Lost newbie needs wisdom

[mkiker2089]

Short version with life story below, I have some questions. I'm trying to put together a system as a gift for my brother. I have the heavy 6 but no controllers. I ordered some Comodore 64 controllers since I remember them being more comfortable. The Epyx 500XJ to be exact. Some questions

 

1- what are the must have games. I'm thinking Pitfall and Combat. I bought two homebrews already Pac Man Arcade and Defender Arcade. Homebrews are expensive though. I think I'm going to try and find some originals.

 

2- are cartridges really plentiful enough that they can be recycled into magnets and such? Seems like we'd be running out now.

 

3- for the future are there any clone systems? I have a clone NES (Retro Bit I think it's called) that works better than the toaster model it replaced.

 

4- Last part, has anyone had any luck replacing the stickers on the vintage games? I'm a collector in apperance only and I've found a few games locally but the stickers are horrible. In theory it should be easy enough. Just get some sticker stock, make a label, and apply it. I may try it on NES games if I can figure it out.

 

Longer version, I had an Atari but mostly it was for older brothers. I grew up on the NES. Actually we had an Atari 2600 when others had the NES and got the NES just when the SNES was on the horizon. It's great to be poor isn't it. I have a handful of NES games for nostalgia but I do occasionally play them. Hence why I'm trying to get the 2600 working again. It's been sitting in a closet for years but the controllers broke and the games were taken and lost. I like the idea of getting new controllers but have read that the reproductions aren't great. Then again almost as many people said they are indeed great, so who am I to listen to.

 

Random memory, I remember after getting the NES refusing to play a friends Atari because "it doesn't have graphics."

 

Anyway I still can't be sure the heavy six will still work until I get games and the controllers. Wish me luck on that.

Edited May 12, 2013 by mkiker2089

[DesertJets]

Pitfall and Combat are certainly good choices. If you don't have much at this point just picking up a decent sized lot on the cheap from eBay is as good a place to start as any. It will almost certainly include fairly common and liked games. If you plan on collecting for yourself further down the road you'll discover, as I have, that part of the fun is hunting down the less than common games and figuring out how much you'll pay for a single cart (right now that is at $22 for me).

 

Common carts will never be in short supply. I don't have a problem with one of the millions of Combat or Pac Man carts being repurposed.

 

As for the quality of the stickers it can be very hit and miss. These carts are at best now 25 years old or more. Most have lived tough lives, being man-handled by kids, stored in damp basements and the like. It is pure luck I think to find carts in really good condition. I don't know if there is much you can do to restore them.

 

 

 

As controllers, the 500XJ is my personal favorite for a variety of reasons, but for games that are very button intensive (think of all the space shooters like Galaxian and Demon Attack) it is less than ideal. If you can round up a classic CX-40 (or find a new(er) one from a flashback) I'd toss that in as well. And don't forget paddles.

[sqoon]

1. This really depends on yours, or your brother's personal preferences. My likes include Enduro, Jr. Pac Man, Frostbite, and Dig Dug.

 

2. Some cartridges were produced in the multiple millions, so repurposing them really poses minimal threat to the overall population.

 

3. No clones that are recently produced. I guess, technically, you could consider Coleco Gemini, Colecovision Expansion Module 1, and Intellivision System Changer as clones from the early 80's though. Brazil was known to have some pirate clones selling back in the 80's as well. Other than those, the Flashback consoles of late are as close as it gets.

 

4. Replacing cartridge labels is easily done with decent scans and an ink-jet printer. The Atari Age database has lots of label images available for download, and there is even a custom label generator program floating around the forums as well. Just use the search tool to find it.

[mkiker2089]

Thanks for the input. I'm going to try and print a defender label. There's one at the local thrift shop that looks like poo. There are games that don't look like 2600 cartridges as well. They have the same bottom but are smaller at the top.

They looked like http://ts3.mm.bing.n...601970&pid=15.1 so I was afraid to get them. For 1.90 I guess I should just get them and see what they are. Alas I didn't write down the names but worst case scenario I can donate them back.

 

Also, since the 7800 plays 2600 games if I decide to collect for myself is there any reason not to get a 7800 console instead?

