The Bally Alley Astrocast podcast covers the Bally Astrocade videogame console released in 1978. This system was also called the Bally Arcade, Bally Professional Arcade, and Bally Home Library Computer. We cover Bally community news, review games released on cartridge and cassette tape, and delve articles from classic computer and game newsletters and magazines (like the Arcadian and Cursor).
Bally Alley Astrocast
Claim This Podcastby Adam Trionfo
5.0(3 reviews)
20 episodes
Updated Daily
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Podcast Overview
The Bally Alley Astrocast podcast covers the Bally Astrocade videogame console released in 1978. This system was also called the Bally Arcade, Bally Professional Arcade, and Bally Home Library Computer. We cover Bally community news, review games released on cartridge and cassette tape, and delve articles from classic computer and game newsletters and magazines (like the Arcadian and Cursor).
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Publishing Since
6/3/2016
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Recent Episodes
March 5, 2023
Bally Alley Astrocast: Episode 19 - Astrocade Newbie with Brian (Ballistik Coffee Boy)
<p>In episode #19 of the Bally Alley Astrocast podcast, the host, Adam, talks with his friend Brian, the host of the "Ballistik Coffee Boy" YouTube channel. Brian has no previous experience with the Bally Arcade console and he explores it with Adam for the first time and talks about what he thinks of it. Since Brian lives locally to Adam, they both look at the console together in person.</p> <p><strong>Recurring Links</strong> </p> <ul> <li><a href="https://ballyalley.com/">BallyAlley.com</a> - Bally Arcade / Astrocade Website</li> <li><a href="https://ballyalley.com/whats_new.html">What's New at BallyAlley.com</a></li> <li><a href="https://ballyalleyblog.com/">Bally Alley Blog</a></li> <li><a href="https://orphanedgames.com/">Orphaned Computers & Game Systems Website</a></li> <li><a href="https://groups.io/g/ballyalley">Bally Alley Discussion Group</a></li> <li><a href= "http://atariage.com/forums/forum/187-bally-arcadeastrocade/">Bally Arcade / Astrocade Atari Age Sub-forum</a></li> <li><a href= "https://www.orphanedgames.com/articles/Bookcast_Articles/the-classic-gaming-bookcast.pdf"> The Classic Gaming Bookcast</a> - By Chris Federico</li> </ul> <p><strong>Show Notes</strong></p> <p>We have limited show notes again for this episode. If there's something in the podcast that you want to hear more about and a search on the Internet won't turn it up for you, then contact the <a href="https://groups.io/g/ballyalley">Astrocade discussion group on Groups.io</a>.</p> <ul> <li><a href= "https://www.youtube.com/@ballistik_coffee_boy">Ballistik Coffee Boy Videos</a> - This is a Brian's YouTube channel where he mostly covers the Atari consoles and computers.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Feedback</strong></p> <p>There is some feedback covered in this episode, and we would love to hear your thoughts and comments about this (or any) Astrocast episode or about your history with the Bally Arcade/Astrocade. The best way to contact us is via email at <a href="mailto:ballyalley@hotmail.com">BallyAlley</a> or through via the <a href="https://groups.io/g/ballyalley">Bally Alley Discussion Group at Groups.io</a>.</p> <p><strong>Next Episode's Coverage</strong></p> <p>I hope to talk about Bally BASIC and AstroBASIC with Brian in episode #20. This won't be an in-depth look at the BASIC programming language. Rather I will introduce Brian to BASIC on the Astrocade and show him some games and video art that are written for it.</p>
November 4, 2022
Bally Alley Astrocast: Episode 18 - BASIC Games - Cross Country Racer and Star Wars
<p>In episode #18 of the Bally Alley Astrocast podcast, the hosts, Chris and Adam, cover two games written in Bally BASIC called "Cross Country Racer" and "Star Wars" by Doug Shaeffer, an amateur Astrocade programmer. These games were archived, along with other programs, by Paul Thacker in February 2022 from an Astrocade collection bought on Ebay by Nate Reeder in January 2022. Paul says, "These seem to me to have been made for personal use rather than with a goal of publication, but there's still some cool stuff in here [...]." Also covered is one piece of feedback and some recent updates to the Bally Alley website."