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Atari 2600: A great video game system? . . .


Ransom

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but can people at least consider the 2600 when they have these conversations? That's all I ask.

Or can people consider any console made previous to the NES in these conversations? NES fanboys and their revisionist history really irk me. The disrespect of previous systems amazes me. This garbage does not happen in other hobbies. Marvel is a better company but people still are found of D.C. and other comics of the golden era. 1952 Topps was an Amazing set but people still care for Goudy and the T206 cards. Yet with this hobby most NES collectors are posers who barely know what an Atari 2600 is. And they have no clue what a Colecovision, Intellivision, or Odyssey 1 + 2 is. :x

 

Hey now...I know this is an Atari forum, but it's possible to love both, which I do. Sometimes I feel like playing Atari, sometimes I feel like playing Nintendo (and Nintendo consoles after the NES don't qualify as "playing Nintendo", thank you very much). I grew up with both. My parents shelled out $139.95 in 1981 for my woodgrain 4-switch. They shelled out much more than that the next year for my Atari 5200. I spent my hard-earned pizza delivery money on my NES in 1988 (can't remember the amount offhand...what were those going for when they were new?). Great memories. I like the Sega Genesis too, but didn't have one of my own back in the day...played it at friends' houses sometimes.

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To me, the Atari 2600 IS and will remain a great video game system in the currents of history. Since most of you have already touched on why, I'll just relate my own personal experience to the mix.

 

I have owned almost all the current generation consoles, but for some reason I have NOT gotten a next generation system. In fact, I recently got rid of my Xbox IN FAVOR of owning an Atari 2600. Why? Gameplay, gameplay, gameplay! It's all about the gameplay. I realize now why I have ditched so many systems in the past..it got stale, it got boring, even with all the flashy graphics and wonderful sound. I knew at that point I was missing something, some piece of history that I longed to own again.

 

So, coming here and complaining I needed an Atari 2600, I received my wish and now have one coming to me with some wonderful games. I could care less about Xbox, Wii, PS3, etc. All I want (and apparently, all I've ever really wanted) was an Atari 2600. Shame on me for parting with it in the first place. I should have just kept it and stopped trading systems every few months. I was so unsatisfied with the Gamecube's and PS2's I had. They gathered dust, and the games remained unplayed while I went to my computer and powered up old DOS games like Wasteland, Exodus: Ultima III, and Wizard's Crown!!! :roll:

 

So, the Atari 2600 is heading back my way, I feel satisfied and content in a way I haven't felt in a long, long time. :D Now I can settle back and collect for one of the BEST game systems in the history of the planet...and by saying that, I really think I would be too far from the truth, would I? ;)

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The Atari 2600 is and forever will be my favorite video game system.

 

I grew up always leaving my parents JC Penny catalog open to the "Atari VCS" where it displayed Space Invaders on the TV screen. I had it circled and underlined but Santa didn't bring it to me for several years. Once I finally got it I couldn't put it down.

 

As PCs become more powerful the 2600 went into my closet and then my attic. I never threw it away as I had too many memories attached to it yet. I moved onto PC titles and then build a LAN to play doom 4-player in my basement. (Yeah, I know... what a geek)

 

I bought the PS1 when I discovered the mod-chip and the Dreamcast when they announced its demise. I do like the DC and PS1 and they do have several cool games, but there's something about the sheer simplicity of the 2600 that is magical to me.

 

A kid can come over to an Atari 2600, plug in a cart, and start playing without having to learn which R or L button to press with either X,Y,triangle, or whatever else they throw on these things. Modern controllers will cause a casual gamer to RUN away as they appear and ARE too complicated for a casual fan to use. Look at the success of the Wii... Nintendo proved GFX aren't everything... they brought back the SIMPLICITY that gets casusal gamers back into the video game market.

 

I lost interest in PC gaming once Quake came out... people would make cheat macros, flame each other, etc. Just didn't care for it anymore.

 

I got back into the Atari when I was cleaning out my attic. I plugged it in, got it going, and found myself playing it for hours. I scanned the internet to see what interest there was in the 2600 and couldn't believe games were still being made for it. I joined AtariAge, ordered some homebews, and haven't put it down since. My DC and PSX now rot in my attic while I numb my thumb on my 2600 regularly.

 

The sad thing is most games on modern systems will not be playable as they require servers and online connections. Those systems will only be around for so long and then those online games will be forever lost while I have my EPROM sitting right here ready to play Solar Fox. :)

 

I find it fascinating that after all these years the console, carts, and joysticks have lasted and still work properly for over 3 decades. Now THAT is quality.

Edited by tremoloman2006
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phe·nom·e·non

1. a fact, occurrence, or circumstance observed or observable: to study the phenomena of nature.

2. something that is impressive or extraordinary.

3. a remarkable or exceptional person; prodigy; wonder.

4. Philosophy. a. an appearance or immediate object of awareness in experience.

 

[Origin: 1595–1605; < LL phaenomenon < Gk phainómenon appearance, n. use of neut. of phainómenos, prp. of phaínesthai to appear, pass. of phaínein to show]

 

 

—Synonyms 1. event, incident. 2, 3. marvel, miracle.

