GameGirl420 Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 I'd love to have a Bally Astrocade in my collection soon but why are they so expensive?? Just wondering what the good games are for it too. Almost got one on Ebay but the auction went too high. I think I may have already posted a topic similar to this but kinda lazy to dig for it. Plus I really like to hear more about this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VectorGamer Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 I'd love to have a Bally Astrocade in my collection soon but why are they so expensive?? Just wondering what the good games are for it too. Almost got one on Ebay but the auction went too high. I think I may have already posted a topic similar to this but kinda lazy to dig for it. Plus I really like to hear more about this. I'd also like to have an Astrocade but like what you have seen they are out of reach because of the selling price. I've tried out some games in emulation and I like it. The Galaxian clone is a lot of fun - less aliens but a fast shooter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BydoEmpire Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 I've got mine on ebay right now! Before I listed I checked completed auctions and a basic system with a few games were going for around $100, give or take. There just aren't that many out there compared to most other systems. Some of the games are really bad, but some are pretty cool. It's a neat little system, I just never play it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperman Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 I can't believe these are so expensive. I got mine about 10 years ago for $50 with a dozen or so games. I turned it on once... Really I have more fun fiddling with the controllers than anything I've seen the system do--might want to scale back to buying one of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 I've watched a bunch of Astrocade videos on YouTube and all I can say is, it's an impressive piece of hardware and the games look great. I think it's probably worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxpressed Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 (edited) I've had mine for only a day, and I have to admit that I bought it more for historical value than for how fun the games are. This one is actually the third Astrocade that I've gotten from eBay in the last two months -- the other two were returned. Be sure to ask if the unit has been fully tested. The descriptions from the listings of the first two stated that they had been, but the sellers were not completely thorough in their testing. Ask if the unit has been tested on a TV for at least a half hour, preferably longer. As you may know, they have a big overheating problem, so much so that my next purchase will be a laptop cooler. The controllers can be jittery, so be sure to ask if they have been tested by playing a game. Ask if there are any cracks in the cover or case and if all the buttons work on the keypad. Remember that there are multiple models of the Astrocade, some much more rare than others, reflected in different case colors and cover badges. I think the best Astrocade fan site is this one. I got mine with a few sealed games for about $100 shipped. The other two I had to send back were $130 each shipped; one came with loose games, and the other came with a couple of extra controllers. Speaking only for myself, the purchase is worth it because I want it as a collector. If I were to get it for gaming only, I'd say that your money might be spent better elsewhere (on, say, a Vectrex). Edited September 2, 2011 by boxpressed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holygrailvideogames.com Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 The Astrocade is one of my favorite systems. I bought one back in the day. Even then they weren't the most reliable units. My first one didn't work. The next one that I bought broke after playing it for several months. They are terrific systems but you have to be carefull because they easily overheat. There are many great games for the system and a couple of new homebrews. If you can get your hands on a working one I would recommend buying one. The system itself is very expensive because of supply and demand. Most of the games do not cost a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennybingo Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Well worth the purchase, but you should be able to get a deal on one for $100 if you are patient about it. Galaxian and Wizard of Wor are awesome clones / ports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 I've had three of them, and I've had three of them die on me even while extensive precautionary measures. It's such a shame because it's such a cool system, but I can't justify -or afford- spending all kinds of money on something that's just going to die on me. I'd like to give it one more chance, though, since I've at least still got a bunch of games and a complete set of controllers. On the advice of the internet, I took the RF shielding out of each of my others; next time, I'm leaving it the f@#$ in there! And if it still craps out, then the hell with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
