THE Atari 2600 Sound

[retrogoober]

What is that ONE game sound, that for you SCREAMS Atari 80's gaming goodness, that one sound that just feels so retro good in your bones and echoes through the ages, the ONE sound that defines Atari 2600 gaming.

 

NONE of this listing all the 'runner up' sounds, choose only one, violators will be locked for eternity in an Adventure Castle with Adventure duck/dragon

 

Mine - the player 1 death sound in Beamrider, so staisfying EVERY time, makes dieing so much easier, and so lo-fi grainy yet powerful, the sound I want to hear when I die:)

[mikey.shake]

Ugh... ONE?

 

Fine.

 

The refill/powerup sound in Megamania (it reappears in Beamrider and H.E.R.O., too).

 

There were others, but I'm going to play by the rules.

[toiletunes]

Pac-Man 4-note intro song lol

[Opry99er]

Ugh... ONE?

 

Fine.

 

The refill/powerup sound in Megamania (it reappears in Beamrider and H.E.R.O., too).

 

 

 

Seaquest too, wasnt it?

[Cambouis de l'Atari]

One, that's tough !

The cargo bay opening/closing in Space Shuttle.

[Opry99er]

As little backing as I'm going to get here, for me it is the cannon sound on GORF. I would love to add this sound to my current space shooter project for the TI-99.

[mikey.shake]

Seaquest too, wasnt it?

 

Duh, yeah... that's totally what I was thinking! I read OP's post and had Beamrider on the brain, I guess...

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

For me it would be the sound of destroying the coatile in Yars' Revenge. That game has great sound effects period.

[zylon]

swinging on a vine in Pitfall!

[+DrVenkman]

The explosions in Combat, the shooting sounds in Space Invaders and the "extra ship" sound in Asteroids ("Fries are done!" )

Those three define "VCS TIA sound" to me.

 

That said, there are many titles that do amazing things with the TIA in terms of both music and sound effects/noise.

Edited September 14, 2015 by DrVenkman

[Opry99er]

I will have to change my mind... The sound of Asteroids... The "Jaws"-esque two note music that increases in speed inversely to the number of enemies remaining....

 

That has been in my dreams since I was a kid.

[sloth-machine]

For me it would be the sound of destroying the coatile in Yars' Revenge. That game has great sound effects period.

Yep, nailed it. Very powerful and abrasive sound effect.

 

That and 2600 Venture sounds always stuck in my head the most through childhood.

 

But really, too many to list. The 2600 sounds are just awesome. Nothing like it.

[+sramirez2008]

The crackling sound of the dynamite in H.E.R.O..

[Mef]

For me it would be the sound of destroying the coatile in Yars' Revenge. That game has great sound effects period.

Awww, you beat me to it!

As much as I don't have any great sentiment for the game itself - the quotile explosion had to be one of the most iconic audiovisual effects for the system.

Edited September 14, 2015 by Mef

[mikey.shake]

I'm sticking with Megamania's energy refill.

 

Mrs. S was surprised I didn't go with my alternate choice, which she says is her top pick. I didn't choose it because it was more of a combo/melody than a single sound. But she says they're all part of one sound effect to her. If I hadn't picked my "whooOOOOOSH", I would have picked her favorite one, as well:

 

"fft fft fft fft fft-spoosh-spoosh-spoosh-spoosh POP-POP-POP-POP-POP BOOM!" of Kaboom!.

 

(C'mon, tell me you can't hear that in your head. Fuses into buckets into a chain of explosions into the sound of your failure.)

 

I'm kind of surprised nobody's listed the end of Missile Command... sort of in the same camp as that fantastic Yars' victory whoosh.

[+sramirez2008]

I'm sticking with Megamania's energy refill.

 

Mrs. S was surprised I didn't go with my alternate choice, which she says is her top pick. I didn't choose it because it was more of a combo/melody than a single sound. But she says they're all part of one sound effect to her. If I hadn't picked my "whooOOOOOSH", I would have picked her favorite one, as well:

 

"fft fft fft fft fft-spoosh-spoosh-spoosh-spoosh POP-POP-POP-POP-POP BOOM!" of Kaboom!.

 

(C'mon, tell me you can't hear that in your head. Fuses into buckets into a chain of explosions into the sound of your failure.)

 

I'm kind of surprised nobody's listed the end of Missile Command... sort of in the same camp as that fantastic Yars' victory whoosh.

 

The Kaboom chain reaction sound is cool.

[Cambouis de l'Atari]

 

I'm kind of surprised nobody's listed the end of Missile Command... sort of in the same camp as that fantastic Yars' victory whoosh.

 

ONE choice he said (I wouldn't want to be locked for the eternity ) Else game over of Missile Command would have been in my list, together with the Berzerk death.

[Mister-VCS]

Missile Command, of course - followed by Pac-Man sound effects...

[toiletunes]

Donkey Kong death song

[+atari2600land]

Pac-Man chomping on a "video wafer."

[WolfAmongWolves]

My favorite is the warbling sound the Cosmic Ark makes when it enters the screen from the top. The soothing and melodious two seconds of repose before the meteor shower begins.

[Zonie]

Air-sea battle firing sound.

Tank in combat getting fragged.

Background sound effects in Star Ship.

Dual fire in Space Invaders with the marching at the slow speed.

Too many to list.

[+atari2600land]

Well, Zonie just got locked for all eternity...

[SiLic0ne t0aD]

Berzerk

 

I love the game and the sounds on the 2600.. classic.

[+RichG1972]

For me, and I know I will be ribbed for this very likely, but the beginning sound for Turmoil,