—Usage note As with other plurals of Latin or Greek origin, like media and criteria, there is a tendency to use the plural phenomena as a singular (This phenomena will not be seen again), but such use occurs infrequently in edited writing. The plural form phenomenas, though occasionally seen, has even less currency.

 

I think "Atari 2600" is a phenomenon :D !

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The 2600 is like the air cooled VW of videogames. It's something that cut a deep swath through the history of its industry, and something that is very different compared to the rest. It's so different that it has attracted acolytes who have made it their mission to keep it relevant pretty much indefinitely.

 

jan08.jpg

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but can people at least consider the 2600 when they have these conversations? That's all I ask.

Or can people consider any console made previous to the NES in these conversations? NES fanboys and their revisionist history really irk me. The disrespect of previous systems amazes me. This garbage does not happen in other hobbies. Marvel is a better company but people still are found of D.C. and other comics of the golden era. 1952 Topps was an Amazing set but people still care for Goudy and the T206 cards. Yet with this hobby most NES collectors are posers who barely know what an Atari 2600 is. And they have no clue what a Colecovision, Intellivision, or Odyssey 1 + 2 is. :x

 

Hey now...I know this is an Atari forum, but it's possible to love both, which I do. Sometimes I feel like playing Atari, sometimes I feel like playing Nintendo (and Nintendo consoles after the NES don't qualify as "playing Nintendo", thank you very much). I grew up with both. My parents shelled out $139.95 in 1981 for my woodgrain 4-switch. They shelled out much more than that the next year for my Atari 5200. I spent my hard-earned pizza delivery money on my NES in 1988 (can't remember the amount offhand...what were those going for when they were new?). Great memories. I like the Sega Genesis too, but didn't have one of my own back in the day...played it at friends' houses sometimes.

 

I most certainly agree! The NES was my first system as such it introduced me to video games. I have many, many fond memories of playing NES for hours. The 2600 on the otherhand I got into many years later because it was that system sitting in the storage closet that I was curious about. Once I was finally able to hook it up, I was hooked on it as well, and always respected (and still do) it's rightful place in video game history (and present :) ). I see the NES and 2600 as being side by side to each other. Their both, in my opinion, two of the great pillars on the foundation of video games. They both dramatically had an impact on their respective generations of gamers. Of course this isn't to denigrate the Intellivision, Colecovision, Odysseys, or even the Atari 5200, but none of those had the impact of the 2600 or the NES.

 

So no I don't think there needs to be warring camps among NES and Atari gamers, you can appreciate both, sicne some days we're in the mood for one flavor, and on other days for another. It's the best of both worlds. :)

 

PS. And yes "playing Nintendo" only refers to the NES. ;)

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I have to agree on the NES part. I owned that as well, enjoying a vast library of games for the system. I even had a poster proudly displaying the NES on it! I had the robot, the light guns, and most of the accessories available at the time. I couldn't say that the NES is crap compared to the Atari, as that would be a lie. It had it's nitch in the gaming halls of history and will have one for years to come.

 

However, the Atari 2600 was my first gaming system, and will be reserved in fond memories by myself and I'm sure many other fans on this site. I think the video posted on youtube says it best, the Atari had a JOYSTICK, not some little nub that you used your thumb on. :D

 

Yes, I'm biased I suppose, but it's Atari 2600 all the way for me. ;)

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  • 7 months later...
I worship my Atari 2600 and unlike my Xbox, Dreamcast, SNES, Saturn, etc., my 2600 will never wind up in the attic or basement again.

 

Right there with ya ;)

I have played nothing but 2nd and 3rd generation consoles since around the end of 2005 so I pulled my PS2 out of the closet a few days back and hooked it up, it was.........ok I guess. I enjoy the sandbox of Vice City and and riding around in the game brought back memories of a few years back BUT the load times drove me INSANE now that I am used to the Atari and it's speed and on top of that I got motion sickness from playing the PS2 games with their 3D graphics. Yeah the graphics are great and the games aint half bad but the slowness of gameplay and the motion sickness caused me to put the thing back in the closet.

VIVA ATARI!!

Wp

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I am a little late to this thread, but I'd certainly love to find a PSX emulator of an Atari emulator (disk image (easier) or way to setup (I am capable)). I have a PSX (chipped) and a PS2 (not chipped), so PSX is my only option. I found PVCS, but the web site is dead (and that's PS2 only).

 

Anyone who can help - thanks!!!

 

-Howie

 

EVERY Atari 2600 game can be faithfully reproduced and released on a single CD for a PSx or Xbox etc

Have you ever tried to play Starmaster on a Playstation? The game was definately not made for those controllers.

 

Therefore, if the gameplay is the same and the graphics are better, isn't the system a better system?

The gameplay is not necessarily the same due to the difference in controllers. Some games were made for joysticks while others were made for paddle controllers and don't work well with the playstation controllers. Since all the newer game systems have similar controllers I think they would all have this problem.

 

True... but if there was a market for it, they would release a joystick adaptor for the new systems. Problem is there is not enough of a market for it

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