Atari with a 2-year-old

[jablestown]

They both knew what frogs were. So... I will deploy, you guessed it. Frogger!

 

 

 

My daughter is almost 2 and currently loves frogs. Frogger didn't get her attention but Frog Pond using the flashback portable was a huge hit. She's not really able to play the joysticks, but that thumb pad works perfect. Mainly she just jumps the frog around and jumps up and down while she plays. It's freaking adorable.

[StanJr]

Yeah, Frogs n' Flies is great in that capacity as well. We played it a bit when Seamus was 3 or 4. Should break it out again.

[CaptainBreakout]

To the OP: have you showed your kid Enduro?

Happy to say I am excitely awaiting Enduro in the mail... Part of a batch of games purchased from an outstanding AA member. Looking forward to seeing how the kids respond.

 

I'm loving this Frogs and Flies subject. I should locate that cart as well. (If someone has a cart and manual feel free to hit me up for a trade)

 

Thanks for all these great stories, very supportive and encouraging too!

[Syzygy1]

You're not gonna be playing Custer's Revenge with him anytime soon, are you?

[CaptainBreakout]

You're not gonna be playing Custer's Revenge with him anytime soon, are you?

Lol... Negative. In fact I have a CIB copy of that game for trade if anyone's interested.

[Novastar]

I played kaboom with my two year old and he loves it. His record is like 10 points... total. In trying to find a game he could last longer playing, I had him playing bump n jump. When the siren went off he asked, "what is that noise?". I told him it meant that he needed to jump, but more likely it meant he was going to die. Now whenever he hears the noise he states, "I'm gonna die" in a matter of fact way. It's pretty funny.

Edited February 23, 2018 by Novastar

[CDS Games]

I played kaboom with my two year old and he loves it. His record is like 10 points... total. In trying to find a game he could last longer playing, I had him playing bump n jump.

 

Heh. Just bought Kaboom...hopefully my kids will enjoy it.

 

I started my youngest on Air Sea Battle. Over two minutes of play, impossible to die, and you really only need to hold down a button to score.

[CaptainBreakout]

I like the feedback here. I have kaboom but it's too frantic for now I think.

 

My kids throw me for a loop all the time tho, so maybe that's reason to try it.

 

Most lately tho.. I thought I'd throw a couple of rare games out there and see what happened. First was Qb.

 

My son liked the cartridge more than the game. Nice art. I think he got too confused by the action on how the game was supposed to go, and just wanted me to pull the cartridge out and leave it somewhere where he could look at it.

 

Again, I think I want to say thanks to the artist. Even if the game was beyond his comprehension, the art definitely represented the game and he liked looking at it.

 

I tried Power Lords next. This game has a snake that comes out of a mountain. That fortunately is understandable even for a 2-year-old. I think his exact words were "Big snake in there!"

 

Um... Yes.

 

I explained that I needed to "bop it". Kind of a nice way of saying kill it or shoot it to a 2 year old. Anyway he got the concept, and yeah... There was some bopping, after which the player descended into the volcano of doom. Like... this is supposed to be Vulcan I think? The name used in the toy line would have me invoking Einstein or Spock here. I'm sure they have nothing to do with this. From the looks of things this game would have much more to do with Beanie and Cecil. Well, Cecil anyway. The seasick sea serpent. Good cartoon. I'm old. I have rare game. Anyway...

 

My son liked it a lot. Even the boring levels between the giant snake where you shoot endless (seemingly) robots. Thumbs up. Waiting for movie adaptation now, as far as we're concerned.

 

So yeah, more updates to come. 100% more likely they will involve less obscure games.

[StanJr]

Try Mario Bros. The action there is very straightforward and the characters are fun. It's one of my son's favorite Atari games. He also loves that its two player simultaneous, so that might be a future in road for you as well.

[marlowe221]

My 2 year old daughter will grab me by the finger, pull me into our home office and drag me to the old CRT that sits on a small cabinet on one end of the room.

