Atari Paddles

Full disclosure: I loved the game Warlords, no matter how much that game cheated. Obviously, you needed the paddles to play Warlords and everyone's favorite classic, Breakout. Even that balloon popping game with the dudes on the seesaw brings back some vivid memories of playing with friends, and the fact you could plug two controllers in with one port; that was nice. Honestly though, these paddles were the epitome of the 2D world - back and forth with one button thrown in for kicks. Yes, there were major processing constraints at the time, but if I was a developer, of course I would of produce a game that required as little work as possible and then dump it on the market.

Atari 800XL System circa 1983

In honor of B&WE's 500th post (or thereabouts), we are going with our first theme week: Atari week! Though my original Atari 2600 has gone to the wayside, a colleague was cleaning out his house and asked if I wanted this bad boy Atari 800XL. He had originally used it to write his PhD thesis.  Prior to this, I had no idea that Atari's had keyboards, although I was perfectly aware a Commodore 64 had them. Despite the spouse's protests, it found a home in our basement, where it was proudly on display until it was overrun by children's toys. Nevertheless, the Atari blazed in all it's 64K RAM glory for a little while, working like 'twas just out of the box. Here's hoping it survives the next 30 years as it did the first 30.

Lift the Bottle Fair Game

Every year I say I am not going to play it, then I play and look like a fool. Then I say I am going to practice and come back and beat their asses, then I don't. Turns out the game is fixed as they turn the heavy side of the bottle down when Joe Schmo is playing, but when the carny demonstrats, he puts the light side of the bottle down. I thought of asking to use their demonstration bottle before, but again, it is in the way the bottle is lined up. Jerks.

Lateral Thinking Puzzle About a Naked Man Holding a Straw on Top of a Mountain

Back in high school when we considered ourselves part of the "smart popular" clique (which was another way of saying we weren't popular), our parties were pretty tame (or lame) in that we didn't have alcohol and the women were of average looks (too be fair, so were the guys). Nevertheless, we had some good times and I enjoyed the lateral thinking puzzles that we tried to stump each other with. You are given an abstract scenario and have to ask "yes" or "no" questions in order to trace back what happened in the puzzle. I guess it is lateral thinking as there is only line of thought, or not. This was my personal favorite, and I would bust it out hardcore at later events, impressing some, losing esteem to others. Answer is backward after the picture, use http://www.revfad.com/flip.html to copy, paste and flip it back.

˙pǝıp puɐ uoollɐq ɹıɐ ʇoɥ ǝɥʇ ɟo ʇno dɯnɾ oʇ pɐɥ puɐ ʍɐɹʇs ʇɹoɥs ǝɥʇ ʍǝɹp ǝɥ ˙sʍɐɹʇs ʍǝɹp llɐ ʎǝɥʇ os ˙ʇuǝɔsǝp ǝɥʇ doʇs oʇ ɥƃnouǝ ʇ,usɐʍ ʇı ʇnq 'sɥʇolɔ ɹıǝɥʇ ɟɟo ʞooʇ ǝuoʎɹǝʌǝ ˙ʞuıs oʇ pǝʇɹɐʇs ʇɐɥʇ uoollɐq ɹıɐ ʇoɥ ɐ uı sɐʍ uɐɯ ǝɥʇ

Lateral Thinking Puzzle about Antony and Cleopatra Found Dead in a Puddle of Water

This "yes" or "no" lateral thinking puzzle was always my least favorite. The misdirection is good, but misdirected. Answer is after the picture, use http://www.revfad.com/flip.html to copy, paste and flip it.

˙pǝıp puɐ ɹoolɟ ǝɥʇ uo llǝɟ ʎǝɥʇ 'ǝʞoɹq ʞuɐʇ ɹıǝɥʇ ˙ɥsıɟ ǝɹǝʍ ɐɹʇɐdoǝlɔ puɐ ʎuoʇuɐ