Last month I wrote about trials and tribulations trying to get all the pieces of my PC working together properly. This time, I have to let you know of my success at last. It turned out a software updater for my motherboard chipset (Apollo MVP3), for use with AGP graphics cards such as mine, was necessary. Once I did that, the video driver update finally worked. And, as hoped, then Atari/Hasbro Centipede ran flawlessly as well. Holy cow, I didn't know I had such a nice graphics card! And the Centipede adventure game is actually pretty fun, and hard enough that I've only gotten a few levels into it. The moral still seems the same, though. Why does the world put itself through such headaches with PC/Windows computers??
Last Saturday 7/21 my trip to the Cities brought me to two different computer events. First was the Super Computer Sale at the state fairgrounds. For 8 bucks I got to see a bunch of local computer dealers' closeout junk at decent prices. I had though maybe I'd consider a DVD drive for my PC, but that atmosphere just didn't work for me, and I chose not to spend any money. Unlikely to return, but now I know what those are like.
Then I was off to the Mall of America for the Twin Galaxies' Video Games Festival. This took up the whole main rotunda. The center part had a giant screen behind a stage, and two game systems at each end, I suppose for a big tournament of some sort. There was a golf game someone was playing on this, but no one was watching. At one side were a bunch of modern game systems, where all the kids were. At the other end was where I spent all my time. They had a bunch of classic arcade machines there, all set on free play. I played table Tempest (I still love this game!), table Defender (hard as ever), table Ms. Pac-Man, Centipede (I made the high score list!), Sinistar I think, I didn't actually know that game, and, perhaps my all time favorite, Crazy Climber! Before me there was a kid trying to figure the game out, but couldn't get anywhere. Then my turn. Drawing on my experience and memories of playing the table version at our local arcade many years ago, and watching my best friend amaze me with his proweness at this goofy game, I eventually was able to complete the first building. This was enough to put me at #2 on the high score list. I'm sure not many people remember how to play this one! Anyway, I had a real blast among all these old arcade games.
Twin Galaxies keeps "official" high scores for "all" video games, ever. They had their books for sale there. There's an 8-bit Atari computer section, not very big. The high scores are mostly lame! I'm thinking it might make a fun project to get myself into their record books for many of the 8-bit Atari titles, just for the heck of it!
Last month Larry Serflaten brought it a bunch of old SPACE newsletters. They were almost all duplicates of what I've previously been able to collect, but his collection did turn out to include a couple issues I hadn't seen from around late '93-early '94. I can now say with confidence there are no more gaps there. I do still ask for anyone with SPACE newsletters from January 1986 or earlier to consider contributing them back to the club, to help complete our collection.
Thanks, keeping using that Atari, and come to your next SPACE meeting, Friday August 10, 2001.
Did not Receive an update from Greg? Sent him an E-mail asking Him if he could send it? Didn't hear back from Him by the time this Newsletter was Copied.
The Space meeting opened at 7:35 PM. Michael Current, Space club president, and welcomed members to the meeting.
Michael asked for a secretary report. Mike Weist, Space club secretary, recapped minutes printed in July Space newsletter.
Michael asked for a treasurer report. Greg Leitner, Space club treasurer, gave a June report. Greg stated income was as follows-
Income:
1 membership renewal $15
4 DOMS sales $12
$27
Expenses:
BBS cost $10
Disks $42
$52
Net loss to treasury is $25. The new treasury stands at $853.69 . Greg stated after the June report, a bill came in for room rent.
Michael asked for a DOM report. Glenn Kirschenmann, DOM chair, gave a report. Glenn stated the DOM of the month had a Demo on side A and 6 binary load files on side B.
Michael asked for a membership report. Glenn Kirschenmann, membership chair, gave a report. Glenn said the club has a new member, Steve Beck. Membership stands at 16 with new member.
BBS report- Nolan Friedland was not at meeting. No report.
OLD BUSINESS:
None
NEW BUSINESS:
Mike Weist , club member, talked to members about upcoming Hamfest in October 2001.
Lance Ringquist, club member, talked about the ST clones being made in Europe and 1 in the USA.
Michael Current, Space club president, talked about Twin Galaxy show at the Mall of America at the Sam Goodie store.
Bill Cotter, club member, thanked thee Space club for the nice Get Well card he received while he was in the Hospital.
Meeting adjourned at 7:45 PM. The Space club 19th birthday party followed the meeting.