 

"Play 'tari Daddy!"

 

I mostly play Asteroids for her. It's slow enough for her to follow and she likes the multi-colored popcorn asteroids in the 2600 version. Beamrider is another favorite.

[CaptainBreakout]

We had another game session this morning, so I thought I should write a entry while it's fresh in my mind.

Enduro -what a hit! "Cars going fast!" "Car go down, daddy go up!" Lots of excitement around this game. We played for a full hour before he finally said "different game."
One slight criticism of the great Larry Miller... After explaining that it was night time, my son said "where is moon?". That was very astute. So yeah... Really great game Larry (honestly) but couldn't squeeze in a moon? Meh, just a two year old observation.

Grand Prix... Mostly good reaction. This meant a lot to me since this was the first game I remember buying with my own allowance (as a lad of course). I also remember consistently calling it "Grand Pricks" despite lots of eye rolls and corrections from my parents. They eventually gave up.

Anyway, my son liked this one ok. And it was cool since it was another car game that was distinctly different than Enduro. I could tell he really liked the colorful cars. I actually got him to try the joystick himself for a few minutes. Not very successful but it was a good step.
He eventually kept asking me to "turn around". This is why it's so much fun playing Atari with a 2year old because... Well... Who else would think of this kind of thing?
After explaining that I really couldn't turn around, he wanted a different game.

One little note is I thought I could use this opportunity to play Indy 500 with him, since we had done that before but earlier in his development. He was all excited to get the driving controllers set up and everything, but when the game came on he looked disappointed.
"Play BIG car game, Daddy!"
"You mean Grand Prix again, the one we were just playing?"
"No, play different game."
I was briefly tempted to roll out San Francisco Rush 2049 on the Dreamcast, but quickly reigned myself in.

Instead I tried something else and said, "How about a Horse game?"

He likes horses.

That got a big smile. I took down Stampede and put the cart in his hands.

"So many horses, daddy!"
"Actually," looking at the tiny spotty pixelated label, "I think those are cows. But the man is riding a horse."

That received an approving nod.

Stampede is a GREAT game. I never had it as a kid. After getting it in the mail about 6 months ago and after the same amount of beers (obviously late at night while the kids were asleep) I made that same conclusion. However, after the more recent experience this morning I can say that with a great deal of emphasis.

I got my son to move the cowboy around himself with the joystick. I had to keep my hand on the reset switch (the game is ruthless), but managed to have a good joystick intro without breaking the switch itself.

After a bit of that he watched me play intently for a good half hour. I got out the instructions and really tried to get a patch-worthy score. Always seemed obtainable, but just when everything seemed under control, an Angus or two would swish right by me and it would be Game Over.

Cowboy hats off to Bob Whitehead.

So yeah, then it was time to scramble eggs and hustle to get him ready for preschool. My mind was a bit occupied thinking about some way to earn an activision patch in this day and age, and what kind of apparel my son could carry or wear that it would feel right sewing it to.

Edited March 2, 2018 by CaptainBreakout

[StanJr]

Never stop posting these updates!

 

Sounds like you found some real winners this time! Can't wait to see what you try next!

[CaptainBreakout]

The flu bulldozed its way through the family this last week, so we've had a lot of game time. Although it's going to be told through a brain recently wracked by fever, there were a few glowing lucid moments that are worth sharing.

 

First we revisited Grand Prix. His request. Something cool about this particular title with a toddler... You can't die. Seriously. You can't even lose really. You can just take your finger off the gas button and your car will sit there all by its lonesome for, I presume, indefinitely.

 

This is actually great if you happen to be 2. He discovered the gas button. Yay. B on the Genesis pad (his hands are too small for the stick and he doesn't get the hold the red-button in the upper left thing). He'd accelerate for a bit, then take his hands off the button and just ponder the screen awhile. Then try again.

