Jump to content
Have You Played Atari Today?
2600|5200|7800|Lynx|Jaguar|Forums|Store  

Atari2008

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content Count

    801

  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Atari2008

  1. Posted

    I find that I have always had a 2600 and a Jaguar with a substantial cart collection, plus I usually have a couple of other cart-based systems at any given moment. I tend to buy a base console bundled with a few commons off eBay, and then the collection slowly grows. Eventually I have a system with maybe a good 30 or 40 carts, and it's lost it's luster for me. I usually end up auctioning it off on eBay and getting my money back.

    I am similar. Through the years I've had an Intellivision (twice but I just can't seem to get into that system, although it has its fans), Colecovision, and Atari 5200 all with similarly sized collections. I get bored and sell either here or on eBay. The ones I won't part with are the Channel F and the 2600. I also forgot that I did have a Jaguar but sold that as well. I haven't been inspired at all to grow my O2 collection, cool looking console and game boxes but the game play is kinda shallow to me. Guess I haven't played a console in a while that has really grabbed my attention. The 2600 I think is awesome but I've always had it so it's not a new thrill.

  3. Posted

    Seriously guys - I'm reading too many posts about depression and videogame collections.

    This needs to be fixed and here's how you do it.

     

    The summary version:

    Emulation is the answer! And here's how you transition into it.

     

    1-

    Pick 1 or 2 systems and keep these in the physical realm. Over time, no haste, collect bits and pieces with the full understanding you may never acquire a complete collection. This is your favorite system. The system you first had as a kid maybe. Or one you play most often.

     

    2-

    Whatever you pick will define you. Your spot in the classic gaming (or retrocomputing) sphere. This is yours! It's your vehicle into the realm of electronic gaming. Treat it with TLC. Nurture it. Love it. Care for it. Polish it. Clean it. Make necessary adjustments and fix worn parts. Over time, add items here and there. Some days you may get several items, and then nothing again for months. This activity could span years! This doesn't have to be a complete or psyche-crushing collection. Understand that you may not acquire everything. And what is not available today may become available tomorrow.

     

    3-

    Duplicate your physical collection in the virtual world via emulation. All the disks, roms, pictures documentation, scans, technical diagrams, listings, advertisements, videos, notes, accessories, memorabilia -- whatever! Configure an emulator to be as perfect as possible. Spend the time to set up the controllers and screen aspect ratios and and NTSC artifacting. Use real controllers if you want. Or build your own custom universal controller. Seek a higher power if you're not exactly sure how to do something. They'll help you.

     

    4-

    Pack your physical collection up nicely. Keep the main pieces, like the console, controllers, connecting cables at the ready. Immediately accessible. And begin using emulation. Spend the 1st year (or any arbitrary length of time) setting things up. Buy a new monitor or computer if you need to. Make it work. Make it real.

     

    5-

    Store a backup copy of your emulation stuff with your real physical collection. In real physical proximity. Same room. Keep all installable executables for future reference.

     

    6-

    Cruise through the internet and begin building your virtual collection. This includes other systems. For a while you may get single-minded and obsessive and download everything in sight. But this wears off. Soon you go through some purges and start settling into making your emulation a rich and vibrant virtual collection.

     

    7-

    You can explore new systems and add them to your virtual collection at will. It won't turn you into a hoarder. It won't take up space. It limits your contact with ebay assholism.

     

    8-

    Continue to keep your system(s) you picked in step #1. This is a requirement, it provides a grounding reference. For without it none of this works. Continue to add to it from time to time.

     

    9-

    For quick gaming sessions or experiments or whatever, make your default choice emulation. You can always do it on the real thing if you want. It's just down the hallway in the other room.

     

    10-

    Must reiterate. Keep backup copies of all your hard virtual work. It would be devastating if something went wrong and the disk blew up. You'll probably fall into a deep depression and never recover. This doesn't take much time, and you can update the backup whenever you feel like it.

     

     

     

     

    Final results, and what did you just do?

    You now have 1 system, your favorite. You do not live like a hoarder anymore. You don't get un-easy feelings when looking at your stuff. You're not overwhelmed and depressed. You don't put off projects anymore. You have successfully transitioned from the physical world to the virtual world. Acquiring new items won't break the bank, or the walls trying to contain it all.

     

    You can enjoy your classic collection without fear of wearing out controllers or some seemingly-irreplaceable rare part going bad. And since your classic collection is now virtual and hosted on modern contemporary hardware, it IS easily fixed or replaced. Who would have thought that after 37 years you can STILL buy hardware that lets you enjoy any one of the hundreds of titles available for that machine. In case you haven't guessed, I'm talking about a cheap crap commodity PC equipped with a State-of-The-Art VCS emulator.