 

I read where the Flashback consoles could be modded to accept cartridges. It would be expensive but someone should do that in mass and sell them. I've also seen people explaining how to build your own clone (Ben Heck for example) but I can't do anything like that.

 

The CX-40 is the one I've seen on Amazon. They are new knock-offs. Some say they are great and durable but an equal amount say the up direction breaks easily. I haven't thought about paddles yet as I don't recall using them very much in the past. They will eventually be needed though. Night Driver used them and I think that was it. Wasn't there an actual steering paddle that was different? I can't recall. We didn't have it.

Edited May 12, 2013 by mkiker2089

[Algus]

The Flashback 2 can be modded to accept 2600 cartridges if you have a talent for that sort of thing but its compatibility isn't the best. If you've got the cash for it, check out the Harmony Cartridge. It is a flash-based cartridge that plugs into your 2600 and can store every game, well, ever, on an SD card.

 

 

The more expensive version comes with a color manual and an SD card preconfigured and preloaded with a few homebrews. Above is mine sitting on my 7800. It was definitely a very good investment IMO. I agree with DesertJets that the best way to go is shop around on ePay for a bit and find a decent lot as those do usually come with a selection of the more popular games. The nice thing about the 2600 is that many of the best games are also the common ones so you don't have to pay a lot to get the best titles. Here's a quickie list of ten games I recommend though

 

1. Asteroids

2. Pitfall!

3. Combat

4. Warlords (paddle controller)

5. Space Invaders

6. River Raid

7. Battlezone

8. Joust

9. Kaboom! (paddle controller)

10. Galaxian

 

You should be able to get many of these in most lots that get offered. Miss 2600 recently posted an update in our Top 100 2600 Games thread with voting results for 253 different games! so that's a good place to get some game suggestions too.

 

I personally don't like the basic Atari Joystick (CX-40) as I think they are a bit fragile. Fortunately you can plug a Sega Genesis controller into a 2600 and it'l work, So just take those joysticks and toss 'em out their nearest window IMO.

[Algus]

Oh, by the way those cartridges you are asking about come from M-Network. These are Mattel games and they repurposed their Intellivision cartridge shells for 2600 ports of their Intellevision games. You can tell the difference because 2600 games have a larger base that fits into the 2600. Some of these games are very, very good. Astroblast, which is a port of Astrosmash from Intellivision, is one of my favorite games.

 

Not to self-promote to much but I recently bought a 7800 from Best Electronics modded for composite video. I did an unboxing of it so you can get an idea of what all I got from that. If you are willing to spend the money (much more expensive than buying a 2600) it is definitely a great route to go. The 7800 has something like 99% compatibility with 2600 games and most of its best titles are updated versions of 2600 games with better graphics. It's a great console.

[Nukey Shay]

The pictured carts = Burgertime and Super Challenge Football. Mattel manufactured their own shells, which is why they don't look like most.

 

FYI this site offers cartridge scans and such, so you can check to see what games should look like for any given title.

 

Do your research before spending any money. If you are looking for stuff that is enjoyable to play (rather than sit on a shelf to be admired), try 'em out in emulation first.

[MH_Warrior]

1. There's a reason why Atari (first party) and Activision have such a good reputation on the 2600. Not every game is a classic (Barnstorming, I'm looking at you), but the ratio of good games over bad ones is high. There are hidden gems out there from other companies, though. Download Stella and some roms while you're here and try as many out as you can.

 

2. Eventually the well will run dry, but as with most game systems, the most popular games were the most purchased and therefore are the most plentiful floating around now.

 

3. Hopefully someone out there produces some clone systems because, let's face it, eventually these systems are going to stop working. The demand, though, seems to be for NES and SNES so that's what these clone manufacturers seem to be catering to. Then again, NES systems were far more prone to breakdowns than 2600s, so...

 

4. Well, it won't fool the most savvy of collectors, but more power to you if you want to try. I, on the other hand, don't care what my games look like... as long as I can recognize them...

 

Good luck with your 2600, and happy collecting!

[Serious]

 

1- what are the must have games. I'm thinking Pitfall and Combat. I bought two homebrews already Pac Man Arcade and Defender Arcade. Homebrews are expensive though. I think I'm going to try and find some originals.

