Which Atari Home Console System is Your Favorite, 1st to Last?

[Atari~e]

Which Atari Home Video Game Console System is Your Favorite, 1st to Last? My First Favorite is the Atari 2600 VCS Wood Grain 4 Switch from 1980- 1982, 2nd is the Atari 7800 Pro System, 3rd is the Atari 5200 Super System, 4th I the Atari Jaguar from 1993. Things are always the BEST when they are brand new. Back in the day when Atari was the king of video game industry, many years ago When I was 9 yrs. old & first introduced to the Atari 2600 VCS, The Intellivision & then the Colecovision home video game systems it was a BLAST back in the video game boom o 1982. I can say today that I am very glad that I was brought up in the 80's. Things were really cool then. There were a lot of things that were new in the tech industry, like Laser Video Discs, Tape Decks, CD players & of course the VCR. Things just aren't the same today. They're are a lot of new things today & tech moves a lot quicker today then it did back in the 1980's. I hope you enjoy my post :0)...

 

 

 

Edited March 24, 2015 by Atari~e

[famicommander]

Atari 2600 is the best by simple virtue of having the largest selection of games in the most genres available. Anyone can get into the systme no matter what kind of games they like.

 

My next favorite is the 7800, because it has great home versions of some of my favorite arcade games. It still has my favorite home version of Joust.

 

Next up would be the Jaguar, because it at least has some standout exclusives. I don't dislike my 5200, but most of its best games are also available on 7800/Colecovision/8 bit/NES/etc. And its controllers are such a royal pain.

 

If we were counting handhelds I'd throw the Lynx in there behind the 7800.

[Rhomaios]

7800 because it can play 2600 games. 2600 because it's still just awesome. Next is the Lynx. Then the 5200, which would be higher, but I feel like it's one of the few entirely unnecessary systems. Finally the Jaguar, which is last not just in this list, but close to the bottom in the list of all consoles.

[BassGuitari]

This is like asking someone to rank their kids by how much they love them.

[high voltage]

1: I only got JRs at the moment, but I'll have to say it's the Vader, because it looks wicked, and the Compumate fits nicely on it.

2nd would be the Lynx, because it's an awesome handheld, and it had great games

3rd I vote 5200, never released in UK, but I like it because it's HHHHUUUUGGGGE!!!

4 7800, don't like the games much.

last the Jaguar

 

somewhere in between is the XEGS, 1000s of great cartridges available

Edited March 24, 2015 by high voltage

[+DamonicFury]

Just pure personal preference here. The first three are virtually tied... they are all superb in their own ways.

 

1. 5200 (with a Wico joystick) - Size matters - love the huge shiny black console, and the large carts. I also appreciate the high quality, but easy collected, game library.

2. 2600 - This is the true King of Consoles, the originator of the video game craze. For me, it just feels a little tiny bit plain compared to the 5200 Ferrari.

3. XEGS - This, of course, shares the same fantastic chipset as the 5200, and plays most of the same games, plus many more. Like the 2600, it only lacks for style.

4. Lynx - Amazing handheld for it's day. Great game library, hampered only by it's lackluster screen and terrible battery life.

5. 7800 - Graphics are quite nice on this system, but it's held back by its audio capabilities. I'm also not terribly fond of it's original library, although PacManPlus is doing wonders to improve that issue!

6. Jaguar- It's just not my thing. I'm more of a fan of the 8-bit era. There are a few nice games like Tempest 2000 and Raiden, however.

[ZippyRedPlumber]

1. 2600

 

2. 7800

 

3. XEGS/8-Bit

 

4. Lynx

 

5. 5200

 

6./Dead Last: Jaguar

[Master Phruby]

This is like asking someone to rank their kids by how much they love them.

We do that all the time around here. It keeps the kids competitive.

 

1) Atari VCS - 6 switch - my first video game system and still my favorite.

2) Atari XEGS/400/130XE - I learned how to program on this thing. Launched my career

3) Atari 5200 - Nice to have when I don't want to mess with basic commands and disk drives

4) Atari Lynx - some really unique games and was never matched until the GBA came out.

5) Atari 7800 - plays 2600 games but the 7800 games are only slightly better than the 5200.

