Nathaniel Lockhart
@nathaniellockhart.bsky.social
Lover of old stuff, primarily ancient tech and old movies. Things like the Commodore 64, reel to reel tape players, and silent film. I talk about all that stuff on my podcast, the Memory Machine. He/him
www.memorymachinepod.com
www.memorymachinepod.com
Pinned
Memory Machine #70 – The Heyday of Video Rental
For about 30 years, video rentals were a part of everyday life for anyone who owned a TV set. It allowed us to watch and re-watch our favorite movies at our leisure, discover new favorites through …
memorymachinepod.com
Here another thing I'd like to share with my new followers - I do a fun podcast about old things!
Here's one I did recently about the history of video rental stores:
memorymachinepod.com/2024/01/10/m...
Here's one I did recently about the history of video rental stores:
memorymachinepod.com/2024/01/10/m...
Reposted by Nathaniel Lockhart
Reposted by Nathaniel Lockhart
42 years later and I think maybe a dozen or so 70s TTL games are playable via mame or fpga platforms. The process is tricky and needs very specialized skills and specific information… but frankly I don’t know how many more decades these surviving machines still have in them.
This line from Video Games (Apr 83) was too prescient. One of the more frustrating things to me about the state of video game preservation is what feels like a general lack of interest in pre-'80s games; I will never stop banging the drum about the importance of '70s games (especially Death Race).
November 28, 2025 at 12:21 AM
42 years later and I think maybe a dozen or so 70s TTL games are playable via mame or fpga platforms. The process is tricky and needs very specialized skills and specific information… but frankly I don’t know how many more decades these surviving machines still have in them.
These Atari Parties are always so much fun. Thanks so much @rectapete.bsky.social for doing all the hard work of making it happen!
Atari Party 2025 was amazing. It was great catching up with @nathaniellockhart.bsky.social and @atarispot.bsky.social. I got to meet up with @atariarchive.org for the first time too!
An absolutely gigantic thank you to @rectapete.bsky.social and @billlange.bsky.social for organizing the event.
An absolutely gigantic thank you to @rectapete.bsky.social and @billlange.bsky.social for organizing the event.
November 23, 2025 at 5:51 AM
These Atari Parties are always so much fun. Thanks so much @rectapete.bsky.social for doing all the hard work of making it happen!
Reposted by Nathaniel Lockhart
Atari Party 2025 was amazing. It was great catching up with @nathaniellockhart.bsky.social and @atarispot.bsky.social. I got to meet up with @atariarchive.org for the first time too!
An absolutely gigantic thank you to @rectapete.bsky.social and @billlange.bsky.social for organizing the event.
An absolutely gigantic thank you to @rectapete.bsky.social and @billlange.bsky.social for organizing the event.
November 22, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Atari Party 2025 was amazing. It was great catching up with @nathaniellockhart.bsky.social and @atarispot.bsky.social. I got to meet up with @atariarchive.org for the first time too!
An absolutely gigantic thank you to @rectapete.bsky.social and @billlange.bsky.social for organizing the event.
An absolutely gigantic thank you to @rectapete.bsky.social and @billlange.bsky.social for organizing the event.
Ta da! I made a lil 2600 controller that has a paddle knob built in! The switches determine what paddle is being used and whether or not the B button acts as a joystick fire or a paddle trigger. Start/select toggle whether A is up (handy for C64 games) or joystick fire.
November 22, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Ta da! I made a lil 2600 controller that has a paddle knob built in! The switches determine what paddle is being used and whether or not the B button acts as a joystick fire or a paddle trigger. Start/select toggle whether A is up (handy for C64 games) or joystick fire.
Didn't wanna drill holes in a Famicom, so I designed and 3D printed this lil guy here. Turned out pretty well!
November 15, 2025 at 6:56 AM
Didn't wanna drill holes in a Famicom, so I designed and 3D printed this lil guy here. Turned out pretty well!
Reposted by Nathaniel Lockhart
It’s exciting when someone publishes long-form on a subject you’ve been researching for years.
Here’s a thread commenting on this article in more detail.
If you do the retro computer, read the article & then come back here.
Apologies and respect in advance to @ernie.tedium.co
🧵👇
Here’s a thread commenting on this article in more detail.
If you do the retro computer, read the article & then come back here.
Apologies and respect in advance to @ernie.tedium.co
🧵👇
RF Shielding History: When The FCC Cracked Down On Computers
The FCC took a hard line on the radio frequency interference that computers created—creating huge headaches for early PC-makers. Why? Blame the CB radio fad.
tedium.co
October 25, 2025 at 6:44 AM
It’s exciting when someone publishes long-form on a subject you’ve been researching for years.
Here’s a thread commenting on this article in more detail.
If you do the retro computer, read the article & then come back here.
Apologies and respect in advance to @ernie.tedium.co
🧵👇
Here’s a thread commenting on this article in more detail.
If you do the retro computer, read the article & then come back here.
Apologies and respect in advance to @ernie.tedium.co
🧵👇
Question for you Intellivision heads out there - can you think of any Intellivision games where it's required to press two keypad buttons at the same time? Or if it's even possible for the console to recognize that via hardware?
October 24, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Question for you Intellivision heads out there - can you think of any Intellivision games where it's required to press two keypad buttons at the same time? Or if it's even possible for the console to recognize that via hardware?