     

    I can beat up on Slot Racers or Missile Command and not have a care in the world if I inadvertently break something. It's easily replaceable by going to Target or Comp-USA.

     

    You have a neat spiffy & shiny work area with a few classic pieces of hardware. We're talking high class. You have the time to explore the finer points of some games and hardware. With all this virtual stuff happening in your head you're at peace not having to expend extraordinary quantities of energy and time and money toiling in the physical world and dealing with asshole ebay sellers & dumpster diving. You don't worry about plastics degrading, or paper yellowing. You don't worry about glue eating through labels. You don't ride the videogame grading bandwagon. Emulation gives you advantages such as anywhere-anytime playability. You're not burdened with the bulky boxiness of a big-ass monitor anymore.

     

    Emulation is perfect. Emulation is timeless. Svelte. Elegant. Absolutely Fantastic.. Believe it! Live it!

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    TLDNR haphazard version:

    I have a sweet and tight Apple II collection, TRS-80 Pocket Computer 1,2,4 stuff, and TI-59 & gear. While I think about the stuff every day. I don't play with it everyday. To do so would be maddening. I just go with the natural ebb and flow. There could be months I don't touch any Apple II stuff. And then I get intensely involved in some project or other for a few weeks. Then I put it all away again. I don't have a schedule or anything.

     

    II used to have:

    Intellivision, Astrocade, Atari 400/800/8-bit, Odyssey^2, Trs-80 model 1,2 and 3, Colecovision, Vectrex, Microvision, Aquarius, Adam, C-64, Vic-20, 2600/5200/7800, Kim-1, Timex Sinclair, Amiga 500/1000, Ti-99/4a, PSX, Nes 8-bit, SMS, SNES, Mac classic, Atari 520/1040st, nearly 600 handhelds, thousands of calculators and blank cassettes, various x86 based computers from 8086 through Pentium 4 +20 in all. All this and tons more, literally hundreds or thousands of cartridges and peripherals. And then there were the Arcade cabinets. This was the tipping point. I didn't want to continue renting a small warehouse. And trying to acquire more became crazy making with all the variants and ports and stuff. I even hired out people to help me complete the collection. But I got tired of the whole shebang. The monster in me got out of control! And I couldn't enjoy a damned thing. Not one iota! You tell me how one can enjoy such a state of affairs? You can't! In a fit of rage I got rid of everything and kept the Apple II paraphernalia and theTRS80 + TI59 stuff. This fills about a room's worth. And is mostly enjoyable, though the wife thinks it could be part and parceled out a little more. IDK.

     

    But one thing's for certain, Emulation is an unbelievably fantastic way to enjoy the classics! And if you're a hoarder, you can be a digital hoarder, no one will be the wiser. All your "stuff" can fit in a McDonald's bag! Just don't throw it out! You can swap back and forth between systems without making a mess or enduring lengthy set-up & tear-down operations. None of it rots, collects bugs, or develops strange smells. It's instantly accessible. You don't need to wade through piles upon piles of stuff.

     

    The best thing one can do is focus on one or two systems, and take a chill pill. Understand that unless the system is a small system it will take a ton of effort to acquire everything and every variant. The collection dilutes and consumes space. It's like a fat-ass whiney kid compared to a tight ship-shape Marine officer. Start picking and choosing what you get. Build it over the years and it becomes a special thing to you. It becomes an identity. An entity.

     

    Then you duplicate your physical collection in emulation. Then you start emulating other systems. And through this progression of events, the emulated stuff now seems even MORE real than ever. Once you accept emulation, it becomes a bridge. A crossover to other systems. Believe me, they are as real as a real system. Soon you become obsessed with building a virtual collection.

     

    If you have the need to look-it-over, you get something called WinDirStat. It's a disk mapping program that makes a little square for each file. http://windirstat.info/

     

    You can also get something like Easy Duplicate Finder. http://www.easyduplicatefinder.com/

    This is a paid-for program, but it works nicely.

     

    And another thing called UltimateDefrag. http://www.disktrix.com/

    Again, a paid-for program. The ultimate organization tool for your mechanical drive. Don't buy this if you're OCD, it will drive you insane and keep you up for days on end.

     

    And of course the Windows NTFS file system and Explorer. An essential tool for swimming through all the virtual crap you accumulate.

     

    I have observed this transitional behavior in many people. It's real. It's inevitable. It works!

