Finally broke out the 7800

[theoakwoody]

I've owned a 7800 since '87 and what's funny is that as a kid I never even knew what I had. My grandma bought me 28 atari games from a garage sale but didn't know I didn't have a 2600 to play the games. So my mom went out and bought me a 7800 just recognizing the atari logo. On a side note history repeated itself when my grandma bought me a baseball game for gameboy. Well, I once again didn't have the system I needed so my mom went out and bought a gameboy.

 

Back to atari, so the only 7800 game I had was the pack-in, PP II. I had no idea that I even had the option of buying more advanced games because I was 7 was just happy to have any games at all. I do remember actually going out and buying 3 new games but they were 2600 games. I got Jr. Pacman, Realsports Football, and Jungle Hunt. I remember playing the hell out of these games and even beating Jungle hunt once. Swinging, swimming, jumping, and then fighting the witch doctor guy to save the girl.

 

So I go to my friends birthday party for a sleepover, which probably wasn't a good idea considering I drenched my sheets every night, and he got a "Intendo" for his birthday. It was all the rage and we stayed up playing Kung Fu, SMB, and Excitebike all night. Needless to say, I didn't get to play much and so I wasn't all that impressed. This kid also had a huge arcade in his basement so I went downstairs and played Popeye, Centipede, and some Pinball game.

 

So back to my house and the 7800 which my dad dominated by playing Pitfall II for hours and hours. I always thought that thing at the end was like a wolf playing a harmonica or something. My dad would get to the part where the birds are flying up and down as you ascend the final section. I could never get past that part, I'd always have to have my dad do it for me.

 

So '88 rolls around and I get home from school to find out my 4 year old brother has convinced my mom to buy him an NES. Unfortunately she bought some crap system that didn't even include Super Mario Bros. so we got a strategy book instead. My first games for the NES were Castlevania and Mighty Bomb Jack, an early Tecmo release. So I have to say that once I got the NES the 7800 went in a drawer in my room and stayed there for a good 14 years. I broke it out a couple of times but nothing worth talking about.

 

Fast forward to the present, I'm married and have my own place and I've taken all of my video games with me. Recently I went on ebay and bid on a lot of 7800 games that included, surprise, 3 pp II games. So now I have Karateka, Choplifter, Desert Falcon, Double Dragon, Touchdown Football, and Super Skateboardin'. Even though I've had the games for a while I haven't had time to play so tonight was the night. I played Double Dragon first and found it to be pretty tough or I just suck. Desert Falcon is very unique even though I don't know what the hell I'm doing. Choplifter is where I spent most of my time as I used to play the Applie IIe version.

 

Okay, I didn't get to all the games yet but I did pull out my 2600 games. Unfortunately about 3/4 wouldn't work so I'm guessing I'm going to have to spend some time cleaning the contacts with some cue tips. I did get Berzerk, Asteroids, Space Invaders, Warlords(Don't have a paddle), Haunted House, Human Cannonball, Mario Bros., and Frogger to work. I played Berzerk for a while and got like 9K points or so and then got to the third level in Frogger. There's still quite of few good titles that I'd like to play such as Pitfall, Qbert, Donkey Kong, Defender, Pacman, Pacman Jr., Jungle Hunt, and Realsports Football but they weren't working so, .

 

I just want to say that I have lingered on these boards for awhile and I've had so much fun reading about you're guys experiences that I thought I should probably break the machine out and give it a try. Even though I'm not that impressed with a couple of the 7800 games, just the fact that I can play 2600 games makes this one of the best systems of all time. These classics are so unforgiving and addicting, I can't wait to get these other titles working.

[Gregory DG]

Do you have Food Fight? That's one of my fav 7800 games.

 

Ballblazer is one of the best games too, you'd be amazed by it.

 

Joust, Robotron, & Ms. Pac-Man are second-to-none ports as well.

 

'Course, if you really want to max out your 7800, you should get a Cuttle Cart 2.

[shadow460]

I'm partial to Galaga and Asteroids. Don't try Asteroids if you have to work the next day.

 

You already know that Pitfall II is a game everyone should own. I think it belongs in any 7800 collection, even if it is a 2600 title. If I didn't know the difference, I'd have thought it was a 7800 game.

 

Meltdown is a must if you can get hold of a light gun. Most of the light gun games are good. I can't speak for Sentinel yet, but I am anxious to get a copy of it.

You might also find hopeless addiction in Klax. I got so addicted to it (and so frustrated at the same time) that I smashed a Game Gear while playing Klax on it.

 

Probably the one game I'd recommend against buying is Jinks. Sure, you might wanna play a round or two of it, but it's not that great. If you can get it on the cheap, that's the only way to buy it.

[Almost Rice]

I had my 7800 since eBay started in 1995. I only used it once in a blue moon until October. The reason I pulled it out of mothballs is because of the CC2. I have the 7800 games, hacks and the homebrews that were made for the 7800. Its expensive, but makes the 7800 playable almost everyday. And preserves the Cartridge port since you have no reason to pull carts. It also works with almost all 2600 games too. Now, if I like a game, I can buy it when I get a good buy.

 

I love playing Beef Drop, Pacman, Fast Ms Pacman, Galaga, Centipede Trackball, and Frogger.

 

Most of which you would not have access to on the 7800 machine without the CC2. I have not tried any of these games on an emulator so I can not comment on that. If you are really into the 7800, it opens up the system basicly the whole library. I am just lucky to catch Chad on his second run of Cuttle Carts. I thought I missed out since his first run was early in 2004.

 

Now if Chad could make a CC for the Intellivision I would be set.

[PacManPlus]

... Or one for the TI99/4A ...

 

[+Allan]

... Or one for the TI99/4A ...

 

1004722[/snapback]

 

What about the Aquarius.

 

Allan

[+Mitch]

Now if Chad could make a CC for the Intellivision I would be set.

1004718[/snapback]

 

Uh, he did. They are just all sold out, watch ebay for the Intellicart.

 

Mitch

[Almost Rice]

Now if Chad could make a CC for the Intellivision I would be set.

1004718[/snapback]

 

Uh, he did. They are just all sold out, watch ebay for the Intellicart.

 

Mitch

1004905[/snapback]

 

I noticed that too and I am too late for that one. I also noticed you have to have a PC connected and thats the only part I dont like about it. I like the CC2 because its self contained. I can pull the MMC card out while hot and change a file and get back to it. The Intellicart is more like a SIO2PC cable.

[NightSprinter]

Yeah, I remember when I got the 7800 I won from eBay as a Christmas present I got with some cash last year. Man it was great plugging that thing in and enjoying Atari all over again. Went to the flea market not too long after New Year's and bought Galaga, Desert Falcon, Joust, Ballblazer, Winter Games, Scrapard Dog, and Super Huey UH-IX. Been playing the hell out of Pole Position II, Galaga, Ballblazer, and Desert Falcon (FINALLY got to stage 3). Gonna give the others a try and will eventually purchase more cartridges. Also if I can learn how to solder right and do some woodwork I could even see about making my own arcade-style joystick unit for the 7800 and play some of those classics the way they're supposed to be played. Plus I'm pretty happy with how well it works with my 2600 games. I couldn't believe that despite a total lack of the expansion port mine worked perfect with Robot Tank.