Task: Advice for Planning Atari Projects Needed: Some decision making Time: 10-15 minutes Introduction I aspire to do at least one Atari project each week. I don’t always accomplish this goal, but have been able to do at least 2-3 per month over the past
Read moreCombining redefined characters sets and player-missile graphics in BASIC (30-60 mins)
Task: Combining redefined characters sets and player-missile graphics in BASIC Needed: BASIC Time: 30-60 minutes Introduction It takes time to learn the ins and outs of Atari graphics. This is especially true if you aspire to make a game. I have previously demonstrated how to
Read morePlay Haunted House on the Atari 2600 (15-30 mins)
Task: Play Haunted House on the Atari 2600 Needed: Atari 2600 or emulator Time: 15-30 minutes Introduction Last year for Halloween I did a post on drawing pumpkins on the Atari 8-bit computer using re-defined characters sets in BASIC. This year I thought I would
Read morePlay Dark Chambers on an Atari 7800 (15-30 mins)
Task: Play Dark Chambers on an Atari 7800 Needed: Atari 7800 or emulator Time: 15-30 minutes Introduction One of my all-time favorite arcade games is Gauntlet that was produced by Atari games and released in 1985. I enjoyed playing it back in the day on
Read moreInstall an Atari 7800 Emulator (10-15 mins)
Task: Install an Atari 7800 Emulator Needed: Web browser Time: 10-15 minutes Introduction Emulation software for the 7800 is not as far along as for other Atari consoles and computers. I have tried two emulators that I recommend for those wanting to play 7800 games
Read morePurchase an Atari 7800 (15-30 mins)
Task: Purchase an Atari 7800 Needed: Web browser Time: 15-30 minutes Introduction The Atari 7800 ProSystem was everything the Atari 5200 should have been. Released in 1986, the 7800 was smaller that the 2600 and was backward compatible with the 2600 cartridges and joysticks. This
Read moreWatch the Documentary “Atari: Game Over” (1 hour)
Task: Watch the Documentary “Atari: Game Over” Needed: Web browser Time: 1 hour Introduction One of the great stories of Atari was the “rumor” that they buried tons of E.T. cartridges for the 2600 in a desert landfill after the video game crash of 1983.
Read morePurchase New Power Supplies (5-10 mins)
Task: Purchase New Power Supplies Needed: Web browser Time: 5-10 minutes Introduction I have previously posted about the need to go through your collection and purge dangerous power supplies that can fail and take your Atari out. Further, you may not trust the ones that
Read moreTry the Diamond Graphical Operating System (10-15 mins)
Task: Try the Diamond Graphical Operating System Needed: Diamond GOS ATR file Time: 10-15 minutes Introduction The command line interface of DOS was cumbersome, but we didn’t mind because we were pioneers in the early days of home computing. It was all we knew and
Read moreReplace Rubber Feet (5-10 mins)
Task: Replace Rubber Feet Needed: New Rubber Feet Time: 5-10 minutes Introduction I have had several problems with the little rubber feet on the bottom of Atari hardware. First, some of the feet degrade over time and the chemicals damage the finish on my desk
Read moreAttend an Atari Party (1 day)
Task: Attend an Atari Party Needed: Time and travel Time: 1 day Introduction Many of us carry out our Atari projects in isolation due to the rareness of the hobby. As such, we relish those infrequent opportunities to meet with other enthusiasts to celebrate our
Read morePlay Qix on Your Atari 8-Bit Computer (15-30 mins)
Task: Play Qix on Your Atari 8-Bit Computer Needed: Qix cartridge, ROM, or ATR file Time: 15-30 mins Introduction Qix was one of the first cartridges I owned for the Atari 400 and 800. I still love this game. It has simple rules, good graphics,
Read moreRead “Atari Force” Mini Comic Books (15-60 mins)
Task: Read “Atari Force” Mini Comic Books Needed: Web browser Time: 15-60 mins Introduction I have a large stack of Atari 2600 manuals and catalogs that I accumulated over the years. In this stack there are several Atari mini comic books which shipped in boxes
Read morePurchase the “Atari Projects” Book (5-10 mins)
Task: Purchase the Atari Projects Book Needed: Web browser Time: 5-10 mins Introduction I have really enjoyed completing and posting the projects on this web page. Earlier in the summer I decided to curate 50 of the approximately 80 posts and create a book focused
Read moreConduct Experiments with AtariLab (30-60 mins)
Task: Conduct Experiments with AtariLab Needed: AtariLab Starter Set Time: 30-60 mins Introduction One of the coolest peripherals for the Atari computers was the AtariLab that was developed by Atari in collaboration with Dr. Priscilla Laws who was a professor at Dickinson College. I never
Read moreWatch Joe Decuir on YouTube (1-2 hours)
Task: Watch Joe Decuir on YouTube Needed: Web browser Time: 1-2 hours Introduction Joe Decuir was hired by Atari to debug the prototype for the Atari 2600 and then went on to help design and build the Atari 400 and 800 computers. He has had
Read moreRead the Book “Atari Inc.: Business if Fun” (10-15 hours)
Task: Read the Book “Atari Inc.: Business if Fun” Needed: “Atari Inc.” book Time: 10-15 hours Introduction This book is a tour de force in Atari stories and history and is a must-have for any Atari enthusiast bookshelf. As Curt Vendel states in the Foreword,
Read morePlay Star Raiders on Your Atari 8-Bit Computer (15-30 mins)
Task: Play Star Raiders on Your Atari 8-Bit Computer Needed: Start Raiders cartridge, disk, or ROM Time: 15-30 mins Introduction Star Raiders was released in 1979 along with the Atari 400 and 800 computers. It was a huge success and the demos in the stores
Read moreRead the Book “Atari BASIC” (1-2 hours)
Task: Read the Book “Atari BASIC” Needed: Atari Basic by Albrecht et al. (1979) Time: 1-2 Hours Introduction My first two books were Your Atari Computer and Atari BASIC. They are still a great way to get familiar with the Atari 400 and 800 if
Read moreTips for Managing the Size of Your Collection (10-15 mins)
Task: Tips for Managing the Size of Your Collection Needed: strategy and willpower Time: 10-15 mins Introduction I amassed a pretty big Atari collection back in the early 2000s when hardware and software was easy to come by in flea markets and thrift stores. Looking
Read moreMake Floppy Disks Double-Sided (5-10 mins)
Task: Make Floppy Disks Double-Sided Needed: floppy disks, notcher Time: 5-10 minutes Introduction When floppy disks first came on the scene they were single-sided and had a single notch or hole on the right side that you could cover with tape to write-protect the disk.
Read moreListen to the Floppy Days Podcast (1-4 hours)
Task: Listen to the Floppy Days Podcast Needed: Web browser Time: 1-4 hours Introduction The Floppy Days podcast was founded by Randall Kindig in 2013 and has been going strong every year for the last six years. Randy’s goal is to cover as many vintage
Read moreExplore Disk Operating System (DOS) Versions (30-60 mins)
Task: Explore Disk Operating System (DOS) Versions Needed: DOS ATR files Time: 30-60 minutes Introduction I remember vividly the excitement of getting my first Atari 810 disk drive and the magic of the disk operating system (DOS). Since we got our 800 and 810 around
Read moreExplore Floppy Disk Collections (30-60 mins)
Task: Explore Floppy Disk Collections Needed: Floppy disks Time: 30-60 minutes Introduction One of my favorite things to do with my Atari home computers is explore the contents of my floppy disk collections. I still have my floppies from back in the day and have
Read more