What games are necessary for a new 2600 owner?

[Necron99]

Berzerk

This

[raskar42]

Lots of people saying ET.

 

ET is an acquired taste - like fine wine or haggis. No one likes ET the first time they play it.

[atari5200dude82]

Any Activision and Imagic titles are good.

Adventure

haunted house

NIght driver

pole position

If you like football. SUPER CHALLENGE FOOTBALL IS awesome by m network.

Indy 500

missile command

moon patrol

joust

crystal castles

[gfunk823]

i recomend indy 500 with the driving paddles and a friend to play with(this was the first atari 2600 game i played) me and my friends can play this game for hours and it never gets old, also spider fighter is pretty fun to

[Skylark68]

Lots of people saying ET.

 

ET is an acquired taste - like fine wine or haggis. No one likes ET the first time they play it.

 

That may be true for adults (just like wine and haggis), but when this first came out I was a little one and played the heck out of it. It was one of my favorite games for a period of time...

 

Maybe I was just a strange kid?

[+FujiSkunk]

there have been many good solid choices mentioned already but there is one i haven't seen.

 

 

E.T. The extra terrestrial yes... i'm serious. You will likely fall into a hole.

 

Fixed that for you.

 

[KittyPerry]

I will throw in Mario Bros. as a suggestion. It's a fun game single or multiplayer.

[+cvga]

Activision: Kaboom!, Pitfall, Enduro, and Beamrider

Atari: Adventure, Warlords, Space Invaders, Yars' Revenge

Imagic: Demon Attack, Dragonfire

CBS: Solar Fox, GORF

Parker Bros: Montezuma's Revenge, Q*bert

[Vaughan]

I just spent the weekend switching between three games, they're all worth having.

 

First is Phoenix. This is a decent port, and none too easy in later stages.

Second was Centipede. A terrific conversion this, it's every bit as frantic as the arcade game and really tough.

Third was Video Pinball. At first glance this doesn't look too good, but to play it well you have to use "nudge" which introduces a good bit of skill.

 

All of these are worth having, imo.

Edited September 12, 2011 by Vaughan

[retrorussell]

My list:

Demon Attack

Cosmic Ark

Pitfall II

Mario Bros.

River Raid

Keystone Kapers

H.E.R.O.

Dragonfire

Asteroids

Space Invaders

Megamania

Dodge 'Em

Berzerk

Phoenix

Video Pinball

Kaboom

Adventure

Missile Command

Infiltrate

[bomberpunk]

two favorites that haven't been mentioned yet:

- Kangaroo

- Space Attack

[gfunk823]

<3 kangaroo

[Trinity]

Asteroids

Missile Command

Space Invaders

 

My must have games....

[disjaukifa]

Harmony Cartridge

[Trinity]

Harmony Cartridge

 

That's nice and all... And I'm gonna get one someday...But I love the feeling I get when I handle the same old cartridges I had when I was a kid.

[HatefulGravey]

If Activision made it there is a good chance you will love it. I know when I started playing all my favorite games were Activision and that honestly hasn't changed a lot.

 

Also, the very first answer you got was a great one. Berzerk is a great game for the 2600 and one that still gets a fair amount of play out of me. It doesn't matter how many games I get, Berzerk and Kaboom! will always get a lot of play.

[disjaukifa]

If Activision made it there is a good chance you will love it. I know when I started playing all my favorite games were Activision and that honestly hasn't changed a lot.

 

Also, the very first answer you got was a great one. Berzerk is a great game for the 2600 and one that still gets a fair amount of play out of me. It doesn't matter how many games I get, Berzerk and Kaboom! will always get a lot of play.

 

I still haven't play Kaboom! yet but I play Berzerk all the time, it has great replay value and the further you get in the game the more difficult it becomes and the best part is after you get good at least say Game Mode 01, go to 03 and you will be present with an even large challenge. I honestly could play Berzerk all day long and not get bored with it.

[+SpiceWare]

...Warlords just because it's my favorite on the FB2 and one of the best multiplayer games I've played...

My list at the moment looks like this:

Combat

Warlords

...

[Vaughan]

I'm with you, Trinity. Why go all out and buy the actual console if you're not going to use the actual cartridges? If I was going to go the harmony route, then I'd have stuck with emulation and been happy with that.

 

Nothing against the Harmony cartidge - some people here are afraid to use their actual cartirdges because they want them pristine, which is fair enough. But a console without cartridges just doesn't seem right, imo.

[Schizophretard]

I'm with you, Trinity. Why go all out and buy the actual console if you're not going to use the actual cartridges? If I was going to go the harmony route, then I'd have stuck with emulation and been happy with that.

 

Nothing against the Harmony cartidge - some people here are afraid to use their actual cartirdges because they want them pristine, which is fair enough. But a console without cartridges just doesn't seem right, imo.

 

Because:

 

Playing with an actual console is way better than emulation.

You can test out games before you buy them.

You can play rare games or prototypes that you either can't afford or are unattainable.

You can play homebrews that were never put onto cartridges.

