up2knowgood
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Posts posted by up2knowgood
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I understand that later in the development cycle, they decided to make this VCS and Intellivision compatible, and dropped the idea of doing their own "console".
It's also amusing they say it could use Apple II, TI99/4A, and RadioShack peripherals.
....waaaaaant....want.In all seriousness, this idea is surprisingly common, and not just with video games, how many of us had or knew someone who had a T.V. with a VCR in it? I own a flat screen that has a built-in DVD player right now. I heard somewhere that there was even a T.V. with a CD-i in it!
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I've also heard drug use was rampent among all the employees and alot of money "went up in smoke", which also contributed to Atari's down fall.
Oh yeah, watch "Atari: Game Over" Howard Scott Warsaw and Nolan Bushnell talk about drinking at Atari, buying kegs on company credit cards, and doing drugs. Its amazing they made money for so long when hear about what was going on.
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I voted ice cream, because ice cream. But in all seriousness, Space Game could work as the title.
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actually I do collect those, I just don't count them as "games" in the collection. Outside of 2600 games, I don't care much about them.
To be fair though, what other system has as many interesting label variations as Atari? Certainly not a Nintendo.
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Depends on the collector and WHY they collect. If someone collects just to put things on a shelf then yes, I can see your point. However collectors who play their collections don't have that problem IMO. Label variations are interesting to a point if they are vastly different. Zellers carts for instance. In my case the Zellers versions are easier to acquire than the original like Laser Volley which is almost common around here but Laser Gates is not.
Got any extra Zellers carts?
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yo I've been collecting for about 5 years now and the collection has gotten pretty huge in my opinion.
I mainly go for 2600 & NES and now have over 400 games for each of those.
I buy cheap so it doesn't cost me very much, so that means I don't have many expensive games that I'd like to have. Still lots of fun to search & find good deals on lots or just cheap game stuff. And, due to picking up those cheap lots, I have a crapload of duplicates and stuff I don't care to keep, "trade bait" as Kaeru called it
I am guessing you don't do label variations.
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I had the same problem with mine. Manually program channel 2 or 3 into the T.V. and it should work fine. I suggest 3 since its more likely to be set up to receive antenna signals on channel 3.
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People forget that this was proprietary, state-of-the-art technology 40 years ago. The inner-workings of the system would have been a closely guarded secret.
My personal collection includes a book about video game systems from about 1979 or '80. It includes sections on systems like the RCA Studio II and the Fairchild Channel F, with quite detailed technical information (presumably supplied by the manufacturer). The section on the 2600 just includes the blunt statement that "Atari does not release technical information" (or words to that effect).
A very good point. Activision and Imagic were able to do it because they were founded by ex-Atari programmers.
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I would love some of these, especially if they came in flavors. I am an easy sucker for the clear color trend of the 90's. I think homebrews would look especially nice in these and allow me to separate them in my collection.
Ooh, like ice cream flavors? White vanilla. Red strawberry. Orange sherbet. Maybe even a multi color Superman! I can dig it. That would be cool too.
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Qbert looks different. It is not the standard parker brothers shell tapered at the top, like the Frogger one. The P at the end of the model # is for pal.
That Q*Bert is an Atari Corp. red label re-release.
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I was thinking more about this question and I think most of us approached it with a list of our favorite 2600 games. Another, approach would be, what are the most historically significant games? My list certainly changes when I think of the question this way.
Historically significant games:
- Combat - Pack in cart. It was everyone's introduction to the 2600
- Breakout - Breakout represents what the system was really designed to do
- Space Invaders - The game that really sold the system. I'd also say that it is more fun than the arcade version
- Asteroids and Missile Command - These go along with Space Invaders as initial arcade ports that made the 2600 the dominate system in its era.
- Pacman - First big disappointment from Atari that was owned by a lot of people. I'd say the start of the 2600 downfall (I actually like it as a kid)
- ET - People can argue that it was decent game, but it was a rushed movie tie in that was difficult to play and obtuse. The second nail in the proverbial coffin for the 2600
- Pitfall, River Raid, Kaboom and whatever was the first Activisiion game. First successful 3rd party game producer.
- Demon attack and maybe Atlantis - Imagic proved that someone else could do what Activision did
- Parker Bros Frogger - Probably the best port of a more modern arcade game (Yes, the Starpath one is better, but not many people owned it.)
- A Swedish Mystique game (Custards Revenge, etc...) These games certainly created a lot of outrage for their existence and had a lot of teenage boys wishing they could get one. They certainly weren't good or even really erotic, but the existence of X-rated games on the 2600 had an impact on the industry.
- A Starpath/Arcadia Supercharger along with at least one game on cassette (Their version of Frogger is amazing, but I think any game is a good representative.) This showed what could be done with the Atari if the memory limitation was taken away. I put it under controversial as it was relatively rare.
- Basic - An attempt from Atari to justify the Computer part of the Atari name.
