Help me learn to love the Atari 2600!

[Kyle Orland]

You still need Paddles, I believe.

 

Yep, get some paddles. Some of the best games use them.

 

Working on it...

[Dreammary]

I paid $80 for less stuff then that, when I bought my 2600, Kyle. I consider what you bought to be an amazing deal.

 

 

With those paddles you need a copy of Kaboom!

Edited April 28, 2011 by Dreammary

[GameGirl420]

i'm happy to say i played Atari 2600 alot in the 80's Name that Game makes me think of 1986 lol. and i also played alot of 5200 and NES.

 

 

what is'nt there to love???? drats i need to take my 4 switch woodgrain out of the box and play Food Fight again soon.

[accousticguitar]

Food Fight on the 2600???

[GameGirl420]

Food Fight on the 2600???

 

 

oops i meant Fast Food....i always confuse those two lol..

[Kyle Orland]

Got my system in the mail yesterday, along with my first 17 2600 games! Unfortunately, I haven't been able to track down a set of paddles yet, so a good 5 of those games are unplayable. A few seem to be two-player only, so will have to wait until I can get some buds over. Here's some initial impressions:

 

• 
   
  
• The hardware: Surprised how substantial the Heavy Sixer I got feels, and how solid the switches click after all these years. A little confused by the controller ports in the back, though... I guess they wanted to maintain that nice faux-wood look on the front.
  
• The joystick: I'm shocked at how little the stick actually needs to move, physically, to register a new direction. Feels a little sticky and imprecise sometimes, which is annoying when I'm trying to make hairpin turns in Surround. I'm getting some pain in my wrist after mashing it around for a few hours too... I keep adjusting my grip to try and find some comfort. Any advice for proper form?
   
  

 

GAMES

• 
   
  
• Missile Command: A favorite of mine in the arcade trackball version (even though I was never very good), using a joystick is taking some getting used to. I've barely been able to break 20K so far... once I hit wave 5 my aim seems to either be too slow or too imprecise. Is it possible to hit two parallel incoming missiles with one bomb? I haven't quite gotten it yet.
  
• Asteroids: I keep accidentally using hyperspace by tapping the joystick down... any strategies for preventing this? It's also a little annoying that I often die as soon as a new wave starts when an Asteroid appears right on top of me. The flickering graphics aren't wowing me either... gimme the original vector any day. Not so impressed with this conversion.
  
• Space Invaders: My current obsession. I feel I've already "solved" the game, finding a pattern that seems to work on all the waves after 6 or so as long as my reflexes hold out. Love the feeling of getting in "the zone" and timing my shots just right. I thought my top score of 8,300 was pretty good, until I looked at Twin Galaxies... guess I need to work on my stamina. What difficulty setting do you guys usually play on? Anyone have a "game select" recommendation (there's a ton of options!)?
  
• Pac-man: I've heard tales of how bad this conversion was, and they were not lying. It's hard to tell when precisely a dot's going to get eaten, and the ghosts show none of the cheery personality of the arcade. Hoping Ms. Pac-man is better (it's coming in a shipment soon).
  
• Surround: Only played this single player so far, having trouble beating the computer, even on easy mode. Turning off the "turn back on yourself" helps, but I still have trouble making precise moves that the computer pulls off effortlessly. Seems like a great game for some drunk friends.
  
• Basketball: Whose bright idea was it to give the computer something like a 95% shooting percentage? I guess it trains you for good human players, but man, that guy never misses unless I make him miss! Enjoying the quick pace, though, even if defense feels imprecise to me.
  
• Star RaidersL Tried this game without reading the instructions, and was baffled to what was going on. Then I read the instructions and was still a little baffled. I think I "won" once and got a rating of SCOUT 2. Can anyone give a quick primer here on how to play?
  

 

BTW, whoever suggested turning on some '80s tunes while I play, thank you! My "Journey" Pandora mix has really gotten me into the zone.

 

OK, time to break 10K on Space Invaders!

[+Random Terrain]

BTW, whoever suggested turning on some '80s tunes while I play, thank you! My "Journey" Pandora mix has really gotten me into the zone.

