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Atari 2600 Junior - official name, or unofficial nickname


Beerbarian

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Greetings all. Long time forum lurker/surfer/searcher, first time poster.

After sitting on the fence about getting a Harmony cart for the best part of a decade while I continued to collect Atari 2600 carts, I finally took the plunge during these socially distanced times, and am having a blast catching up on homebrew experience on original hardware.

However, this isn't what this post is about. I did a few searches to try and see if this topic was covered already, and I couldn't find it but please point me in the right direction if it has been.

With my renewed enthusiam for all things VCS/2600, I'm obviously exposing myself to an increase in reading and video material on the topic.

And in doing so, something has begun to bug me more and more of late.

YouTubers from all over the world when discussing Atari seem to, more often than not, refer to the 1986 re-released Atari 2600 slimeline model as "sometimes referred to as the 2600 Junior", or "also known as" and other seemingly vague stances on it's name. 
The Wikipedia articles on the Atari 2600 makes multiple references to the Junior or Jr. part being "unofficial" and a nickname when it comes to this revision's name.

Why?

The underside label of my Atari 2600 Jr. actually has that listed as the model: CX-2600 JR.

It's a PAL edition 'large rainbow'.

If it's printed on the underside label that the model number is CX-2600 JR. , surely this means it's offical and not a nickname?

When looking for more underside label photos, I found some on iFixit and on bubek.eu that don't explicitly list the model number as CX-2600 JR, but plenty of others do.
Is it this labelling inconsistency that is causing people to assume Jr. / Junior is unoffical and a nickname?

 

Atari 2600 Junior.jpeg

Edited by Beerbarian
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I'd say look for a box scan. I don't recall it being called a jr bitd, but I've no recollection of ever seeing the box anyways. The commercials just mentioned it as "the 2600" which wouldn't be definitive by any means.

 

 I figure most refer to it as a jr, simply because it's a smaller system.

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2 hours ago, The Mr. Video said:

Maybe the unofficial name was inspired by the model number? I've never seen the 2600 Jr. be officially referred to as such in any promotional material or packaging. I should check my 2600 jr. to see if it also has "CX-2600 JR." as its model number.

I think this model number is EXACTLY why it's known as the Jr.

It makes sense that it was not referenced specifically as the 2600 Jr. / Junior during it's sales cycle.

That would probably have been a confusing brand strategy as it's a minor model name change. They wanted people to know it was the 2600, same as all other models, which functionally it was.

My point is that Atari named this model the CX-2600 JR. therefore that has some officiality about it, label discrepancies not withstanding.

To me, "heavy/light sixers", "woodies" and "Vaders" are all informal nicknames for sure, and it seems like Jr. is being lumped in with them, which I believe is an innaccuracy.

 

Edited by Beerbarian
typos
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6 hours ago, Beerbarian said:

 

My point is that Atari named this model the CX-2600 JR. therefore that has some officiality about it, label discrepancies not withstanding.

To me, "heavy/light sixers", "woodies" and "Vaders" are all informal nicknames for sure, and it seems like Jr. is being lumped in with them, which I believe is an innaccuracy.

 

I dont think you read that correctly.

"I should check my 2600 jr. to see if it also has "CX-2600 JR." as its model number"

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14 hours ago, CapitanClassic said:

I dont think you read that correctly.

"I should check my 2600 jr. to see if it also has "CX-2600 JR." as its model number"

No, I read it correctly. He said he should check, inferring that it's a curiosity worth looking into. So we wait to see if he checks it and gets back to us.

Not that it's going to be conclusive. Plenty of evidence from picture searches online suggests not all Jr. have CX-2600 JR. as the model on the underside sticker.

But plenty do.

I mainly quoted @The Mister Video to capture "Maybe the unoffical name was inspired by the model number?" and respond that I think it wasn't a maybe. Probably should have edited down.

 

Was putting CX-2600 JR. as the model number on mine and lots of others a mistake? Or was leaving it out a mistake?