Mike Weist, Space club secretary
BEVERLY, Mass., July 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Infogrames celebrates 30 years of Atari(r) classic arcade fun with the release of Atari Anniversary Edition for Windows(r) 95/98/ME computers and Sega(r) Dreamcast(TM) video game consoles. This special one-disc, 12-game compilation is being released to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Atari's founding in 1972 as the first company ever established solely for the purpose of creating and marketing video games. The multi-billion-dollar interactive entertainment industry that has developed since Atari's founding owes much to the vision of Atari and the groundbreaking titles that are found on Atari Anniversary Edition.
This monster compilation of 12 of the best-known games from Atari's arcade stable of the '70s and early '80s includes Asteroids(r), Asteroids(r) Deluxe(TM), Battlezone(TM), Centipede(r), Crystal Castles(r), Gravitar(r), Millipede(r), Missile Command(r), Pong(r), Super Breakout(r), Tempest(TM), and Warlords(r). All come authentically recreated in emulated form just like you remember them from the arcades.
In addition to the 12 classic arcade games that helped launch an industry, Atari Anniversary Edition also includes a multimedia supplement of video interviews with original game designers, images of noteworthy memorabilia, original press releases, and more. The PC version has a bonus collection of desktop themes (mouse pointers, system icons, font, screen saver, wallpaper) for each game. Both versions include a collectable Atari logo sticker to show your Atari pride.
Developed by Digital Eclipse, Atari Anniversary Edition is available at most major retail outlets for $14.99 E.R.P and is rated ``E'' for everyone.
About Infogrames
Infogrames, Inc. (Nasdaq: IFGM - news) is a leading publisher and distributor of video games for consoles (Sony, Sega, Nintendo, and Microsoft), personal computers and Macintosh systems. The company's award-winning franchises include Alone In The Dark, Driver, Deer Hunter, Test Drive, and Unreal. Infogrames Inc.'s Humongous Entertainment division is a leader in children's entertainment software and its Macintosh publishing label, MacSoft, is the number one publisher of Macintosh entertainment software. Based in New York, NY, Infogrames, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA (IESA) (Euronext 5257) and serves as the headquarters for the company's operations in North America.
Founded in 1983, IESA is a global publisher and distributor of video games for all platforms, as well as interactive digital television, mobile smart devices (WAP, HDML) and in-flight entertainment systems. IESA recently acquired Infogrames Interactive, Inc. (formerly Hasbro Interactive), including its line of software based on well-known licenses such as Monopoly, Jeopardy, Tonka, and Atari, which are distributed in the U.S. by Infogrames, Inc.
For more information, visit Infogrames' US Web site at www.us.infogrames.com.
Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Battlezone, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Gravitar, Millipede, Missile Command, Pong, Super Breakout, Tempest, and Warlords are trademarks of Infogrames Interactive, Inc.
Sega, Sega Dreamcast and the Dreamcast Swirl are trademarks of SEGA ENTERPRISES, LTD.
Windows(r) and Win 95/98 are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
SOURCE: Infogrames, Inc.
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==Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2001 01:02:19 -0700
==From: Aaron Peterson <a_peterson@foxinternet.net>
==Subject: Atari
==To: mcurrent@carleton.edu
Hi.
I am a member of an Atari computer club that just won't die!
It is also named S*P*A*C*E
Seattle Puget Sound Atari Computer Enthusiast
We have about 4 people who attend our monthly meetings.
I am the youngest member (21).
My dad has gone from being the coffee guy to being the "president"
I use an 8bit emulator to play games...
I used to use our Atari ST for homework.
(now I got a 1.2 athalon 512 ddr mem.. ata raid... T1 internet... *brag*)
I tried hooking an Atari floppy disk drive to my computer... and it didn't work. I was going to transfer our library to CD.
We have a huge collection of Atari 8 bit shareware/ freeware.
Anyway, just letting you know that there are other people around who won't let Atari die.
Oh, we meet at a library monthly. We don't pay to rent the room. Of course we don't get any storage...
Space had their 19th Birthday party after the regular meeting. Even though we didn't have a room full of members , we did have fun time.
Greg Leinter's SUB Sandwiches once again were a big success. Members brought in several potluck items to go with the SUBS. Members were treated to desserts and Greg Leitner's Ice Cold Pop to wash it all down.
Members were surprised when old time Space club members Larry Serflatten, Rich Meier, and Bill Cotter showed up to celebrate with everybody else.
Everybody should pat themself on the back for making the Space club 19th Birthday party,a party to remember. See you all next month.
Mike Weist
Published by the Saint Paul Atari Computer Enthusiasts (SPACE), an independent organization with no business affiliation with ATARI Corporation. Permission is granted to any similar organization with which SPACE exchanges newsletters to reprint material from this newsletter. We do however ask that credit be given to the authors and to SPACE. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of SPACE, the club officers, club members or ATARI Corporation.