You might want to add these to the mix while you're at it:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/181320-original-pac-man-fever-album-at-youtube/

[RevEng]

The joystick: I'm shocked at how little the stick actually needs to move, physically, to register a new direction. Feels a little sticky and imprecise sometimes, which is annoying when I'm trying to make hairpin turns in Surround. I'm getting some pain in my wrist after mashing it around for a few hours too... I keep adjusting my grip to try and find some comfort. Any advice for proper form?

The joystick is the authentic experience, but if it eventually winds up being a make or break deal for you, try out a Sega Genesis game pad with it. They're compatible with the 2600. (though the extra buttons will do nothing)

 

Try to hold the joystick with your hands as relaxed as possible, supporting your hands or bottom of the stick on your leg or lap.

[homerwannabee]

Glad you like Space Invaders. A lot of games are shooter games on the Atari 2600, so this is a very good thing. If you like Space Invaders you probably will like these games.

 

 

Megamania, River Raid, Yar's Revenge, Pheonix, Demon Attack, Centipede, and Millipede.

 

 

For what I call proto NES games, than go for Pitfall II. Makes you understand where a lot of Super Mario Brothers came from.

 

 

Other proto NES type games would be HERO, and Montezuma's Revenge.

[Schizophretard]

When you get paddles make sure they are jitter free.

 

Besides the controller ports being in the back you are probably wondering why the cords are so short. The reason is because the VCS was designed to be close to you.

 

You are having issues with the joystick because it was designed to make you want to purchase a TAC-2 joystick. The pain in your wrist is caused from you being used to having pain in your thumbs from playing NES. When you learn to love the Atari 2600 you will ask people the proper form to using a NES controller. There isn't a proper form to using the joystick but I've always held it like a pen. I grab the bottom of the stick. The top is pushed against my hand in between my finger and thumb. When I play Surround I control it like I'm drawing.

 

You can buy a trackball for Atari. You can use it on Missile Command but it won't be true trackball unless you get the the hack Missile Command TB.

 

In Asteroids the down direction is the features button. You can select a game variation without hyper space as the feature. You can have the feature button as flip(turns you around), shields, or no feature at all. Here is the manual. Asteroids DC+ has vector like graphics.

 

If you enjoy Space Invaders then you already learned to love much of the Atari library.

 

Ms. Pac-Man is better but Jr. Pac-Man is my favorite and I'm in the minority because I actually like Pac-Man. Oooo Eeee Owl Ear! Da na na na!

 

When I play Surround I have no control problems. I like to pretend I'm driving a Tron lightcycle.

 

The secret to beating the computer in Basketball is tripping him but it's impossible to do because you both have only one functioning leg.

 

Star Raiders still baffles me. I never took the time to learn to play. Solaris is it's sequel. I think it's graphics may help you learn to love the 2600.

Edited May 4, 2011 by Schizophretard

[atarigal]

Asteroids is my favorite game. As a beginner, I suggest you use shields instead of hyperspace. Once you get good at it, you won't have to use anything, you'll just be able to sit in the middle of the screen 100% of the time and destroy all incoming rocks. It's a great game to veg out to, that's why I love it. Yes, it's a lot easier than the arcade version, some say too easy, but I find it relaxing to play and pretty to look at. To me it's the comfort food of the Atari 2600.

[atarigal]

Glad you like Space Invaders. A lot of games are shooter games on the Atari 2600, so this is a very good thing. If you like Space Invaders you probably will like these games.

 

 

Megamania, River Raid, Yar's Revenge, Pheonix, Demon Attack, Centipede, and Millipede.

 

 

Also Galaxian.

[Chris++]

...I suggest you use shields instead of hyperspace. Once you get good at it, you won't have to use anything, you'll just be able to sit in the middle of the screen 100% of the time and destroy all incoming rocks.

 

Game 10, with the difficulty switch on "A" so the satellites/UFOs show up. Good stuff, and the revolutionary birth of bank switching, as far as I know.

[keithbk]

Games 17-24 on the Asteroids cartridge feature the "Flip" ability, which happens to be my favorite. It instantly flips you 180 degrees so you can shoot the opposite direction. I personally prefer this to shields.

[Torr]

As someone else said, if you're having control issues try using a Sega Genesis pad, I recommend the 6 button pad by SEGA themselves. Best control pad EVER.

