Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg2mT5BFtQQ
Rare Atari Poster Donation & TIME Desk PC Accessories!
Introduction
A very generous donation of some rare promo posters from the new Atari - and some of them are actually really cool! I also picked up some matching TIME branded accessories for the Desk PC.
Script
I’m back from my week long holiday in lovely Ilfracombe in North Devon.
Yeah, that’s right, North Devon, not South Devon, the one where they had that horrible parasite that was making everyone ill, which has been on the news, which is fantastic - I’m very pleased to report that yeah, apparently that’s not a thing where we were.
Had a wonderful week off in nature, doing lots of walking and things, went on a nice boat trip, did a tour of some English wineries. Believe it or not, they actually make wine here in England. And, And yeah, just had a nice relaxing time, didn’t really think about videos or the channel or anything like that.
Nice to have a week off, but also very keen to get back into the studio. And I’m here today working on a bit of a long running, a bit of a big, meaty video for the main channel, which should hopefully be along very soon. But yeah, I picked up some stuff while I was away - I say picked up, it arrived while I was away.
This isn’t going to turn into a lazy unboxing video channel, but you know, I’m well aware that I released an unboxing while I was away - that lovely stuff from Carl, from Mr. BitterBlitter with the PC-9821 hard drive and all that other lovely stuff that he sent over but I thought it I thought I should mark the occasion get back into the the swing of filming stuff and show off some of this stuff because I know you people find it interesting.
I know my hardcore fans like to see all the behind the scenes and stuff like that.
So the first thing that I’m going to show to you in this video is this wonderful thing-
Oh, I should talk about the rambles actually, yes!
For the very first time in 65 episodes, in 65 weeks - well over a year’s worth - I missed my weekly Rees Ramble last week, which is my podcast that goes out on this channel and on all of the podcasting services. Be sure to check it out if you if you are not a regular Rambler, but unfortunately I didn’t have time to record an extra one before I went away to go out last week.
So, apologies for that - I did mention it in the ramble that went out the week before, but apparently some of you didn’t get the memo, and I got some messages from people asking, what’s happened to the ramble?
And Yeah, well that’s what happened. I was on holiday and didn’t record one, so there you go.
But anyway, this first thing that I have here is from my good friend Lewis Packwood, the legendary game journalist - and I know Lewis loves it when I refer to him as the legendary game journalist. You know, his outfit certainly is legendary, as is his back catalogue of writings and things.
And if you’ve been following the channel for a while, you’ll know that last year I kept banging on and on about this book that I’d contributed to - I contributed a load of photos and helped Lewis out with the research and stuff like that. It’s called Curious Video Game Machines, I’ll link it down below if you want to pick it up, it’s got some really interesting and obscure games consoles and things in there.
And yeah, Lewis picked my brain about some Atari consoles and things - and I also sent over some photos of my collection for him to use in the book, which I think he very much appreciated - and we’ve stayed in touch ever since.
And he was down at a gaming show in London called WASD a month or so ago, and he happened to swing by the Atari booth and got talking to them - obviously about how he’d written this book about Atari history, among other things - and they gave him this, this very kind and generous gift. And when he got it home, he kind of had a think and thought, well, actually I’m not going to use that, but I know a guy who is a huge Atari fan who will appreciate this.
And yeah, he sent me an email asking if I wanted it - and, of course I said yes, because, hey - alright, it’s modern day Atari, it’s not like the old stuff that I tend to collect - but you know, it’s kind of rare merch and stuff like that, which is stuff that I’m really into and also something that I could potentially use here in the studio as well.
So that’s the first thing we’re going to have a look at and this one is just something I bought on ebay for the Desk PC - this was all based on a conversation that happened on my Discord server and this happened to come up and I couldn’t resist. It’s going to improve this setup fantastically - I’m, really excited to get my hands on this because it’s proper period correct bits of hardware and stuff and it’s all TIME branded to match the PC itself, which is very exciting - so a bit of a spoiler there!
So let’s get these unboxed - particularly this one - if I do a future update on the PC I just want to have the footage recorded of me doing the unboxing and stuff. You know, just to add a bit of spice and a bit of flavour to to any potential future videos.
So you saw it here first, like I say, this is where you get the behind the scenes and everything else.
But anyway, I’m going to stop waffling now - let’s get on with unboxing this stuff. Again I’ve left my trusty knife at home so I’m going to have to be using my iFixit screwdriver set just like the last video so Let’s get on with it - stop waffling!
So the first thing from the lovely Lewis Packwood from that WASD gaming show - thank you ever so much Lewis for thinking of me and for sending this over to me, I’m definitely going to be able to make use of this in the studio - and quite a simple unboxing here because I’ve already broken the seal on this and had a little peek inside.
But I thought there would be some fellow Atari fans in the audience who would appreciate this. So Atari - modern day Atari - were handing these out to people. Not to everyone, I don’t think - I think just to the selected chosen few at the show - and these are, as you may have worked out, some reproduction posters! Yay!
