First Magazine Articles on 7800/ProSystem

[FireHawk]

I'm looking for an early first article covering the Atari ProSystem (I don't think they referred to it as the 7800 yet).

I'm trying to figure out which video game magazine issue has it, so I can look for that issue and purchase it in the near future.

 

This is a memory from my childhood. I purchased the Atari 5200 , when it was released. Then a year later, may be less, I was looking at a video game magazine at a bookstore and it had an article on the Atari ProSystem that was soon to be released.

I was excited about the new system, but devastated as I had just purchased my Atari 5200 and couldn't believe they were releasing another system so soon.

 

I think the issue would have been released sometime during 1984.

I think there were 3 video game magazines during that time.

They are:

 

Electronic Games

JoyStick

Electronic Fun with Computers and Games

 

Anyone know which magazine and issue this article would have appeared in ?

 

or

 

if not, perhaps you would like to let us know when and how you first found out about the Atari ProSystem ?

[Feralstorm]

I think there was a 7800 preview article in Electronic Games back then, but I'm going purely on fuzzy memory. I do remember (faked) screen shots of Dig Dug, Asteroids, Desert Falcon, and others that made me think it was going to be the most awesome system ever made.

[Lynxpro]

Atari Age and Analog both did full articles on the 7800 before its scheduled release in 1984.

 

The best article I could remember on the 7800 right before its 1986 release was done by Electronic Game Player which shortly thereafter became EGM.

[FireHawk]

Thank you Feralstorm and Lynxpro !!

 

I will check out those Magazine issues.

 

If I do manage to find the article that I have in my memories from my childhood, I'll post it here for others to enjoy

 

Thanks again for the information !!!

[Blitter]

I think you're thinking of Joystik. I remember that article too. I seem to recall the article talking about the system having almost limitless sprite capability.

 

I found a guy online that had posted scanned copies of the mag. I lost the bookmark, but I did find this. Try a search on "Joystik" and you should find others.

 

http://arcarc.xmission.com/Magazines%20and%20Books/Joystik%20Magazines%20%2810%20Issues%29/

[high voltage]

Here in German TeleMatch, directly from the Summer CES, Hartmut Huff reviews the 7800 (a simular article might have been in Electronic Games 2 months before)

 

The 7800 also featured in an 84 issue of the UKs C&VG

Edited March 8, 2011 by high voltage

[high voltage]

And here the EG article from Sept 84 issue (later than the German issue!):

Edited March 16, 2011 by high voltage

[SpaceDice2010]

Video Games magazine had a good article on it as well. I believe that they had gone quarterly at that point. Was in close to their last issue.

[Feralstorm]

That EG article looks like what I remember. Funny how memories can jump right back into place even after decades. I thought there were screen pictures for Robotron and Food Fight too, but that was probably from a different source grafted onto the wrong memory.

 

Didn't notice before that Desert Falcon is listed as "Nile Flyer" under the picture, and "Sphinx" in the text.

Edited March 17, 2011 by Feralstorm

[carmel_andrews]

Boy, that 7800 xevious looks damn good.....a million miles better then the A8/5200 version (though i think the A8 version was basically a hack from the 5200)

[Justin42]

I was so excited for the 7800 I actually cut those pages out of the Electronic Games they were in and made a little 7800 "press kit" I could look at whenever I wanted... (I glued a custom cover on and such) I have the Joystik mag with their preview around somewhere, too...

 

Pretty bummed when the system went to vapor shortly after...

[farquh]

How many issues of JoyStik were there? I had never seen an issue before I saw the above post which included a link. Thanks very much for that! I'm surprised that there isn't a wikipedia page devoted to JoyStik magazine.

[FireHawk]

Thank you for all that replied to this thread and your assistance !!!

 

I now think it was a Joystick magazine from 1983 or 1984.

 

The one article that was posted in this thread (now removed from PhotoBucket) was very close to the article that I read and covered some of the same topics, like the Maria chip and non-flickering sprites.

 

Thanks again everyone !!!

[Marc Oberhäuser]

The German Joystick magazine is from 1989 and lasted only a bunch of issues. Here is a link of the scans I made: Joystick article

[FireHawk]

Thank you for all the assistance on this topic !!!

 

After years of searching... I think I've finally found the article that I remember from my childhood.

It is indeed the Electronic Games Sep. 84 Issue.

 

I'm 99% sure this was it. Only 99%, as I thought when it mentioned the Maria Chip it talked about being able to move 99 sprites around with no flicker or something like that. It does talk about the Maria Chip and its amazing abilities, but nothing about 99 sprites. I remember the article being several pages and this is a 4 page preview article, not just a news bulb in the front. Also, they do say this is "EG's Exclusive Report".

The layout looks very familiar, as does the picture for and text for "Nile Flyer", which I guess was later renamed "Desert Falcon". I really remember the "Nile Flyer" title and photo.

 

It is exactly 1 year from when I remember purchasing my Atari 5200, and I was bummed that they were releasing another Atari so soon! Little did I know that it would be much longer thanks to the video game crash. I think I purchased my Atari 7800 in 1986. I wanted it over the NES, because of Xevious, which had never been released on a Atari home console before. Also, Pole Position II the pack-in game looked amazing as did Asteroids and Galaga, plus it could play my Atari 2600 games too !

I still have my original 7800 purchase today and it continues to work great !

 

I was very happy with all my Atari consoles - 2600, 5200 & 7800. They were a great part of my childhood.

I even still occasionally play the games today, when I find some time.

 

Thanks again everyone, for helping me track this down and help me re-live some of my childhood nostalgia !

[high voltage]

Noticed how they called the Maria chip Marie