The 2600 Games you show visitors

[MaxSpeed]

When my wife decides to have another coupl over, I may take out the Atari. In most cases the husband, sometimes the wife, goes "Oh My God, I used to play on one of those for many many hours" Then I will ask which game was their addiction was "often Space Invaders or River Raid" and we will play, often times they want to see what else the Atari offered and I will put in "Beat'em and Eat'em" for shock value or "Pigs in Space" or if they are into retro "Outlaw" and "Tank". What games do you show folks and play when they see your 2600 for the first time ?

[Snider-man]

Well, Venture II just for ego purposes.

 

However, I then break out the jaw-droppers. My friends all had Ataris growing up, so they're familar with what the system USED to be capable of. So I break out:

 

Thrust - Most of 'em are stunned of a game with this kind of depth and gameplay.

Marble Craze - the music alone hooks 'em. The head-to-head mode reels-em-in.

Berzerk Voice Enhanced - When the Atari starts in with the Intruder Alert!, there's usually a chorus of "No WAY!!!"

 

Good stuff all.

[fsuinnc]

I usually start with Kaboom or Asteroids Both are fun and easy to play and Kaboom is one of my personal favs.

 

After that, Unless they have something particular they want to see I usually go straight to some of the great homebrews (SCSIcide, Thrust, Marble Craze or Qb) though have most of recent games. Sometimes I show One of my own hacks (Candi Invaders, Amanda Invaders or Console wars) There not great but it gets peoples interest ('I didn't know you could do that' or ' I can't believe people are still making games for that thing!')

 

After that my wife usually tries to save the guests before I get too geeky and they never want to return.

[BONEMAN]

I always show people the X-Rated games. Everyone thinks I'm joking until they see them.

[Inky]

If they're unwelcome visitors, I'll show 'em ET or Pac-Man

[church]

We play Warlords here. Plain, simple and crack like addictive.

[joeybastard]

Kaboom, Frogger(everyone remembers that one), Pitfall, HERO and of course Warlords. Even if they never played it, everyone likes to try Warlords for 4 player fun.

[Witchfynde]

The 3D game Tunnel Runner, that makes their jaw drop once it starts going fast. Most people know Kaboom!, but not as many know of the "reverse Kaboom!" of Crackpots, or the killer H. E. R. O.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Well...for me..once I got a hold of them when I was younger,

 

I used to show off Midnight Magic and Solaris for the graphical capability of what the 2600 could do. Most of them couldn't believe I hadn't done something to the thing when I popped in Solaris.

 

Homebrews didn't exist back then...and now, nobody really seems interested in my Atari to care for me to show them anything. Oh well, perhaps when I move somewhere else where the fine art of Atari gaming is appreciated more...I will have something more to show....

 

[joeybastard]

I've found I usually don't have to mention my Atari at all. People see the VCS in my living room and "Oh my God!" is the usual reaction followed by, "Do you have (insert name of game here)?"

[bcprs1]

I usually bring out Pitfall II. Most people from the 80 remember playing Pitfall, but didn't know there was sequel. One that addictive music starts playing "daa,daa, du, daa, daaaa", they are in shock. Who knew an Atari game could have such great background music.

Then, to show the graphics, I bring out Kung-Fu Masters or Solaris. Many people think Atari 2600 died in 1984 and are shocked to see games were made up until the late 80's.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Who knew an Atari game could have such great background music.

Pitfall II cheated, because it used a special Chip for that. So the Atari could not!

 

Until Paul came...

[Snider-man]

Pitfall II cheated, because it used a special chip for that. So the Atari could not!

 

Pfft. You're wrong. Everyone knows the music was produced by magical miniature elves that live in every Pitfall II cart. At least, that's what my dad said that Christmas Day in 1985 when I got mine.

 

You mean...there's NOT elves in my Pitfall II cart? Thanks a lot Thomas for ruining the magic. Next, you'll be telling me there is no Santa Claus. What????

 

Aw, man.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

You mean...there's NOT elves in my Pitfall II cart?   Thanks a lot Thomas for ruining the magic.

Sorry, but let me tell you, there is only one special elve in each cart, called Chip.

 

And ask Coca Cola about Santa Claus, they should know.

[Rob Mitchell]

For my 13 yo nephew, I pull out the low res, 2 player games to show him how much fun the gameplay really is!

 

I can whip him at Combat, Air Sea battle, Indy 500, Surround, etc.

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[MegaManFan]

Word Zapper, Missile Command, Math Gran Prix, Star Voyager, and Asteroids. Unfortunately, I left my AtariAge RF convertor at home when I went to see them over Thanksgiving so I couldn't hook the 2600 up until my wife came back with it; by which time they were headed home to Michigan. (*sighs*) Oh well, next time for sure!

[liquid_sky]

star ship and sky diver, so they think atari is worthless crap and dont start collecting, therefore helping me maintain a local monopoly on collecting!

[Godzilla]

lol at that last comment.

 

I usually whip out with the solaris, pitfall 2, or depending on what games they like, any of ataris later arcade coversions. (stargate, millipede, etc.) Tapper is a good one too, and Quadrun also.

[Eduardo]

I have a younger brother and when he invites friends over to see our videogame systems and someone ask me to fire up "the Atari" just to see what it does I usually show them Ms. Pacman, Asteroids, Joust, Phoenix, Super Breakout, Galaxian, Enduro, Pole Position, Centipede or Moon Patrol.

[King Atari]

Usually some of the classics, then to the advanced late 80's stuff.

[Ugclone]

i usually take guests down to the music room (AKA basement) and show them synthcart. Nothing beats the look on some of their faces when i hook an amp into the back of the atari and show them all the stuff it can do....yeah, nothing better than synthcart

[SS]

A Better Pac-Man / Pac-Man Arcade. Whatever you want to call it. The few that I've shown it to have been pretty wowed by that one.

[Rob Mitchell]

Nothing beats the look on some of their faces when i hook an amp into the back of the atari and show them all the stuff it can do....yeah,    nothing better than synthcart

 

Is your Atari modified for stereo out?

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[raindog]

I hate to admit it, but I show off all the carts I have of my own stuff. Sometimes I include the original 2600 Pac-Man to refresh their memories. Then for actual game playing it's usually Oystron. Kaboom would also be a fixture if we had a set of paddles here.... Madbomber under Linux is a fairly frequent waste of time for us.

 

Rob

[Osmeroid]

Got my 14-year old nephew into 2600 in August playing Dragster & Frankenstein's Monster.

 

Warlords seems to be able to entice even the most resistent non-believers