Atari2008

Cool, I didn't realize that there were so many ways to hook up more than one game system. To think I've been swapping RF cables in and out of switchboxes all these years.

Hey now, the Channel F System II did have detachable controllers. LOL. That is very true and either Fairchild or Zircon were planning a keypad for it as well. Not to mention that sound came out of the TV on the System 2. I do think that the Channel F controllers were very forward thinking in design and highly unique. I'm also surprised at how comfortable they are to use since that's a rare thing for classic controllers.

Thank you for sharing your impressions of the Channel F and 2600. It's always nice to hear the perspective of someone who was there. I didn't take it as negative at all but rather an account of your first impressions and how it compared to the 2600. I'm a recent owner of the Channel F so its all still pretty new to me. I can definitely see the limits of the system, but I'm impressed at how current homebrewers have been able to work with those limits and bring Pac-Man to the system for example. Also, I appreciate the fact that it was the first programmable system and for the first one they didn't do too badly. The controllers are very unique and functional. I do have to agree that the 2600's open architecture allowed more flexibility, and the detachable controllers also meant a variety of controller options. Atari definitely made the right moves. But it would've been interesting to see how Channel F games would've improved if the system lived on. Alien Invasion one of the final titles seems to reflect changing trends since it seems a little more involved than your standard Channel F game. It's an intriguing little system.

That's cool. It seems that Video Whizball was one Channel F game that got a lot of attention. I have George Sullivan's book from the early 80s "How To Win At Video Games" and in his review of the Channel F he also mentions Video Whizball as a notable title. It sounds like that's a pretty rare Channel F game these days.

I am really glad you asked, because I wouldn't have just looked otherwise. Check this out: http://www.fndcollectables.com/CHANNEL_F_INFO/U_S_/Adds___Offers/NEWS_ADDS/body_news_adds.html I love the last line of this article from 1976: Emphasis is mine. Now that's some good forecasting. There's a good one on the first console war with Channel F facing off against Atari's VCS in Christmas '77. Thank you for the link! That Time article was really interesting. I love how they refer to video games as "Jocktronics." I hadn't realized that by the end of '76, they were predicting that Americans would have bought 3 million video game units, wow! It's also interesting to read how revolutionary the early games seemed, a hard thing to imagine now since we have over 30 years of video game advances. It's nice to get a glimpse as to what those early days must've been like. It's also interesting to see that the Channel F was considered a sophisticated machine in its early days. The article on the Christmas battle of '77 between Atari and Fairchild was interesting, it sounds like one of the first console wars. It's interesting that the vendors reached the conclusion that Atari games looked and sounded better but that the Fairchild ones were more sophisticated and challenging. I'm assuming that the early 2600 and Channel F games weren't too far apart in terms of graphics, although I'm pretty sure that the Atari ones were graphically superior. Interesting what programmers were able to get the 2600 to do by the early 80s.

I'm curious were there any magazine reviews of the Channel F? I know that the home video game industry was still in its infancy at the time, but I'm assuming some consumer products magazine or computer magazine would've reviewed it. Maybe even a newspaper column. It would be interesting to read people's initial reaction to the system when it first came out and was the first of its kind and when it had competition from the Atari 2600. Any sources out there?

Although I haven't played it much lately since I have limited space to hook up my systems, and I've started collecting other classic consoles, but my favorite is the Atari 2600. It wasn't my first - I had an NES, but once I discovered my older sister's 2600 - I was hooked. I think that's where my passion for classic gaming comes from. I have fond memories playing the 2-3 games that I had at the time, and enjoying the adventure of trying to find more 2600 games. I also think the system is iconic - its woodgrain and joysticks just scream vintage gaming. Plus, it's one system that till this very day all my friends want to play - can't say that for the other older systems in my collection.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions, I hadn't realized that there were a few ways to hook up more than 1 game system. I actually have a switchbox that has plug-ins for two systems into the same box but there is a lot of interference when playing one system. I might try and see how the daisy chain works since I have a few switchboxes here, if not I'll just get 2 splitters, seem simple enough.

Go to walmart and ask for a "RF splitter" That is what youre looking for. Cool, thanks! Will that also allow me to watch cable TV?

This might be a simple question, but I'd like to know if there is some way to have 2 systems that use RF connections connected to a TV at the same time. Right now I just swap one RF cable out of the switchbox and swap in another one to alternate between systems. It would be nice if I could just have two systems hooked up to cut out that step. Are there switchboxes that allow you to have 2 systems hooked up? Or is there some other connection I could use?

1979 is correct. I still have the receipts for many of our bally games and that is one of them. We purchased it in November of 1979. 1979 makes more sense, I got thrown off by the '77 date on the cartridge label. Still an impressive clone for that time nonetheless.

It seems that Maze is only meant for two players: Instructions can be read here: http://w5.nuinternet.com/s660100106/gallery/txt/videocart10.txt Cool box scan. I read through the instructions it's 2-player only. Good thing I got Dodge It since I know that game has a 1-player mode.

