what is this thing?

Includes Atari 2600, Nintendo 8-bit, Sega Master System, MSX and more!

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ItchyD
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what is this thing?

Post by ItchyD » Mon Oct 26, 2009 4:49 am

I've never heard of this atari back to school pak, is it an actual programming tool for the atari or what? Anyone know anything about it? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0362626125" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Axaj
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Re: what is this thing?

Post by Axaj » Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:31 pm

It appears to be a package of several games and a BASIC cart.
haterz wrote:omg nuh-uh u liar i have a big ps1 and a small 1 and the big 1 is biger on the owtsides so its biger on the insides too cuz otherwise itd b smaler on the owtsides liar

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bicostp
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Re: what is this thing?

Post by bicostp » Tue Oct 27, 2009 2:05 pm

Here's what AtariAge has to say about it:

http://www.atariage.com/software_page.h ... wareID=841" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's an interesting piece of video game history, but the BASIC programming cartridge is pretty much useless for everything over "Hello World!". Apparently it can handle a maximum of 9 lines of code. Yes. nine. I think they made it because someone complained that the Video Computer System couldn't be called a "computer" unless it had BASIC. :lol:

Nukey Shay
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Re: what is this thing?

Post by Nukey Shay » Sun May 23, 2010 7:50 pm

Actually, that's not right...as it supposedly is of Atari's Video Chess. Programmer Warren Robinett already had the idea of attempting an interpreter on the machine before Atari started looking for cartridge games to utilize the keyboard controllers - to make their purchase more appealing to the public...and subsequently (potentially) boost sales of keyboard-controlled games already in the catalog. BASIC Programming was a perfect candidate. Programmers in those early days were not under any kind of schedule to begin or complete a project. Regardless of how limited the resources are for the interpreter, it's still a pretty good achievement for the time.

http://toadstool.net/games/adventure/interview4.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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