128Kgames Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Ask if the unit has been tested on a TV for at least a half hour, preferably longer. As you may know, they have a big overheating problem, so much so that my next purchase will be a laptop cooler. The controllers can be jittery, so be sure to ask if they have been tested by playing a game. Forget the laptop cooler, save your money, just remove the RF shield from the motherboard. Clean the thermal paste off the custom data chip and you are good to go. Trust me. Don't block the vent holes on the bottom either, even with the shield removed, its not worth taking the chance you will overheat the thing. If the "jitters" you are referring to are when using the "paddle' feature of the knob, it can be corrected if memory serves me by some type of electronic spray for the "pot" (at least I think its called that). Post a message on the Bally Alley Yahoo group and you will definately get an answer as to what the stuff is called. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
128Kgames Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 I'd love to have a Bally Astrocade in my collection soon but why are they so expensive?? Just wondering what the good games are for it too. Almost got one on Ebay but the auction went too high. I think I may have already posted a topic similar to this but kinda lazy to dig for it. Plus I really like to hear more about this. Buy one, you won't regret it. We've had two new homebrew releases for it recently, one being War and the other being Crazy Climber. And there are even bigger things on the way. I can't say what for now, but lets just say Your Life Will Never Be The Same. Don't shy away from the high prices, the system is "rare" if only that there are so few that still work, due to the issues with the RF shield that was added after the system was already completed. It's almost as bad as wrapping your PC motherboard (including the CPU) in tinfoil. See how long it lasts. There is one seller in paticular (you know who you are) who has Bally stuff for just ridonculas prices. Best of luck to him, but as you can see, not much of it sells. So I'm sure others see this and think "hey, I can charge a million dollars for mine too". Good luck with that. And whatever you do, do NOT but one that says "untested". Period. Untested=Broke, broken, not working, dead, fried, best used as a doorstop etc. That's the best advice I can give you on buying one. Be sure to check out www.ballyalley.com for even more info on the system, and if you are interested think about joining the Bally Yahoo group. Now back to our regular programming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.golden.ax Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 I've been meaning to fix mine for some time. Was going to sell it, but have never even tried it. I know someone who will still make a multicart if you pay them the fee. Makes me want to. Prices are getting sky high on the hardware. AX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiddlepaddle Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 I got one a couple of years ago and am very fond of it, although the games are generally pretty simple. It has some good two player games (particularly incredible wizard) and lots of cassette software if you are interested in that sort of thing (you need the BASIC cartridge). Once I put a laptop cooler (available for $10 these days) under it, the thing doesn't get too hot. The controllers screw together and can be cleaned to remove the jitters (similar to the VCS paddles). Really, $100 is not that much considering a couple of new (modern, of course) games could cost that much, and it's still way cheaper than people paid for them new, especially after inflation. It's only a couple of tanks of gas, after all... stay at home for a week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skosh Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 I've been meaning to fix mine for some time. Was going to sell it, but have never even tried it. I know someone who will still make a multicart if you pay them the fee. Makes me want to. Prices are getting sky high on the hardware. AX I would be willing to purchase a multicart. Could you put me in touch with them? I just recently purchased a boxed Astrocade along with 10 or so carts. Have only played around for 15 minutes or so and played Galaxian. The controllers were a bit odd at first but after a few minutes everything was fine and the port of the game is nice. I paid $150 for mine boxed and looks like I need to do a more thorough testing after hearing about the overheating and general reliability. One thing that I was surprised by was the quality of the sound. Nice interesting system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