 

I can't emphasize enough how great it was that the game lets him do that undisturbed. Any other title I can think of would start slamming you with aliens and bullets and what have you. It's like the first rule of this generation of games... Don't slow down or you will get pummeled! But heh... Grand Prix has what some would consider questionable gameplay, maybe too rudimentary, but here I'd say it's perfect.

 

So after he got comfortable with the gas, he tried to steer. He had a lot of trouble since he kept engaging the breaks. After a few minutes he said "Daddy go up and down!".

 

So yeah, it was a pretty awesome experience sharing a gamepad with a toddler. He'd hit the gas and my hand on the other side would do it's best to try to avoid slamming into cars.

 

I'd go as far as to say this is the ideal way to play Grand Prix. I can't think of any way to have more fun with that game then this.

 

It's also cute how he'd jump up and run to the console to hit reset each time we got to the checkered flags. I lost track of time. We probably did this for the better part of an hour.

 

Maybe this is a good point to end this entry. We did a few more games too... Better write them down now or I'll forget... Um. Venture, Dragonfire, Power Lords (again), and Ghost Manor. I'll try to write about those if I can get to it.

 

Tomorrow is his birthday. So, if we have any more entries chronologically, it's technically going to be "Atari with a 3-Year Old". I'm inclined to keep going.

Edited March 20, 2018 by CaptainBreakout

[StanJr]

Please keep going. These are great! Games like Grand Prix are great for the very reason you mention. In introducing Seamus to the Atari it was a real hunt for games he couldn't lose at. The Sesame Street titles were obvious winners, but they require the keypad and that's its own thing. Sorcerers Apprentice was an early favorite because the game doesn't present many actual enemies to fight, just stuff to do.

 

Right now these are the games in his rotation (keep in mind he's 5, but honestly there's not too much of a shift since he's 3):

Donkey Kong

Q*bert (a longtime favorite)

Ms. Pac-man

Sneak n Peek

Pressure Cooker (he just likes to run the chef around and let him get pelted with vegetables)

Swordquest Fireworld (again, lots of consequence free mini-games)

Sorcerer's Apprentice

HERO

Slot Racers (a great two player option he likes to play with me)

Maze Craze (good for one or two players, no death)

Cookie Monster Munch

Alpha Beam with Ernie

Mario Bros.

Dig Dug

Fast Food (BURP cracks him up)

[CaptainBreakout]

ADVENTURE!

 

The last couple of times my son and I played Atari, he's specifically asked to pick the game. That's cool... So I'll grab three carts off the shelf and and ask him to pick one.

 

This morning the choices were Yars Revenge, Frankenstein's Monster, and Adventure. After some playfulness, where he kept holding out Frankenstein's Monster and taking it away from he, he picked Adventure. I was actually thrilled with this choice.

 

What blew my mind was how quickly he got into it, and he completely absorbed what was going on in real time. All I had to do was talk out loud about my intentions.

 

Each time I encountered an object, I explained what it was and what I wanted to do with it... Or in the case of the dragon... Run the heck away! Or the bat of course... The most fun... The object of frustration but also problem solving.

 

This was a hilarious interaction, because he'd reply back to me too all the time... Or ask me to do certain things... All of which we tried. I talked about everything the whole time, and so did he. We had some great laughs.

 

The one line of his that had me in stitches was: "Stop taking all my stuff, Bat!"

 

Anyway, Adventure with your young child... Total A+... Just be prepared for total engagement and lots of interactive explainations. Variation number 2 recommend, and when you are eaten by a dragon, let your child your child hit reset with a "let's try again!"... All the objects are where you left them, except obviously the dragons are now alive.

[StanJr]

Yeah, I think Adventure is a great early game. Relatively consequence free, very open world, lots of opportunity for interaction with the environment, exploration. And some day he'll take over the controls and do it all for himself!

[CaptainBreakout]

This got ahead of me a bit... Now that my son has turned 3, it's a little confusing as the game sessions have gotten more frequent, but also shorter. That's partially due to it being summer and him having a distractible attention span and me trying to steer him towards the outdoors.