 

As for Star Raiders. when the game starts your on the Galaxy Map.Position your cursor under the red > symbol, that's the enemy fleet. Then press the fire button to warp there. Press Forward View on the keypad and then your in cockpit view to attack the fleet. If the fleet seems to have disappeared press Galaxy Map on the keypad to check your map, they may have moved to another sector, in which case you'll have to follow by positioning your cursor under them and pressing the fire button to warp there. You must destroy the fleet before they reach your base on the map. You can still win without your base but it should be saved. As well each warp jump, and each fire of your lasers cost energy. Which can be refilled by jumping back to base on your Galaxy map.

 

Plus (i believe the difficulty switches control this) you can set the game so that you have control of your shields and targeting computer with the keypad. traditionally they are both set to constantly on, but they eat energy too, so turning them off when not needed can be a good idea.

[Miss 2600]

A little confused by the controller ports in the back, though... I guess they wanted to maintain that nice faux-wood look on the front.

 

I remember when I first saw hook-ups in the front of VCRs. I thought that was strange. Now I see how convenient it is, but I just wasn't used to it--for younger people it's the opposite. Different life experiences, I guess.

 

 

[*]Missile Command: Is it possible to hit two parallel incoming missiles with one bomb?

 

Yes! That's a way to score more points because you can conserve missiles since you're rewarded for how many missiles remain after a wave. Wait until they get close together and aim the missile a little below and in between them.

[pixelmischief]

Definitely make sure you try all of the difficulty settings and variations of the games. The designers did not always implement an increase in difficulty as linear change in the quantifiable factors affecting outcome (player to enemy ratio, player to enemy movement speed ratio, starting resource level, etc). Sometimes, difficulty change results in a substantially different game (different enemies, changed board layout, etc). So make sure to really indulge in the every aspect of the design.

 

And for God's sake, play Maze Craze. Play it early. Play it often.

[+wongojack]

For Asteroids, I think you need to play a game variation with Shields and an extra man at 10k instead of 5. I think game 10 that someone else suggested is the slow version of this combination and 11 is the fast. . . .

 

2 player simultaneous Space Invaders is pretty great too.

[atarigal]

And for God's sake, play Maze Craze. Play it early. Play it often.

 

Maze Craze is one of the best two player Atari games ever. My kids LOVE it just like my brother and I did as kids.

[keithbk]

And for God's sake, play Maze Craze. Play it early. Play it often.

 

Maze Craze is one of the best two player Atari games ever. My kids LOVE it just like my brother and I did as kids.

 

Maze Craze is one of those games that it is good to have the manual for (at least print a copy from an online source) because there are several good variations of the game and you will probably want to try out several just to see which version you like best.

[dwane413]

Don't forget homebrews. When I taught programming in high school the kids' favorite games were Medieval Mayhem and Man Goes Down.

 

Zach, I don't remember hearing of Man Goes Down before. I tried it and enjoy it very much. It's kind of addictive. Thanks for mentioning it.

 

I wonder if Alex Herbert had worked for Imagic if he would have called one of their games "Kangaroo Goes Up".

 

Quick Step!

 

 

I hope Alex is doing better and will some day complete Man Goes Down.

[keilbaca]

 

BTW, whoever suggested turning on some '80s tunes while I play, thank you! My "Journey" Pandora mix has really gotten me into the zone.

 

 

You're welcome! I always love me some Journey when I play.

 

Thankfully there are lots of shooters on the system. If you want a quirky but awesome game, that gives you the satisfaction of finally figuring things out, get Crackpots.

 

The four patterns are interesting, first two are essentially the same, but the third and fourth provide a nice challenge.

 

The stick is an acquired taste, for sure. Takes some time to get used to, but it works nicely when it does.

 

Also, I suggest Vault Assault homebrew in the Store. Simple, but VERY fast paced game.

[Kyle Orland]

Hey AtariAgers,

 

This is a bit late, but the article you guys helped me with is up at http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/9012-Retro-Colored-Glasses

 

Thanks to everyone for their advice, and I hope you like the piece.

