Atari confessions. Confess your sins

[Dauber]

Of all the VCS/2600 games I've ever played...the one I hate most: Cosmic Ark.

 

I love the 2600 Pac-Man. Always have.

 

I don't like Pitfall II. Partly because of the music, partly because the difficulty is just too much for me.

 

Pitfall! has been one of my all-time favorite Atari games since it first came out. I never actually owned a copy until about ten years ago.

 

I traded my childhood 4-switcher for a stack of DVDs filled with MAME ROMs.

 

My favorite 2600 (if you don't count the 7800) is the Jr.

 

I love playing 2600 (and other) games on modern HDTV sets and have no desire to downgrade to CRT.

 

I actually have Basic Math on my want list.

[Papa]

1. My childhood 2600 was a Coleco Gemini.

2. I never call the 2600 a VCS. Before "2600" was on the Vader my family just called it "the Atari." Then Atari Corp. cemented it as the 2600 with their award winning commercials.

3. I repair Atari consoles in my free time and give them to friends and colleagues in an attempt to spread the disease of Atari collecting to my circle. It's beginning to work.

4. I enjoy playing Atari Pac-Man on the black & white setting.

 

ALL HAIL THE OVERLORD!!

 

Edited August 15, 2016 by Papa

[FifthPlayer]

I thought my copy of 2600 Asteroids was defective because sometimes the bullets went through the rocks without hitting them. Not realizing it was a programming limitation, I returned the cartridge to the store twice. (Today, I think 2600 Asteroids might be my favorite version of the game).

 

I also thought the Basic Programming cartridge would turn my 2600 into a fully functioning computer, and saved my money so I could buy the game and the keyboard controllers. I was very, very disappointed.

Edited August 16, 2016 by FifthPlayer

[Osgeld]

My one and only Atari doesn't work cause I keep stealing parts off of it to fix other Atari's

[high voltage]

I used to own a NES with Zapper and ROB and plenty of games (could've bought some VCS games instead)

Edited August 16, 2016 by high voltage

[Chris-in-NJ]

I've had a working 7800 since the mid '80s, and would play my 2600 games on it. I also had a 2600 console that I'd left at my parents' house when I got married in 1999, which I neglected, and my father *threw away* a few years after that!

 

I have never liked Pitfall! or Adventure. I have never owned an Adventure cart.

 

When younger, I would peel the labels off my Imagic carts and put them on the other way around so that I could fit the carts in the Atari-branded brown album-thing cartridge holders and still have their names visible.

 

I have only played Warlords with 4 players once in my life, and that was about 35 years ago. I now have two sets of paddles for the first time ever (found a set at a flea market back in May) bit have yet to find 3 players who'd like to play it at the same time as me.

[20ohm20]

I also thought the Basic Programming cartridge would turn my 2600 into a fully functioning computer, and saved my money so I could buy the game and the keyboard controllers. I was very, very disappointed.

 

I saved up my allowance for a long time for the Basic Programming cartridge and keyboard controllers and was also extremely disappointed. I got my first computer, a TI-99/4A, shortly afterwards so it didn't end up all bad.

[Keatah]

I also thought the Basic Programming cartridge would turn my 2600 into a fully functioning computer, and saved my money so I could buy the game and the keyboard controllers. I was very, very disappointed.

 

Basic Programming was in important cornerstone in my VCS library at the time. I thought it had limitless capability and that I was just dumb. All I had to do was work real hard and apply myself and I'd be making Atari games.

[tep392]

 

Basic Programming was in important cornerstone in my VCS library at the time. I thought it had limitless capability and that I was just dumb. All I had to do was work real hard and apply myself and I'd be making Atari games.

Looks like a lot of us were duped by that cart. I had big dreams of programming games on my VCS which were dashed when I finally got the cart for Christmas. I soon got a 400, which was awesome, and put that disappointment behind me.

[Keatah]

Looks like a lot of us were duped by that cart. I had big dreams of programming games on my VCS which were dashed when I finally got the cart for Christmas. I soon got a 400, which was awesome, and put that disappointment behind me.

 

I was too young to be duped in an angry sort of way. Instead I chose to be inspired. Everything was so nebulous at that young age, and the VCS was no NASA computer. And that was ok. It was nice to dream and fantasize and play make-believe.