Pac-Man for the Channel F is worth every penny. It blew me away compared to the rest of the Channel F library, and it's a lot of fun with the controllers. Also, the box and instructions are a nice, authentic touch. I played the Hockey game just to test out the controllers, since I didn't have anyone to play with at the time, and I like how they incorporated all of the different controller movements. There was an Alien Invasion cart on eBay not too long ago that sold for a very reasonable price, too bad I missed it. Looks like I may have to convince some friends to try the Channel F with me.

Pretty damn insane. On a side note, that interview is pretty damn interesting. Lawson was one of the first console designers in history, and one of the only blacks in the game industry at the time. That is pretty interesting actually. I hadn't given it much thought until I bought an Astrocade and within 5 minutes the unit would begin to overheat. As I'm sure you know it's due to the shielding on the motherboard that Bally had to put in to get FCC approval. While they got the approval it had the unintended effect of overheating the motherboard. I'm not a tinkerer so I sent it in to get the shielding removed and now the Astrocade works like new. On the Channel F, one of my first reactions was how solid the system felt. It really has a well-built feel to it. It is unfortunate that these early pioneering companies had to go through so many hoops but I wonder if that's part of why these systems work as well as they do so many years later...due to all the precision and care. That article with Jerry Lawson is amazing. I printed it out to read on a bus trip and the guy sitting next to me would periodically look over to read, especially after he saw the Atari logo in one of the sections. Mr. Lawson is a fascinating man and an important part of video game history. It's a shame more people don't know who he is, and I'm greatly looking forward to his book.

The Astrocade was a system that at the time I purchased it I knew the least about, and that's still pretty much the case today. So I appreciate your game recommendations since I'm still pretty unfamiliar with its library. I'll definitely keep an eye out for those games, and I'm glad to hear that complete sets are affordable since I've become more interested in getting boxes and manuals for the lesser known systems. And fortunately, my Astrocade controllers work great and are a lot of fun to use. There is actually only one game on the Channel F at the moment that is keeping me busy, and that's e5frog's excellent Pac-Man homebrew. It's quickly become one of my favorite home versions of the arcade classic. I start one round and quickly get hooked and find it hard to tear myself away from the TV. I like how the game looks with the Channel F's unique graphics and the controller is very responsive and well-suited for this type of game. From the original library I did get the Maze game but haven't had a chance to read the instructions and figure out how to get the 1-player mode. I also plan on getting Dodge It. Do you have any recommendations for good 1-player games on the Channel F? I've heard good things about Video Whizball, Sonar Search, and Alien Invasion.

You really have to play the Channel F with a real Channel F controller to get the experience. For example, Hockey on the Channel F is by far the best and most fun Pong permutation I've ever played. I can't imagine that game working properly in MESS due to the lack of the proper controller. Also, most Channel F games do require two players. Drag Race on Channel F is also a lot of fun with a second person. The game uses the genius controller design to simulate a manual transmission. Fairchild took a new direction with its “hand-controller” design, one which had never been seen before, and would never resurface thereafter, (which is unfortunate). To the uninitiated, the stick-like controller is confounding. However, it is the in actuality the perfect ambidextrous controller and remained unparalleled until Nintendo redesigned controllers forever with the Famicom (Nintendo Entertainment System or NES in America) in 1985. The Channel-F’s controller can be held in either the left or right hand. The triangular head can be tilted in eight ways for directional control. That’s not all. The head can be twisted left or right for additional movement. Finally, the top of the hand-controller can be plunged-in or pulled-up to perform separate actions. This system allowed for exceptionally intuitive control. With eight-way directional control, and potentially four action buttons, the Channel-F controller was far more advanced than the famous Atari joystick. Another one of the most unique games is Dodge It. Lots of fun with two players. Really, this is a great console. It's well worth $90. That's < the price of two 360 games. I'm really enjoying the Channel F. The controllers are among the most comfortable and intuitive that I've used. They're so comfortable and easy to use that I forget they're there half the time. I'm really enjoying the Channel F so far and am really glad I made the investment. It's definitely getting a lot of play time. The challenge is going to be finding someone for the two player games, but for now I think it's awesome. Sir, that's awesome. I am really glad to hear it. So many retro gamers look past Channel F as an oddity that's only important for its historical significance. You have to really have one of those controllers in your hand to know what it's like. So, let me ask you this, have you ever played an Astrocade yet? It took a while for me to decide to purchase a Channel F. From reading reviews on it, it seemed like a system that would spend more time on a shelf than in an entertainment center. I'm glad to say that hasn't been the case at all, in fact I play it almost every day. It definitely has its charm. Funny you should mention the Astrocade since I got that system first - a few months back thanks to a fellow AtariAge board member. I have few games for it, but I do have their excellent Galactic Invasion as well as their Basic cartridge that I began tinkering around with. I haven't had a chance to spend as much time with the system as the Channel F, but my first impressions of the Astrocade were very good. I liked the controllers and the graphics blew me away for a 1977/78 machine. Also I love the retro look. Those two systems look very 70s. Thank you for reminding me I need to show the Astrocade some attention too.

