#RetroChallenge

[stringarc8]

Turn Every Tap into TON with String Modern Arc8

"Flappy Bird|TON Unlocked! 🛡️🔥"

🚨 TON UNLOCKED!

Dodge lasers. Outsmart the spikes. Defeat the giant bot!

📍 Only the toughest birds survive.

Are you up for it? 💥

🚀 Play now:

🐦Modern: https://t.me/stringarc8modernbot

👽 Retro: https://t.me/Stringarc8Retrobot

#FlappyBoss #ArcadeMode #NeonBattle #StringArc8 #RetroChallenge

modern arcade flappy bird, Flappy bird, Flappy bird modern game, game flappy bird modern, play to earn flappy bird, flappy bird win TON

[nixmcretro]

Docker, GeoCities Search, and RetroChallenge 2022/10 Results

Where to start with the last few days. Why not here! The RetroChallenge 2022/10 results are in. Looks like I nabbed the Grand Prize. Not too bad. 💁‍♀️

[palpisotv]

Post para Tumblr:

🌿✨ La nostalgia de los 90 está de vuelta con Jurassic Park en su versión SNES. 🦖🎮 Un juego que muchos de nosotros recordamos como un verdadero desafío imposible. Enfréntate a los raptors y explora Isla Nublar en gloriosos 16 bits. 😅🔥

¿Podrás sobrevivir a la aventura? Yo he revivido este clásico y... digamos que no es tan fácil como recordaba. 💀💔

🔗 [Enlace al video]

#JurassicParkSNES #RetroGaming #SuperNintendo #90sGames #NostalgiaGamer #Dinosaurios #JurassicPark #RetroChallenge #ImpossibleGame #PixelArt

[gamesdb]

This is a homebrew Sudoku game for SNES, programmed for fun as part of the March 2019 RetroChallenge. One of the very few, if not the only game to support the NTT Data Keypad, besides the original JRA PAT online horse race betting system.

[exsadian]

Keep calm Go Kajak #corona #happy #sport #retrochallenge #kajak #kanu #dkv #deutscherkanuverband #love #nice (hier: Kanu-Club Unkel) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ZPJGEIbxo/?igshid=zpypofparw5t

[antiques-for-geeks]

Firebird: more of the whole sordid collection for the Vic 20…

Gauntlet still thrown down, Meat continues to plough through the world of Firebird on the Vic 20. Catch up with part one here.

When the Vic 20s started arriving en-masse in the summer of 2018, a red-faced Tim admitted that he’d made an utter arse of his eBay bidding strategy. He only wanted one machine, plus a 1541 disk drive and his spectacular misjudgment drew, well mockery, from the rest of us. Sifting through the pile of software on his desk that had come with his purchases, I’d picked up a Firebird tape and decided that I’d work my way through their back catalogue for the machine. I was going to do the whole sordid collection of Vic 20 games.

After all.

How hard can it be?

S-h-o-pp-i-n-g

While Snake Bite was included in the mountain of games that Tim had the misfortune to end up owning, I had to go to eBay for the next title I needed. I scoured the listings and found amongst a bunch of cassettes marked as untested, the next game in the Firebird collection for the Vic 20. Mickey the Bricky. I took a chance and bought the lot.

Is it just me, or is Bricky spelt wrong?

Once the game had arrived, I quickly stuffed the tape into the Datasette and… nothing. The game did not load. I tried a different machine and Datasette combination from Vic mountain just behind Tim, but it just confirmed the worst.

The cassette was no good. My gamble had not paid off.

More frustratingly, I could not find the title on any retro sites to buy or download. Fortunately, not everyone is blessed with perfect spelling and it turned out that there are a good number of ways to (mis)spell Mickey the Bricky. A few strategically aimed Google searches and Micky the Brickey yielded a hit from an ancient site that had an eclectic mix of Vic software to download. As I’d gone to the trouble of buying the title, I figured I was in the clear legally.

Mickey the Bricky

I’d always been surprised that people were still developing and releasing games for the Vic as late as 1985. The low-end replacement for the machine, the Commodore 16, was already out and had sold reasonably in Europe at least. The market for the older machine wasn’t exactly buoyant, but games did trickle out of publishers now and then.

The bonus counter drops quickly; the only thing dropping faster these days are the collective jaws of Love Island viewers when the blonde one with the flouro bikini that said she didn’t like the muscled shaved headed bloke, gets off with him in the jacuzzi only TEN MINUTES after he’d snogged the brunette one (not the one from Doncaster, the other one, you know from Dartford that no-one likes) and told her that she was the one, but she’d only just dumped... [have you even watched Love Island, Meat? Tim]

Late titles for the Vic generally struggle, trying to compete with features found on more powerful machines with varying success. Mickey the Bricky is an example of pushing the envelope done better, if not right. I’m not about to make out it is the greatest game on the machine, but what developer Dave Tong achieved is really rather nifty.