 

Remember this was the heady days of single-board computers exploding on the scene. Anything and everything was all about "programming". Programming was *T*H*E* future of computing and science¹!! Look at all the early magazines and type-ins! Look at all the (impractical today) finance programs and checkbook programs. More trouble then they were worth.

 

It's quite amusing to think that the fledgling industry expected everyone to know or learn a computing language. Look how well that went over. Today, if turning on and using a device is any more complex than 1-button operation it's a fail! And "programming" today is a fitful jerking of the brain with bloated APIs and unnecessary layers piled upon unnecessary layers.

 

Heaven forbid anything having to do with basic copy-paste operations and file management. That requires a Ph. D.

 

1- Let us not forget other science icons of the time like math, electronic pocket calculators, space colonies, radar dishes, rocket ships, missiles, slide rules, and the planet Saturn. Moon stuff like landers and astronauts in space suits, bases, weather balloons, antenna towers, and control panels with loads of buttons dials and meters.

[adamchevy]

These are my confessions:

 

1. I'm not really a fan of Atari as much as I am the creativity and ingenuity behind each game. The fact that one person in some instances could create an entire game by there self is amazing.

 

2. I am fascinated by the fan base that still surrounds the Atari. Also, the fan base is more mature and intelligent than any I have come across.

[Keatah]

That's right. We are..except for a few lunkheads, every community has those.

[totallyterrificpants]

I agree on the community. I also like the SegaAge community, too. That's so small it's like a forum with friends, I like it.

[scelbi8h]

I love Pac-Man and E.T. to the point that I can play both of them at the most difficult level for as long as I can stand doing it. My records are 45200 (Pac-Man) and 123000 (E.T.) points.

 

I don't like Adventure, and don't enjoy Pitfall (I do like Pitfall II).

 

I don't own any original box or manual.

 

For some time, I though the six-switcher was ugly and liked the Jr. Not anymore, I love both of them now.

[Rom Hunter]

I sold my Atari 2600 together with 14 carts to a friend of my father who's kids loved to have a gaming console.

 

Years later he told me that his kids played it for about week and then threw it away...

 

[adamchevy]

I sold my Atari 2600 together with 14 carts to a friend of my father who's kids loved to have a gaming console.

 

Years later he told me that his kids played it for about week and then threw it away...

 

That's a sad story, my kids would be appalled to hear of such 2600 abuse. Of course they have had me around to show them all the great titles.

[bellview17]

My first Atari 2600 burned up in 1980.

My second in 2000.

I use my Ouya to play games, now.

The only system I do not have in the man cave ..

[SSG]

i rarely play it anymore.

[DanOliver]

Didn't save my Apple II dev system including Frob Card. So wish I still had it. Didn't save 10,000 copies of Rescue Terra I...will maybe that wasn't a sin.

[Professor Gull]

I have another confession reminded to me by my wonderful sister.

 

So Pre 7800 for me we had a Atari Jr and about 60 games. When I got my 7800 that year the Jr and carts were put away since my 7800 never played 2600 games.

 

My sister moved out when needing freedom and and took the box with all the games.

 

I found out later she threw them away before they packed the moving truck.

 

***Other note I tied a string to my reset switch on my 4 switch so I could sit back on my couch and pull when necessary***

[+davidcalgary29]

My Jag is used daily by the kids to play Speedster II.

[EdwardK]

 

***Other note I tied a string to my reset switch on my 4 switch so I could sit back on my couch and pull when necessary***

 

That's not a sin. You were just an innovator and redneck engineer. Reminds me of my dad's first remote control for the Magnavox, me sitting on a bigwheel. Good times.

[Video]

 

***Other note I tied a string to my reset switch on my 4 switch so I could sit back on my couch and pull when necessary***

Sounds pretty genius to me

[Professor Gull]

Well I recently just sinned against Atari again.

 

I pulled out the Jaguar and played some games....ok really I played Theme Park and I actually kind of liked it.

Edited August 26, 2016 by Professor Gull

[Stage_1_Boss]

My Atari Confession..

A friend gave me a bunch of Atari stuff about 8 years ago for my birthday.. in that stuff was a Supercharger with a few games.. I've yet to fire that up with this here walkman. I'm sure I'll get around to it soon. o_o