 

-KO

[Stan]

Pretty good read overall. Though, I find your way of looking at the Atari 2600 a bit out of place. I, for example, DID NOT grow up with the Atari 2600. I, like you, grew up with the NES, and then SNES and Genesis. I played the 2600 only occasionally at homes of family friends who still owned one, and even my uncle's old system. During the time, I really didn't get anything out of it. It wasn't until later that I started to collect and appreciate the titles, and even though the NES was primarily my system of choice when I was younger, I still play the 2600 frequently. Why? Well, for me there are a few reasons why I'm interested in the system.

 

1. I'm a collector, so tracking down rare games, saying "I own this" and such, is fun. I like learning about old games, playing them, etc.

 

2. But I'm also a gamer. The 2600 is about one thing, SKILL. I find it immensely satisfying to beat others' scores and my own high scores as I get better at games. Kaboom! was the first title that really showed me what Atari gaming was all about. The graphics are only to approximate what you need to know, the rest is your ability to play.

 

3. I've found, through experience here primarily, that the Atari gaming community is a lot cooler than other systems. I don't really have a reason why. The NES scene, for example, tends to be full of a lot of people who'll annoy the piss out of you, are immature, inflate prices and then drop out of the "scene" the next day, and tons of back patting that gets old (hard to explain that one). I guess it might have something to do with the general age of most people here, but still, I find this site to be a lot more mature and dedicated to the SYSTEM as opposed to the individual as you see on other sites.

 

4. Along with number two above, I like playing newer games, sure (well N64 and prior), but there's nothing like honing your hand eye coordination with an Atari 2600 game. Play an advanced level of Stargate and you'll see what I mean. I swear to God I've seen this actually increase my abilities in real life, just ask my wife!

 

5. Another thing you should be impressed with is how programmers back then were able to take an idea and most of the time abstract it to such a level that it still made sense and was fun to play. A game like Tapper, for example, which you should by the way make a point of finding, is a pretty simple idea. But MAN is it freaking awesome to play.

 

Anyway, just a little geek action there. The one thing I definitely agreed with is the controller. Atari systems have unfortunately had a tendency to be released with some of the worst freaking controllers on the planet, the 2600 included. It was definitely a lot better than most of their systems, but I always hated the left button set up and the odd feeling in the hands (a little too small and thick). I strongly recommend you pick up a TAC2. They're generally easy to find and once you get one it will completely change how you play and view 2600 games.

Edited July 25, 2011 by Stan

[Schizophretard]

I enjoyed the article. It was interesting seeing it from your point of view. Something I found interesting was from your point of view it seems like there is a bigger gap between the VCS and NES. It almost seems like there was the VCS, a few other systems, and then the NES. From my childhood, it felt like the VCS for the first 4 or 5 years of my life and then the NES. It was exactly the same feeling as the transition from Playstation to PS2. Your article reads like there is a big generation gap but the gap was the difference between me and my younger brother. It sounds like you're comparing modern systems to the VCS.

 

A proof for me that it is more than nostalgia are simple computer games and apps. I don't really play them but my wife downloads them on her computer and Ipod touch all the time. Sometimes I glance over at what she is playing and I'll think,"That could be an Atari game." One time my wife was playing a game called Traffic Jam. She was addicted to it for awhile. Later on I found out that it was created on the Atari with the title Jammed. A week ago a guy at work was playing a game called Stupid Zombies on his phone(I think it was a Droid or Iphone). The object of the game is to touch the screen to tell the guy where to shoot and the bullet bounces around killing zombies. It looked awesome! It looked like an Atari game that was never made. I watched him play for only about a minute and was sold on it. I'm tempted to get a smart phone because I can tell I'm missing all kinds of "Atari" action.

 

Anyway, I believe people can have the opposite of nostalgia. They have a yearning for the next new thing and have no interest in old things like Atari because they have a prejudice that old means something is outdated and not cool. I bet I could find a teenager that has never played Atari but still thinks it sucks. I could(If I knew how) program an Atari game that the teenager is ignorant about into an app, get them to buy it, and get them to love it.

 

I also have a yearning for the next new thing. Sometimes it is in a new homebrew or an old Atari game that I didn't play as a kid. That can't be nostalgia because it is either new or new to me.