 

Still, we get some game time in.

 

Mostly I want to give a shout-out to Demons to Diamonds. This much-ignored game is fantastic to play with a three year old. It's easy to get the concept that they can only shoot 'demons' of their color, and daddy can shoot the others, and the skulls are bad.

 

In that game's case, the simplicity is an advantage. Also there's a lack of depth to the game. That's kind of good when playing with a young kid. Even at three, just like an adult, he's into the inviting nature of something simple, but wants to move on to something deeper after a few rounds.

 

It's like playing the card game 'War'. Exciting for a minute, but both players will probably want to move on to something deeper pretty soon. Such is the case with an Atari and a three year old.

 

But anyways, he actually played Demons to Diamonds with me, rather than just watched me play something. That's cool, I think.

 

So to try to be comprehensive, I'll try to note what else we played recently. Hmmm...

 

Adventure

We keep coming back to this. A lot. He won't play it. He wants me to play and comments on it the whole time... Totally enraptured. Really fun from a dad's point of view.

 

Extra Terrestrials

(Not ET, but the ultra obscure low-mintage Canadian game)

Ugg. This actually was embarrassing... Even in front of a 3 year old. This game isn't really ... Um... Good. And also very non-intuitive, and questionable gameplay happening. I had to read the manual in front of him and explain that he needed to move around and try to get me for the game to... well... work.

That didn't go so well. I know this game is a collector's item, but unlike a few other collector's items I've tried with him, it seems to be a real dud. I'll hit it again when he masters the controller and see if it's got any play value in his or my life.

 

Ice Hockey

A winner! The concept is really strange (at 3, organized sports are still mostly unknown), but this might be the gateway to the gamepad for him. It's mellow enough to step back and try the controls, and see feedback on the screen. Also it's easy to explain what the objective is, and he seems excited by it.

We're coming back to this one. Stay tuned.

[StanJr]

Slot Racers was a huge winner for us when Seamus was 3. Maze Craze too. I realize I've probably said this over and over, but doubtful you're rereading this thread every time you post!

 

It's so much fun to watch their skills and interests develop as they grow. Seamus wants to try every game I play, but he settles in on a relatively definite set of games that are "his." It will be interesting for you to see which games are exclusively your son's as he starts to take the controller.

 

thanks for the update.

 

[Vinnie D.]

Sure, why not. I was 3 when I played Atari for the first time. Centipede is still one of my all time favorites.

[CaptainBreakout]

I'll give maze craze a try next. Very convincing.

 

Anyone got any ideas on some of kind of developmental game that will make my kid a genius? I mean, I don't know what I'm missing sometimes.

 

I know this is Atari tho ☺️. I do have most of the 16-bits on hand too actually.

[thiccwheels]

Maybe try a Sesame Street game or two, since he's 3 now! Big Bird's Egg Catch and Cookie Monster Munch were huge hits with my cousin when she was 4. She liked using the bulky Kid's Controller, and enjoyed reading the stories out of the manuals with me. Overall a good experience if your kid is a big ol' nerd for Sesame Street

Edited June 16, 2018 by thiccwheels

[davyK]

Surround in Video Graffiti mode would be a good way to familiarising kids with the joystick.

[AlecRob]

My 2 year old daughter will grab me by the finger, pull me into our home office and drag me to the old CRT that sits on a small cabinet on one end of the room.

 

"Play 'tari Daddy!"

 

I mostly play Asteroids for her. It's slow enough for her to follow and she likes the multi-colored popcorn asteroids in the 2600 version. Beamrider is another favorite.

That is so cute

[Opry99er]

All my kids played Air-Sea Battle when they were super young. Can do two player with them or let the VCS be a babysitter for 2 minutes at a time.

 

Game variation 4 seems to do the trick.

[up2knowgood]

Because every toddler has to learn about mutually assured destruction sooner or later!!

Well, it WAS the Cold War.