Anybody need some zinc electroplating solution? I made like, 4 gallons of it. Because of course I had to re-plate a rusted Atari 5200 RF shield
October 20, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Anybody need some zinc electroplating solution? I made like, 4 gallons of it. Because of course I had to re-plate a rusted Atari 5200 RF shield
Reposted by Nathaniel Lockhart
Cool things happening thanks to @nathaniellockhart.bsky.social ‘s Street Fighter: The Movie: The Arcade Game CPS1/2 harness! Now I can easily swap in the board for a quick fix instead of re-wiring the cabinet
github.com/nateo87/Stre...
github.com/nateo87/Stre...
October 12, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Cool things happening thanks to @nathaniellockhart.bsky.social ‘s Street Fighter: The Movie: The Arcade Game CPS1/2 harness! Now I can easily swap in the board for a quick fix instead of re-wiring the cabinet
github.com/nateo87/Stre...
github.com/nateo87/Stre...
Generally speaking, it's a good idea to get Game Gears recapped
October 10, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Generally speaking, it's a good idea to get Game Gears recapped
Me: about done with this KIM-1 replica! Now to just put the pinheaders on for the keypad...
My supplies drawer: you're fresh out.
Me: fffuuuuuuuUuUUUUUU
My supplies drawer: you're fresh out.
Me: fffuuuuuuuUuUUUUUU
September 27, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Me: about done with this KIM-1 replica! Now to just put the pinheaders on for the keypad...
My supplies drawer: you're fresh out.
Me: fffuuuuuuuUuUUUUUU
My supplies drawer: you're fresh out.
Me: fffuuuuuuuUuUUUUUU
ONE OF MY GRAILS HAS BEEN FOUND
The Bologna museum of coin-ops and pinball seems to have unearthed the original schematics for the early (1976) Sega coin-op Heavyweight Champ (today considered to be lost media). Using them, the game could now theoretically be rebuilt from scratch.
September 23, 2025 at 6:34 PM
ONE OF MY GRAILS HAS BEEN FOUND
Pro tip: your spouse will love it when you etch PCBs in the bathtub! But don't take my word for it, ask @helloktee.bsky.social herself!
September 22, 2025 at 5:48 AM
Pro tip: your spouse will love it when you etch PCBs in the bathtub! But don't take my word for it, ask @helloktee.bsky.social herself!
Panel submission completed for MagFest. Had a lot of fun doing it last year; it'd be great to get to do something again for it!
September 20, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Panel submission completed for MagFest. Had a lot of fun doing it last year; it'd be great to get to do something again for it!
Reposted by Nathaniel Lockhart
The cover artwork for the PAL release of Mr. Do! for the ColecoVision, which features a rather interesting interpretation of both the visuals and general gameplay.
May 16, 2025 at 12:05 AM
The cover artwork for the PAL release of Mr. Do! for the ColecoVision, which features a rather interesting interpretation of both the visuals and general gameplay.
Reposted by Nathaniel Lockhart
got this patched up just in time for the end of the season
shout out to @nathaniellockhart.bsky.social for his amazing work as usual
shout out to @nathaniellockhart.bsky.social for his amazing work as usual
September 18, 2025 at 6:59 PM
got this patched up just in time for the end of the season
shout out to @nathaniellockhart.bsky.social for his amazing work as usual
shout out to @nathaniellockhart.bsky.social for his amazing work as usual
Reposted by Nathaniel Lockhart
Hosting a WebSite on a Disposable Vape
Someone's trash is another person's web server.
bogdanthegeek.github.io
September 15, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Reposted by Nathaniel Lockhart
Good news, everyone! The Video Game Research Library has pushed past 3,000 links!
Get a huge does of video game history from 1962 until today right here!
www.patreon.com/posts/video-...
Get a huge does of video game history from 1962 until today right here!
www.patreon.com/posts/video-...
Video Game Research Library - 9/15/25 Update | Video Game Canon
Get more from Video Game Canon on Patreon
www.patreon.com
September 15, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Good news, everyone! The Video Game Research Library has pushed past 3,000 links!
Get a huge does of video game history from 1962 until today right here!
www.patreon.com/posts/video-...
Get a huge does of video game history from 1962 until today right here!
www.patreon.com/posts/video-...
Reposted by Nathaniel Lockhart
VCF-MW 2025 Pics
September 13, 2025 at 6:51 PM
VCF-MW 2025 Pics
Garbage plate
September 9, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Garbage plate
Reposted by Nathaniel Lockhart
Dr. Scott M. Baker has designed a single-board computer that reaches right back into the earliest days of microcomputing — picking Intel's first commercially-released microprocessor, the 4004, as its heart.
Dr. Scott M. Baker Reaches Back into Microprocessor History to Design an Intel 4004 SBC
Period-appropriate single-board computer design pays homage to Intel's four-bit 4004 — with a few modern quality-of-life additions.
www.hackster.io
September 9, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Dr. Scott M. Baker has designed a single-board computer that reaches right back into the earliest days of microcomputing — picking Intel's first commercially-released microprocessor, the 4004, as its heart.
Waiting for my daughter to get off the bus like a completely normal, non-embarrassing dad
September 8, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Waiting for my daughter to get off the bus like a completely normal, non-embarrassing dad