What was the ATAC Vs. The Network war all about?

[Hardy Boys UB Fan]

LOL Well they do have some nifty gadgets but doing it "old school" is still cool too. They kicked just as much butt before or maybe even more than they do as ATAC.

They did?

[SDLagent]

Yeah, they did. Especially in the Casefiles. In that series, Frank and Joe would take-on heavily armed terrorists with nothing but their fists. In the UB, Frank and Joe take-on nerds who cheat at hot dog eating contests with the latest ATAC tech. Which is more badass?

[Hardy Boys UB Fan]

Yeah, they did. Especially in the Casefiles. In that series, Frank and Joe would take-on heavily armed terrorists with nothing but their fists. In the UB, Frank and Joe take-on nerds who cheat at hot dog eating contests with the latest ATAC tech. Which is more badass?

But they have all kinds of technology in the UB's! How cool is that?

[SDLagent]

It may be cool but it doesn't really make the writing or the stories can better and ATAC tech can sometimes be used as a plot device for lazy writers.

[Hardy Boys UB Fan]

It may be cool but it doesn't really make the writing or the stories can better and ATAC tech can sometimes be used as a plot device for lazy writers.

What do you mean?

[SDLagent]

Well, if the Hardys are trapped and the writer doesn't know how to get them out of a situation, he just write a ATAC gadget into the story for the sole purpose of getting Frank and Joe out that situation.

[Hardy Boys UB Fan]

Well, if the Hardys are trapped and the writer doesn't know how to get them out of a situation, he just write a ATAC gadget into the story for the sole purpose of getting Frank and Joe out that situation.

Yeah. It's like, "Can they not use their brain?"

[SDLagent]

Exactly. So you agree, then?

Plus, using a gadget as a easy-out is pretty predictable. It's a classic trope of the spy genre.

[AlwaysAJoefan]

Exactly. So you agree, then?

Plus, using a gadget as a easy-out is pretty predictable. It's a classic trope of the spy genre.

Very true.

[Hardy Boys UB Fan]

Exactly. So you agree, then?

Plus, using a gadget as a easy-out is pretty predictable. It's a classic trope of the spy genre.

On that, yes I do.

Very true.

[SDLagent]

So if you agree that the tech isn't what makes the UB better, what does make them better?

[Hardy Boys UB Fan]

So if you agree that the tech isn't what makes the UB better, what does make them better?

That they're set in today's time.

[SDLagent]

That doesn't make them "better", though. I can see liking that aspect of the series but liking them more just because they are "set in today's time"?

Actually, the UB will probably get dated faster than any other Hardy Boys series because of their references to pop culture. I think one of the later books even mentions a specific season of Lost! That's going be outdated in months!

[MacGyver]

Plus, using a gadget as a easy-out is pretty predictable. It's a classic trope of the spy genre.

Herein is the difference between James Bond and MacGyver. Bond just pulls stuff out that Q already made for him whereas MacGyver pulls stuff together from whatever is lying around and finds inventive escapes.
(But don't worry- I still love both of them. )
MacGyver even acknowledged the James Bond inspiration in The Heist episode when MacGyver, dressed in a tuxedo, identified himself as "Bond, James Bond."

[MacGyver]

But regarding the Undercover Brothers books- yes, they do have some cool technology that ATAC provides Frank and Joe with. I don't think this really makes or breaks a book- but it's nice to have. I understand SDLAgent's point about it being an easy out for writers who get the Hardys trapped in a corner. And the UB books are set in modern times, so that's easier to relate to and that makes sense. Of course, I guess older fans can find it just as easy to relate to the other series since some of them grew up in those same times with the books. Maybe the personable first person writing style appeals to Hardy Boys UB Fan along with the fact that they do try to utilize the language of today's teenagers (note I said try- I'm not sure if they're always successful in that- but I suppose it sounds more modern than "Gee, Frank- that's swell." )
      I take it you're not a fan of historical fiction, HBUBF? All the classics from the 1600s, 1700s, 1800s and early 1900s have way less technology in them than even the original text version of The Hardy Boys Original series. But that doesn't make Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island or Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days any less exciting. But that's just my opinion. I'm sorry- I'm not meaning to criticize your interests or likes. I can understand that more recent books are probably easier for you to get into and that's okay. I think the point some of the other fans on here are trying to make is that the writing level and style of the UB books just doesn't quite match up to the standard set in the Casefiles, Digests and Original 58 books. But it's not necessarily wrong (though some might view it as such)- it's just different. If you don't like it- that's okay. If you do like that style- that's cool too. The main thing is that The Hardy Boys are cool in whatever facet they may appear.