...These Are The Rejects

Yes, you read that correct.  ATARI First Person Shooter.... and it is NOT DOOM.  Because DOOM started on the PC, not on the 8-bit console machines. What is this wizardry that I speak of? Well, it's a NEW game written by some very smart people to run on the old Atari 800 XL 8bit machines. CHECK IT OUT HERE:  https://atari8.dev/final_assault/ It is pretty awesome at how well it is written, it's amazing how the evolution of thinking / practices has been applied to older technology - also proves that the older technology was pretty much under-utilised at the time and we can now see how we can re-use that technology to push it into places it SHOULD have gone to back in 1983! Here's a sneeky video if you want to see it running for real: Go check them out and download it for yourself: https://atari8.dev/final_assault/

We've been living near-ish to this place for over a decade and for one reason or another we've never actually visited the museum itself.  We decided yesterday to change that and go have a little look - I'd also heard that a new arcade had been opened opposite an incredible comic book store and warhammer shop - what's not to like! We went.  We saw.  We noticed quite sheepishly that I've probably got enough kit at home to open my own museum... cough cough cough.... although I do now have an idea for making a small scale diorama with small 3D computers and monitors & console machines that all have working parts using arduino / pico devices and small 0.96" OLED screeens etc... that could be amusing / interesting - I could replicate all the big stuff that I have in small scale.  watch this space. ( this has also inspired me, a lot! ) https://www.museumofcomputing.org.uk/ anyway, pictures, or it didn't happen. yes, okay, so I still haven't gotten used t...

and here's the original (as if you didn't know) and a RAMMSTEIN one too:  

I confess, I wasn't going to do this. I wasn't going to go down this rabbit-hole. I wasn't going to write any Python (Micro or otherwise). I wasn't going to stay up until 1am, 2am, 3am on several different nights, including Dec 25th... "just figuring out this last one bit". I wasn't. But, I did...... and in a way, I am kind of glad that I did.  It won't help me very much, but it might help some genuine youngsters out there who are wanting to cut their teeth on some code and want to build on something that actually exists & works (I'll come back to that later). As mentioned previously, I re-kindled an amusement of fun with an old Atari 800 XL and the sheer fact that you used to be able to just turn it on and get a blue screen (not THAT type of blue screen) with the word: READY [_] with a flashing (or sometimes not) cursor, you were the artist.  You were the creative one.  You had the freedom to turn a blank (blue) canvas into something that you...

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There are a few special locations dotted around the UK that still have Arcade machines (links below) and I actually do have a custom one I built and it sits in the corner of my living room (of course) and I also made a PICADE too (as well as having a load of Retro machines that I can use) - SEE BELOW. But, if you don't want to: a) go outside b) be near other people c) waste time travelling d) all of the above Then you could just access these websites from your web-browser and/or mobile phone: https://www.tripletsandus.com/play-classic-80s-arcade-games/ 1942 or https://www.free80sarcade.com/ Defender   Real physical Arcades: BRISTOL -  https://fourquarters.bar/location/arcade-gaming-bar-in-bristol/ BRISTOL -  https://www.historyofvideogames.co.uk/ https://marketplace.futureartists.net/product/history-of-video-games-replay-social-gaming-lounge-generation-games-exhibition/ - however, it now has a Clean Air Thing, so you have to pay to go into the City... even more reason to...