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I want to get my passion back


MegaManFan

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Paranoid. People collect. Get a clue. You dont go telling stamp collectors the joy of having every single stamp in the world in .jpg format on a pc in a single folder to peruse at their convenience zoomed in at high resolution is superior. Likewise, you will never ever convince anyone here that emulation is superior to original hardware :P I can and do play Demon Attack from an xbox to a plasma screen in surround sound, but come on, it will NEVER be the same or as cool as the real deal with 1981 hardware ;)

 

Not to mention you're missing the fact that most everyone here with the real deal has the emulation part all down as well. It's old hat. (heck I've been posting about DC emulation and your recently-discovered xbox emulation since 2001 and maybe before :P). Everyone has every single rom and emulator. Not everyone has a Quadrun cartridge. That physical part is the difference. Oh and by the way, the Quadrun rom floating around is wrong apparently :ponder:

 

Anway, again having the real deal does not negate the other, and most of us know pretty much every single emulator and roms out there. Personally I dabble in any of them any time I want. But the real hardware is always 'the best' :D

Edited by NE146
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Paranoid. People collect. Get a clue. You dont go telling stamp collectors the joy of having every single stamp in the world in .jpg format on a pc in a single folder to peruse at their convenience zoomed in at high resolution is superior. Likewise, you will never ever convince anyone here that emulation is superior to original hardware :P I can and do play Demon Attack from an xbox to a plasma screen in surround sound, but come on, it will NEVER be the same or as cool as the real deal with 1981 hardware ;)

 

Not to mention you're missing the fact that most everyone here with the real deal has the emulation part all down as well. It's old hat. (heck I've been posting about DC emulation and your recently-discovered xbox emulation since 2001 and maybe before :P). Everyone has every single rom and emulator. Not everyone has a Quadrun cartridge. That physical part is the difference. Oh and by the way, the Quadrun rom floating around is wrong apparently :ponder:

 

Anway, again having the real deal does not negate the other, and most of us know pretty much every single emulator and roms out there. Personally I dabble in any of them any time I want. But the real hardware is always 'the best' :D

 

NE146,you need to be careful about PC hardware anyways :(

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Paranoid. People collect. Get a clue. You dont go telling stamp collectors the joy of having every single stamp in the world in .jpg format on a pc in a single folder to peruse at their convenience zoomed in at high resolution is superior. Likewise, you will never ever convince anyone here that emulation is superior to original hardware :P I can and do play Demon Attack from an xbox to a plasma screen in surround sound, but come on, it will NEVER be the same or as cool as the real deal with 1981 hardware ;)

 

Not to mention you're missing the fact that most everyone here with the real deal has the emulation part all down as well. It's old hat. (heck I've been posting about DC emulation and your recently-discovered xbox emulation since 2001 and maybe before :P). Everyone has every single rom and emulator. Not everyone has a Quadrun cartridge. That physical part is the difference. Oh and by the way, the Quadrun rom floating around is wrong apparently :ponder:

 

Anway, again having the real deal does not negate the other, and most of us know pretty much every single emulator and roms out there. Personally I dabble in any of them any time I want. But the real hardware is always 'the best' :D

Not to stir the pot here at all, but that was well said.

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I absolutely disagree. The Quadrun ROM, by the way, if you follow the thread, has a link to the correct dump of the ROM. Same thing.

 

Although, I'll give you this much... once you move on to COLLECTING games, you DO reduce it to the same level as Stamp Collecting. You've moved away from the GAME and into some strange appreciation for the box, the label art, the cart itself.... catalogs and flyers. Whatever. The stamp analogy, like the Comic book analogy, isn't really a good analogy, though. If it is JUST the art that I enjoy... why IS the high resolution JPG image INFERIOR to the actual thing, anyhow? You want to make a claim that the stamp is superior in some way... elaborate and justify your position. Personally, I don't understand the idea of stamp collecting, either, FWIW.

 

I mean, if that floats your boat, fine... and really, like I said, it is a matter of degrees and each individual might have a different perspective here.

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Paranoid, you erroneously detach the GAME, as you put it, from the box art, cartridge, etc. I can't speak for anyone else here but, for me, it's not about the GAME, it's about the EXPERIENCE. The box art, cartridge, sweaty CX40, and of course the GAME are all a part of that experience. The game is by far the biggest part of the experience, but it cannot recreate the experience all by itself (for me at least).

 

I have every VCS ROM, but the questions that always run through my mind concerning ROMs are:

 

A) Who doesn't?

B) Who cares?

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I'm not sure if I'd consider myself a "collector." Maybe to a point. I know I've got many games for the various Atari systems - I have 'em all, I think - that I think stink and I won't play. There was a day I'd buy any Atari game I found - back when I could still find Atari games. Been many years since those days.

 

But I don't care about label variations. I don't care about sealed boxes, or boxes themselves, or manuals. I didn't care about label conditions. All that mattered was if they worked. They were so easy to find, and so cheap. I grew up with Atari, returned to it after a long absence, and grabbed whatever I could find.