6) Atari ST - Great games and cooler than the Mac. Just wish I had room for a full setup.

7) Atari Jaguar - The games seem unfinished with textured polygons. T2K and AvP are the only reasons to play. More ST conversions needed

Edited March 24, 2015 by Master Phruby

[Nebulon]

5200

7800

2600

[SiLic0ne t0aD]

2600 - "The King"

Jaguar

5200

7800

etc..

[+save2600]

2600

7800

Jaguar

5200/XEGS

Lynx

[mehguy]

Ya forgot something... *Pulls out obscure atari console*

 

The ATARI XE!

 

EDIT: Oh wait never mind...

 

What was the point of the XEGS? The 7800 was already out.

Edited March 25, 2015 by mehguy

[BassGuitari]

I guess if I had to rank them, it'd go something like this:

 

1. Video Computer System/2600: It's one of, if not *the* quintessential classic video game console. It was the system that made me want to explore the games before my time (I came up in the '90s). I think it's the most accessible of all Atari consoles, and many of its games still hold up today. There was such a staggering variety of games, controllers, and accessories for the system that it's not only a joy to play, but also to collect. And most 2600 stuff really is pretty cheap, comparatively speaking. Plus, there's a 2600 to match every style of home decor.

 

2T. 5200, 7800: I know it's a cop-out, but I really can't choose. There was a time when it would have been, unequivocally, 5200 followed by 7800. It's impossible to talk about the 5200 without mentioning its enormous size, and that's only one of the reasons I love it. The thing just looks powerful, and its styling was probably a couple of decades ahead of its time. The 5200's library is excellent, with a good mix of ports from the arcade, home computers, and even a few exclusives, with many titles I'd consider must-plays (yes, even with the Atari 5200 joystick). Having to fix up the controllers is a nuisance, but it's a fact of life with the 5200, and well worth it for me. As for the 7800, for years I didn't think much of it; I didn't feel it quite had the charm of the 2600 or 5200. It seemed like a "Super 2600" that played more of the same old crusty games as well as crippled versions of the kinds of games Nintendo and Sega had, only nothing came close to Super Mario Bros. or Alex Kidd (please don't say Scrapyard Dog). But it's really grown on me over the last few years, and now I think it's pretty rad. Although known mainly for its early '80s arcade rehashes, the 7800 also has great ports and adaptations of contemporary arcade and computer titles (a few I daresay are even better than the Nintendo versions), and even a few interesting exclusives. Both the 5200 and 7800 have great libraries that are relatively small and great to collect for. The 7800, with better controller options and 2600 compatibility, is the daily driver of the two, while the 5200 is an exotic sports car that gets 3 miles a gallon and has to get a tune-up every couple of months. Couldn't trade one for the other.

 

3. XEGS: The XE system goes here kind of by default; I'm not quite as into it as I am the Atari Trilogy, but it's far, far ahead of the rest. While it's got great games and I love having it in my collection, I can't get past the notion that it seems like an anachronism. I'm all about backward compatibility (in this case, with the 400/800/XL computers, because it IS a 65XE computer), but most games released specifically for the XEGS are literally the same games that appeared on Atari computers over a half-decade earlier, essentially old tape- or disk-based games stuffed onto [admittedly, very stylish] cartridges. Imagine if Microsoft released a new PC-compatible console and repackaged titles like Battlefield: 1942 and Counterstrike as new releases for it. Some XEGS titles also appeared on the 7800 but were usually better on that system. The XEGS is essentially a different way to play Atari 8-bit games (console style as opposed to computer style), but that's never a bad thing. I love collecting for this thing, too, but it can get expensive.

4. Jaguar: There isn't a whole lot I can say about the Jaguar. It features only a handful of games that interest me, it's expensive, and my fondest memories of it are how my brother and I would pore over ads for it in GamePro and EGM. It seemed so sleek and exotic, as did the 3DO and CD32 and the other systems that were [perceived to be] the Maseratis of the console world at the time. Never saw or heard much of the Jaguar at all until almost 10 years later, when my brother got a Jaguar, JagCD, and a bunch of games from Telegames before they stopped carrying that stuff, and we figured out pretty quickly why nobody bought the thing back in the '90s. We nevertheless had some fun with the Jaguar, but probably more fun making fun of Highlander and that green head from Cybermorph.

