How to organize 2600 ROM collection

[Wizzard]

Since I am using Retroarch on a lot of devices, I am still thinking about how to arrange my ROM collection. My first collection is the set of the games dumped from my Atari 2600 Rambo clone. Since I know all of that games very well, I woul 136 Id like to create also other collection.

 

I read on Wikipedia there is about 136 initial era Atari games. Ok, this can be the next collection. But, where to find the original games? Yes, there is Atarimania ROM Hunter's collection where I can find every ROM, but which one from all those variants in the original?

 

Ok, next, I read about the prototype games. I can use this list https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Atari_2600_prototype_games or this one  http://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/2600software.htm and they are very different. Anyway, what that word "prototype" means?

 

I was thinking about collection of PAL only games. I can use this list, but is it complete? http://www.atarimania.com/pgelstsoft.awp?system=2&type=G&format=1&original=1&step=200

 

And the last, there should be around 380 of third party games, according to Wikipedia.

 

There is also anather list with 471 games:

 

So, I am just curious how other people have their games organized. My problem is, that I would like to have more smaller lists  per about 100 games rather than one list with 500 games.

[toiletunes]

I do alphabetical, with a few exceptions- 

Paddle and keypad games have their own list.

Unplayable demos (care bears, McDonald's etc) have their own folder.

There are too many homebrews to keep track, so I just keep my favorites in a folder.

I've tried sorting by company, prototypes together, and sorting by genre (sports, kids, space etc) but it gets too confusing. Simple is best, you want to spend time playing, not hunting for a game.

[Wizzard]

Wow, so they are even unplayable demos. I wondered why some games seem like not playable, now I understand

 

My biggest problem is to find the accurate collection of ROMS, with no duplicates and to sort them.

 

This is my current table that I gathered from various sources.

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AhaAz_aSer-TsxJvQH7-P6Tg1_KCMt5bgV98C1St4LE/edit?usp=sharing

[Rom Hunter]

14 hours ago, Wizzard said:

But, where to find the original games? Yes, there is Atarimania ROM Hunter's collection where I can find every ROM, but which one from all those variants in the original?

Very simple: the ones with a ~ behind their name are the true originals (and yes, in some cases that's a PAL version).

In my collection, there's also the PAL only map, the NTSC only map, the sorted by alphabet maps, sorted by company map, the Harmony Cart ROM maps, etc.

 

And if you really want to be creative, you can sort the Paddle games, by searching for 'Paddle' in the map, you can sort Prototypes by searching for 'Prototype', you can sort on serial numbers, programmer, release year, company, format, WIP name, whatever.

 

In short: if you're looking for the best 1977-1992 era VCS ROM collection, you need not look further:
http://www.atarimania.com/rom_collection_archive_atari_2600_roms.html

Enjoy.

Edited February 10, 2020 by Rom Hunter

[Wizzard]

Okay, thanks, so it seems there is 593 original Atari 2600 ROMs

Some of them are also prototypes.

What about the prototypes, that are not original ~ games? Those are the games found later which have not been released?

Edited February 10, 2020 by Wizzard

[Rom Hunter]

21 hours ago, Wizzard said:

Okay, thanks, so it seems there is 593 original Atari 2600 ROMs

Some of them are also prototypes.

What about the prototypes, that are not original ~ games? Those are the games found later which have not been released?

No, prototypes without ~ are prototypes of released games.

Prototypes with ~ are the latest known to exist prototype of a non released game.

[Wizzard]

Thanks, so I think I will stick on those ~ games, without the duplicates, variants and demonstration roms I have 555 roms remaining, from which I think I will split it to one playlist of 165 games from Atari and Amiga and the rest 390 3rd party games.

 

I think I like sorting more than actually playing :)