 

 

Given what you already have, I would recommend Berzerk, Kaboom (you will need working paddles), Missile Command, and Demon Attack. Berzerk should be played with game 3 selected. All of those can be had for about $1 a piece (or more if you want the box and manual).

 

I would normally recommend Ms. Pac-Man and a side-scroller like Defender or Chopper Command, but the homebrew games you selected are similar enough.

 

Almost any game by Activision would be a very good addition.

[mkiker2089]

I ordered to coax adapter. How do I know what channel to put the TV on? I saw a review where they said the 7800 has a switch but I don't see one on the heavy six.

[Algus]

Are you NTSC? The Channel is going to be 3 or 4, look on the back of your console by the ports. It is sitting inside a small alcove to prevent accidental switching.

 

The coax adapters are nice. I was actually very resistant to getting a modded Atari because the adapter makes plugging it into your TV real easy and I felt like I still got a pretty good picture. I've still got an old coaxial switch box that I use for my Colecovision and TG-16 (and previously my 2600 before I upgraded). You can still find them at Radio Shack too which is nice (err, at least you could 4-5 years ago. Maybe not anymore?)

[mkiker2089]

Mine has a switch on the bottom labeled channel a-b so that must be it. I guess mine isn't a "heavy six" it must be the light six instead. I'm sure I can find a coax switcher. I did locate the paddle controllers and two games. Stampede and an Atari 7800 Pole Position II. I will probably just give Pole Position away unless it's one to be recycled. I'd feel better with it going to a good home because something in the pit of my stomach says recycling a working game in good condition is still wrong.

 

I've pretty much decided I'm going to build a second unit. I found a four switch model for 18 bucks locally that seems complete. Seeing as the 7800 had so few games I'm thinking 2600 would be better. No reason really, just a gut instinct.

 

So one last question, is there a source for a good NEW controller that isn't crazy expensive. I've seen the cx-40 in some places. I prefer the Epix design though. I could just use a Sega controller but that seems a bit wrong.

 

Life story time again. There was a 7800 that a previous family member took. A divorce happened so you know how it goes. I feel better now having found what I did. It means I didn't lose his stuff when it got here, his wife stole it instead. Hopefully she got enjoyment out of it. It's been long ago enough that we can all be nice now.

[mkiker2089]

I decided to try and get a modest set up for myself. I found a Sears II model that I liked because it's different. The price seemed ok. Hopefully the ebay link will let you view it for a while. If not I paid 50 dollars for it with 23 games and it should be complete. The second link is where I tried to buy a lot of 20 games and a woodgrain case. The case is a little beat up but I thought it would be a neat novelty item to give my brother with the wood grain six console. The listing went cheap though and the seller tried to raise the total cost from 16.03 to 23.03. That's not too unreasonable but given that it's against ebay policy and wouldn't be protected (it won't allow me to pay that on ebay, I'd have to send a personal PayPal transaction.) I decided to tell him to get stuffed instead. He can just re-list it. I can't even pay the 16.03 now because I tried to and he refunded it. That's nerve for you.

 

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574883395&toolid=10001&campid=5336500554&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2F321122663929

 

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574883395&toolid=10001&campid=5336500554&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2F171034754758

[DesertJets]

Ohhhh, a Video Arcade II. Too bad it doesn't have the original controllers. I secretly kinda want one, but at the end of the day I do like how compact my Jr is. That's a pretty solid start on the system and pile of games. Shame that you had a seller back out on you, sucks quite a bit. But with a little hunting and patience good lots of 2600 games pop up with reasonable starting bids. For me for 2600 stuff eBay is really the only place to go. If I hit up my local retro game stores they do have 2600 stuff but are overflowing with commons.

[keithbk]

You can always buy a large lot of Atari games on Ebay, play them, pick the ones you want, then sell the leftovers (or duplicates) on Ebay as a lot again.

 

I have done that numerous times just to pick up 5 or 6 (out of 50) that I really want, then I swap out the nicer looking games for my rattier titles.