 

5. Lynx: I think the entirety of my experience with the Lynx is about 10 minutes with Kung Food. So I have no opinion of the Lynx per se. Its chances are hurt by the fact I'm not really into handhelds anyway. Sorry, Lynx.

[Rybags]

1. If the XEGS is to be counted as a console then it wins by far for me. The 8-bit computers hold by far most interest of anything Atari ever made for me, and although the XEGS is near to the least desirable for me of the 8-bit computer line, it wins for me by association. Also by far the largest software library.

 

2. 7800. Helped somewhat by 2600 compatability. Plus it's a 6502 machine. Obvious downside the lack of support and late wide release which did nothing to help it's success.

 

3. Jaguar. I don't have one, haven't even used a real one but it impresses technically and deserved more success than it had.

 

4. Lynx. Another excellent machine in comparison to most contemporaries which suffered for numerous reasons. When you look at what Lynx can do in comparison to early Gameboy and the Game Gear it's just unbelievable.

 

5. 2600. I can't help but put it after the other lot. OK, most successful by far and possibly more technically advanced than anything else on offer for a couple of years after release at least. But other than a few of the older games and some impressive modern day homebrews, it doesn't strike up much interest for me.

 

6. 5200. It just doesn't do much for me. Repackaging of the computer line in an affordable sense but IMO the implementation, timing and marketing was pretty pathetic.

[masematte]

1. The Jaguar, cause do the math

2. The Vcs, i like the homebrews,

3. The Lynx ( and with the screen mod, it is perfect.

4. The 5200/Xl/Xges the Arcade Games are brilliant.

5 The 7800 i didnt like it...

[mitchd61]

2600 (The Vader model being my personal favorite)

Jaguar/JagCD

7800

Lynx

5200

[Torr]

1. Atari VCS: 6 switcher. I don't like having to fiddle around behind the console to hit those switches.

 

End of story!

 

Seriously though, it's the only system I've ever played.

Back in the day I always wanted a Jaguar. Screenshots and whatnot in magazines always looked pretty good. I played Tempest 2000 on PC and loved it and AvP appeared to be AWESOME. From what I've seen of the games through internet videos and reviews it seem to be pretty much on par (or maybe even below par) with the Sega Genesis with 32X added. Maybe if it had more time to be figured out and better developers were making games we could have seen some really good titles for it.

The 7800 and 5200 have always perked my interest.

I've tried a few 7800 titles in emulation, and while I appreciate the graphics it can push, the VCS sounds really drag the experience down.

I've also tried a few 5200 titles in emulation, and while I really like the sound it produces, I find the graphics to be pretty underwhelming, mostly the color schemes, maybe it was the emulator though.

And unfortunately, in the end, there seems to be very few titles for either the 5200 or 7800 that aren't just A/V updates of VCS games or are good exclusives to the console itself. I think that was one thing that deterred people from buying the 5200 when it came out. You were buying a new system and re-buying the same games just to play them with updated graphics and sound that STILL didn't match the arcades; while the VCS versions, which may have been lacking in graphics and audio by comparison, were STILL genuinely fun to play. There was no need to upgrade unless you had money to burn to stay on top of the technology advancements. And in turn, the 5200 seemed to suffer form the same syndrome as the Sega CD. IE, customers were waiting for better games to be released to justify buying the system, and Atari was waiting for more systems to be sold to justify sinking the time and money into making more/better games for it. It stalemated.

[JacobZu7zu7]

OOPS...

 

I missunderstood the question,

 

My favs,

 

1st. Atari 2600

 

2nd. Atari 5200

 

3rd. Atari 7800

 

 

Never played XEGS, Lynx or Jaguar... but I hate handheld games so Lynx never would be above last place.

Edited March 29, 2015 by JacobZu7zu7

[JacobZu7zu7]

Just pure personal preference here. The first three are virtually tied... they are all superb in their own ways.

 

1. 5200 (with a Wico joystick) - Size matters - love the huge shiny black console, and the large carts. I also appreciate the high quality, but easy collected, game library.

