BassGuitari

Ybox. 😛

Functionally equivalent, yes. The difference with the 2600 adapters for Atari 5200, Coleco, and Intellivision is, as you said, that they are standalone 2600 systems that use their host consoles as RF and power pass-throughs, cutting off compatibility with native software and effectively transforming them into elaborate 2600 systems. Unlike the 2600 hardware built into the 7800, they don't augment their host systems' functionality; they replace it completely. (Tangentially, the Intellivision System Changer is an interesting case because, besides power and RF, it also interacts with the Intellivision II's controllers. The System Changer has its own controller jacks, but you can also use the Intellivision II controllers from the console instead, which is pretty funky.)

But unlike the CX55 you brought up, the 7800 can play non-2600 games. Which makes it definitionally not a 2600.

The CX55 can't play 5200 games. 😜

I have an IBM 5150 and Compaq Portable in pieces on my workbench. 😛 And also a Gateway 2000 386/33c in a nonfunctional state (likely related to a corroded CMOS battery on an otherwise squeaky clean board, I suspect). For systems that actually work, I also have a Panasonic Sr. Partner, and an AST Advantage 486 (I forget the exact model) that's kitted out with RAM but needs proper video and sound cards. That one boots to Win95, though, so I don't know if it counts. (In a similar vein, I still have my old Compaq Armada laptop.)

It's not a 2600. 😉

They would have been fine enough (for me) if they didn't flip the Y axis. I think "pilot" control is fine for steering from a first-person perspective (ex: Star Raiders), but not for aiming a cursor. I really want to love the home ports of Star Wars: The Arcade Game, but the controls drive me nuts. It's frustrating because they were *this close* to being really good games! 😝

Besides prototype/unreleased stuff like the Atari 2700 and Kee Programmable Game System, I *think* the only ones I'm missing are the Atari 2800, the Irish all-black 2600jr., and, weirdly, a Sears Light Sixer. Otherwise, I think I've got every version, and then some: Atari 6-switch - heavy Sears 6-switch - heavy Atari 6-switch - light Atari 4-switch woodgrain Sears 4-switch Atari 4-switch - black Sears Video Arcade II Atari 2600jr. - small rainbow Atari 2600jr. - large rainbow Coleco Gemini Columbia Home Arcade Expansion Module #1 (for Colecovision) System Changer (for Intellivision II) VCS Adapter (for Atari 5200) For grins and giggles, I've also got a TV Boy and an Edu-Games 2600 (an Argentinian 2600jr. clone). If I had to pick a favorite, my gut tells me Atari Light Sixer. But, variety is the spice of life! 😁

The Y and O keys are the same in AZERTY...

Haven't had a ton of time for games lately, but Star Ship has been parked in my 2600 for the last month, so I've been sneaking in a few rounds here and there. 🙂

Okay, hang on: so you only had two games, and you liked one of them, but you decided the entire library is garbage?

That's a known idiosyncrasy of Atari Corp. cartridges. They produced thicker cartridge shells than Atari Inc. did, and they used the same one for both 2600 and 7800 games. The Red Label titles and 1986-88 reprints are right at home in 2600jr. and 7800 systems, but a little snug in the previous woodgrain/vader consoles.

Can't win them all. 😜

(Responding to the title because I'm not going to try to read that.) Because they weren't thinking about collectors 40 years in the future? 🤷‍♂️ The thought must have been that the box/packaging would suffice in telling consumers which version to buy for their system. I guess I don't know what else to suggest, other than to educate yourself. The differences are on the subtle side, but easily recognizable when you're familiar: Atari 2600 - Silver-ish label Atari 5200 - Blue-ish label; cart is more square-shaped than rectangular Intellivision - Narrow/elongated dimensions; squared/rectangular gold label (vs. usual trapezoid cut); end of cart is angled sharply Coleco - Gold-ish label; cart sides are angled along entire edge (vs. only halfway); trapezoidal profile; back of cart has a bracketed relief for storing controller overlays Atari 400/800 - End of cart is flat (vs. angled); cutaway on front bottom edge of cart shell; gold-ish label Commodore 64 - End of cart is angled; no cutaway; label only extends about halfway down the face of the cart; Silver-gray label Commodore VIC-20 - Very wide dimensions; gold label; title on end label is left-justified (vs. centered) TI-99/4a - Wide dimension; shallow teal label with title only; blocky protrusion around sides and face of cartridge; no title on end label; easily distinct from every other Parker Bros. cart Odyssey 2 (Brazil, Europe) - If you can't tell it's an Odyssey/Videopac game, that's on you 😜 Full disclosure: early in my collecting days, I made the rookie mistake of buying a Parker Bros. cartridge (Star Wars: The Arcade Game) for my Atari 2600, becoming very confused about why it wouldn't fit in my system, and later figuring out that it was the Coleco version. 🙃

What are your criteria? What kinds of games are you into? Are you trying to collect physical copies of games, or are you good with SD solutions? Judging from what you already have, I'm guessing you're primarily into the 16/32/64-bit era, in which case you have most of the bases covered already. There are certainly other interesting platforms from that era as well, but they come with a lot of caveats. But if you're interested in 8-bit systems, the NES is essential. Post-'90s, PlayStation 2 checks a whole heck of a lot of boxes, as well. If you're looking at handhelds, the Game Boy Advance is a slam dunk. I personally prefer the Game Boy Color's style and form factor, but GBA plays all original GB and GBC games on top of its own excellent library. Either way, you'll want one with a new IPS screen, whether you do the mod yourself or buy a pre-modded unit. Naturally they're a bit spendier than unmodded systems, but so worth it. (Same advice applies to NeoGeo Pocket Color, Game Gear, and Lynx.) If you are interested in early '80s gaming but find the consoles of the era too esoteric, there are several computer platforms that essentially double as game consoles, with substantial cartridge libraries (and disk and tape, if you want to mess with that) that are fun to collect. Most of these have SD-card solutions available for them, as well. Commodore 64 and Atari 400/800/XL are arguably the best of these; the TI-99/4a and Commodore VIC-20 are a little more niche these days but have some great stuff. (VIC-20 cartridges are particularly fun to collect, IMO!)