You play as Mickey who has to go around the building site, picking up the tools that he’s left lying about.  This is made much, much more difficult by the barrels rolling about the place that you need to jump over. The game owes a lot to Donkey Kong. Mickey looks rather like everyone’s favourite Italian-American plumber, even if he is only yellow and black. Put it this way, it’s more convincing as Mario than Bob Hoskins. He hated the role by the way, which makes me wonder why he took it in the first place.

Bob Hoskins, not enjoying his role, yesterday. Hold on, oh sod it, he’s got a ‘tache and a hat, close enough.

Unusually for an unexpanded Vic 20 title, it has a short piece of in-game music. It’s not up to the standard of a Rob Hubbard epic, but it makes a nice diversion and the game does not suffer for its inclusion. Spot sound effects are rather basic; a whoosh as a barrel smashes into you, a beep when you pick up a tool and a descending set of beeps when you fall off a platform. Not exactly amazing, but there.

The game is fiendishly difficult from the outset. Controlling Mickey is not hard, but it is not the easiest either. Collision detection, such as it is with a game that has to work in the confines of redefining a character set to provide graphics, is not very forgiving. Timing your jumps to get over the barrels flying at you takes practice and effort. It can be infuriating at first, especially as the screen resets and you’re back to square one. Within a few attempts though, it starts to become easier and of course, plays better with a joystick.

Jumping that gap ain’t going to be easy. Honestly.

Even with learning the game, playing through is amazingly tough. With only three screens I guess it was a way of making sure you get your money’s worth. Strangely, here it works rather than being a weakness. Instead of switching the machine off in a huff, I found that I couldn’t let it lie.

Some will say that it has not aged that well and it would be unfair to judge it too harshly. This was not a masterpiece when it was released. Mickey the Bricky was a good budget game for a limited platform in 1985 and still is now.

Score card

Presentation 5/10

Neat and tidy - exactly what you expect from early Firebird.

Originality 5/10

Yeah, it’s Donkey Kong with a dubious back-story and missing the graphic of a massive ape hurling barrels at you like an angry country pub landlord who’s found out that you’ve been trying to pull his daughter.

Graphics 6/10

Neat and tidy. Probably as good as you could expect of the Vic, with it’s tiny memory footprint and lack of bitmap display.

Hookability 8/10

Hard as old nails, but this adds to the appeal.

Sound 5/10

Being generous here, but how many other games give you an in-game tune that does not make you want to kill yourself in just 3k?

Lastability 8/10

For some reason, you want to keep coming back to it, even though it’s only got three screens.

Value for Money 7/10

Seriously good value if you had a Vic 20 in 1985. There were full-price titles that had been churned out that were far worse. Even some titles on the Commodore 16 weren’t as good as this in 1985.

Overall 6/10

Just higher than Snake Bite, but this is the better game overall. One of those rare occasions that where for all of its flaws, it’s still enjoyable. Had I had a Vic 20 in 1985, Mickey the Bricky would have a title that I’d have been pleased to have owned.

Thank you, next

Firebird at this stage were mostly curating their collection well; unlike some labels *cough* Mastertronic *cough*, rubbish was not being shovelled out to the public, although there is a special place in hell for Exodus on the Spectrum. That ruined Christmas Day evening in 1985 for the Meat household. No, Firebird were doing a good job overall and I looked forward to the next title for the Vic in their repertoire.

Sadly though, it was not to be; I scoured eBay and only ever found the same two titles. Then I did something that I should have done in the first place. Some searching turned up The Bird Sanctuary, a website set up to venerate Telecomsoft. From here, I learned a lot; including the sad news that there were only ever two Vic 20 titles from Firebird. Kind of makes sense though, the label launched late in the machine’s timeline.

So to answer the question how hard card it be? Well, as it turned out, not very hard at all. But collecting all of the titles for another platform? Now that might just be a bit more of a challenge...

[prcrstncn]

kawahima for valentine’s day! #retrochallenge

[deuceishiphop]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Devin Dabney (@deuceishiphop)

ohhhh snap...y’all thought I was playing when I said I was back?! nahhhh, fam - this shit is real, lol. #sorryforthewait, but ya boy is back online, and #freeversefridays has been resurrected. this tradition can only live on - especially when I get the pleasure of being challenged to rap to a new beat. @schools_in_podcast had a dope #retrochallenge going around, and I might be a little late to the party, but I cooked up something crazy and brought it with me! hahaha, I hope they do something like this again. if any of my followers wanna get in on the virtual cypher, just message the producers and they’ll hook you up! in the meantime, send me some recent beats - I’m hungry for more stuff to kill! let my come-up begin 🤴🏾🎤🔥 lol. #freestylerap #rapper #indianapolis #indiana #portland #oregon #music #rapmusic #hiphop #lyricist #writer #freeverse #rapping #rapvideos #oldschool #oldschoolstyle #retro #writing #bars #inspiration #ohwow #soinspired #flows #lyrics #bestrapper (at Portland, Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bojy1mgBDEJ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=hv55uuwrb6vz

[biggdaddyx305-blog]

Loving My New Tea Cup! 🤓👍🏼 #itsmotherfuckingteatime #teacups #teamug #lovetea #herbalife #retrochallenge #ownit2017 (at Miami Lakes Country Club)

[fuckyeahfortran]

Vlogging again. Some prep work for a potential retrochallenge project. Building the retroterminal of my dreams.