So they are, what are they? They’re about A3 size I think, and perhaps not the most high effort and exciting of merch on their part but I’m always excited to receive stuff like this. Let’s see if we can try and-
I have to try and unroll these without without creasing them somehow.
I don’t want to rush that on camera, so let’s just take a quick peek of them - a quick sneaky peek at them as they are in their current form. So, apologies for the-
Oh dear, I’m all over the place with this!
Right, so, we have an Asteroids poster, that’s very nice. Of course we’ve got the original box art.
We’ve got Missile Command. These are going to end up all over the place. That one looks quite interesting. Let’s save that one for last. Pretend you didn’t see that!
Let’s just go through these. So what’s this? Missile command. Oh, it says 2600+ so that’s a new one based on the 2600+, which as you know, if you’re a viewer of the channel - which I should hope you are - I’m a big fan of, I think they actually did a really great job with that console so that’s cool!
I might frame that one and stick it up on the wall of the studio.
But anyway, these are all coming out in any old order, aren’t they? So we’ve got Missile Command, we’ve got Berserk.
We’ve got… Ooh, what’s that one? Lee!?
Of course, Bruce Lee with the Atari 400 - they re-released Bruce Lee with that, didn’t they?
But they had to rebrand it as Lee. So this one goes out to all the Lees in the audience!
Star Raiders 2, of course - so I guess they’re tying in the whole Atari 2600+ and 400 Mini into all of this - I guess they were promoting them on their stand.
Oh, look at that. That’s really cool, that is!
Oh, I like that a lot, that’s a really cool poster!
That’s obviously Plaion is the name of the company that developed the 2600+ and there it is, the 2600+.
We’ve got some of Atari’s modern efforts on here. So we’ve got Mr. Run and Jump there, the new game that they developed for that platform.
Look at him with his Atari shoes.
Got the Mr. Run and Jump cartridge and some of the other cartridges that were released with that - that’s really awesome, I really like that actually.
I thought these were all going to be sort of fairly cheesy, knock off, poor quality reproductions of older stuff.
Sorry Atari, and yeah, sorry Lewis, I didn’t want to sort of sell you short or anything, but I go into these things with quite low expectations, and yeah, pleasantly surprised at that.
What have we got here? These are all over the place, what a mess. Missile Command, did we already look at that one? That’s just you know, just a reproduction of the original artwork there.
I’ll leave all of these unrolled separately, because I’ll find somewhere nice and flat to put them to try and gently flatten them out.
“Choose your destiny!”
Atari 2600- again, look at that! How cool is that? That’s a cool poster.
Oh, I like that, that’s really good.
So yeah, obviously we’ve got Yar’s Revenge on there and Haunted House which was released alongside that. Loads of classic games. Oh, I like that, that’s a really cool poster.
Another Atari 2600+ poster:
We’ve got Breakout on there, Mr. Run and Jump and… Wow, look at it, yeah! Again, that’s a cool poster - I like that, thank you so much, Lewis, this is really good. This is an excellent little haul of stuff! I really wasn’t expecting this. Like I say, I’d peeked in the tube, but that’s as far as I’d got.
And then finally, this one that I was saving till last - look at the design on that.
Atari 2600+ Plaion - nice to give the people that developed the thing credit. And yeah, that’s- you know, nice geometric designs, we’ve got pinball stuff in there, we’ve got all the classic games represented on there - sorry, I’m just distracted looking at these. We’ve also got the Adventure chicken and everything else.
I know it’s not a chicken…
But yeah, cool! What a cool way to start an unboxing video. Really pleased with those, thank you ever so much to Lewis and let’s move on to the next thing.
So, just another little Reesy Bonus for you just to round off this video:
I already know what’s in this box, but let’s take a look. I’ve got my trusty screwdriver again because yet again I’ve left my unboxing knife at home. I should probably buy one specifically for the studio, because you never know when you might need a Stanley knife.
So let’s get this open. I bought this on eBay and it was about £40 I think something like that?
Perhaps it was a little bit more than that, I can’t remember.
Anyway, the important thing is: has it arrived in one piece?
Let’s take a look, see how well packaged this is. It does feel a bit flimsy so hopefully nothing’s damaged.
So this is for the Desk PC which you might have seen in some of my videos on the main channel.
It was made by a British PC manufacturer called TIME back in - around 2001, 2002, we think - and one of my main complaints about it was that it came with a nice TIME mouse with all the same matching branding and the TIME speakers, but it didn’t have a matching keyboard.
So, I found this little lot for sale on eBay, like I say.
So we’ve got the mouse - except this one says “Microsoft for TIME” on it, so that’s really cool.
Yeah, Intellimouse 1.2A, PS2 compatible.
Let me just consult the other mouse - the original one - and see what it says on it.
Oh, that’s a Logitech. Okay, so the original is a Logitech, and this is a proper Microsoft Mouse, so that’s cool, that’ll be a nice upgrade.