Programmers can test their games on the console before putting them onto cartridges.

You can keep your carts in pristine condition while still enjoying their artwork.

Since it only comes out of the console to test actual cartridges it works as a dust cover for the consoles cartridge connector.

You have the convenience of having your entire library in one cart in a similar fashion to having your CD collection in an mp3 player.

You support homebrew programmers and people that create devices like the Harmony Cart by purchasing one.

When you grab one of your favorite cartridges and discover that it no longer functions, the Harmony Cart can save your day before you get your replacement.

For what it does it is cheap.

It is collectible.

When you are playing one of your rare games with or around children you don't have to worry about them doing something to damage it.

Purchasing one will increase the chances of a 7800 version being made.

The artwork on it can be enjoyed just like the artwork on other carts.

Instead of your broken cartridge being wasted by being thrown away, it can still serve a purpose as a Harmony Cart.

It is made out of an actual cartridge, so you are using an actual cartridge in your console.

You can test Seaweed Assault, give Random Terrain feedback, be happy for him when he completes it, and be happy for yourself because you get a new game to play.

 

That's all I can think of right now. I can think of only two downsides: It is a little less nostalgic and a Combat or Pacman cart had to die to make it. I say that it is a little less nostalgic because back in the day I hoped for such a device, so it wasn't from the past but when I was in the past I wished it was there. Also, I get to have a similar experience as the past(real console on a CRT). The Combat or Pacman cart dying would be the worst of the two downsides but that is just one cart out of millions that still exist. Thousands of them are experiencing worse deaths(like never getting reused as a homebrew or Harmony Cart) and being thrown away. So, to me the benefits out weigh the downsides. Owning a Harmony Cart is absolutely necessary. A console without a Harmony Cart just doesn't seem right, imo.

 

--Schiz

[SlowCoder]

I'm with you, Trinity. Why go all out and buy the actual console if you're not going to use the actual cartridges? If I was going to go the harmony route, then I'd have stuck with emulation and been happy with that.

 

Nothing against the Harmony cartidge - some people here are afraid to use their actual cartirdges because they want them pristine, which is fair enough. But a console without cartridges just doesn't seem right, imo.

 

Because:

 

Playing with an actual console is way better than emulation.

You can test out games before you buy them.

You can play rare games or prototypes that you either can't afford or are unattainable.

You can play homebrews that were never put onto cartridges.

Programmers can test their games on the console before putting them onto cartridges.

You can keep your carts in pristine condition while still enjoying their artwork.

Since it only comes out of the console to test actual cartridges it works as a dust cover for the consoles cartridge connector.

You have the convenience of having your entire library in one cart in a similar fashion to having your CD collection in an mp3 player.

You support homebrew programmers and people that create devices like the Harmony Cart by purchasing one.

When you grab one of your favorite cartridges and discover that it no longer functions, the Harmony Cart can save your day before you get your replacement.

For what it does it is cheap.

It is collectible.

When you are playing one of your rare games with or around children you don't have to worry about them doing something to damage it.

Purchasing one will increase the chances of a 7800 version being made.

The artwork on it can be enjoyed just like the artwork on other carts.

Instead of your broken cartridge being wasted by being thrown away, it can still serve a purpose as a Harmony Cart.

It is made out of an actual cartridge, so you are using an actual cartridge in your console.

You can test Seaweed Assault, give Random Terrain feedback, be happy for him when he completes it, and be happy for yourself because you get a new game to play.

 

That's all I can think of right now. I can think of only two downsides: It is a little less nostalgic and a Combat or Pacman cart had to die to make it. I say that it is a little less nostalgic because back in the day I hoped for such a device, so it wasn't from the past but when I was in the past I wished it was there. Also, I get to have a similar experience as the past(real console on a CRT). The Combat or Pacman cart dying would be the worst of the two downsides but that is just one cart out of millions that still exist. Thousands of them are experiencing worse deaths(like never getting reused as a homebrew or Harmony Cart) and being thrown away. So, to me the benefits out weigh the downsides. Owning a Harmony Cart is absolutely necessary. A console without a Harmony Cart just doesn't seem right, imo.

 

--Schiz

Excellently put. I only have 120 carts, and I would like to keep them in the best condition I can. While I have 0 problems swapping out carts, it's simply more convenient with the harmony. I have limited space, so being able to put my real carts away in the closet really helps. And I can test and play games I don't have.

 

This hobby has space for everyone. Whatever suits your desires or needs, do that, and enjoy yourself. I happen to like to play on my real consoles, and the convenience of the multi-carts is A+.

[Vaughan]

I'm with you, Trinity. Why go all out and buy the actual console if you're not going to use the actual cartridges? If I was going to go the harmony route, then I'd have stuck with emulation and been happy with that.

 

Nothing against the Harmony cartidge - some people here are afraid to use their actual cartirdges because they want them pristine, which is fair enough. But a console without cartridges just doesn't seem right, imo.

 

Because:

 

Playing with an actual console is way better than emulation.

You can test out games before you buy them.

