Browsing through catalogs and daydreaming

[+cvga]

Who else chose their next game at least partly based on what you read in the catalogs that were included with each game? I loved the artwork (which note is much larger than the picture of the actual game) and descriptions that accompanied each game. They had a way of making every game seem like great fun. That's probably why I willing purchased a copy of Street Racer lol.

 

Who else spent a fair amount of their youth looking through these?

 

 

[Supergun]

Spent hours salivating at entries in those various catalogs. And used them as guides for what game to buy next. Always wondering what became of the ones I never could find at the stores. Before the Internet, I simply never could confirm those one way or another on my lists.

[Christophero Sly]

I sure did.

 

I actually ranked each game in that catalog from most to least wanted, writing the respective number next to each game's title in the catalog. It became a bit of a mess, though, as I must have reordered them half a dozen times.

[RodLightning]

I remember doing just that. I also collected revisions of the Atari and Activision catalogs and would go through to compare any differences. I would even carry them to school with me and put them inside the text books. The teachers thought I was studying!

[BassGuitari]

That's probably why I willing purchased a copy of Street Racer lol.

I think Street Racer is kind of a neat game... (Or should I say "games?")

[Keatah]

It was nice that the artwork was on a level with a kid's imagination and level of detail processing. The catalog's overall style didn't overload us with nonsense busy-ness or anything like that. And the art was smooth and relaxing when compared against today's edgy shock cacophonous noise.

[edladdin]

I absolutely studied the Atari and Activision catalogs backwards and forwards for helping to decide what game to save toward, or ask for at Christmas or birthdays. Aside from discussions with Atari-owning friends, this was my primary source of game information until late in 1983, when I came across Electronic Games magazine for the first time.

[Keatah]

Yes, it was either these catalogs or Electronic Games Magazines. As a kid these were the best windows into the industry - not that we knew what an "industry" was at the time.

[NE146]

Yep.. I'd sit on the can taking a crap and read those things for like half an hour

 

Incidentally, no need to post pics of them. You realize they're all scanned and cataloged here at Atariage right?

 

http://atariage.com/system_catalogs.php?SystemID=2600

Edited April 18, 2016 by NE146

[+cvga]

Yep.. I'd sit on the can taking a crap and read those things for like half an hour

 

Incidentally, no need to post pics of them. You realize they're all scanned and cataloged here at Atariage right?

 

http://atariage.com/system_catalogs.php?SystemID=2600

 

I did not realize that. Thanks!

 

BTW - I noticed that the picture of the Night Driver box in the 1980 catalog is different than any I've seen before. Does that version of the box exist?

[fultonbot]

Yes. Here. Me.

 

Catalogs were *everything* to me before I had an Atari VCS or Atari 800. I would pour through them every chance I got, day dreaming about the games and if I'd ever get to play them. No, scratch that, I *knew* I'd get to play them, but I had no idea how or when it was going to happen, I just knew it would happen.

 

My favorite catalog was from a local computer store named HW Computers. It listed dozens and dozens of games for the Atari 400/800 with short, enticing descriptions. I knew I would love Temple Of Apshai, Scott Adams Adventures, and Crush Crumble and Chomp (among many others) years before I actually saw them on screen, because I'd already played them vicariously through my day dreams while reading that catalog.

 

Good topic!

[Keatah]

Yep.. I'd sit on the can taking a crap and read those things for like half an hour!

 

Excellent! I did the same thing! Nowadays I use my iPad to look through ebay while conducting "business" in the shitter.

[+cvga]

 

I did not realize that. Thanks!

 

BTW - I noticed that the picture of the Night Driver box in the 1980 catalog is different than any I've seen before. Does that version of the box exist?

 

Here's a picture of the Night Driver box I mentioned earlier. I've never actually seen this box. Does it exist?

 

[+cvga]

It was nice that the artwork was on a level with a kid's imagination and level of detail processing. The catalog's overall style didn't overload us with nonsense busy-ness or anything like that. And the art was smooth and relaxing when compared against today's edgy shock cacophonous noise.

 

Women have certainly gotten better looking over the years lol

 

[Christophero Sly]

 

Here's a picture of the Night Driver box I mentioned earlier. I've never actually seen this box. Does it exist?

 

 

That Golf box is different than the retail box too. I think there's also a Warlords box in one of the catalogs that is different as well.

[Gabriel]

I loved the catalogs during the Atari days. In particular, I remember seeing Slot Racers and Space War in those catalogs and really wanting them.

 

I liked the more modern catalogs featuring the painted game covers to the older cartoonish ones, but each had their memorable aspects. The earlier 5200 catalogs were my favorites.

 

In the later 5200 era they went to poster/pamphlet things. Those weren't as fun as the little booklets.

 

But yeah, I spent a lot of time poring through them all and dreaming about what games to beg for next.

[accousticguitar]

I spent hours pouring over the catalog, writing notes on the pages, and basically trashing it. I knew exactly what games I wanted and in what order. I got my money's worth for sure.

[Keatah]

In the later 5200 era they went to poster/pamphlet things. Those weren't as fun as the little booklets.

 

Typical cost-cutting measure. Cost less to print and fold one larger sheet than it did to cut it down into pages and fold and staple them together.

 

 

 

[Yellow355F1]

I miss all the ones I had. An Atari VCS I got given to me had a ton of various versions, one was quite thick. Even though I had most of the games, it was still cool to thumb through seeing the adds of the day. Guess now that I know about the scanned copies I will go check them out. I lost all of mine in a move, I was ready to get going, and didnt go back to look and see if I left a box behind... My Swordquest books were in there as well, but back then I didn't know that's what the numbers that popped up meant.

[Supergun]

I still remember the first time I got the blue Atari Log Book (looked like a catalog but was of course not) and I started challenging myself with the various option & difficulty suggestions for the games in it. It was how I first learned of the Adventure Easter egg. I will never forget reading: "find the magic dot & enter the secret room". And I was like...what the hell is this???!!! Completely changed that game for me, forever!

 

Warren Robinet was the man!