 

 

 

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Some online auction examples with photos where model number is "CX-2600 JR."

For a while I started to think it was only for some large rainbow editions, but this first one is a short rainbow one:

 

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/melville/other-video-games-consoles/vintage-atari-cx-2600-jr-game-console/1245662740

 

https://www.catawiki.com/l/12486993

 

https://picclick.co.uk/Atari-2600-Video-Computer-System-Complete-In-Original-133416532210.html

 

 

 

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I still have the console I had a s a kid. I got it in 1985 and it's an early Jr. made in Ireland (note the "Atari, Inc" copyright).

It came packaged in the smaller "lunchbox" style box, so it's a later production compared to the one in the large box posted by @high voltage above. The label on mine just says "model no. CX 2600", no "JR."

So, Atari wasn't very consistent on this. 

But I agree that since it is printed on some labels, "Jr." can be considered an official designation.

 

PC090008.JPG.edc581fe3e55f28b9924384bfd2af23f.JPG

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4 hours ago, Beerbarian said:

Lovely looking set. Is it yours?

Out of curiosity, what does the underside sticker label say?

 

All mine:

 

Atari 2600 VCS JR. Centipede, short rainbow cib

Oh yes, I never noticed it, or paid attention, it does say JR on the label. I'm gonna check all my JRs

 

Atari 2600 VCS JR. Red Box, NTSC, long rainbow cib

US version, no JR

 

Atari 2600 VCS JR. Asia  incl. 128 games, long rainbow cib (official)

Asia 128 in 1 version, no JR

 

Atari 2600 VCS JR. 32  game cart, long rainbow cib

Europe 32 in 1, Joypad version, no JR

 

Atari 2600 VCS JR. short rainbow/all black

Europe all black, .....J.R. mentioned within the copyright patents

 

Atari 2600 VCS JR. long rainbow cib

Europe long rainbow, no JR

 

Atari 2600 VCS JR. short rainbow cib

Europe, short rainbow, Pro-line and......YES it says JR on the label

 

Atari VCS 2600 Jr short rainbow, Joystick version

Europe version, short rainbow, Joystick and …...YES, another JR on the serial label.

 

 

Edited by high voltage
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Great Juniors collection @high voltage And interesting observations on your audit of the CX-2600 JR. model name.

Atari seem to be really hit and miss with it... out of your 8 systems, 4 of them have offical JR. model name, 4 don't.

I guess maybe we can put it down to US bias. Maybe the CX-2600 JR. name was only put on labels for certain runs of PAL systems?

Similar to how it's often reported that the Junior was re-released in 1986, which is probably a US re-release timeframe since we know it was released in Europe earlier than that.

Covered in length on older threads on here.

I went looking again and found this Argos (UK retailer) catalog from Spring/Summer 1985.. and they called it the "JT" system.
It can be found on page 213 of the catalog:
https://issuu.com/retromash/docs/argos-no23-1985-springsummer/213

 

EDIT: I found the Atari 2600 Jr. (but listed as the "CX2600 Video Computer System") in the Autumn/Winter Argos catalog for 1984!
https://issuu.com/retromash/docs/argos-no22-1984-autumnwinter/240

It's a very low res scan so the price is hard to make out, but I think it's £69.95 price.

So was released in the UK/Ireland that year, but not at the 1986 "Fifty bucks" promotional price.

I remember those TV adverts here in 1986 were the same unedited US version with the fifty bucks phrase and a dollar price shown, but the price was GBP 50 / IRP 50.

However I got my own 2600 Jr. for my birthday in late summer 1985, replacing a broken VCS light sixer I had since 1983 but broke during Christmas '84.

 

I checked the Spring/Summer catalog for the same year 1984, and it has the Vader model shown for £69.99 price:

https://issuu.com/retromash/docs/argos-no21-1984-springsummer/216

 

 

 

Edited by Beerbarian
grammar plus additional catalog links
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