Strat-O-Gems Deluxe is a new Atari 2600 game by John Payson, originally created for the 2005 Minigame Competition that bears similarities to Columns, Jewel Master, and Salu's Acid Drop. In Strat-O-Gems Deluxe, colored gems fall from the top of the screen in groups of three. Any time three or more adjacent gems of the same color line up vertically, horizontally, or diagonally they will disappear. Any gems above them will then fall down; if these create new groups of three or more gems, those too will disappear, leading to chain reactions. Your job is to score as many reactions and chain reactions as possible before the gems reach the foul line. If any gems remain over the foul line after all reactions are complete, the game will end.

AtariAge and John Payson are sponsoring a contest to create original artwork for Strat-O-Gems Deluxe This label artwork will appear on all copies of Strat-O-Gems Deluxe, which will be available through the AtariAge Store. This artwork will also be featured on the cover of the manual created for Strat-O-Gems Deluxe. You can follow development of Strat-O-Gems Deluxe in our Homebrew Discussion Forum and download the latest version to try out in your favorite Atari 2600 Emulator.

The winner of the contest will receive a copy of Strat-O-Gems Deluxe in cartridge form, adorned with their winning label design. The winner will also receive a $50 gift certificate in the AtariAge Store. The contest will run until 11:59pm (CST), Sunday, December 4th, 2005 and all submissions must be received by this time! After the contest has ended, John Payson will select one of the entries as the label to be used for Strat-O-Gems Deluxe.

How to Enter

Both a main label and an end label must be included with your submission. For your label to be considered, please understand these guidelines and conditions. Any questions may be directed to [email protected]:

		Main Label - There are no restrictions for the artwork or layout for the main label, so you are free to create anything your imagination (and artistic skills) can conjure up. Please keep in mind that this artwork will also appear in the manual created for Strat-O-Gems Deluxe.
		End Label - For the end label, John Payson would prefer the Strat-O-Gems Deluxe title screen graphics come into play, but these graphics not be followed precisely.  The title screen graphics had to conform to the 2600's capabilities, but the label need not.  The most notable features of the title screen graphic are: An "O" that also looks like a gem (if you can improve this, please do) Horizontal striping (not necessarily uniform, and not necessarily on the "O") Letterforms resembling Peignot uppercase Here's a snapshot of the title screen as it appears in the game:
		Text - The following text must appear on the main label (only the game title, Strat-O-Gems, needs to appear on the end label, but if you can fit Strat-O-Gems Deluxe, all the better): Strat-O-Gems Deluxe Copyright © 2005 John Payson
		AtariVox Enhanced - Strat-O-Gems Deluxe supports the AtariVox, and this should be indicated on the label. This can be simply by using the text, "AtariVox Enhanced", or perhaps with a burst or stamp of some sort.
		Clearly Legible Text - All text on the label must be clearly legible at the size the label will be printed (see below for actual dimensions). Please keep this important consideration in mind while you are designing your label.
		Multiple Submissions - While we will gladly accept multiple submissions, we ask that each label be unique from your any previous submissions in some significant fashion. We reserve the right to reject labels that differ only in color or some other minor attribute from previous entries. We will gladly replace previous submissions with new entries if you so request.
		Use of Copyrighted Images - If you use any copyrighted images, you must seek permission from the copyright holder before using that image as part of your label. Likewise, any labels that use artwork from a previously submitted label will be rejected.
		Permission to Reprint - By submitting an entry (or entries) to this contest, you agree to allow AtariAge and/or John Payson to reproduce your submission(s) without your having to grant permission or receiving compensation for the right to do so.

Labels should be saved in a non-lossy image format such as PNG, TIFF, PCX, or BMP. If you need to save your image using JPEG for some reason, please use a minimal amount of compression. In order for the label to look good when printed, it should be saved at at 200dpi or better. If you are concerned about large file sizes you can drop us a line before mailing the file, but generally anything under 10MB will not be a problem.

Please take care to make sure your label is proportioned correctly. You may download these graphics to assist in this effort:

• Main Label Template (300dpi)
• End Label Template (300dpi)
• Main Label Template (200dpi)
• End Label Template (200dpi)

Please do not send your labels already attached to these templates, they are provided only to help you properly frame your label. We will shrink and crop your label to the correct size and place it on the templates for inclusion on this page where others may view them. The original, high-resolution submissions will be sent to John Payson when the contest is complete.

Actual label sizes when printed are 2 3/4" x 3 3/8" for the main label and 2 3/4" x 9/16" for the end label. If you have artwork that goes to the edge of the label, you will also need a 1/4" bleed around the edges. This bleed isn't necessary for the contest, but if your label design is chosen as the winner it will be necessary in order to print the label.

Label submissions and questions about the contest must be sent to [email protected]. We will post submissions publicly on this page as we receive them. The contest may also be discussed in our Contests Forum. For some inspiration, you can view some of the many labels submitted in previous 2600 label contests:

• Go Fish! Label Contest
• Man Goes Down Label Contest
• Ultra SCSIcide Label Contest
• Krokodile Cartridge Label Contest
• Backfire Label Contest
• Climber 5 Label Contest Page
• Qb Label Contest Page
• Gunfight Label Contest Page
• Mental Kombat Label Contest Page

Remember, the contest ends at 11:59pm (CST), Sunday, December 4th, 2005!