G'day. I'm new here. This is my Atari shelf (feedback wanted).

[MildCuriosity]

G'day all Atari Age members!

 

After a short time lurking I've decided to dive in and make an account. As an introduction, I thought I'd share my Atari game collection. And there's also something I want some feedback on...

 

 

 

 

I've taken photographs of my game shelf in two configurations - one sorted by publisher/shape/label, and one strictly alphabetised. I'm still in two minds about which I prefer. The latter makes it easier to locate the game I want, but doesn't look as 'tidy' to me. Then again, some of my cartridges are in such bad shape that it looks a bit of a jumble either way.

 

So I want to know: how do you organise your games? Can you sway me to one side or the other?

 

 

Of course, any other questions or suggestions are welcome .

[+atari2600land]

I organize mine alphabetically. It does make it easier to find a game.

[bennybingo]

I organize mine by publisher... alphabetically. Best of both worlds!

[atari181]

I organize by publisher. When collecting loose carts some carts are odd shaped and don't really fit in when sorted alphabetically.

[Andre81]

I organize by publisher and serial, not alphabetically.

[kamakazi]

For my small collection it depends on the console the games are for. The 2600 has only 3 games complete in their boxes. The rest are cart only. Loose carts tend to get placed on a bottom shelf but in alphabetical order. The 5200, however, has only 3 games that are loose while the rest are in their boxes. I have those placed according to their publisher/part number. All other console games are placed in alphabetical order. You have a very nice collection of 2600 games.

[karokoenig]

Shelf looks really nice. Personally, I prefer to sort them by company. But that's just my sense of symmetry. I actually thought about sorting them by joystick or paddle controls as well. We're all such nerds - we know where every game is anyway :-).

[JamesL]

I organize mine by publisher... alphabetically. Best of both worlds!

Ditto for me. But I lay my carts flat instead of on their sides.

Edited April 12, 2014 by JamesL

[+cvga]

I organize mine by publisher... alphabetically. Best of both worlds!

 

That's what I do also.

[high voltage]

very nice collection already

[MildCuriosity]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. The majority seem to sort by publisher, and I think that's what I'll stick with because it does look nicer. I just need to put more effort into learning which games come from which companies (though the ones without end labels are still a pain).

 

And cheers for the compliments, but I don't think I can really take credit for it. What you see almost entirely came from two massive garage sale hauls. It's part of the reason I've held off adding to my collection until recently - every Atari game I come across seems very expensive by comparison. But I've started selling off my duplicates (yes, I even got duplicates), which has given me a small pool of money that I'm planning to use to track down some of the games that are rated highly on this forum.

 

As an addendum, here is a photo of my Atari consoles (some of which need a good clean). The jr. console on the bottom-left is actually an 128-in-1, which I didn't realise when I first got it. And the Famicom-shaped thing on the top-right is a Hi-Score-MK1 - an Atari 2600 clone from Bit Corporation.

 

[Gray Defender]

Looks really nice. It's topped of nicely with the Commodore 64. Good job!!

[kamakazi]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. The majority seem to sort by publisher, and I think that's what I'll stick with because it does look nicer. I just need to put more effort into learning which games come from which companies (though the ones without end labels are still a pain).

 

And cheers for the compliments, but I don't think I can really take credit for it. What you see almost entirely came from two massive garage sale hauls. It's part of the reason I've held off adding to my collection until recently - every Atari game I come across seems very expensive by comparison. But I've started selling off my duplicates (yes, I even got duplicates), which has given me a small pool of money that I'm planning to use to track down some of the games that are rated highly on this forum.

 

As an addendum, here is a photo of my Atari consoles (some of which need a good clean). The jr. console on the bottom-left is actually an 128-in-1, which I didn't realise when I first got it. And the Famicom-shaped thing on the top-right is a Hi-Score-MK1 - an Atari 2600 clone from Bit Corporation.

 

 

Pretty cool consoles! I'd like to see the 2600-clone in action and the 128-in-1 because it looks like it accepts carts (?). The 7800 has an unusual rainbow I've not seen before (I don't think ?).