</p> <p><strong>Recurring Links</strong> </p> <ul> <li><a href="https://ballyalley.com/">BallyAlley.com</a> - Bally Arcade / Astrocade Website</li> <li><a href="https://ballyalley.com/whats_new.html">What's New at BallyAlley.com</a></li> <li><a href="https://ballyalleyblog.com/">Bally Alley Blog</a></li> <li><a href="https://orphanedgames.com/">Orphaned Computers & Game Systems Website</a></li> <li><a href="https://groups.io/g/ballyalley">Bally Alley Discussion Group</a></li> <li><a href= "http://atariage.com/forums/forum/187-bally-arcadeastrocade/">Bally Arcade / Astrocade Atari Age Sub-forum</a></li> <li><a href= "http://atariage.com/forums/forum/188-bally-high-score-club/">Bally Arcade/Astrocade High Score Club</a></li> <li><a href= "https://www.facebook.com/The-Bally-AstroCast-793653064007619/">Bally Alley Astrocast Facebook Page</a></li> <li><a href= "https://www.orphanedgames.com/articles/Bookcast_Articles/the-classic-gaming-bookcast.pdf"> The Classic Gaming Bookcast</a> - By Chris Federico</li> </ul> <p><strong>Show Notes</strong></p> <p>We have limited show notes again for this episode. If there's something in the podcast that you want to hear more about and a search on the Internet won't turn it up for you, then contact the <a href="https://groups.io/g/ballyalley">Astrocade discussion group on Groups.io</a>.</p> <ul> <li><a href= "https://ballyalley.com/program_downloads/300_baud_programs/misc/misc.html#CrossCountryRacerBB"> "Cross Country Racer" by Doug Shaeffer</a> - This is the first of two Bally BASIC games from the early 1980s that is covered in Astrocast #18.</li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href= "https://ballyalley.com/program_downloads/300_baud_programs/misc/misc.html#StarWarsBBDougShaeffer"> "Star Wars" by Doug Shaeffer</a> - This is the second of two Bally BASIC games from the early 1980s that is covered in Astrocast #18.</li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href= "https://archive.org/details/doug_shaeffer_astrocade_collection">Doug Shaeffer Tapes</a> - The complete tape archive of Doug Shaeffer's Astrocade Tape Collection.</li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href= "https://ballyalley.com/documentation/zgrass/zgrass.html#MaxPerformsMagic"> Bally Alley Update (October 22, 2022) - "Max Performs Magic"</a> - This an ad called "Max Performs Magic" about the Datamax UV-1R ZGRASS Graphics System. It is from page 16 of "Back Stage," December 3, 1982.</li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href= "https://ballyalley.com/documentation/Archives/Archives.html#The_Bally_Shrine_Website_Print-Out"> Bally Alley Update (October 24, 2022) - The Bally Shrine</a> - This is a three-page printout of "The Bally Shrine" Website from 1999. The Bally Shrine was a website run by Charles Taylor in the mid-to-late 1990s.</li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href= "https://ballyalley.com/ads_and_catalogs/Newspaper_Ads/Newspaper_Ads.html#Montgomery_Ward_Ad_Astrocade_for_30_Dollars"> Bally Alley Update (October 26, 2022) - Montgomery Ward - 1983 - Astrocade for $29.99</a> - This is a Montgomery Ward advertisement for a blow-out sale on many game systems, among them is the Astrocade for $29.99. This ad, from the bottom-right of page 6-A, is from the December 4, 1983 edition of "The Baytown Sun," a newspaper from Texas.</li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href= "https://ballyalley.com/newsletters/arcadian/arcadian_misc/Arcadian_Articles/Arcadian_Articles.html#MikeSkala"> "CHRDIS" Articles by Mike Skala</a> - The three-part "CHRDIS" articles describe how to use the Bally Arcade's built-in Character Display routine from within Bally BASIC to create fast graphic displays. First published in the November and December 1982 and February 1983 Arcadian newsletter. Mike Skala says, "I've seen quite a bit of software lately utilizing the Graphic Character Maker, a machine code routine that Arcadian has published in the past year. This allowed us to use a display routine from the on-board ROM and put complex graphics on the screen instantly, rather than a slow series of BOX and LINE commands. The major drawback here was when moving the graphics, erasing and redrawing: it left us with considerable flashing or blinking. If you have been with us for a while, you know that we are continually evolving and improving; the following tutorial is our new generation of screen animation for the Astrocade!"</li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href= "https://ballyalley.com/program_downloads/2000_baud_programs/arcadian/programs_a-h/programs_a-h.html#CHRDISTutorialMikeSkalaAB"> "CHRDIS" Software by Mike Skala</a> - This is the AstroBASIC software in archived format.