The machine has PS/2, so easy peasy, straight swap, and all branded up and matching, which is very cool.
And just as we explore deeper into the box…
We have some speakers! Look at these!
Wow, look at those - that’s the proper TIME logo, isn’t it? So, as you probably remember, the Desk PC came with speakers.
But yeah. Wow, look at those.
They are properly of the era, aren’t they? And I believe they’re probably - what are they? That’s a negative tip, It doesn’t say what voltage they are - I’m not sure if the power supply is included. Is this the power supply? Nope, that’s just a bit of packaging.
Okay, but they are certainly going to look the part. I have to see which set sounds better, but I have to admit I do prefer the look of these. Gives me options anyway, and of course PC speakers are always handy for demoing other stuff, and I don’t have enough PC speakers, so they are very cool.
And as mentioned, the one thing that I kind of really wanted this little lot for was the keyboard, and probably no surprise that this is the keyboard - I think you can see that fairly obviously.
And this is Keytronic branded which I did spot in the listing just like the keyboard that came with mine. But the important thing is it’s got that TIME logo on it. It’s got some some kind of blemishes on it from where it’s been stored. That’s a bit of a shame.
I mean it may well be that I just swap the badge over but hey - still a cool thing to have, always useful to have PS/2 keyboards around the studio, and, like I said in that original video, this, I mean, it’s not a mechanical keyboard, it’s just your bog standard rubber dome type thing, but they’re not bad keyboards, I mean, I’ve actually been using it quite a bit, and, yeah, that’s cool, a bit of a shame about those, I didn’t spot those on the original listing, but I guess that’s my fault for not studying the photos properly.
A nice weighty thing as well, I think it’s probably got a metal plate inside as well, so a nice solid feeling thing.
So that’s cool, again that’s going to look the part with the TIME Desk PC. But there’s also one more bonus item in here which I’m really keen to show you - so yeah, let’s do that one!
Just first though, what is that?
Oh, okay, that’s part of a UPS box. I was going to say, it had some kind of packing instructions in it - I wasn’t sure if it was some kind of original packaging or something for these bits and bobs, but it’s not, it’s nothing nearly as exciting, but let’s continue.
And this… You’re going to love this and I’m probably going to do a little second channel video where I test this out as well.
…it’s a TIME joystick! Oh my goodness!
Wow - look at that. Look at that!
That is- that’s never been used has it? In fact it’s not, it’s got the bag and stuff on the cable. That’s actually never been used!
That is so cool, it’s got the suckers on it so I can stick it to the desk, it’s got the old gameport connector on it which that PC does have so that’s fantastic, and it says “Logic3 International Limited UK” on the bottom, so that’s manufactured by Logic3.
And there were actually two similar sets for sale on eBay, and the reason I went for this one is because it has the green buttons, and of course the TIME logo is traditionally green - although it is black on this or kind of greyish - but yeah, a proper PC joystick that plugs into the gameport, how cool is that?
I’m very much going to enjoy getting this PC set up with all of its matching accessories and having a play with the TIME joystick.
So, there we go, and would you look at that? I can just see that on my preview monitor there - and I thought there was some dirt on the lens or something, and it was driving me mad.
But yeah, that’s actually - look at that!
That’s actually the light coming through the window because of the time of day it is and because I’ve had to move the studio so I’m now opposite the the big window at the front, there’s obviously a bit that I’ve missed when I’ve been blocking that out so I’m going to have to track down where that’s coming from but at least it isn’t dirt on the lens like I thought it was but anyway, yes, matching accessories for the wonderful Desk PC!
I’m going to have loads of fun getting all of these set up - like I say, I’ll probably do that in a bit of a separate video - and those posters, I mean, obviously Lewis wouldn’t just send me a load of old tat, but I was quite surprised at some of the nice new designs that Atari have come up with for some of these and I’m actually going to frame a few of these and put them up around the studio here because they’re very cool. They’re very cool indeed.
So thank you for sending that over to me, Lewis - that’s really kind of you, I’m sure you’re probably watching, and yeah, thanks to everyone else for watching. I’m going to very quickly dump this into Resolve and export it and get it uploaded - I don’t want to spend too much time on these unboxing videos and things - and then get on with my big project which you can look forward to seeing on the main channel in the near future.
And of course the rambles will also be back on Friday night, 11:58 PM as always.
So that’s all I’ve got for you - thank you and goodbye!
Original Video Links
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Relevant Links:
Rees Rambles Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skb9zGqiN8c&list=PLcEaE8CtOwkRn5Q7dfS7xQJl0_unk3JJu
WASD Show: https://www.wasdlive.com
Desk PC Part 1: https://youtu.be/wS6Ku-GZMIw
Desk PC Part 2: https://youtu.be/HX8ZcHTLMRY
Curious Video Game Machines Book (Affiliate Link): https://geni.us/DxVs
iFixit Screwdriver Set (Affiliate Link): https://geni.us/3lE2aP
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