Atari 2600 in movies or TV shows

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

So I was watching a cheesy horror flick Monster Shark (1984), hey it's the Mystery Science Theater 3000 riffed version so that's my excuse 😉 when about

10 minutes in I spot a character playing, or pretending to play an Atari 2600 game. Pretty sure it's Activision SeaQuest. 

Anyways, just thought that was cool, I know there were obvious and well known examples of 2600 games appearing in shows/movies but this one caught me

off guard and I thought might be more obscure. Feel free to add your own screenshots of 2600 games or even just the console itself that you noticed in a show

or movie. 🕹🎬🎥🎞

 

[JayAre]

Good topic.  Here's Wormser playing SpaceMaster X-7 in Revenge of the Nerds.

 

 

[toneinblack]

In the film ET there is a vcs sitting by the tv ,and in ele tric dreams ( the film where the pc takes over the house ) there is a scene filmed in a games department and you can see Imagic games in boxes.

Edited March 9, 2020 by toneinblack

[JayAre]

Just remembered a couple more...

 

Jackie Chan playing Pac-Man in Cannonball Run II

 

Control tower employees playing Basketball in the movie Airplane

 

[Philflound]

I believe there were some cartridges in October Faction. That's if my brain is working properly.

[Atariboy2600]

In the 1982 The Thing you can see a 2600 system on top of there rec room TV.

[Jason_Atari]

Alf playing Space Invaders in Alf

 

 

[Philflound]

Also, we should add those movies and shows which don't necessarily show Atari on the tv or cartridges, but show kids playing video games and you HEAR the music/sound effects of Atari games. I believe I remember Donkey Kong and Pac-Man Atari 2600 sound effects, but for the life of me will never remember what show or movie.

[DimDug]

Poltergeist, in the parents room on top of the tv

[JayAre]

A couple of Space Invaders sightings...

 

First up is the movie Best Friends from 1982.  That's Burt Reynolds about to turn off the TV, while two kids were playing.

 

Here's an odd one.  A movie from 1983 called The Creature Wasn't Nice.  Here we have Leslie Nielsen playing the game, with the screen upside down.

 

[+save2600]

Nice finds! As if upside-down Space Invaders isn't goofy enough, the hue is way off too. They must have been trying really hard to disguise the game.  

[0078265317]

 

[+KaeruYojimbo]

On 3/16/2020 at 8:56 PM, Philflound said:

Also, we should add those movies and shows which don't necessarily show Atari on the tv or cartridges, but show kids playing video games and you HEAR the music/sound effects of Atari games. I believe I remember Donkey Kong and Pac-Man Atari 2600 sound effects, but for the life of me will never remember what show or movie.

 

I know there are many, many examples of this, but the only specific one that comes to mind right now is an episode of How I Met Your Mother where Ted and Marshall are playing an Xbox 360 but the sound effects are from a 2600 game (probably Pac-Man, but I don't remember for sure). Similarly, pretty much whenever I see pinball machines on screen, no matter how modern they are, the sound effects are always old school bells and chimes.

[0078265317]

 

[0078265317]

 

[0078265317]

 

[JayAre]

1 hour ago, save2600 said:

Nice finds! As if upside-down Space Invaders isn't goofy enough, the hue is way off too. They must have been trying really hard to disguise the game.  

Good catch, Save.  I hadn't noticed the color difference.

[Sknarp]

I think the most recent one I can recall was the 2014 Angry Video Game Nerd Movie, which both revolves around and contains actual screens from the infamous E.T. for Atari.

[Jason_Atari]

Eugene playing Yars' Revenge and Boxing on the Walking Dead.

 

 

 

 

[bradhig1]

There is an Atari 2600 on top of the TV in the parents bedroom in Poltergeist 1982

[devwebcl]

from Everybody Hates Chris

 

https://manillismo.blogspot.com/2012/02/todo-el-mundo-odia-chris.html

 

[bradhig1]

The original V miniseries a girl was playing space invaders on a 2600 with an alien watching her.

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

On 3/18/2020 at 4:55 PM, 0078265317 said:

 

Just a reminder, that is why I was specific instead of just saying ATARI in general and my first post was quite descriptive for the same reason. ....... Atari 2600 in movies or TV shows........also, I am capable of searching the forum as well. 😉

Edited March 26, 2020 by OldSchoolRetroGamer
fix

[keithbk]

Just re-watched The Au Pair (1999) and when the boy is playing a Gameboy, the sounds for Atari 2600 Pac-Man are heard.

[chuckwalla]

Offhand I remember a Three's Company episode where Jack and Janet are playing Atari 2600.

 

A quick search and here's a link to the Atari Compendium (sorry if it was mentioned by a poster above)...

http://www.ataricompendium.com/game_library/atari_tube/atari_tube.html

 

Cool memories.