This week I’m recounting the story of Alligator People for the Atari 2600. This is a story of ill-advised licensed merchandise, scrappy startups, and the collapse of an entire industry. Alligator People: how did it get made, how was it lost, and how was it rediscovered?

Show Notes:

• Addams Family Values Videogame Rebate Offer Promo (YouTube)


• Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick | Playstation 2 Trailer (YouTube)


• Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game Promo (YouTube)


• David Crane (Atari) – Interview (ArcadeAttack)


• John Marvin Interview (Wayback Machine)


• E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (Atari 2600) (YouTube)


• Electronic Fun with Computer & Games - Vol 01 No 10 (Archive.org)


• The Alligator People (1959) Theatrical Trailer (YouTube)


• John Russell Video Game Credits (MobyGames)


• John Russell Innovations ST4096C (AtariMagazines.com)


• The History of Atari's Planet of the Apes Video Game (DailyGrindhouse)


• Atari 2600 - Planet of the Apes (YouTube)


• The Alligator People (AtariProtos.com)


• 2600 Planet of the Apes (AtariAge)


• Screen shot of ALLIGATOR PEOPLE! (AtariAge)


• Alligator People (Prototype) for the Atari 2600 (YouTube)

If you want to watch an entertaining documentary that touches on the Video Game Crash of 1983, check out Atari: Game Over!

This episode of Mount Molehill was written, produced, and edited by Chris, with music by Chris and Alex Bainter / CC BY. Any voices featured on the podcast are computer generated unless otherwise noted. This podcast features materials protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.

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