saverofgames Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Yeah, so I did some thinking, I think I want one. Do I really though? Give me some reasons why it would be a good choice. Recommend some games. 4 port of 2 port? What to expect. How much to pay Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Gemintronic Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 It has a compartment for beer and makes a great lunch tray. What's not to love? 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bald_Bull_jr Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 If you are into the boating scene, it makes a GREAT anchor. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Dart Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 You don't want one. Broken-by-design controllers that cost far too much to repair/maintain. Whatever you pay for the console, you'll likely wind up paying again for a pair of working controllers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariBrian Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Lots of good games for the 5200 and some nice conversions and homebrews . I have a composite modded 5200 with a low budget board and its a really nice picture . 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akator Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Consider getting an Atari 8-bit computer instead. Almost all of the same games as the 5200 plus many, many more and you can use 2600 controllers. An Atari 800XL even has a similar early 80s sleek design with brushed aluminum accents. Add an AtariMax MyIDE-II flash cart for convenience. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC-42 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 (edited) I have a 5200 and an 8-bit. I have the 5200 because I didn't feel like gaming on the 8-bit. I'd rather use the 8-bit for practical things. So my 5200 is my gaming machine, pretty strictly. And that is why I have one. It's a silly reason, but there it is. (This explanation, while serious, is something of a joke. The punchline is that the 8-bit I have is...the XEGS. That is, the XE...Game System. The other consolized 8-bit computer that Atari released. Take my insane advise with this is mind. ) Edited February 25, 2014 by MAC-42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ransom Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I loves me some 5200.That said, the reasons to buy one are:1) You have too much money. As mentioned, getting good controllers can be expensive. Plus you really must buy a 5200 Trak-Ball.2) You have too much space. The console is huge. The Trak-Ball is huge. The cartridges are huge.3) You have too much time. Fiddling with controller issues and possibly issues with the console (bad POKEY, for example) can take time. It can also take money if you decide to get a diagnostic cart and the controller port loopback do-dad like I did.Otherwise, you would probably be happier with an 800XL. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynxpro Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 (edited) Don't listen to the A8 crybabies who always trash talk the 5200. An A8 is no substitute for a 5200 because you most likely won't want to have a 600XL or 800XL resting on your lap while playing games from your couch. You can get refurb Atari 5200 controllers from Best Electronics with the gold plated parts for $37 if you trade in a non-working controller. A8 only supports two fire buttons on a controller through hacks that aren't widely supported. There's also plenty of PC Joystick adapters out there if you'd like to go that route. The 5200 TrakBall controller is awesome. It's enough of a reason to have the console since the 2600/A8/7800 compatible Atari Trakball simply doesn't compare. AtariMax also makes a 5200 SDCard to Cartridge Adapter. And until the original 7800 game library is re-released to take advantage of an XM or XBoard based Pokey, the 5200 titles sound better. The XEGS is fugly. The 5200 still looks modern and stylish. Even HP thinks so since their business class Elite PCs - from the 7800 on - copy the 5200 design. The 5200 cartridge slot is essentially ZIF. No other Atari system has done that since, even the Jaguar. The console is friggin cool. It's the only retro console that might get you laid outside of an NES with those pathetic Link groupies. Edited February 25, 2014 by Lynxpro 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atari5200dude82 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Yes, it is worth getting a 5200. I have both. They are both unique, but the 5200 is very unique in style and looks i like the controllers and the trackball. The 5200 has some unique games, that are not on the a8. Like Countermeasure, Vanguard, and others. It will look awesome in your collection and holds it values. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC-42 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 (edited) The XEGS is fugly. Come on then. You and me, outside, to settle this. Let's go. That being said.... Heh. Yeah, I'd just rather game on the 5200. Lynxpro's points are pretty solid (apart from his questionable taste in color schemes ). Edited February 25, 2014 by MAC-42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 The 5200 is somewhat like a temperamental yet luxurious and exotic sports car: if you're a car person who enjoys restoration and maintenance and driving for pleasure as recreational activities, it's lots of fun to own, but it shouldn't be your first choice if all you need is a plain and dependable workhorse. The 5200 has style, of a kind that none of the post-crash consoles were quite able to equal. Even with the availability of multi-carts, there's something to be said for the "plug and play" simplicity of a cartridge-based game console: the 800/XL/XE library is a mix of cassettes, self-booting diskettes, XEX binaries, and cartridges, while the 5200 library is entirely cartridge-based. The 5200 Trak-Ball is one of the finest controllers Atari ever produced, and it can make certain games into a whole new experience. On the other hand, the 800/XL/XE computers can play almost all of the 5200 library, are less troublesome to maintain and to find good controllers for, and can play games that the 5200 doesn't have (yet). It all depends on what your priorities are. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 By the way, between the two-port and four-port models, I would choose the four-port if you're comfortable with making some internal modifications. Even if you don't plan to play any four-player games at present, you may wish to in the future, and with a power and composite mod, the biggest problem with the four-port (the funky power and RF switchbox) can be remedied. I love my four-port "asterisk model", and I chose it because I didn't see any advantage in getting a two-port model: the two-port is the same size, just with fewer features. It's too bad that the "Little PAM" model was never released. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zylon Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I use my stock 4-port and an un-rebuilt controller for 80% of my gaming. (quite a few cleanings though) There is often some tinkering to be done, but the 5200 is still a unique choice in gaming. The cx52 sticks take some getting used to, but it's a different way to play and many games are the better for it. Also, the multi-cart options are very user-friendly. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie_ Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Don't listen to the A8 crybabies who always trash talk the 5200. An A8 is no substitute for a 5200 because you most likely won't want to have a 600XL or 800XL resting on your lap while playing games from your couch. You can get refurb Atari 5200 controllers from Best Electronics with the gold plated parts for $37 if you trade in a non-working controller. A8 only supports two fire buttons on a controller through hacks that aren't widely supported. There's also plenty of PC Joystick adapters out there if you'd like to go that route. The 5200 TrakBall controller is awesome. It's enough of a reason to have the console since the 2600/A8/7800 compatible Atari Trakball simply doesn't compare. AtariMax also makes a 5200 SDCard to Cartridge Adapter. And until the original 7800 game library is re-released to take advantage of an XM or XBoard based Pokey, the 5200 titles sound better. The XEGS is fugly. The 5200 still looks modern and stylish. Even HP thinks so since their business class Elite PCs - from the 7800 on - copy the 5200 design. The 5200 cartridge slot is essentially ZIF. No other Atari system has done that since, even the Jaguar. The console is friggin cool. It's the only retro console that might get you laid outside of an NES with those pathetic Link groupies. I liked this post the most. All of it is true. Specifically the 1st sentence being the most important. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Don't listen to the A8 crybabies who always trash talk the 5200. An A8 is no substitute for a 5200 because you most likely won't want to have a 600XL or 800XL resting on your lap while playing games from your couch. The inference being that you'd want a 5200 on your lap? How friggen big is your lap??? I also don't buy the whole "there are games on the 5200 that aren't on the 8-bit computers. True, there's also a crap ton of games on the atari 8-bits that aren't on the 5200 and by a much larger margin. However I've adopted a "to each their own" mentality on this issue because I've learned that one camp will never change the mind of the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akator Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 (edited) one camp will never change the mind of the other. True. My mind was changed based on personal experience. I still love the 5200. With Best gold rebuilt controllers, the 5200 trackball, and an AtariMax SD cart it is a great system. However, there are a number of reasons I eventually changed my preference to the A8 computers. The 5200 controllers are great for some games, but others I never felt comfortable with. That's a more recent change, as 30 years ago I would keep at things for weeks to overcome any personal or hardware limitations. These days I have far less patience, interest, and time to adapt to a system's controller idiosyncrasies for games like Defender, Pac-Man, or Frogger when I have so many other options to play those games in a way that I find more natural. Because of middle-age and arthritis, I find the 5200 controller uncomfortable for more than 30 minutes of play, which greatly limits my enjoyment of the system. I have the same problem with stock ColecoVision, Intellivision, 5200, or 7800 controllers. Even with an adapter to use other controllers with the 5200, and even with trying 3rd party 5200 controllers like the Wico, I didn't find a solution that I was happy with. Over time I found myself playing the Atari computer more. It took me years to admit to myself that I enjoyed using the computer more than the 5200. I really like how I can swap to any of the dozens of different 2600 controllers I own based on games and how my hands feel that day. The computer also provides text adventures and tons of other stuff that was never available on consoles. Lastly, the 5200 and ColecoVision both have libraries strong in arcade ports. That was a strength in their time and those games are still impressive and fun, but these days I can play MAME on my smartphone, PC, or Mac and via compilations on any number of consoles and handhelds. I still enjoy the home versions for the 2600, 5200, Atari 8-bits, and ColecoVision but the majority of my arcade gaming is through MAME. I simply enjoy more accurate versions of those arcade titles that made the 5200 and ColecoVision shine so brightly in the 80s, and today that reduces my interest in the majority of the 5200 and ColecoVision library. The A8 libraries, on the other hand, are strong in many excellent non-arcade titles, and I find myself enjoying those more than the console exclusives. As someone who now prefers the A8, it doesn't mean I dislike or am bashing the 5200. A computer or console does not need to be the bestest most awesomest ever for all time and eternity for me to enjoy and appreciate it Edited February 25, 2014 by akator 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VectorGamer Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 The 5200 sucks - makes a good dust collector in my house. If you don't have a ColecoVision, buy that instead. There's a better library of games for the CV compared to the 5200. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dauber Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I'm a fairly recent 5200 owner. I only have a few games, but I do love this sucker. And yeah, it requires some TLC. The controllers need constant maintenance. I bought a Wico Command Control, and while it does make gaming a LOT more reasonable (especially with Pac-Man and Qix), even that requires a steady hand to set up properly. 3 reasons I can think of why I'm glad I have the 5200: - The Dreadnaught Factor. Yeah, I know, it's also available on the 8-bit computers, but I don't want another computer (and if I do get another, it'll be an Amiga), and the only other option for this game is Intellivision, which is a console I don't like. (Plus, the game is horizontal on the Intellivision! WTF?!) - Pengo. What other home console has that game? - Centipede. The game play is fantastic -- and I don't even have a trackball! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie_ Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 (edited) ...... There's a better library of games for the CV compared to the 5200. LOL!!!!! **edited to clarify what's funny. I could give a shit about what collects dust in your house. Edited February 25, 2014 by Official Ninja 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie_ Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 -- and I don't even have a trackball! You should keep an eye out for one. Centipede is fantastic with it. So is Tempest. There is a hack for the A8 that is 5200 Centipede and it can use the A8 trak ball. It is also excellent, but the 5200 trak ball is a little better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 - Pengo. What other home console has that game? Other than the 2600 version, which I think is pretty good, not sure. Of course I have the 8-bit version which is the same as the 5200 version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VectorGamer Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I could give a shit about what collects dust in your house. STFU phaggot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie_ Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 STFU phaggot I'm so hurt... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VectorGamer Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I'm so hurt... OP asked why he should buy a 5200. I told him it sucked and it's a dust collector. CV is better. Now STFU. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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