Chronogamer

The keypads on the 2600 aren't bad, but it seems many of the good games avoided using them because not everyone had them, and few people bought them because the games that used them were generally feeble.

The keypads on the 2600 aren't bad, but it seems many of the good games avoided using them because not everyone had them, and few people bought them because the games that used them were generally feeble.

 

I'm sure I should say "undersupported", but I'm a little bitter over the keyboard controllers. As a controller they're not bad at all, in fact, with Brain Games I'd say they're pretty responsive and worthwhile. I need to find out more information, but as I understand it, they were only developed because Atari was afraid of getting sued for calling the 2600 a "Video Computer System" when there was no keyboard for it.

 

Let's just say, I was an original recipient of Basic Programming. My parents got me the cart with the keyboard controllers back in the day. I think they paid about $60 for it, which made it a very expensive birthday gift for me at the time. Especially since my birthday (being in December) could always kind of "cut into" my Xmas "take" if it was a little pricey. I was devastated by the level of functionality available in Basic Programming. I could have gotten three other games for the amount they spent on BP and I don't remember ever seeing another game for those keyboard controllers (at least never something I was interested in getting, which is a shame because I would've liked Brain Games a lot.)

 

Anyway, my "Persona", up in the blog, hasn't had that heart-breaking experience, yet, and says he's looking forward to Basic Programming. I'm setting him up to also be devastated, as I was. His only solace will be that he enjoyed Brain Games. Yes, I'm recreating my childhood videogame dramas here with happy endings. It's therapeutic, or something.

I was devastated by the level of functionality available in Basic Programming. I could have gotten three other games for the amount they spent on BP and I don't remember ever seeing another game for those keyboard controllers (at least never something I was interested in getting, which is a shame because I would've liked Brain Games a lot.)

 

I know we're ahead of ourselves, but one thing I was thinking awhile ago is that the Atari 2600 might have made a reasonable scientific calculator. Given that such instruments were very expensive when the 2600 came out, such a cart might have made economic sense.

I know we're ahead of ourselves, but one thing I was thinking awhile ago is that the Atari 2600 might have made a reasonable scientific calculator.  Given that such instruments were very expensive when the 2600 came out, such a cart might have made economic sense.

 

a $40 scientific calculator would've kicked butt back then, except for not being able to bring it to class.

Yes, this one is better than the Atari 2600's Hunt & Score. But I really hate two things that were completely unnecessary and *very* annoying:

 

- The cursor moves back to the top-left corner after every pair has been turned.

- The animation for matching a pair is excessively long, particularly when the matched cards are farthest from each other.

 

:rollseyes: