¢ATARI 8-BIT MEMORIES¢¢with Kevin Cooke¢¢¢ One of my first memories of Atari was with the good old 2600 VCS. Alright, the graphics on these games weren't brilliant, but the gameplay was 100% superb. Hands up all those who remember Outlaw, Battlezone, Stargate, etc. In those days, games seemed very expensive, and I only got a new game on my brithday or at Christmas. I still managed to build up a respectable collection though.¢¢ Unfortunately, these happy memories had to come to an end, and so they did when my 2600 went to that little computer heaven in the sky. But, all was not lost. The next Christmas I was overjoyed to find an Atari 130XE amongst my pile of presents. A real computer which my Dad said I could write my own games on. I spent the rest of the morning trying to get my Dad to set it up, and finally turned on the computer... What does this blue screen and the word "READY" mean? Where's the program into which I can draw my game graphics and allow it to create the game? I felt cheated. Still, at least I had some ready made games to play... No I didn't - they wouldn't load!¢¢ A few weeks later, I received my working 130XE back. By now I had located a few invaluable sources of cassette games. No, not Page 6, not Micro Discount, and not Gralin (these were still to come). I had discovered Woolworths and The Games Cupboard! I remember buying my first game, 180, at Woolworths. It didn't seem to want to load (something I would find commonly over the next few months while I worked out how not to get that dreaded self test menu!) so I settled for MILK RACE.¢¢ My next purchase was at The Games Cupboard (a local games shop that was run by a long haired weirdo!). I couldn't find anything on the shelf, and so decided to ask. I was glad I did. The owner produced a cardboard box FULL of cassette games for my beloved computer. I could only afford one or two at that time though, so I picked what I thought looked the best; ZORRO, SPY HUNTER and TRACK AND FIELD, all for only nine pounds and all good games to date.¢¢ This shop was a perfect example of most other Atari stockists at that time - all of the Atari games hidden away where no-one could see them. No wonder The Games Cupboard soon gave up selling them and left it to a tiny second-hand games dealer that started a shop downstairs.¢¢ By now, Woolworths had also given up, but the second-hand shop kept the spirit of my computer alive. This is where I saw a glimpse of the future; plenty of games for other computers and only four or five for my Atari. Even this coverage was soon to be stopped after only a few months.¢¢ Luckily for me, I had just discovered a replacement. It was strangely named PAGE 6, a name which I wouldn't relate to for another few years. Plenty of advertisers, FREE type-in games, programming articles that would prove to be invaluable in the future, and addresses for contacting other users. O.K, so I couldn't just pop out and get a game, but I could send away for hundreds more than I could ever buy in Wooly's!¢¢ Soon, even faithful W.H.Smiths would stop selling Page 6, and I would be left alone... or would I?¢¢ Nothing has changed since then, but am I still alone? No! My computer has a better life now then it ever did before, meeting it's new friends which it calls 'software'. I also have new friends, new sources of software, and a more generally glowing life.¢¢ O.K, so there's got to be a moral to this story hasn't there? Well, yes, a very important one! The current 8-bit supporters consist of people that worship the Atari 8-bit. They do their best to support our favourite computer, but just don't get enough support. If you can't spend your money, let them know that you are there. Spread the word, and maybe some day Atari computers will rule in support as well as quality!¢¢