You can play rare games or prototypes that you either can't afford or are unattainable.

You can play homebrews that were never put onto cartridges.

Programmers can test their games on the console before putting them onto cartridges.

You can keep your carts in pristine condition while still enjoying their artwork.

Since it only comes out of the console to test actual cartridges it works as a dust cover for the consoles cartridge connector.

You have the convenience of having your entire library in one cart in a similar fashion to having your CD collection in an mp3 player.

You support homebrew programmers and people that create devices like the Harmony Cart by purchasing one.

When you grab one of your favorite cartridges and discover that it no longer functions, the Harmony Cart can save your day before you get your replacement.

For what it does it is cheap.

It is collectible.

When you are playing one of your rare games with or around children you don't have to worry about them doing something to damage it.

Purchasing one will increase the chances of a 7800 version being made.

The artwork on it can be enjoyed just like the artwork on other carts.

Instead of your broken cartridge being wasted by being thrown away, it can still serve a purpose as a Harmony Cart.

It is made out of an actual cartridge, so you are using an actual cartridge in your console.

You can test Seaweed Assault, give Random Terrain feedback, be happy for him when he completes it, and be happy for yourself because you get a new game to play.

 

That's all I can think of right now. I can think of only two downsides: It is a little less nostalgic and a Combat or Pacman cart had to die to make it. I say that it is a little less nostalgic because back in the day I hoped for such a device, so it wasn't from the past but when I was in the past I wished it was there. Also, I get to have a similar experience as the past(real console on a CRT). The Combat or Pacman cart dying would be the worst of the two downsides but that is just one cart out of millions that still exist. Thousands of them are experiencing worse deaths(like never getting reused as a homebrew or Harmony Cart) and being thrown away. So, to me the benefits out weigh the downsides. Owning a Harmony Cart is absolutely necessary. A console without a Harmony Cart just doesn't seem right, imo.

 

--Schiz

 

 

To play devil's advocate - See, I can do everything Harmony does on my PC. In fact, by taking the emulation route I can:

 

Play every 2600 game out there.

Play every Lynx game out there.

Play every Atari 8-bit out there.

Play every 7800 game out there.

Play every 5200 game out there.

Play 1000's of Arcade titles in Mame.

Play a host of Nintendo games.

Play a host of Sega titles.

Play every homebrew for the Atari range.

Browse the net.

Download porn.

It's portable for trains, planes, and automobiles.

 

I mean, following the logic, if you want to keep cartridges pristine, why not keep the entire console pristine? Having it out and powered on is only causing wear and tear - right?

 

I do appreciate your feelings on it - and it does sound like a nice bit of engineering. However, there simply is no substitute for me for having the real deal, the real thing, the console, the cartridges as released. For me, THAT is the thing. Everything else is one step removed. A console and Harmony is one step removed. A PC with emulation is two steps removed, and so on.

 

But the flexibility and options available from a cheap laptop is huge. If keeping things pristine is my goal then I'll build a case and kep my stuff behind glass.

 

In short, if I wanted to go the route of not using the real thing, I'd not buy a Harmony cart (I suspect the primary use for these is to play games you don't own - but I could be wrong), I'd simply get serious about having an emulation setup. Heck - it sure would be easier to get working with modern day TV's, taking care of aspect ratio's etc.

 

Hmmmmmmmm. You know, I should probably just bite the bullet - cut the spending on carts etc. - and get that damn laptop.

 

Thanks man!

Edited September 13, 2011 by Vaughan

[+SpiceWare]

If I was going to go the harmony route, then I'd have stuck with emulation and been happy with that.

It's simple - emulating a console is noticeably different than emulating a cartridge.

 

As great as Stella is, it's not the same as the real thing. It's noticeable in a variety of ways such as the slight delay in controller response, the way the image looks, the phosphor mode for flicker support looks way better than on the real thing, etc.

 

In contrast if you had 2 hidden Atari systems hooked and playing a game such as Space Invaders, there's no way to tell which was using the real cartridge and which was using Harmony.

 

I suspect the primary use for these is to play games you don't own - but I could be wrong

And you would, at least for me - this is one of the two games I'm using the Harmony to develop.

[SlowCoder]

It's simple - emulating a console is noticeably different than emulating a cartridge.

 

As great as Stella is, it's not the same as the real thing. It's noticeable in a variety of ways such as the slight delay in controller response, the way the image looks, the phosphor mode for flicker support looks way better than on the real thing, etc.

 

In contrast if you had 2 hidden Atari systems hooked and playing a game such as Space Invaders, there's no way to tell which was using the real cartridge and which was using Harmony.

 

Yep. But I maintain that we are all here to have fun with this hobby. This Harmony/real cart argument has taken place before. Do it the way that makes you happiest.

[Trinity]

It's about the memories for me. For instance, My Enduro cartrige makes me remember when I bought it back in the 80's on a hot summer afternoon for five bucks of grass cutting money. (those were the days)... And even more so because the open end of it has chew scars from one of the greatest dogs of all time, Spike. RIP boy.