Still cool? When was it not?

cool atari 2600

Entry posted by Matts Vintage Video Games June 11, 2013

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I know what your thinking.... Atari? did't that go out with the 80's. Any possibly your right if your the younger generation. But, for me Atari is still cool. See I remember being a young kid playing in the creek chasing crawdads and snakes through the woods. I remember the days before cell phones tablets and electronic devices. I was born in 1977 which was not all that long ago, but to some of you.... I must seem like an old man. lol. When I was about 6 or 7 my entertainment was GI joe and Legos. And though they still exist... Most people are stuck on the Xbox or some other gamming device. I can vividly remember the first time I saw my cousin playing something on a TV. It was interesting to me. It was a smurf crossing a river with a snake in it. And you, actually control what is happening on the TV. That was too cool, and unheard of back in those days. I did not know what a video game was as they were relitively new at that time. A year later my Dad - who was struggling to support us as a family- found an Atari 2600 system at a yard sale. It had 32 games and 2 controllers and a set of paddles. He gave $30 bucks.... which seemed like alot at the time. And to me....... that was the coolest thing ever.

So, I enjoyed my Atari for years. I had so many games for it its not funny. And I can remember going to Toys R Us and getting a new game every once in a while. Paying $20 plus for a game which seemed like highway robbery at the time. I'm sure my parents weren't happy every time I asked for a new game. The years went by and the games got better and the systems as well. I'll never forget the release of Nintendo NES, Super or Genesis. I played those systems for years. They actually still work after 35 years. Unlike your new systems that are overpriced and burn out within a year or so depending on how you treat the device and how often you play it.

As I get older and the gamming world keeps expanding, graffix keep getting better and the Mario craze is evergrowing, I find myself reminded of the good old days. The days when you could just put a game in the slot, turn the console on and play. No waiting, no loading. Though the graffix were basically a bunch of squares that make up some charector that somewhat resembles what it is supposed to be. To me, that is classic and for me the Atari is always cool. Not everyone will agree and not everyone still has a VCS 2600 still hooked up like me. I play it every day as well as many other systems from that era. And as we sit here talking about it, I feel an urge to try to beat my score on Burgertime for the Intellivision II. Gotta Go.... Let me know your thoughts.