[metsuke]

In Vintage is the new old: RetroChallenge 2019/03 -Open for Entrants! https://t.co/ClVOWeJwtA #repost

In Vintage is the new old: RetroChallenge 2019/03 -Open for Entrants! https://t.co/ClVOWeJwtA #repost

[stringarc8]

Turn Every Tap into TON with String Modern Arc8

Welcome to a new era in mobile gaming where every tap can turn into real crypto earnings. String Modern Arc8 brings the Play-to-Earn revolution to your fingertips with fun, fast-paced mini games that reward you in TON tokens. Forget the old days of playing for nothing — now, every second you spend gaming can add to your wallet.

String Modern Arc8 features updated versions of well-loved classics like Flappy Bird, Doodle Jump, and Stack, giving you exciting challenges with modern gameplay and a twist — you earn real rewards while having fun. The games are designed to be played in short bursts, making it perfect whether you’re on your break, waiting in line, or just relaxing at home.

But that’s not the only way to earn. String Modern Arc8 offers multiple earning opportunities. Watch short ads to collect extra rewards, refer your friends and earn a percentage of their winnings, or use boosters to double your earnings from every game. The more you engage, the more you earn — it’s that simple.

Everything runs smoothly through a dedicated Telegram bot, meaning there’s no need to download separate apps or sign up on complex platforms. Just start the bot, choose your game, and start earning. It’s accessible, intuitive, and perfect for gamers and crypto enthusiasts alike.

This platform is also your gateway into the larger String Metaverse, where gaming and decentralized finance come together. As the ecosystem expands, players will have more opportunities to participate in events, earn NFTs, and benefit from future updates.

In a world where time is money, String Modern Arc8 ensures your game time is rewarding. With daily chances to win, the power to earn on your own terms, and instant access to your earnings, it’s not just a game — it’s a smarter way to play.

Official Links:

Channel: https://t.me/stringarc8

Chat: https://t.me/stringarc8chat

Game Bot: https://t.me/stringarc8modernbot

[nixmcretro]

TrueNAS Tinkering

Sometime in October 2022 during RetroChallenge 2022/10 I started to tinker with TrueNAS Scale. I’ve been on the search for more storage for a while now. Well not more storage, but a way to store my data reliably. I learnt about magical things like ZFS, RAIDZ2, spinning rust, HPE MicroServer Gen8, modern hard drive error rates and more! Fast-forward to today and I now have a cool mesh, 64 TB of…

[bootstrap-zero]

Hi there

You've reached the Bootstrap Zero blog, which was written during July 2015 for RetroChallenge 2015/07.

If you keep reading down this page, you'll be reading the posts in reverse order, and they might not make much sense that way.

It'd probably be better to read the archived version of this blog in the SITU-SOL repository, where you will also find continuation of this work, now and in future.

Thank you for your interest in writing code by hand!

[rockasoo]

Super Mario Bros. 3 for Commodore 64 - Progress Shots 1.

I am FEELING this!! :D

[devscratchpad]

retrochallenge: Done with PRINT

I finally finished the PRINT features that I am implementing up to this point. PRINT can now print in regions, it can print a string followed by a number literal, a variable, or a mathematical expression. It also will break long PRINT lines every 75 characters. I was able to see how cucumber and rspec compliment each other. There were a few times that I thought that I was done in rspec, getting all of the tests passing. Yet then the cucumber feature would still failed. This happened in two different ways. The first one is that I had not tested one way of PRINTing that was covered in the cucumber feature but not in the rspec test. The second one was that after battling with printing expressions and variables, I had forgotten about the 75 character per line limit. So rather than thinking of cucumber and rspec as overlapping or redundant tools, I see them now as complimentary tools.  I had a lot of fun refactoring the PRINT methods. Once I was done,  I noticed that I ended up with a section of methods called #print methods. This is a smell that the class is doing too much (to be honest, it already is doing too much). In this case the number of print methods justified a new object. When I extracted the object I found two more smells: my mathematical parser object had a method in Basic object that should have belonged Parser. I moved that method into parser. Then a method to check on variables seem to indicate that I had to create a variables object. Yet after looking at it more carefully, I determined that all what I needed was the hash that variables was. Finally I will be able to tackle another command. I am going to see what else I have to do with LET next. https://github.com/hugoestr/basic