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Feedback</strong></p> <p>There is some feedback covered in this episode, and we would love to hear your thoughts and comments about this (or any) Astrocast episode or about your history with the Bally Arcade/Astrocade. The best way to contact us is via email at <a href="mailto:ballyalley@hotmail.com">BallyAlley</a> or through via the <a href="https://groups.io/g/ballyalley">Bally Alley Discussion Group at Groups.io</a>.</p> <p><strong>Next Episode's Coverage</strong></p> <p>Perhaps "AstroBASIC" will get some coverage in Episode #19. It makes sense, since Astrocast #18 covered two BASIC games. Astrocast #17 was supposed to cover the material in the "AstroBASIC" manual and it was recorded, but it didn't turned out the way I had hoped that it would sound, so the "AstroBASIC" manual overview has been put off until I can cover it with a co-host like Chris, a BASIC programming ninja, or Paul, who has also programmed in BASIC. We will also cover "Outpost 19," an AstroBASIC game by WaveMakers that will fit naturally into an episode that shares its numbering with the game. We also may try to cover a game that was released on cartridge, but that coverage may be bounced to a future episode because "Outpost 19" may be the most involved game written in BASIC on the Astrocade.</p> <p> </p>
February 12, 2021
Bally Alley Astrocast: Episode 17 - News, Updates, List All Cartridges
<p>In episode #17 of the Bally Alley Astrocast, I play a bit of catch-up to bring the podcast semi-current. I also made this episode to get me back into the podcasting mood. I cover all of the Bally Arcade/Astrocade videos I made in 2020 about the Astrocade and I make brief mentions of the ones about the Atari, Amiga and TI-99/4a computers. I go over all of the updates to the BallyAlley.com website dating back to February 2020. I list all of the Astrocade games on cartridge and BASIC that have been covered so far in previous episodes. Plus, I talk about the cartridges that still need to be covered in upcoming episodes.</p> <p>Thanks to <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjrSgTlHwzj-GOqsT0AWYcA">"Quinn Tech Retro"</a> on YouTube and Chris++ for inspiring me to make this episode.</p> <p><strong>Recurring Links</strong> </p> <ul> <li><a href="https://ballyalley.com/">BallyAlley.com</a> - Bally Arcade / Astrocade Website</li> <li><a href="https://ballyalley.com/whats_new.html">What's New at BallyAlley.com</a></li> <li><a href="https://ballyalleyblog.com/">Bally Alley Blog</a></li> <li><a href="https://orphanedgames.com/">Orphaned Computers & Game Systems Website</a></li> <li><a href="https://groups.io/g/ballyalley">Bally Alley Discussion Group</a></li> <li><a href= "http://atariage.com/forums/forum/187-bally-arcadeastrocade/">Bally Arcade / Astrocade Atari Age Sub-forum</a></li> <li><a href= "http://atariage.com/forums/forum/188-bally-high-score-club/">Bally Arcade/Astrocade High Score Club</a></li> <li><a href= "https://www.facebook.com/The-Bally-AstroCast-793653064007619/">Bally Alley Astrocast Facebook Page</a></li> <li><a href= "https://www.orphanedgames.com/articles/Bookcast_Articles/the-classic-gaming-bookcast.pdf"> The Classic Gaming Bookcast</a> - By Chris Federico</li> </ul> <p><strong>Where are the Show Notes?</strong></p> <p>I always spend far too long creating the show notes. For now, they're on an extended hiatus until I find more time to devote to them. If there's something in the podcast that would want to hear more about and a search on the Internet won't turn it up for you, then contact the <a href= "https://groups.io/g/ballyalley">Astrocade discussion group on Groups.io</a>.</p> <p><strong>Feedback</strong></p> <p>There is no feedback covered in this episode,but we would love to hear your thoughts and comments about this (or any) Astrocast episode or about your history with the Bally Arcade/Astrocade. The best way to contact us is via email at <a href="mailto:ballyalley@hotmail.com">BallyAlley</a> or through via the <a href="https://groups.io/g/ballyalley">Bally Alley Discussion Group at Groups.io</a>.</p> <p><strong>Next Episode's Coverage</strong></p> <p>Astrocast #17 was supposed to cover the material in the "AstroBASIC" manual. That was recorded, but it didn't turned out the way I hoped that it would sound, so the "AstroBASIC" manual overview has been put off until I can cover it with a co-host. Episode #18 will cover a BASIC game and maybe a cartridge game too. Right now, I'll see what sounds interesting to me when I'm ready to record the new episode.</p> <p> </p>
20 total episodes available
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