I introduced the Atari 2600 to an 8th grader...

[KAZ]

I think he's like 12 years old. He saw pitfall, and commented that it kinda seemed like Super Mario Brothers.

 

Super Mario Brothers was apparently the beginning of this kid's video game universe.

 

I had a whole box full of games, which in a way made him quite interested.

 

I started with Pitfall! and he seemed amused by it.

 

Then he was the one who pulled out Pac-Man...

 

He was already quite aware of the ancient quality of this machine, but I had boosted up the machine's speed capabilities, and fiercely tight assembly programming.

 

 

He kept right on playing the warehouse of games I had.

 

 

He played a full game of Enduro

Ms. Pac-Man

Phoenix

Jr. Pac-Man (he was impressed with this one).

Keystone Kapers

 

 

Some others I competed with him:

 

Ice Hockey

Boxing (stress X 14)

River Raid

Space Invaders

 

He tried Centipede with the Atari 2600 Trakball.

 

The left button didn't work, but the right did

 

 

I had him play Warring Worms, and Dr. Roboto.

 

And we played a good amount of Artillery Duel.

 

 

And after I was about to wrap up the blast from the past...I was really impressed when he wanted to keep playing.

 

Yes, Atari had him!

 

He had an easier time with Genesis controllers...but I started him out with the classic stick.

 

Pitfall! required ALOT of precision...even tho this game comes second nature to those who grew up with it. We were born to play this game.

 

Those raised on Super Mario Brothers do not realize the precision that these games needed.

 

 

Next time I'm bringing the monster 5200, and show him what Atari is really about! I'm just getting warmed up.

 

 

 

First thing when I showed up, he needed help on the SNES Emulator getting past a Ghost House.

 

I'm like...HAHA, Ghost Houses are cake.

[Brad2600]

Eh kids of today don't know videogames if they have never seen Atari.

[Happy_Dude]

Bravo Getting the next generation hooked is what will pay for our retierment

[Atarinuts]

These young whipper-snappers today don't know NUTHIN about video gamin. Why I remember back in the last century when I played video games on an Atari 2600 and my hands would hurt so much from holding that damn joystick and my thumb would bleed from pressing that damn BUTTON all the time. And you only GOT 3 lives, no save back then I tell ya...........why.....these kids today.........mumble.....mumble........mum....

 

 

 

Jesus, I feel old....time for my nap.

[ApolloBoy]

Hey, I'm an 8th grader, and I like Atari too!

[Brad2600]

Hey, I'm an 8th grader, and I like Atari too!

 

Sorry about that dude.

 

I didn't know. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made the comment that I made.

 

Hell, there are 14 year olds into Atari so I believe that is a very GOOD thing!

 

I'm only 21..going on 22. I've been into the 2600 since I was 6. Later moved on to the NES and all but after a while, you come back home.

 

It's good to see young people getting into Atari.

 

[BoOchan!]

I'm only 13, and I discovered atari Last year after buying a 6 Switcher as a Flea Market with 6 games for A$25. I've been hooked on these boards and atari consoles and computers since!

[ElectricTroy]

Today's modern games lack adrenaline. It's all about solving puzzles, unfolding a story, and moving forward slowly/cautiously.

 

The old Atari games are almost nothing but adrenaline, and once you get addicted to that adrenaline there's no turning back. We need to get more young gamers addicted to that high.

[Mr.FoodMonster]

im 14 (8th grader so the kid your talking about must be in 6th or 7th) but have been playing atari for like 5 or 6 years. i cant belive hes never played them anywhere! iv played some atari arcade games and some online and stuff but thats just surprizing. atari had me the first time i saw it when i was about 6 but didnt own for a few more years. i wish some more people played it, but all my friends right now are just handing over their old atari stuff.....so maybe i dont =P

[Video]

Man, I thought about going up to the school on the last day of school (when the kids are allowed to loaf or not show up at all) and bring my Atari 2600 and some games. Then I though that I'd probably be arrested because I'm like 28 and a weirdo just up there to scare the kids and harrass the younger teachers LOL Oh well

[ElectricTroy]

With http://www.atariguide.com have ample opportunity to play the old games. They don't even need to move out of their seats...just sit at their PCs and pretend it's 1980 again.

