This episode features Typo Attack, originally released in 1982 by APX.  It was programmed by David Buehler, a seventeen year old high school junior.  It was the winner of the APX Star Award earning David $25,000.

Podcast: Download

 

Advertising

From Antic Magazine September 1983:

 

Manual Cover

APX released version:

 

Publicity:

News from Atari Connection Spring 1983:

 

 

David demonstrating Typo Attack:

 

 

Box and Supplement Scans

Scan of the front of the box (the Atari released version):

Scan of the back of the box (the Atari released version):

 

Typo Attack in Action

Intro

Animated intro with hands typing to trigger missiles:

 

 

 

Completion of the animation.  Notice the Atari copyright.  This screen shot was captured from a dumped cartridge image:

 

 

 

 

Game Play

The games start screen:

 

Wave 1:

 

 

Wave 2 (Notice Sp for Space on the third base):

 

Wave 3:

 

Wave 4:

 

Wave 5:

 

Wave 6:

 

Wave 7:

 

Wave 8:

Scores and Testing

Screenshots of my progress:

 

Screenshots of my type testing:

Instructions

Scanned Manual: Download

 

Teaching

The booklet that taught me to type properly:

• Publisher: Berkley Pub Group (Mm) (September 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 042507210X
• ISBN-13: 978-0425072103

Show Links:

• Atari Mania: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-typo-attack_5989.html
• Atari Archives: http://www.atariarchives.org/APX/showinfo.php?cat=20180
• Atari Magazines: http://www.atarimagazines.com/v2n1/insideatari.html
• AtariAge: http://atariage.com/box_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=2482
• Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typo_Attack
• Typing Test (web): http://www.typingtest.com
• Berkley book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/042507210X/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=
• Antic podcase with Inverse ATASCII: http://ataripodcast.libsyn.com/antic-episode-22-live-from-vcfse-2015-with-inverse-atascii
• Inverse Antic Personal Computing Floppy Maccast podcast: http://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-39-inverse-antic-personal-computing-floppy-maccast

 

Intro music is an excerpt from a chip tune by Wizwars named 8 Bit Raceway.  It is used under Creative Common license Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States.