...too easy, though. I actually think it's too hard since by level 4 or 5 the aliens have already landed and the game is over. It doesn't give you much to work towards. Their Galaxian clone - Galactic Invasion - is much better and has different levels of difficulty.

Yeah, mine had that problem too, fairly common as you've heard. My unit would start to go crazy after 5 minutes. The colors on the screen would start to get distorted and I'd have to shut it off. Most people remove the aluminum shielding around the motherboard that was installed to prevent interference and comply with FCC standards. But removing the shield won't affect the video quality any and prevents the overheating. I'm not handy with a soldering iron so I just shipped mine to a store to have them do it for me and it works perfectly. Haven't had any issues since. I played it for an hour one time which would've been impossible beforehand. However it's a very interesting machine, their Space Invaders clone while not perfect, is very impressive for 1977!

That's an awesome story! I've had my first Astrocade since April, while I haven't gotten a chance to spend as much time on it as I'd like, it is a very interesting machine. The controllers are very unique and functional, it's nice to have both joystick and paddle features in one. The system has great sound and graphics. And I think the idea of having a storage area on the unit for the cartridges is neat, definitely helps keep my collections organized since I'm running out of room. Thank you for this story now I'm going to show the Astrocade some attention.

You really have to play the Channel F with a real Channel F controller to get the experience. For example, Hockey on the Channel F is by far the best and most fun Pong permutation I've ever played. I can't imagine that game working properly in MESS due to the lack of the proper controller. Also, most Channel F games do require two players. Drag Race on Channel F is also a lot of fun with a second person. The game uses the genius controller design to simulate a manual transmission. Fairchild took a new direction with its “hand-controller” design, one which had never been seen before, and would never resurface thereafter, (which is unfortunate). To the uninitiated, the stick-like controller is confounding. However, it is the in actuality the perfect ambidextrous controller and remained unparalleled until Nintendo redesigned controllers forever with the Famicom (Nintendo Entertainment System or NES in America) in 1985. The Channel-F’s controller can be held in either the left or right hand. The triangular head can be tilted in eight ways for directional control. That’s not all. The head can be twisted left or right for additional movement. Finally, the top of the hand-controller can be plunged-in or pulled-up to perform separate actions. This system allowed for exceptionally intuitive control. With eight-way directional control, and potentially four action buttons, the Channel-F controller was far more advanced than the famous Atari joystick. Another one of the most unique games is Dodge It. Lots of fun with two players. Really, this is a great console. It's well worth $90. That's < the price of two 360 games. I'm really enjoying the Channel F. The controllers are among the most comfortable and intuitive that I've used. They're so comfortable and easy to use that I forget they're there half the time. I'm really enjoying the Channel F so far and am really glad I made the investment. It's definitely getting a lot of play time. The challenge is going to be finding someone for the two player games, but for now I think it's awesome.

I haven't either, but I read somewhere that Colecovision employees kept the tech support number alive for years after the system died since they were so dedicated to it. Not sure if that was true or not.

I'm 26 and the NES was my first console. I spent many hours as a kid on that system. I learned about Atari because my dad had kept my older sister's Atari 2600 in a closet in our house. When I got bored of the handful of NES games that I want I discovered it and kept longing to hook it up (since we didn't have all the connections). I was able to get it to run on one of the universal power adapters from Radio Shack and I got to experience Pitfall my first 2600 game. Even as a young kid that was first exposed to a more powerful system I was drawn to the Atari 2600's simplicity and spent quite a while yearning to experience more. Luckily through garage sales I got more games, and then when Radio Shack resurrected the 2600 and 7800, I bought more 2600 games and got the 7800. So that's how it all began for me...finding my sister's 2600 in the closet...which I still have. I admit it's definitely a unique interest for someone my age and I'm actually more fond of pre-NES era games that I am of the games that I grew up with and enjoy 70s and 80s pop culture. But I agree with a previous post, education is key. The more I learn of the history behind games, movies, tv shows, and music of those eras the more that I appreciate them on a different level.

Tell me about it, and it's one of those things that at first I could laugh off and say okay that's cute, but after a while it gets old. And at the end of the day, my playing 2600 isn't that different from them playing their PS3's - it's still the same activity. But I agree, which is why I think it's nice that sites like Atari Age exist where I can share this hobby with other people.

I hear you, I'm 26 and I get flack for my classic gaming also. I think a lot of people particularly people who didn't grow up with these classic systems like the 2600, don't have an appreciation for it or for things that are older for that matter. I think you should consider yourself lucky that you can appreciate the beauty of vintage gaming.

I would get extension cables except that some of the games I play often require me to hit the reset button on the unit to play another round, so I just keep ther 2600 on a tv dinner table to the side of me as I play so I can use the console switches if need be. Also, works great on the 7800 when I need to pause. Besides, who doesn't like to sit close to their 2600?