The Best Way to Get Through 2600 Collection

[silverpoodleman]

As of this morning, I have 193 titles in my 2600 collection (with more coming soon). I should mention that while I have spent a good sum of money, I did not get into this for collecting purposes, but rather to relive good childhood memories and build new ones with my family. So for those of you who have large collections, what is the best way is to work myself through this collection?

 

Does it make sense to go through by category? I have been thinking of going through by the highest rated games and mastering a few before picking up a few more. Does that make sense? How about from A to Z?

 

This is not a joke topic. I am seriously trying to get the most enjoyment from the time and money I've spent in this endeavor. The problem is that I keep coming back and playing the same fifteen games (Solar Fox, Bump N Jump, KaBoom!, Super Breakout, Pitfall 2, River Raid, Gunfight, Boxing, Jr Pac-Man, Space Invaders, etc.,).

 

Any thoughts you have on the subject would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

[dwh]

I have the silver label games in one plastic box & the red label in another box and the older games in yet a larger box.So, I usually play whichever box I have out that day.

Some days I really like to play the silver labels, because the most arcade conversions are in this lot.

Enjoy

[Mindfield]

For me, I started off just buying whatever I didn't have, whether it was individually or in lots of titles that may have had some I already had and some I didn't.

 

Eventually though as the number of titles I needed dwindled I simply concentrated on trying to complete a particular company's releases -- Parker Bros., Activision, etc. It helps to have more easily achieved sub-goals.

[sku_u]

I have mine separated as follows:

 

-Country of Origin

--Format (PAL/NTSC)

---Company

----label type

-----minor variations

------alphabetical

 

Good luck on your collection. I think most of us started out by just getting what they remembered as a youth then went overboard into a full blown collecting hobby. Sounds like that's what you're teetering on.

 

Oh, and my other suggestion is to join the High Score Club as it will reaquaint you with old favorites you may have forgotten about and exposed you to new ones you may not have played before.

[Lord Thag]

Haha! Don't feel bad, I posted this same topic myself about six months ago. It IS hard to focus on a game when you have the 'pile o' atari' staring at you, isn't it? I'm far more player than collector, so it began to bother me that I had so many games I wasn't playing everyday. Here is what I do:

 

I pick a genre I'm in the mood for, and pick a favorite or two. Lets say for example I'm into shooters, so I go and grab Demon Attack or Phoenix (or both). Those will be my 'main' titles for the evening. I'l probably play several games of each. I then pick two other games that I haven't played in awhile (but still like), we'll say Galaxian and River Raid.

 

Then, I pick two or more games (again, in the same vein) that I never play, don't like, haven't tried/given a chance, or have forgotten all about. This is the important part. It makes you play your whole collection, and sometimes you may find that you love a game you previously were indifferent to. Let's say I pick Laser Gates (haven't really played), and Encounter at L5 (indifferent)

 

Now, I take the stack over to play. The other rule is that I MUST play through one complete game of each cart before I go back and play a game twice. It forces you to pay attention to a game you might not have done otherwise, and to give a game you ignore half a chance. You must play one, whole game of each.

 

More often than not, this reawakens my interest in a game I had not played (Galaxian this time, it then got played nightly for a week), and also forced me to pay attention to the two 'forgotten' titles. In this instance, Laser Gates got moved to the 'kicks ass' catagory, and became a favorite, and Encounter, while not the most amazing thing I've ever played, is much better than I remembered, and gets a good three games played. I even drag it out once a month or so now.

 

See what I mean?

 

You'll feel like one of those wine connoseurs selecting a vintage to sample, only you'll have more fun, and you don't have to drink liquid that smells like dirty feet

[Omegamatrix]

I got my games in the good old rubbermaid bin with the end labels up. The games are divided by company and type and stored in a ziplock bag by threes. While I'll go to play one title I'll sometimes end up playing all three, because the storage bag is already open. Good way to try games I guess. Collecting wise I'm still buying small lots as well as individual titles depending on what I need. I'll go for a big lot if there's several titles I need, but tend to shy away if there's a lot of filler crap. Probably the best thing to do is get an emulator and try some different games to know which ones you want to buy.

[candiru]

Make sure you get a notebook to keep track of your best scores. All the cool Atari players are doing it! My wife laughs at me for it though...

[+remowilliams]

As of this morning, I have 193 titles in my 2600 collection (with more coming soon). I should mention that while I have spent a good sum of money, I did not get into this for collecting purposes, but rather to relive good childhood memories and build new ones with my family. So for those of you who have large collections, what is the best way is to work myself through this collection?

The best way to get through it, is to run away. RUN AWAY QUICKLY while you still can!!

 

It may already be too late for me.

[swandy]

Make sure you get a notebook to keep track of your best scores.  All the cool Atari players are doing it!  My wife laughs at me for it though...