[AtariDude]

It just goes to show that good games will always be enjoyable regardless of the hardware that it runs on. I remember when my godson loaded Activision Anthology for the first time.

 

He had been playing the PS2 games that I had and I left for a minute on a nature break. When I came back the first thing I noticed was that he was playing Activision's fishing and the first thing that came out of his mouth was "This is fun! Why didn't you tell me that you had this game?" I was floored.

 

I expected that having grown up on the NES and the Sega Genesis to mention just a few systems that he had used. Now he likes to play all the other games on the disk.

[JankenTheGreat]

Hey, I'm an 8th grader, and I like Atari too!

 

Same here.

[chromizone]

well I'm 14 and am going into grade 10 after the summer and I'v been on this site for a while now. My love for atari hasnt lessened but grown as I have come to love more and more games and eventually all the systems aswell.

 

Its actually really hard to get people my age to even look twice at atari games I'v tried and not 1 of my frinds has really care. But great job its people like me and you that are keeping this hobby alive.

[Cassidy Nolen]

Its funny,

 

I teach Tech Ed in a middle school, and some of the students love Atari like I do. I have given probably 10 systems away over the years, complete with a library of games.

 

Since Kaboom is a favorite of mine, I sort of encourage that one. I have some students that can reach into the 4000+ mark (not too shabby!). Other favs are Ms. Pac, Cosmic Ark, Asteroids, and Dragster.

 

Just for the record, I am 29, and a good number of my friends (even my arcade buds) don't give a hoot about the 2600. Fools.

Cassidy

[black dog]

As a 33 year old Atari gamer/ collector I think its extremely cool that there are a number of young people into the Atari and posting on this board.

[MegaManFan]

I see a lot of kids getting into Atari these days, which is probably a factor that's driving the price of commons up and the price of rarities down. Nostalgia is "in." Anybody can go to the store and buy an X-Box, but it's "l33t" to own a vintage Atari.

[Mr.FoodMonster]

Cas: i REALLY REALLY wish you were the tech ed. teacher in my skool, all the moron in mine does is talk about how he was in the navy and... AHG if i got a recording of him you would want to shoot yourself!. in 5-6th grade our tech ed teacher was a big nerd, so i kinda got along with him. he had toys and videogames thrown about the room, im surprized they give nerds jobs =P

[KAZ]

Man, I thought about going up to the school on the last day of school (when the kids are allowed to loaf or not show up at all) and bring my Atari 2600 and some games.  Then I though that I'd probably be arrested because I'm like 28 and a weirdo just up there to scare the kids and harrass the younger teachers LOL Oh well

 

Isn't it a sad society we live in when you can't just do this? Everyone seems to assume everyone else has evil agendas. If you did take an Atari 2600 to a school, you are probably right...they'd think you are some sort of pervert/stalker/rapist/mental case/pedophile.

 

And all you want to do is show some kids a neat video game system. Society sux. A free society indeed

[Gregory DG]

Well, I was all primed to get my 5 year old nephew on the Atari bandwagon by getting him a 7800. Then his mom trumps me by getting him a GBA SP... Hopefully he'll still think the 7800 is cool.

[sku_u]

It's nice to see younger gamers taking an interested in older systems. I'm sure Activision Anthology was played some role in atracting younger gamers to older systems.

[Sharky]

Kids today i think would be spoiled in video gaming.

 

If we tell them, our video games were a single screen all the time with only 3 lives.

They must think... gee they must of been bored as hell playing them.

 

Funny enough we werent bored actually.

[Brian R.]

He was already quite aware of the ancient quality of this machine, but I had boosted up the machine's speed capabilities, and fiercely tight assembly programming

 

Uh, exactly how does one boost up the speed of an Atari 2600???

 

Oh, and for the record, playing Atari on a PC is not really playing Atari.

[KAZ]

Oh sorry, I worded that wrong.

 

I mean that I boosted the reputation of the machine, by describing its high speed capability. I "put it on a pedestal".

[KAZ]

Well we played on a real Atari 2600, using a TV...I just meant that we also played the SNES on his emulator (that I provided to him). But I have also played the real Super Nintendo with him also.