    Wow I think this is what I was looking for. You hit on so many things that I've been experiencing - the anxiety and depression over retro-collecting. Plus I've already been emulating the weird systems that I don't own - RCA Studio II and Adventure Vision - and have even started doing some of what you suggested by saving manual scans so I can easily find instructions to games I want to play on an emulator. I do need to be more disciplined about backing it up and saving files - definitely going home to save the .exe files. Plus I can try all these obscure systems without breaking the bank. I really like the idea of limiting the physical systems to just 1 or 2, it does make things more manageable and can help focus limited time and money. I can see myself down the line being able more or less to focus on the Atari 2600 homebrew scene and maybe that of another console, and everything else just emulating. I like the idea of packing up things neatly and keeping them stored so they don't clutter and fill up my place. I should probably print your post and keep it as a reference point. This is good.

     

    I have been mostly a fan of the real experience - I do most of my gaming on actual original hardware, like loon said, I mostly emulate to try before I buy. I don't want to spend $100 on a 5200 or Colecovision, and find I don't like the games. Emulation lets me determine if I'm going to take the plunge. But emulating can also help me experience consoles I may either never afford (Vectrex, Astrocade for example) or won't be able to get any time soon. I had been one to emulate but only before buying but I think I might take emulation more seriously as its own legitimate retro gaming experience.

     

    To your first point, I know I'll definitely keep the 2600, I've had it since I was a kid and am fond of it even if my attention has been drifting elsewhere. The #2 console will probably be the Channel F as I greatly admire it historically and have believe it or not enjoyed some fun times on it. The Odyssey 2 might be one that can go at some point however, while I streamline my collection.

    • Like 1

  6. Posted

    That's my think too, I'm a fan of many of the retro systems and would like to have a collection of and support homebrew development for a bunch of them - Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Colecovision, Vectrex - of course I can't possibly own all of them at the moment due to cost and space limitations. I agree that SD cards and emulation would be a good way to go. Definitely more affordable and less space consuming. I like your strategy of selling in order to get it so you don't feel bad about it. I could consider that although I don't have anything worth much at the moment (and I don't want to part with one of the Channel F's).

     

    MESS doesn't seem to work well for me, I get audio and a black screen usually, could be my old laptop though. I do have more luck with specific emulators like Emma O2 (for the RCA Studio 2) and AdVi (for the Adventure Vision). How do I tie the ROMS to the emulator?

     

    I'll look into one of those USB adapters, I don't have much of a joypad preference since I stopped keeping up with current gaming a while ago.

  7. Posted

    I feel emulation helps me not stress over collecting. I get to kick the tires with emulation before I go in deep. Even if you feel strongly about piracy there are plenty of homebrew games.

    I have no qualms with emulation. :) I do always end up playing on my keyboard though, do you ever use one of those USB controllers? Which emulator do you use? I've done MESS when I can't find a console-only emulator.

    • Like 1

  8. Posted

    I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by my retro-gaming lately. While I have a small collection, it’s been giving me a great deal of stress. I don’t have much money to put toward the hobby so I can’t afford to spend a great deal on it but I’m always coveting consoles I don’t have – Colecovision, Atari 5200, Vectrex, etc. – as well as homebrews since I like new games for old systems and supporting those efforts. All expensive things. Not to mention I haven’t been able to focus on my current collection:

    • 1 Atari 2600 4 switch woody with maybe 50 loose carts and 4 CIB ones
    • 2 Channel F’s with about 20 loose carts and 15 CIB ones
    • 1 Odyssey 2 with 6 CIB ones

    I’m always chasing after something I don’t have (homebrews, other systems) that I neglect my current collection as you can see each individual one is quite paltry. Instead of beefing those up, I want to get others. Also, I haven’t been able to enjoy what I have much. I don’t have the time and I can’t seem to focus on my current systems. Also, I don’t have a lot of space so I can’t fill myself up with consoles and games.

     

    Being that I haven’t been able to consistently play and collect on a regular basis nor enjoy it, I think I need a little break to clear my head and get it together. I’m just curious does anyone else experience this? Also, how do you go about collecting if you have more than one system? Or do you just focus on one? I see homebrews come and go for various consoles I don’t have and prices shoot up on eBay and I feel like I’m missing out.

    • Like 1

  9. Posted

    I'm kinda hoping this has happened to someone else. Every now and then I'll search Ebay for "Adventure Vision broken" or "Adventure Vision parts". I've gotten pretty decent at fixing different types of electro mechanical devices and at fabricating parts. A busted Adventure Vision is probably the only Adventure Vision I could afford but I probably won't even be able to afford that......... Maybe some day I'll see a busted one by the curb on the way to work.

    I heard that a broken one sold on eBay for $450 a few years ago.

  10. Posted

    Vectrex is Rockin, Check out madtronix for 3d imager, light pens and killer games!

    Thank you for the link! I didn't know you can get repro 3D imager and light pens. That's awesome! I know the originals are rare items, so it's nice to be able to get a repro. I've read about both items and they sound like cool accessories.

