kirin jensen Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I'm considering getting either a 7800 or 2600 to play games - including homebrews - and wanted to know if there were any specific 2600 games that won't play on a 2600. Also any pros or cons for either unit woul;d be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Dart Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I recommend the 7800. There are some that won't play Robot Tank or Space Shuttle I hear, but both of mine have no trouble. Most 7800s are going to have trouble with M Network VCS carts due to a tight-fitting cart slot, but you can either crack the cart guide a little or just lean something on the cart to keep it in place. Not many M Network games are worth playing anyways. And actually, you might want to wait for Curt's new all-in-one 2600/7800/XM Expansion system. Seems like it's going to be the best for homebrew when it's done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariBrian Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 both have the same crappy sound ! my homebrews look horrible on all of my 2600's but look good on my 7800. except my super pacman 7800 homebrew has a constant ticking noise. lol ... guess i need to mod my 7800. anyone know who i could get one from trustworthy ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlvinKarpis Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 - and wanted to know if there were any specific 2600 games that won't play on a 2600.. I have yet to run into a 2600 game that didnt play on the 2600 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pioneer4x4 Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 7800 Pros - Plays 7800 games (Which are pretty good!), Pause button for 7800 games, removable RF cable 7800 Cons - Some games are quirky, no BW/Color switch, unique power supply connector 2600 Pros - 6 Switch models have all controls! Jr has removable RF cable, All use the same power supply with dirt common connector. 2600 Cons - Can't play 7800 games 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
player 0ne Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 joust is waaayyy better for the 7800. i got an atari tattoo one night while playing joust on an atari. years later got all nostagic and decided to get an atari to play joust, the atari i had as a kid was a 2600, so thats what i got. when i stuck joust in it.. i was suprised how crappy the graphics were on the 2600 version. i dont mind soo much. though you can get the adapter to play 2600 games on the 7800, not the other way. i would suggest the 7800, for those two reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldSchoolRetroGamer Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 jthough you can get the adapter to play 2600 games on the 7800, not the other way. i would suggest the 7800, for those two reasons. huh? No adaptor needed, just plug in the 2600 cart and play! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
player 0ne Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 i musta been thinking about the 5200 or some other system then. not like i had one, just read about um. by that note I would liek to have a 7800.. that sounds awesome. does that mean that a 7800 cart port could be used as a part for a FB2 mod? since a 2600 cart would fit into it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 a 2600 Pro: - Older models double as drink trays. Hell yes! a 7800 Con: - Your drinks slide off and spill all over the place. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleman jack Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 I agree with atari brian. Most of my 2600 homebrew games look better on the 7800. I guess it's because the shielding is better, or the electronics are more modern/stronger. The homebrews played on my 2600 have interference and aren't all that clear. But when I play them in the 7800, they are clear as a bell. The down side to my 7800 is that the cart slot is not wide enough to fit Imagic games. And Imagic made some of the best 2600 games in my opinion. So to play Cosmic Ark, Dragonfire, Atlantis, Trick Shot, and Demon Attack, I have to use a 2600. The 7800 won't accomodate the Imagic games. I have read that 7800s made at a different times do have a slot wide enough. Mine was from a batch that was different. I also have read that some people cut the slots wider with knives, or deface the carts so they fit. I'm not willing to cut up the carts or the 7800. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schizophretard Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 a 2600 Pro: - Older models double as drink trays. Hell yes! a 7800 Con: - Your drinks slide off and spill all over the place. That reminds me of this black wooden box idea of mine. It would just be big enough to hide the bottom of the 7800 in it and fit a cooling fan. You rest the 7800 on top like the lid from it's sides and the "ramp" at the bottom of the 7800 would be inside the box. It would make the 7800 look like a flat console that is laying flat on a black wooden box. On the front of the box below the controller ports it would have a cooling fan. It would blow air under the 7800, the air would enter the open areas at the bottom of the 7800, and then exit out of the vents that are located in the back of the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 I've seen this question before and I don't get this "either/or" stuff. Get both! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snstay Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 What about the 7800 color looking more dull than the bright clean 2600. At least thats how mine is. I dig them both though!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phredreeke Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 I agree with atari brian. Most of my 2600 homebrew games look better on the 7800. I guess it's because the shielding is better, or the electronics are more modern/stronger. The homebrews played on my 2600 have interference and aren't all that clear. But when I play them in the 7800, they are clear as a bell. With or without AV mods? What about the 7800 color looking more dull than the bright clean 2600. At least thats how mine is. I dig them both though!!! Yeah, that's what I thought. The 7800 mixes the TIA and MARIA signals, so if the 2600 chroma is too high you get interference in 7800 games and vice versa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+LS650 Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Pros: - some great games you can only play on the 7800. Some of the homebrews are excellent. - compatibility with 99% of the 2600 games. A few don't run but I found that was pretty rare. Cons: - Some 7800 games require the 2-button 7800 joysticks, and I strongly dislike these controllers. They aren't Intellivision disc bad, but definitely not great. - I personally found the console design to be big and clunky. Just a personal taste I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toiletunes Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Some 2600 game companies (Tigervision, Konami) may not fit/work in a 7800, but these games work on a 7800 when loaded onto a Harmony cart. Some (most?) 7800 games require a 2-button controller, and the stock 2-button controllers are not always the best choice. Expect to find/make/order/commission/begborrowsteal a decent 3rd party aftermarket controller if you seriously want to play the 7800 library. Bonus- the aftermarket controllers also work with the 2600 library, except for the 2-button hacks. The colors on 2600 games are particularly bright and... colorful when played on a 6-switch 2600, less so on a 4-switch. The colors on a 7800 are more subdued, but it's not bad/terrible unless you do a side-by-side comparison and/or know what you're missing. Playing a 7800 for years and then going to a 6-switch is a pretty cool experience. It's not easy to tell/remember the position of the difficulty switches on a 7800, and a 2600 works a little better on modern televisions (stronger signal?) 2600 consoles are easier to find, and most have socketed (sp?) chips, making them easier to repair/replace. You could probably drop a 2600 ten feet (please don't) without shattering the outer plastic shell. You could probably maim innocent bystanders with the shrapnel from a dropped 7800. Having said all that, if I had to get rid of one over the other, it would be goodbye 2600. The 7800 library is very unique (Ninja Golf) the games are mostly superior to the 2600 counterparts (Dark Chambers) and you can always turn the volume off (donkey kong) until the XM and related homebrew/hacks are ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimo Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 7800 Pros Joystick ports at the front, 2 systems in 1,great arcade ports, Pac Man pluses homebrews and hacks, the upcoming expansion Cons, no wood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_79 Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Cons, no wood 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A_Locomotive Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Cons, no wood What are the extra switches? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pioneer4x4 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 What are the extra switches? I Ass-U-Me BW/Color, diff A, Diff B If so, It looks loke a great way to make a 7800 usable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 The speed, sound, and color of Atari 2600 games can be a little off on the Atari 7800, so I like to play on a real Atari 2600. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accousticguitar Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 I've seen this question before and I don't get this "either/or" stuff. Get both! Right on! If you have to choose though, you really can't go wrong either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 The speed, sound, and color of Atari 2600 games can be a little off on the Atari 7800, so I like to play on a real Atari 2600. Is your 7800 broken? Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_79 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 What are the extra switches? I Ass-U-Me BW/Color, diff A, Diff B Correct. The console also has composite video out and I modified the cart guide so it can accept most carts without issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 The speed, sound, and color of Atari 2600 games can be a little off on the Atari 7800, so I like to play on a real Atari 2600. Is your 7800 broken? I noticed the same differences on two different Atari 7800s. Somebody posted why the Atari 7800 is so different within the past few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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