[nofrills100]

Great collection so far.

That Hi-Score Mark 1 console is a rare one. I see the mark threes pop up all the time, but almost never the 1 and 2's.

I'm curious as to what the front label of 'Beasties' looks like - could you take a pic.

Are you in Sydney? If so, check out: http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/gamemasters/ I went to it the other day and there are tonnes of arcades to play for free. Haven't played Outrun since I was 18 - great to get behind the wheel again

[MildCuriosity]

 

Pretty cool consoles! I'd like to see the 2600-clone in action and the 128-in-1 because it looks like it accepts carts (?). The 7800 has an unusual rainbow I've not seen before (I don't think ?).

 

Thanks, kamakazi.

 

The clone isn't much to see in action. The hardwired RF cable doesn't seem to be very good - I've only ever been able to get a grainy B/W picture from it, even when the Colour switch is on. The controllers are also hard-wired and also not very good.

 

The 128-in-1 functions exactly like an Atari Jr. The only physical difference is that the two-way channel switch is replaced with a four-way game bank switch. I didn't even realise it was different until I tried to play a faulty cartridge and Super Ferrari came on the screen instead - and even then I assumed it was a built-in game for all Jrs.

 

Selecting the 128 games is a bit of a pain. You choose between four banks of 32, and then flick the Colour/BW switch to cycle between them. However, it jumps around the games in an almost random order. If I want to play a specific game I could be there all day flicking the switch until it happens to pop up (if it wasn't for this list I would have been completely lost). But it was a nice surprise to unknowingly have so many more Atari games to play, and I've grown to like having a built-in game randomiser.

 

As for the 7800, I believe that rainbow band is the standard for European/Australian consoles (mine is labelled as a 'PAL B' if that helps).

[MildCuriosity]

Great collection so far.

 

Cheers.

 

That Hi-Score Mark 1 console is a rare one. I see the mark threes pop up all the time, but almost never the 1 and 2's.

That's good to hear. I picked it up at a Garage Sale yonks ago for $2, along with the wonderfully-titled Snail Against Squirrel. I didn't have an Atari 2600 at the time, so I wasn't even sure what it was when I bought it (which made it all the more alluring).

 

I'm curious as to what the front label of 'Beasties' looks like - could you take a pic.

 

No problem. It has the 'Inca Gold' label (as do Dragon Treasure and Time Warp).

 

Luckily, it's also one of the very few games that I also have the box for (which features the art for Frontline - the title 'Beasties' has been stuck on top separately). I was pleased when I found it. I'd researched the whole Zellers labelling thing while trying to puzzle out why two of my games had the same irrelevant cover art, so I recognised the spine (which just says' Game Cartridge') when I saw it in a Cash Converters amongst a bunch of Mega Drive games.

 

Are you in Sydney? If so, check out: http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/gamemasters/ I went to it the other day and there are tonnes of arcades to play for free. Haven't played Outrun since I was 18 - great to get behind the wheel again

 

Sadly, no - I'm about a twelve-hour drive away (otherwise I would be over there in a heartbeat).

[nofrills100]

Great that you have it boxed as well! That is one of the rarer hi-score games. I collect that particular shape of cartridge, the V-cart (see my signature). Incidentally all those carts with the scull island and frontline artwork either on the cart or on the box, (found in australia) are hiscore releases - uniquely released here - probably by the same Taiwanese manufacturer who supplied carts to zeller.

Edited April 22, 2014 by nofrills100

[atarilovesyou]

I had those strange carts at one time, sold by a company called Zellers here in Canada. Time Warp, lol, I cant remembering they were very good and the art was hilarious. Prolly worth quite a bit today, though!

 

and I never thought to go horizontal with the shelves, nice! I don't have the space for them in that config but it looks great.

[theatarifan]

I like to have the boxes also.

[kamakazi]

LOL...if my 2600 JR had a built-in game I wish I could find it Amazing how there is so many different variations of these retro consoles floating around.