 

I have a couple hundred titles, but of them, my personal favorites (and I'm not necessarily typical) to play are:

 

Adventure

Superman

Enduro

Phoenix

Midnight Magic

Video Pinball

Donkey Kong

Robot Tank

Battlezone

Adventures of Tron

Towering Inferno

 

And occasionally, I like to run through Jungle Hunt and Smurf: Rescue in Gargamel's Castle.

 

Personally, I've grew sick of playing Missile Command, Space Invaders, and the Pac Man games as a kid (I played them so much), but you might enjoy those a lot too.

 

The nice thing about having a large selection of games is that you can always pop something in when the mood hits. I got into a kick playing Hangman on the Atari for awhile.

[AtariLeaf]

I decided to try and get a modest set up for myself. I found a Sears II model that I liked because it's different. The price seemed ok. Hopefully the ebay link will let you view it for a while. If not I paid 50 dollars for it with 23 games and it should be complete. The second link is where I tried to buy a lot of 20 games and a woodgrain case. The case is a little beat up but I thought it would be a neat novelty item to give my brother with the wood grain six console. The listing went cheap though and the seller tried to raise the total cost from 16.03 to 23.03. That's not too unreasonable but given that it's against ebay policy and wouldn't be protected (it won't allow me to pay that on ebay, I'd have to send a personal PayPal transaction.) I decided to tell him to get stuffed instead. He can just re-list it. I can't even pay the 16.03 now because I tried to and he refunded it. That's nerve for you.

 

http://rover.ebay.co...tm/321122663929

 

http://rover.ebay.co...tm/171034754758

 

Solid lot for a good price but this phrase is always a red flag for me:

 

but the system worked perfect last time I used it.

 

Also, instead of ebay, why not try here at AA? Lots of people willing to give you a good price on a nice lot of common games (even not so common) and any hardware you need to get you started. Pretty much everyone here is a stand up seller and you don't have to worry about being scammed or taken which can be commonplace on ebay.

Edited May 14, 2013 by AtariLeaf

[mkiker2089]

In the future I will buy here. I've seen a few threads with games I like. Being a newbie I didn't know better at the time.

 

I even saw some NES games in the marketplace. I saw the red flag also and rolled the dice. I was actually more worried about the "cord" which is frayed. Do they mean the video cord out of the console, the video cord on the RF adapter, or what. He wasn't clear. Hopefully karma is with me.

 

Worst case scenario I have spare parts and a nice decoration piece for 50 bucks. I won't sweat that I'll just start again

 

I have seen the original controllers for it on ebay and other sites (atari2600.com maybe) but wasn't sure how they work. It said the joystick turned so it worked like a steering controller as well. That seems clever but could be uncomfortable as well.

[mkiker2089]

Just an update, the wood six unit is now running. I got a power cord from retro-bit and used a coax adapter. One down, one to go. The Sears unit should arrive soon and I can see what it does.

 

The picture is worse than I remembered it. I expected it to be blocky but clear. It's not. I suppose it's as good as any 480i signal though.

[Serious]

The picture is worse than I remembered it. I expected it to be blocky but clear. It's not. I suppose it's as good as any 480i signal though.

 

You'll typically get a better picture from a Heavy Sixer (earliest model, takes a while to learn how to identify) than any other model on the RF output. It has better shielding.

 

Another alternative is to buy a modded console that outputs S-Video or the Red/White/Yellow RCA plugs. This should eliminate the entire RF interference issue.

 

However, I'd wait until your get your Sears Video Arcade II console before buying another, and seeing how you like the RF output on it. I usually get a really crisp picture with mine.

[mkiker2089]

I see now that mine is a light six. It has a sticker under it saying "made in Hong Kong" so that was easy enough. It's not stupid heavy like some.

 

The pictures ok, I just forgot what it would be like. Nothing ever lives up to the imagination I guess.

[Serious]

I was using a Sears L6er as my primary console for a while, but I found the RF interference to be particularly bad with that unit. I don't know if it particularly bad with that model, or if it was just my unit.

 

I think any system with RF output is going to be vulnerable to some amount of interference. I remember the fuzzy picture from my C64 on my portable TV.

 

But if it bothers you, just know that it is solvable.