Heavy "4-er"

[Malathion5]

I have noticed that the picture on the front of the 4-switch Atari box shows the four switch unit with the heavy sides. I assumed that the heavy sided lower case was an early 6-switch case, and was later switched to the light sided case for the 6-switch to make production cheaper.

Is there such an animal as the "heavy-4er" as pictured on the box, or did Atari just airbrush over two of the switches on the original "heavy 6er" picture?

[Scott Stilphen]

I've never seen one, and I doubt one exists. Someone probably cut & paste the 4-switch control panel over the original 6-switch picture.

 

Speaking of the system box, take a good look at the pictures showing people holding what looks like a paddle controller....except that it's not. It's smaller than a paddle, and square-shaped. Also, the cord comes out in the center of it...

 

Anyone know what the heck these controllers are, and if they actually exist or are simply marketing props?

[TunnelRunner]

Nope, no such thing as a heavy 4er! Atari did just keep pasting new tops on the old artwork for the box. If you compare the original heavy sixer (1977) box to the 1980 or later four switch you'll see the same pictures in the background, just rearranged (the '77 box has the pictures suspended behind the unit, later boxes had the background chopped clean at the bottom). And the weird controllers you see are handheld PONG controllers from a couple years earlier.