128Kgames Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 (edited) The latest and greatest (or most comprehensive, if you prefer) is the UltiMulti Cartridge 1.5.1 by GaMBITS. You can check it out here: http://www.ballyalley.com/documentation/multicarts/multicart_(GaMBITS)/multicart_(GaMBITS).html I believe it is still available, try posting a message to the creator Ken Lill on the Bally Alley Yahoo group: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ballyalley/ AX, Ken may also be able to do basic repairs on consoles if you are still looking to get yours fixed. Edited September 3, 2011 by TMOSteel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.golden.ax Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 The latest and greatest (or most comprehensive, if you prefer) is the UltiMulti Cartridge 1.5.1 by GaMBITS. You can check it out here: http://www.ballyalley.com/documentation/multicarts/multicart_(GaMBITS)/multicart_(GaMBITS).html I believe it is still available, try posting a message to the creator Ken Lill on the Bally Alley Yahoo group: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ballyalley/ AX, Ken may also be able to do basic repairs on consoles if you are still looking to get yours fixed. Whom ever finds out please post contact info here or PM. The AA member who said they could make one wouldn't give me a straight answer, whether or not he would make one if/when I can afford it. Frankly left me feeling like I should just sell the bugger and forget fixing it. I'd like to experience it other than just through youtubes. AX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre81 Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 I got mine brand new for $366 in June. A new Atari 2600 sells about for the same price, so I don't think the Astrocade is really expensive. eBay Auction -- Item Number: 110701677448 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 I got mine brand new for $366 in June. A new Atari 2600 sells about for the same price, so I don't think the Astrocade is really expensive. eBay Auction -- Item Number: 110701677448 $366 for ANY video game system is expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre81 Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 $366 for ANY video game system is expensive. I don't think so. I even think $366 is undervalued. How many brand new Astrocades in flawless condition have you seen in the last years? I was looking for one since 2 years. I doubt you'll see another one anytime soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGameCollector Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 The latest and greatest (or most comprehensive, if you prefer) is the UltiMulti Cartridge 1.5.1 by GaMBITS. You can check it out here: http://www.ballyalley.com/documentation/multicarts/multicart_(GaMBITS)/multicart_(GaMBITS).html I believe it is still available, try posting a message to the creator Ken Lill on the Bally Alley Yahoo group: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ballyalley/ AX, Ken may also be able to do basic repairs on consoles if you are still looking to get yours fixed. Whom ever finds out please post contact info here or PM. The AA member who said they could make one wouldn't give me a straight answer, whether or not he would make one if/when I can afford it. Frankly left me feeling like I should just sell the bugger and forget fixing it. I'd like to experience it other than just through youtubes. AX Use an emulator rather than watching youtube videos at least. MESS successfully emulates the console. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
128Kgames Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 $366 for ANY video game system is expensive. I don't think so. I even think $366 is undervalued. How many brand new Astrocades in flawless condition have you seen in the last years? I was looking for one since 2 years. I doubt you'll see another one anytime soon. Was it an actual "Astrocade" branded console? Problem with any of the systems is that they were never in a "sealed" box (unless it was still in a sealed shipping box) so it's really hard to call one "brand new" in my opinion. "Flawless" yes, and I have several in that condition, but none I would have considered brand new. The only versions I could see paying that kind of money for would be a Bally Home Library Computer, White Montgomery Ward Bally Professional Arcade or an actual Astrocade model. But then again, to each his own. Just make sure to play it every now and then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 $366 for ANY video game system is expensive. I don't think so. I even think $366 is undervalued. How many brand new Astrocades in flawless condition have you seen in the last years? I was looking for one since 2 years. I doubt you'll see another one anytime soon. The condition is not the issue, nor is the value. The issue is paying close to $400 for -let's call a spade a spade here- a toy. For me, that's a lot of money for something like this. An unopened MIB Adventurevision or Ultravision or something priced at $400 would still be expensive to me. It would also be a heck of bargain, but it's still a lot of money. If you've got that kind of paper to throw at things like this, count your blessings. (And incidentally, I've seen a few.) (Also, unless your Astrocade is a "Bally Home Library Computer" or one of the white ones, and in like-new condition, I'm afraid you overpaid.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg2600 Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 Whatever you do, don't leave it on the carpet, Astrocade's overheat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cebus Capucinis Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 Hmm, something tells me these systems overheat or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre81 Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 And incidentally, I've seen a few. You've seen a few Astrocades in a new condition complete with box, shipping box, manual etc.? I've seen quite a few Astrocades on eBay in the last two years, but no other one in such a condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.