 

At first, I focused soley on the 2600, since I never had any other Atari game system. But then, after of course passing up things I kick myself for now, I branched out and picked up a 7800, XEGS, 5200, Jag, and Lynx. I'm an Atari boy - always have been, always will be.

 

What do I do with the games I don't like to play? I don't play them. But I'm not going to get rid of them. (Well, I did once, when I had a cart I knew was considered "valuable," but to me was unplayable, so I sold it.) Maybe I'm more of a collector/gamer. I use what I have. It's not sealed in a case like some museum artifacts.

 

I have a lot of stuff - boxes, manuals, catalogues and the like - packed away in boxes that I haven't touched for years. They're packed away because I don't need them. I have out what I need - the consoles, necessary power supplies and cords, controllers. And carts for all my systems are handy - 2600 games mostly in custom-designed crates; 5200 games in a couple small plastic crates; 7800 games in Atari 8-cart binders; Lynx games in a carry case with my Lynx; Jaguar games in a Videomatic cart holder.

 

For me, it is of course about the game. I have to enjoy the game. But it's ALSO about using the authentic equipment. The consoles, the controllers, the cartridges. If all I had were emulators and roms, I wouldn't "feel" like I was playing Atari. For me, I need the hardware and the software in my hands, on my coffee table and hooked up to my TV.

 

When I "play Atari," I'm playing the game AND the equipment. I don't think the game itself is enough. If it's just about "the game," why would I play, for instance, a Donkey Kong 2600 rom when I can play the MAME rom?

 

It's using the authentic equipment that in large part helps keep my passion for Atari alive. Just looking at it inspires me - it inspires me to play!

Edited by Brian R.
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First I must say I was amused at myself after re-reading this thread, because I didn't catch at first that other people weren't calling each other paranoid. I was reading an assumed "You're" in there somewhere, like "You're paranoid, philatilists don't blah blah jpeg zoom 4X" and then I re-read it and went OHHH, there's a USER named Paranoid active on AA now. Yes it's going like that now that I'm getting back up to speed. :D

 

Seriously though I have to say thank you to everybody for their comments and suggestions. One thing I noted after reading the responses is that one of the things I miss IS the thrifting. I'm not saying I'd want to hunt down every 1-7 again from scratch, but there was something genuinely exciting about hitting every flea, thrift, game shop and pawn only to once in a while find something totally unexpected and cool like a Tomarc the Barbarian or a Pole Posit'n. Now I can't work up the enthusiasm for it because the odds of finding anything I don't have have dwindled so low pawing through the 10,000th pile of Space Invaders, Pac-Man and Defender just doesn't do it for me any more.

 

I definitely need to play some more. Since I've got the awesome video modded 2600 that kielbaca fixed up for me, I'm going to resolve to spend 15-20 minutes playing Atari each day this week - that'll be my "lunch break" or whatever. The Atari plugs right into the front of my TV so it's no fuss no muss - a diet soda and a game of Joust Pong err I mean FlapPing. Heh. Whatever strikes my fancy at the time. Maybe I'll even run some sort of random # generator and then actually pull whatever cart comes up on the list out of my collection.

 

I also think I probably should pick up a few new homebrews, but I've resolved that I'm going to be a lot more selective about it from now on. Either the cart better be a brand new arcade conversion that knocks my socks off or a game concept that's never been done before or done better. I'm not going to buy every release just to keep up - maybe one a month or less. I think that will be better for my sanity and help prevent burnout.

 

And maybe, just maybe, someday after I get my house paid off, I might go looking for a boxed Video Life with my checkbook out. 'Til then I'd say both common sense and the mortgage come first. :D

Edited by MegaManFan
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Good for you, MMF.

 

I would say part of collecting in the past 5 years has been AA and the gamer community. Seeing you guys at shows, getting to know you guys, CPUWIZ, Tempest, Curt, Al, Z28 and CBaby, Osmeroid for pete sake! (sup, chips?), Stan and Aimee, Rolenta, BFStats, and about 100 others I am leaving off is the human part to me. When I was a kid and the Menez twins had a 2600, games were about playing with friends. They still are today. This community is GREAT. I don't think there is a single person I have met that I don't like. I wish they'd say the same of me....;)

 

My passion for cars sometimes replaces the Atari for a time. It seems to be about every six months or so I go from one to the other and then back. I think honestly it has to do with the winter and knowing I will be inside for months on end makes me want to get back into my old 2600 ways. Give me a sunny day and a track and thats something different. Priorities change and I sure think if you are even considering getting your Atari-ness back, you are WELL on your way to having it.

