and extend the arcade Robotron. This game is a better Robotron than Robotron.

Highly recommended.

I’d like to take this moment to thank John Champeau for again being so responsive and answering all of my questions and even helping me get my copy of the game a little bit earlier for review purposes.

Credits:

Code and Design : John W. Champeau
Graphics: Nathan Strum

Sound Effects: David Brown

Additional Sound: John W. Champeau

Game Testing: Joe Champeau, Steve and Chris M. Ramirez

Packaging Illustration and design: David Exton

Published by : Atariage

Post Script:

On October 19th, 2019, Champ Games launched their new website Champ.Games where you can pick up the ROMs, not just for this game, but for all of their Atari 2600 ports. Champ Games is in active development of Gorf Arcade, Turbo Arcade and Qix (Name tbd) for the Atari 2600. They are also in active development for around a half dozen or so projects yet to be announced. So stay tuned…

Finally, If you like Robotron 2084, there’s a great video out there from the Game Developer Conference 2014 featuring the game’s designer Eugene Jarvis.

Classic Game Postmortem: Robotron: 2084 – YouTube

The post Robot War: 2684 Atari 2600 Deep Dive Review appeared first on Gray Defender.

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My visit to SCRGE 2022

This was my visit to this years Southern California Retro Gaming Expo (SCRGE).

https://socalretrogamingexpo.com/

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If you are missing your father that is. The first is my song is titled “Headspin 2” by the Canadian rocker, Lukas Rossi. Rossi gained popularity by being crowned the winner of the 2006 TV series called “Rockstar Supernova” . The original “Headspin” song written by Rossi, was a bit more of a commercial heavy metal version and lacked some of the more tender moments of part two.

Headspin part two, slows the song down allowing us to really absorb and feel the lyrics. The song is about his father. I am not sure if his real-life father actually passed away or if it is just the lyrics of the song. Anyhow it is about his father, who in the first two lines says:

I feel you in my bones, your temper, the reason I am

Just how slowly and tenderly he sings it, evokes emotions, following it up by,

You’d be so, you’d be so proud of your son.

To me it clearly is about him dealing with missing his father, even with all the up’s and downs and sort of the love/hate relationship he had with him:

You love to build me up.

Just to tear me down. (But why?)

He brings it back with:

Wouldn’t it be nice?

If we found paradise, someday?

Later in the song he confesses that he is not perfect:

Cuz thats the way I want to live my life.

Without your curse.

It’s really a heartbreaking song and will evoke solid emotions especially if you have lost the father figure in your life. Every time I listen to it, tears come to my eyes. Beautiful!

https://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858732213





The second song along this theme that I wanted to mention is even more depressing, in a good way. It was released by the British rock band Coldplay in 2019, titled “Daddy”, track 5 off of their 8th studio album, “Everyday Life”.

This song is a little more versatile in that the “father” could actually still be alive, or could have passed away.

It starts with a simple heartbeat which continues throughout the song, then the lyrics:

Daddy, are you out there?

Daddy, won’t you come and play?

Daddy, do you not care?

Is there nothing that you wanna say?

For those of us that are missing our father, it really melts your soul.

You’re so far away

Oh, you’re so far away

That’s okay, it’s okay

I’m okay

He’s far away. That could mean clear across the country or up in heaven, it’s how you interpret it, how it hits you emotionally.

Daddy, are you out there?

Daddy, why’d you run away?

Daddy, are you okay?

Look, Dad, we got the same hair

And Daddy, it’s my birthday

This verse gets me every time. He’s missing his father so much, he wants him to know it’s his birthday.

The song wraps up with:

Won’t you come and won’t you stay?

One day, just one day

The song ends with the heartbeat still pulsing. Most of us just want that one more day. The song resonates so much with me, and I find it much more emotional than the first song. I am not able to listen to this song without tears welling up. Thank you for that Chris Martin & Coldplay!! Powerful, emotional & stunning…

Lyrics and a few other reactions to the song here:

“Daddy” by Coldplay

Would love to hear what you think about these songs or others that have seriously impacted you.

The post Two songs guaranteed to make a grown man cry appeared first on Gray Defender.

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The post Pacman Birth of An Icon Book appeared first on Gray Defender.

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The post Installing LED strip and User port in Plexilaser housing appeared first on Gray Defender.

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The post First time flashing ROMs on Ultimate 64 Elite appeared first on Gray Defender.

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