    • Like 1

  12. Posted

    Both the Vectrex and Astrocade are a world apart from the Adventure Vision. While all 3 can be lumped into the category of "obscure," I personally wouldn't compare the Adventure Vision to the other 2 consoles.

     

    Many of the "official" Vectrex titles are excellent and there has been an active homebrew community for almost 2 decades, producing both amazing new games and hardware. The Vectex may be obscure to the mainstream but it is still an amazing system to own and use. Unlike the Adventure Vision.

     

    Astrocade also had some great games released when the console was still in production, although it has not seen nearly as much homebrew as the Vectrex. Unlike the Vectrex, the Astrocade hardware is notoriously unreliable both then and now. If you can get one that is working and keep it that way, it's a very enjoyable experience. Unlike the Adventure Vision.

     

    Both the Vectrex and Astrocade have innovative controllers for their time. It's worth it to experience both of these systems in person and actually play them even if they never become part of your collection.

     

    Owning and collecting for either of these systems can be extremely rewarding because they are enjoyable. Unlike the Adventure Vision ;)

    Sounds like the Vectrex is more up my alley. It's obscure so people will be interested when they see it on a shelf, and I'll enjoy learning the history behind it. I also think it looks awesome and I've been interested in it for a few years, just never bothered to seriously look into it. Also I love homebrews so I'm glad to hear that it has an active scene. Plus it's also a table top like the Adventure Vision (of course all comparisons end there). The Astrocade seems intriguing but I don't want to deal with hardware issues, I want something sturdy so I can just get down to gaming.

  14. Posted

    It probably wouldn't be a good investment for me. I've been mining many of the obscure consoles lately - RCA Studio II, APF MP1000, Adventure Vision - looking for hidden gems since I enjoy obscure consoles. But all of those libraries seem to fall flat. Maybe those systems would just look cool in a shelf but nothing more. Maybe a Vectrex or a Bally Astrocade would be better, those seem to have better libraries and bigger followings.

  15. Posted

    I've wanted an Adventurevision for YEARS now ((at least 20 at this point)) but there's no way I'd pay the going rate for one. For this, I'd probably to willing shell out more than I've ever spent for something in my collection but that would still only be maybe $400. That's not going to get one. Good luck in your hunt as it's rare for them to even be available for purchase.

    I feel similarly. I'd be willing to spend more than I normally would but not nearly as high as they go for. Here's a nice emulator:

    https://code.google.com/p/adviemulator/

     

    Good luck in your hunt as well!

  16. Posted

    Adventure vision is my new holy grail. I love the weird way it operates, and I feel like I want it bad enough that one will just fall into my lap someday. Yea I know thats nuts but It has a way of happening to me it seems. Thats how I got my vectrex and a bunch of other weird shit. I see videos on line and I get kinda obsessed. Then eventually I see an old lady selling it on her lawn. It's like you can will them into your life. Thats the method I recommend for acquiring systems as rare as that cuz god knows I cant pay current market price for stuff like that.

    I'm the same way! Watch videos online, get obsessed, and hope that if I go to a thrift store I'll find it. The last part hasn't happened yet, but I'm glad you've gotten lucky. I actually haven't looked at thrift stores and garage sales so maybe if I do I'll find something. I agree, I wouldn't want to pay $1,000 for it. Good luck on your search!

  19. Posted

    So I recently discovered the Adventure Vision thanks to Brett Weiss' book on consoles from the 70s and 80s. I have an affinity for obscure systems so it quickly caught my attention. I've done a few searches and found quite a few sites chock full of information and very passionate fans of the system. It has a tiny library but they're all arcade ports. I've played the system in emulation and I think it's awesome! The unique system used to display the graphics really impresses me. So I guess I just want to talk about the Adventure Vision. Who has one? What do you like about it? Do you still play yours?

  20. Posted

    Atari Age is by far my favorite site, I go on it as much as most people go on Facebook, and I prefer it to Facebook for all of the above reasons. I love that this is a friendly and passionate community of gamers. I love that I can get new games for the retro consoles that I love, and that the site covers a broad range of systems. I have learned so much here and I've made many friends and added to my collection. On a personal note, as a 30 year old fan of 70s and 80s video games, I usually feel like the outsider in most of my social circles, but here in Atari Age I feel like I belong and it's really great. You guys make me proud to be a retro gamer even if people in the broader world don't share that appreciation.

  25. Posted

    Wow this game looks and sounds amazing! The game play is original, addicting and fun! Lots of depth and variety in this one. I'm definitely down for a copy. Thank you for this holiday treat! I'm sure it'll become a tradition for years to come.

    • Like 1
AtariAge
Forums
Store
General
Follow AtariAge

Copyright ©1998-2021 AtariAge

×
×
  • Create New...