Playing VCS today

[Mister VCS]

Who often do you play games on your VCS

today?

[mr johnson]

I play most of my collection everyday to

make sure they all still work.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

well...this depends..

 

I my real VCS is a Sears Heavy Sixer from 77...and 2 of the switches have already been replaced on it. So I actually only fire it up once in a blue moon. Most of the time I play my 2600 stuff on my 7800. Still I fire up the 7800 about 3-5 times a week...for more than an hour at a time...

 

BTW...we all know this...but I simply have to say it:

 

ATARI RULES!!!

[PeeknPoke]

Sadly, Ive not booted up my Atari in about 5 years, I still collect the carts like a madman but enjoy the emulation scene.

 

My Atari stuff is all on display here in my computer room and all i need is to get out all those leads to play the thing..Im getting lazy!

 

 

Lee

[JagDiesel]

I fire up on of my 7800s 2 or 3 times a week. Usually to try out new carts I've found, or new controllers, or just to get a few games in...

My Jaguar is in constant use, as its the newest system I care to play...

My 2600s just sit, as the 2600a is busted and the Jr is in too good shape to really mess with it..

[Marmaduke]

I try to use emulators so I dont break my excelent Atari 2600A (yes, the Darth Vader model, it keeps telling me it is my father but I try not to listen to it since it riped my hand off). I got it back in 1989 before my woodgrain VCS broke up. I use Z26 every day and Darth Vader just once a month or once every two months so it doesn´t break. So I´d like to thank John Saeger for his marvelous emulator.

And I swear I only have roms for games I actualy own (yeah, right ).

[videotwit]

quote:

---

Originally posted by -^Cro§Bow^-:

Emulation is a great means for "Try before you buy." I mean sure Chase the Chuckwagon is rare and all and commands a high price on ebay. However, that doesn't mean that I want to spend 80+ bucks to have one when the game really isn't that good to begin with?!

---

 

I do see this as a valid point. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), I am insanely cheap when it comes to my 2600 collecting (I have to save some money for more expensive interests - like my small, but growing fine art collection). Point being, I don't buy games off of eBay, or from dealers at "market" prices. I just hunt them down at thrift stores (got my Chase the Chuckwagon, Raiders of the Lost Ark Lab Loaner, Boing, etc. for only a couple dollars each that way). That is where much of my collecting enjoyment comes from - besides from playing the games.

 

Anyhow, I guess all I am saying is, for these reasons I really have no need for emulation as a "try before you buy" tool.

 

I'm not saying that emulation is bad. On the contrary, it is a great tool for the reasons previously discussed, as well as for development of new games, etc. It's just not for me.

 

I guess my 2 cents turned into about a buck twenty-five.

[NE146]

but... you didn't comment about the "playing the games at work" part

[videotwit]

I am ashamed to admit that I only play once every couple of weeks, maybe with even longer breaks inbetween sessions sometimes. Unless, that is, I get new games. I always at least test those out right away, which usually leads to longer sessions of some of my favorite games.

 

Also, I despise emulation. OK, maybe despise is a bit too strong of a word, but I just can't get into it for some reason. I'd much rather play on an actual VCS / TV combo than on my computer. I think I'm the only one here who thinks that way, though.

 

I wish I had the time to play more, but other things must come first, I guess.

[NE146]

I like it all. Emulation rocks basically because:

 

1. Sneaking in a couple of games at work!

 

2. It allows me to try out ALL the games...No way I'm collecting all of those

 

Anyway... here's what I've played in both this past week:

 

Real VCS: Frogger is in there now. Truly a great port imho

 

Z26 emu: Last game I played was Demon Attack. Got to the last throbbing egg-like creatures and quit because the phone rang

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Well...I do prefer to use my actual 2600 or 7800 for all my atari playing needs and still find that no emulator can really give me the same feel.

 

But I do like emulation for a big reason that I have stated before and that NE146 has brought up again.

 

Emulation is a great means for "Try before you buy." I mean sure Chase the Chuckwagon is rare and all and commands a high price on ebay. However, that doesn't mean that I want to spend 80+ bucks to have one when the game really isn't that good to begin with?!

 

I can see me spending 80+ bucks on a game that I would never ever play...NOT!

 

Just my 2 cents..not much..but 2 cents none the less.

[videotwit]

quote:

---

Originally posted by NE146:

but... you didn't comment about the "playing the games at work" part

---

 

It's bad enough that I read this message board at work

[Marco(2)]

I said it before, and I'll say it again:

 

Emulation is like an inflatable doll

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Marco

[videotwit]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Marco:

I said it before, and I'll say it again:

 

Emulation is like an inflatable doll

---

 

Marco-

 

That has to be one of the most accurate emulation analogies I've ever heard! I love it - LOL

[Joel D. Park]

I play maybe one or two times a week sometimes much more, I always play any new games I get in and lately I've been playing a whole lot of Missile Command because I use it to test joysticks I've been fixing.

 

I've been stuck on the Amiga 500 lately backing up some stuff.

 

Now I'm back on the PC playing Civ 2..

 

Have you guys heard any info on Civilzation 3, its due out some time and sounds very cool. Sid Meier is definately in on this one, unlike Civ Call to Power which did nothing for me.

[Ian Primus]

I play my Atari every other day, and in most cases every day. I collect Atari carts, but I mainly collect them because I like to *play* Atari carts. I don't collect to get every one, or strive to get rare carts that arent worth playing, but I love to go thrifting/flea marketing, and with carts at >$1 each, if I see a game I don't have, I buy it. I have never paid more than $5 for an Atari cart, but I have a great library of games to play. I consider Atari as a hobby that can be affordable or extremely expensive, depending on how you do it. Considering I'm 16, I don't have the money to do it the expensive way . BTW - I just got my driver's license a few days ago, and I have my own car now too, so look out flea markets, here I come!

 

Ian Primus

ian.primus@usa.net

[JagDiesel]

Congrats on the license there Ian, just watch out for us "old" guys on the road while your out thrifting

I try to keep my expenses on games down, so my wife doesnt complain and I can get my Xbox later this year.. Its definitely not the cheapest hobby, but it sure is fun

[NE146]

quote

Also, I despise emulation. OK, maybe despise is a bit too strong of a word, but I just can't get into it for some reason. I'd much rather play on an actual VCS / TV combo than on my computer. I think I'm the only one here who thinks that way, though.

 

Yeah of course emulation doesn't equal the real thing. That's obvious

 

Using mame as an example, everyone knows lots of mame games lose quite a bit in the translation (i.e. the mirrored image of Space Invaders, the background in gunfight, the sounds in Phoenix) and the list goes on. Ditto for sitting on a couch playing vcs games on a tv with a vcs joystick.

 

But how can you despise it? The very fact that I can pretty much go anywhere, quickly download an emu and a bunch of roms and in no time be playing Demon Attack on some strange computer while chatting on irc, or posting here, or working *cough*, then delete it as quickly as I got it pretty much rocks... You really can't pit one against the other because they're pretty much seperate experiences.

 

In my particular case, I've never been a "collector" per se. The majority of my VCS cart collection was bought when I was a kid when they were brand new. I've probably bought less than 20 games in my adult life. And I only have one copy of each game. So yer darn right it's cool checking out games I'd never really buy in real life. Plus all those hacks and other nifty things out there..

 

If you like games and playing them, of course the real mccoy is the way to go. But emu's are always a welcome addition.