2. 2600 - This is the true King of Consoles, the originator of the video game craze. For me, it just feels a little tiny bit plain compared to the 5200 Ferrari.

3. XEGS - This, of course, shares the same fantastic chipset as the 5200, and plays most of the same games, plus many more. Like the 2600, it only lacks for style.

Oh yeah,

5200 is awesome in look and the carts. Very enjoyable sound and graphics with challenging gameplay.

 

With many low priced but fun games.

[RangerG]

1) 5200 2) 2600 3) XEGS 4) 7800 5) Lynx 6) Jaguar

[adamchevy]

1. Atari 800 - I love that it supports Svideo natively with the appropriate cable, and the games are the best Atari ever offered in my opinion.

 

2. Atari 2600- Show some respect.

 

3. Atari 7800 Gotta love the quality Arcade ports

 

4. Never owned the rest, but I cant help but feel drawn to the 5200

[acelkin]

Atari 2600-because it was my first console, had the most games for it, lots of my friends had one to trade games with. Still play it almost daily!

 

Atari 5200-I was sick with asthma in the hospital, my first experience was 5200 Centipede & I loved it! I never owned one because I was Colecovision 'Fanboy' plus I don't think I could have talked my parents into ANOTHER system-already had the 2600, Intv, CV. Spoiled brat!

 

Atari 7800-I only picked this one up as an adult-it's a great system, a great one to collect for due to the limited # of games, but I feel it was just a re-hashed 5200 with a lot of the titles Atari put out.

 

Chris

[glazball]

Everyone keeps including the Lynx - is that really considered a "home console"? I would say not. In any case, here's my list:

 

1. 5200 - because well, it's awesome

2. 2600 - nostalgia galore and so many great titles (as well as lots of fun turds to hateplay)

3. Jaguar - some real gems on the Jag, but they are few and far between

4. 7800 - the best games were often ones rehashed from the pre-NES era

[+TwentySixHundred]

Preffrence order then pro's and con's of my opinion

 

First - 2600

Pros - Great software, simple but relevant controls, unique gameplay and first system i owned

Cons - Fraction of the software is bad apples also a couple of frustrating limitations on the programming side.

 

Second - 7800

Pros - Backwards compatibility, revamped graphics.

Cons - Lack of software, late release date and insignificant attention to audio in development.

 

Third - 5200

Pros - More faithful to the Arcade ports, kind of a cool looking system and the RF/PSU rolled into one design is pretty cool.

Cons - Poor controllers, competition like CV hindered sales and badly timed release date (during the "crash").

 

Forth - Jaguar

Pros - Very interesting hardware design, very powerful for its time and well the game Doom as it shows what the system could do.

Cons - Many bad apples when it comes to software, controller design was a little dated and shear cost on launch.

 

Had to list a forth as the Jag is a fascinating system.

[Wyluli Wolf]

For the consoles it would have to be:

 

1. Atari 2600 (Stella) - It was my first gaming system. There are tons of games for it and it was the longest running system from the 1970's to the 1990's!! It's easy to pop in a game and just play without spending hours pouring thru instruction manuals Lot's of variety. It will always hold a special place in my heart.

 

2. Atari 5200 - It's huge! But that is part of what makes it so awesome! The graphics were greatly improved over the Atari 2600 and I gotta say I like the look of that retro monster and it's giant cartridges. Sure, most of the games were already out on the Atari 2600 but the graphics were so much better on this monster. The controllers are, unfortunately, clunky and take some effort to repair. The Wico command control is pretty good, but too loose in the throw for my taste. The controller is what mainly dampens this systems overall appeal but I still have a place for it.

 

3. Atari 7800 - The sad game library really kills it for this system for me. A few of the same games were released on the 7800 such as Asteroids which look great and play great but overall I found the library of games severely lacking. The controller is also not one of my favorites but at least it's backward compatible with the 2600.

 

4. Atari Jaguar - Honestly I could say this system ties with the 7800 for me. Same issue...dismal library of games! The Jaguar should have been so much more but man, did they blow that one big time! And WTH?!?! were they thinking with that controller? I remember when this baby was released and I wanted one thinking "It's Atari! It's gotta be good!". Um...nope, not so much. There are barely a handful of games worth playing on this poor, sad beast.