- The first hacked cartridge and the first full homebrew. - I would argue that the homebrew community that has evolved around the 2600 is part of its history
The Supercharger doesn't actually increase the RAM of the system, it basically works as a 6KB cartridge, just like how Burgertime and Mountain King do with the extra RAM in the cartridges.
That said, it's still super cool.
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Searched a little bit in the internet and i found out the following:
- US-version is from Data Age
- European-version is from Gameworld
And there also seems to be three Brazilian-versions:
- one from Genus
- one from Star Game
- and one from Dynacom
One game and so many publishers.
Well Brazil has some tough importation laws if what I hear is correct. So they have to make a lot in country to get it at all.
Hmmm...European publisher, International Editions, these must all be PAL games. I can't use any of them, darn it. I'm afraid I am no longer interested in them. Sorry.
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Chetiry, Strat-o-gems Deluxe, and Hunchy 2. If you're going to play the 2600, why not get the best games? I'd add Boulderdash, but it's become impossible to find. Eliminating homebrews from contention seems both arbitrary and counterproductive, as any of these four are better than any original release title.
Because compared to the old games, Homebrews are expensive and have almost no history. That and not all of them are good, just like the old games. If I made a top 20 list of my favorite 2600 games, Melbourne Tatty would not be on that list.
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I just try to imagine laying down thirty-five bucks at the Sears videogame section in 1982 & walking out with Juno First -- how crazy that first ten minutes of game play would have seemed compared to Superman / Atari Golf / Space Invaders / Air Sea Battle / Freeway
The answer that the tech was there but the knowledge not -- that sounds right.
I think a lot of us here are sort of living out a childhood dream of having a ton of Atari games
& it's cool to even ponder if Imagic or Atari or Activision could have manufactured these titles back then.
Interview with that Ed guy is cool.
Back then, it would cost a lot more than that if it had been produced. Juno First is 32KB in size, which is larger than most(if not all) of the other games produced at the time. I'd say Atari would put the price up higher at maybe...$50 or more to offset the higher production costs. I don't know what the price difference between a 4 and 32KB board, but I imagine its pretty minimal today compared to what it was back then.
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Cool! Here's my doubles so far -- anything you'd like?
Air-Sea BattleCircus AtariCombatDemon AttackMaze CrazeMissle CommandSssnakeStar RaidersStar Wars: The Empire Strikes BackStreet RacerTowering InfernoUnfortunately, I already own all of those, but no worries, here are the pictures of the four on your list.
Were you interesting in any of the others? 
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That's very generous of you! Do you have a BST list or anything in case we want to combine? I'd hate to have you spend postage for just the one cart
Sure, I was just going through and separating out my extras. On your list, I also have Pitfall II, Dragonfire, and Secret Quest. I'll provide pictures in a minute, Secret Quest isn't in good shape, but the others are very nice.
List of others I have:
Pac Man
Stellar Track
Steeplechase
Mega Force
Skeet Shoot
Spacechase
River Raid
Moonsweeper
Star Voyager
Moonsweeper is hard, but also very nice and colorful, I think you'd like it too.
You have any extras for trade?
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For what it's worth, these are ones I had on my wishlist for a while back -- are any of them just as good if not better than the ones in the summary above that don't have asterisks by them?
Pengo
Beany Bopper
Private Eye
Fantastic Voyage
Joust
H.E.R.O. was also on the list, but you guys recommended it a few times
I have a spare Joust if you want it. I say it's another good one.
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Isn't Pole Position II for the 7800?
Other than that, nice collection, Yars is good. Love that game.
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Hello and welcome!
I recommend most of Imagic's games, with Dragonfire getting a special mention. Ver colorful. Secret Quest by Atari, gets a special mention too, mainly because it's a bit of a secret to many Atari players, and of course, good old Berserk. Star Raiders, really complex, but not a bad choice to show off the system. Same for Solaris.
Other games, Q*bert is a classic, and Astroblast can use either the joystick or the paddles, so that kind of shows off the system a bit.
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When I have new 2600/7800 shells made, I'll investigate having some clear shells produced.
..Al
Thanks Al!
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International Trick Shot and Pitfall! both. Do you know if they are PAL or NTSC? I can't use PAL games with my TV, it blocks the signal. (Curse you Regional Lockout!)
I am also interested in Plaque Attack, Video Olympics, and Boxing.
I wanted Defender II and Mario Bros. as well, but seems they're already spoken for.
I am also curious as to why Airlock says Gameworld on it and not Data Age. Is it international as well?
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Nowhere right now as far as I know.
..Al
Aww drag. Well, if you ever find a source, see if you can get them in the store. I will always be willing to pay extra for them, just like Rebooteriods.
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Huh, that is something isn't it? Everything I have read about Apollo up until now said Ed was a teenager at the time, even on Atari Age here, but he sure doesn't look like a teenager in that article.
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Coleco Gemini , $39. Is it worth it?
in Atari 2600
Posted · Edited by up2knowgood
I actually like my Gemini. That said, mine was $60 complete, plus the owner's manual. So $40 for a lot of doubt? Pass.
$20, eh...maybe.