PlayDoh003

On the other hand, one could argue that when you lose in Missile Command, there's radiation everywhere, hence, "The End".

Well, assuming that your tv can receive the signal coming from the console (as the post above suggested) and considering that the console was working in store, the definite weak link is the game switch box. A simple Phono female to Coax male adapter (which can be easily found at Radio Shack if you still have one nearby) will eliminate that common weak link. The heavy sixer that I purchased early this year had that same issue, and while the main culprit was the 300-75 Ohm converter attached to it, the switch box was still behaving erratically. So, I eliminated it. If that doesn't work, then as also mentioned above, you'll have to get out the voltmeter. EDIT: It was hard to see at first, but it looks like you already have the Phono-Coax adapter going into the switch box? In that case, you should try disconnecting that and hooking it up directly into the TV, eliminating the switch box and white cable...

Kosmic makes a really good point in that Nintendo is still very relevant today, as is their IP - which brings up another. In that era, none of the manufacturers had a "mascot", per se. You could say that Namco created the first true mascot of video gaming (Pac-Man), and Nintendo managed to create the first mascot to carry a home console. Atari never really managed to create an endearing character in their time. Sure, they created some really iconic games, but not characters. About the closest thing to a mascot that any of the early manufacturers had was maybe Mattel's "Running Man". And while Mario himself also started out as just a sprite made out of 3 colors, he's had the benefit of evolving over time, becoming ever more recognizable.

I've read a lot of articles and YouTube content on this topic, and the theories are not only interesting, but they make sense. The NES was and is (and you can argue that the SNES/Genesis are "in the zone" at the moment) one of the main consoles that come to mind when people think of "retro collecting", because the kids of that era have been at an age where the nostalgia Kicked in, and they had the extra money to repurchase (if they didn't keep) their childhood memories. Some just recovered their collections, some sought to continue to go after the games they longed but couldn't get. Of course, there were also the ones who went for a full NES library. Now, it seems that "retro collecting" is in a fad stage where lots of people are doing it, and of course, prices have driven up in general as a result. I really feel sorry for anyone trying to get a full NES library these days. They at least have Bette trace deep pockets. So, why does Atari nostalgia remain in a dark corner somewhere? Well, If the theory above is correct, the people who became nostalgic would have done so more than 20 years ago - well before the term "retro" was even a thing. So yeah - there are outliers like myself who only started collecting Atari (and Intellivision) within the past year, but chances are, the majority of the folks who wanted to collect for these system probably achieved their goals some 15-20 years ago. As was already mentioned, I don't think that the younger generation that grew up on Nintendo really appreciates the "primitive" Atari. They don't realize that before people called video games "Nintendos", they used to call them "Ataris". So this leaves Atari collecting in a state where there is obviously more supply than demand. Sure, this plays into why heavy sixers are desired and more expensive (built like tanks, but not many were made before the bean counters at Warner Communications started cutting corners), and even why boxed complete consoles go for so much. Going by the above, we are on the cusp of the PS2 and Xbox being in the "retro" limelight... You could say that the GameCube is already there because of the overall lower supply, not to mention the multitude of fans that collect Nintendo-anything. So anyway, I probably rambled on too much, but I thought these ideas really made sense.

I bequeathed My entire Atari and Sega (SMS/Genesis) collections to my brother back in 1994 when I was moving out. Everything was boxed and in pristine condition. What a mistake that was! Within a few years, he had either sold or tossed out practically everything I had given him. The only thing that survived was my copies of Outrun for SMS, and John Madden Football, along with Madden '92. Good thing I decided to keep my Atari 800XL and 1050 drive, which I still have to this day in their boxes.

The VCS featured on the box for the light sizer is also a heavy. I guess that Atari didn't really bother updating the box, other than to get rid of the chess piece as part of that lawsuit they lost... I think I've even seen a box for the 4-switch woody that I swear looks like it has the 4-switch panel super-imposed over the original picture of a light sixer. If only they had PhotoShop back then, lol.

As I kid, I distinctly remember going through both the JCPenney and Sears catalogs over and over till the toy section pages were ready to fall out of the books! JCP was probably Sears' stiffest competition back in the late 70's-Early 80's - at least at the national level. While JCP had the Atari VCS, Sears had the Tele-Games Video Arcade. Even as a 10 year old I could tell that Sears was just "painting" an Atari, lol. For that reason alone, I preferred the VCS... Besides, I was already a fan of Atari, thanks to Stunt Cycle.

I purchased my VCS in the Spring of '78 after saving up my allowance and doing various chores for folks in the neighborhood. Yes, at 11 years old, I bought my first console myself!!! I played the heck out of that thing and took good care of it - had the boxes for everything. When I got married, I left my VCS and Sega Genesis in my kid brother's hands, and well... that's still a sore subject. But anyway, I've been collecting seriously for about 15 years, and as I'm approaching my 50th Birthday next month, I decided early this year that I wanted to get both a VCS and a Genesis, not to mention try to recoup the collection of games I had for each. Luckily, I was able to meet my goal last month. Been having a blast playing, and have even picked up the Flashback collections for PS4, not to mention Tim Lepetino's Art of Atari Deluxe Edition. It's like he knew I would want a book like this!

Earlier this year, when I decided that I wanted to get an Atari before its 40th birthday, I set out to recoup CIB copies of my modest library that I had as a kid - of course, Adventure was one of them. Let me tell you, while it's not too difficult to find a decent number of games complete (some a little more than others), it seems like everyone tossed out their boxes and manuals for Adventure! It was the very last game that I acquired after a few months of looking. FWIW, though, if you asked anyone who owned it back then, chances are they would tell you that it was their favorite Atari game. It was definitely much more complex than its implied simplicity - and yeah, that cover art...

I was able to get my Deluxe Edition last week, and I'd just like to say that after flipping through it, I want to give you a big thumbs up, TIm. It was a great nostalgia trip going through it, and the unforgattable Atari designs of that era is probably a big reason why I pay attention to product design even today. Despite my busy schedule, I will definitely try to make the time to read through everything closely. The VCS was my first console (at the ripe old age of 11 years old back in 1978), so going through the book brought back a flood of memories like they were yesterday. Thanks for compiling my fondest of childhood gaming memories into a 15 Lb. package!

Aside from Combat of course, Breakout wasn't just the first game that I played, but the very first game that I purchased with my own allowance money. As simple as the game was, I used to play it for hours!

Hi Byte Knight! Please PM me when you can to get information on how to get my CVFB upgraded to an Ultimate. I would be looking to get it done after the holidays in January... Thanks!