930636[/snapback]

 

I actually set up an Excel spreadsheet when I recently got back into Atari playing.

(I won't call it "collecting" as I am basically just trying to get the games that I remember most fondly.

 

I have several favorites that I will play each time I take out the 2600 (Bezerk, HERO seem to lead the list) and then whatever else catches my eye.

[candiru]

I won't call it "collecting" as I am basically just trying to get the games that I remember most fondly.

 

Famous last words.

[+remowilliams]

(I won't call it "collecting" as I am basically just trying to get the games that I remember most fondly.

930690[/snapback]

I don't call what I do "collecting" around here. I'm in no way close to the collectors at AA.

 

-The only carts I have in protective bags are my R8s, my carts are kept label up in drawers (though they are very nice and mostly dustfree)

-Most boxes I have I flatten and put in plastic (mostly for space reasons, though I do try to display some for each system on shelves)

-I'm not looking to complete manufacturer sets, I don't care about label or box variations or protos, and I won't pay huge sums for rarities.

 

I still have all my original carts from when the 2600 was new, so my drive is to add stuff that I had wanted in the day, neat stuff that I never heard about (i.e. the AH games), fun stuff I never new was made (i.e. Montezuma's Revenge) or modern stuff that is just plain cool (i.e. Thrust, Seawolf).

 

That all being said, people who see my collection of 15 or so things that can play 2600 carts, and the cart count creeping up on 300 call me a collector. Or insane

[mrppv666]

I've gathered about 200 unique games in the last year... I've been lucky and haven't paid more than $5 (mostly $1-$2) a cart and have found a lot of people that have been very cool in helping me get games. I usually find people with lots of games and buy whatever I don't have. That way the cost per cart comes out to be less because most people will give you deals if you buy more. I'm getting 45 games for $100 shipped which is roughly $2 a cart (with $10 shipping) I'm getting: 1 - R5, 19 - R4, 13 - R3, 10 - R2. So I mean it's a lot of carts for a hell of a price! I've probably dropped about $350 in my collection which I mean if I think about it is only 7 PS2 games and for that price I've gotten 200 Atari games, a system, multiple controllers, and more.

 

I have my carts alphabatized by maker then seperated by label. I have Atari seperated by Atari Text, Atari Picture, Atari Silver Label. I have Activision by Regular and Special. And so on and so forth. But again... I don't have like text and picture labels of any of my carts so it's just easier that way. If I was collecting all varations of labels I'd keep all the same games together. Atari rules!

[Cassidy Nolen]

I started as an Atari player......

 

Something happened that made me collect.....

 

Its infectious. I can remember PhillyClassic2 with a Crazy Climber auctioned with manual for like 150 and I thought "thats nuts". Two years later, I offered a jet boat for an Eli's Ladder. Its only down a slippery slope from here

 

I just do the "grab" method of game variety. I walk to the Atari wall and grab a box. Not even really seeing what it is, and that sort of helps me decide. If its one I would like to play, I play it. If its not, it helps me narrow what to play next.

 

I do have dupes (loose) of the ones I really like to play on top of the tv. That encourages some quick games between other things (like waiting for the microwave, laundry, etc).

 

HTH,

C

[Lord Thag]

I won't call it "collecting" as I am basically just trying to get the games that I remember most fondly.

 

Ha ha. Uh huh, I've heart THAT line before. You have entered the 'justification phase' of the game collecting mania. Face it man, like me, you are a player that got the collecting bug. I went from 'a couple of boxes of 2600 games' to having near complete 5200,7800,Intellivision, and Odyssey2 sets, as well as about 300 NES games, several more esoteric game sets like the Lynx and Jaguar, as well as some REALLY obscure game systems like the Channel F and Arcadia 2001. Oh, yeah, and 460+ Atari 2600 games

 

It's fun. Admit it. If you feel the need to justify, ask the person who's giving you a hard time how much they just spent on their car rims, or new boat. You'll win, I guarantee!

[silverpoodleman]

The best way to get through it, is to run away.  RUN AWAY QUICKLY while you still can!!

I think it is already too late. I go to bed thinking about strategies for getting to the next level of Solar Fox and get upset wondering why more forum space isn't dedicated to my newest favorite game - Bump N Jump! I now dream about running people off the road or jumping like the General Lee and landing on them. Then, of course, that leads right into my dream of Catherine Bach - you know, the one where she unzips.....oops.....that is for a different forum. Or the one where she bumps into me and I jump her and....damn....same forum!

 

Hey, not all is lost! I've still got Daisy Duke and my non-Atari dreams!

 

Never mind.......

Edited September 14, 2005 by silverpoodleman

[HP Atari King of Michigan]

I sort my carts by company: Atari being first, then Activision, then Parker Brothers, then Imagic, and so on. Maybe you can sort yours by company as well.