Retro Computers

@retrocomps.bsky.social

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Semi-automated posting of old computers and videogames. Sometimes other bits of retro aesthetics and design. 12-15 posts a day on normal days, 24 posts on holidays. Following mod, ping mod for bugs/errors/suggestions/requests. Bot typically in English.

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In 1987, ILM engineer John Knoll took a photo of his fiance Jennifer on a beach, looking into the distance. This print would become of the demo that would sell Photoshop to the world.

Jennifer in paradise: the story of the first Photoshopped imagewww.theguardian.com The Guardian

Death Knights of Krynn took the familiar gold box D&D formula and moved it the world of Dragonlance, where Arthurian heroes fought Gothic horrors.

An interview with Carol Shaw, developer behind influential VCS game River Raid.

VC&G Interview: Carol Shaw, Atari’s First Female Video Game Developerwww.vintagecomputing.com Vintage Computing and Gaming

"Only the fittest will survive."

Despite having a third the speed and a different processor entirely, Sonic the Hedgehog (SMS) was successfully ported to a Commodore 64 - and the music and motion look great on the old breadbox.

Commodore 64 Longplay [158] Sonic the Hedgehog (Homebrew/NTSC Mode)www.youtube.com World of Longplays (YouTube)

Bad Day in Bagdad!

The Shellshock bug, explained in just four minutes.

The Shellshock Bug In About Four Minutes (2014-09-25)archive.org Tom Scott (Internet Archive)

The more things change, the more things stay the same. (Source.)

How did composers get five voices on the 3.1 voice Game Boy? With very careful syncopation.

Ya got TRICKED: That Full Band was really just 3 Channels!www.youtube.com 8-bit Music Theory (YouTube)

The first personal computer for under $200.

"Joust. You don't play it: you LIVE it!"

Joust (1982)(Atari).mp4archive.org Internet Archive

"We're selling the one thing we count on every day."

"Grab your baseball cap and loosen your pants, it's time to fight endless hordes of enemies and collect every weapon crate you can." It's Super Bread Box for your C64!

Super Bread Boxrgcddev.itch.io RGCD.DEV (Itch.io)

300 characters isn't a lot, but the people of old BBSs made do with less. (Source.)

Remember those old LCD games that sold for $20 when game consoles were $200? We decried their sound quality and terrible screens, and still wound up pouring hundreds of hours into them anyways.

Collection: Handheld Historyarchive.org Internet Archive

From blackboards to floppy discs: Another Boring Topic talks about Visicalc, the software that took literal spreadsheets and made them accessable to the average desktop.

The Story of VisiCalcwww.youtube.com Another Boring Topic (YouTube)

The Sharp Trunket transistor radio (1960)

And now, an important message from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission: A meme should not become a family tragedy.

There's just something different about PETSCII graphics.

Dragon'n Princesscomsha.itch.io Comsha (Itch.io)

THE HULK HAS GONE SOFT

Pizza Hut was the first company to offer online ordering, and that old website is still online for now - albeit nonfunctional.

Welcome to PizzaNet!www.pizzahut.com pizzahut.com

Is it a wargame? Is it a chess clone? Yes.

Check out this VHS of Quantum Link, an 80s internet service, featuring some early roleplaying, anti-Exxon activism, and a unique feature today - a chatroom with music sharing so everyone could be hearing the same song at the same time, and could suggest songs for others.

Real Q Link Sep 1989www.youtube.com Raymond Day (YouTube)

Mastermind (Source.)

"Try and get the cookies before the cookie monster gets you!" It's not quite the Lode Runner but if it's in BASIC for your TI-99/4A you have to moderate your expectations.

Ti99/4A Typed in Game from the Magazine :- Computer weekly (Cookie Monster)www.youtube.com TheAirShark (YouTube)

Space Taxi: "You'll Need Finesse, Agility And Precision To Finish Your Shift"

Some people build tabletop games, or video games, or board games. How many people do you know are building pinballs?

Pokémon Pinball Gameplay - Metal Ramps and Updated Designwww.youtube.com Pinsanity (YouTube)

Commodore Amiga CD32

If you've ever poked at an original Apple II, you've probably heard the "baked apple" chestnut, about the runaway heat issues that killed the Apple III. But there was more to it than just heat issues - there were supply chain problems, insurmountable egos, and plain old bad wiring jobs.

What killed the Apple III?www.applelogic.org AppleLogic

The ARMAGEDDON Man