 

C

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Paranoid. People collect. Get a clue. You dont go telling stamp collectors the joy of having every single stamp in the world in .jpg format on a pc in a single folder to peruse at their convenience zoomed in at high resolution is superior. Likewise, you will never ever convince anyone here that emulation is superior to original hardware :P I can and do play Demon Attack from an xbox to a plasma screen in surround sound, but come on, it will NEVER be the same or as cool as the real deal with 1981 hardware ;)

 

Not to mention you're missing the fact that most everyone here with the real deal has the emulation part all down as well. It's old hat. (heck I've been posting about DC emulation and your recently-discovered xbox emulation since 2001 and maybe before :P). Everyone has every single rom and emulator. Not everyone has a Quadrun cartridge. That physical part is the difference. Oh and by the way, the Quadrun rom floating around is wrong apparently :ponder:

 

Anway, again having the real deal does not negate the other, and most of us know pretty much every single emulator and roms out there. Personally I dabble in any of them any time I want. But the real hardware is always 'the best' :D

I agree that nothing beats the real hardware, but for me the emulation part isn't old hat.

 

I've spent almost six years in polishing my personal Atari 2600 ROM collection by collecting correct information for each and every Atari 2600 .bin file I own (5000+).

 

After that I decided to put most of that knowledge online by creating the Atarimania database.

 

I've seen more carts than most of the real hardware collectors, but I only own one real Atari 2600 cart.

 

Yet I consider myself an Atari 2600 game collector and I'm still having fun with gathering information, solving the mysteries that still surround the Atari 2600 gaming history and playing the ROM's on my emulator (with an original CX40).

 

8)

Edited by Rom Hunter
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I have every VCS ROM, but the questions that always run through my mind concerning ROMs are:

 

A) Who doesn't?

B) Who cares?

 

First off, I doubt you have *every* 2600 ROM. You *think* you do, but you probably don't...

 

But... to "who doesn't" and "who cares"...

 

SO WHAT?!?

 

What difference does it make if EVERYONE else has it... Is the value in it having something that other people do NOT have?

 

This is the mentality among warez-traders that turned THAT into a bummer hobby, back in the day. "I've got something special, you can't have it". And believe me, it exists today, about ROMs. There are files that are hard to get... Super Mario Bros. 1 for the NES, for example... and those that DO have it like to brag about it, but won't give it up.

 

I'd say this outlook points to what I'm talking about, an attitude that gets away from the joy of the game and starts valuing the titles on arbitrary reasons (in this case... is it MINE! All MINE! MINE MINE MINE!!!).

 

For some people, mostly COLLECTORS, this becomes their alternative to "Keeping up with the Jonses", and more than that, a way that they can "beat" the Jonses.

 

"I've got the most 2600 carts"

 

"I've got the most 2600 ROMS"...

 

"I had Star Wars III the movie 2 weeks before it was released in theaters"...

 

Having and coveting the object is most important... not the object itself (or it's actual purpose). But MOST people start out having a passion for the individual objects for which they eventually become obssessive collectors for.

 

Paranoid, you erroneously detach the GAME, as you put it, from the box art, cartridge, etc. I can't speak for anyone else here but, for me, it's not about the GAME, it's about the EXPERIENCE. The box art, cartridge, sweaty CX40, and of course the GAME are all a part of that experience. The game is by far the biggest part of the experience, but it cannot recreate the experience all by itself (for me at least).

 

Now, *this* part I can understand. I don't agree, but I can see how it isn't complete for some people unless they've got the "whole experience". My argument would be that really, the whole experience comes down to the joystick and the display. With a genuine Atari 2600, or 5200, or whatever, the CX26 usually ended up in storage and serious players were using an aftermarket stick anyhow. So, from a user interface, playing with a Speedlink Competition Pro USB today isn't much different than playing with an aftermarket 2600 style stick back in the day. The screen is about the only edge that the real hardware has over emulation... and then, only PC. Get some XBox emulation going, and you go a long way to addressing that issue. Then it is a matter of switches... and listen, personally, I can generally live with a simulated SELECT, Difficulty and B&W switch. As far as the label art, instruction manuals, catalogs... well, let's go back to that stamp analogy from above. I sometimes like to browse online nostaligically through sites that present these auxilliary materials. That does it for me. Seeing a JPG of the cover art is fine for me. I don't feel compelled to hold the instructions in my hands.

 

When having the real game, the real cart, in the real box, with the original real documentation and ad literature, drives people to spend $1000+ for a title that is rare because it was LOUSY... there is something wrong with those folks. I've got some rare, petrified Akitapoop logs I'll sell you guys, all original, no repos, while you're at it.

 

:)

 

I was just re-reading my post, and I want to reiterate... the basic point here is that I'm not COMPETING with anybody else over my collection, ROM or physical. I don't *care* if someone else has ROMs that I can't find... or titles that I can't afford. They're not what validates this hobby for me, and they don't set my benchmarks. Occasionally there is HARDWARE that I lust over... but not because the other person has it... instead, because that hardware will either allow me to play a title I don't have but want (a Supercharger, for example), or allow me to play titles I enjoy and enjoy them BETTER (an atari 5200 trackball, for example). Both of those are just examples, of course, but it gets the point across. But with the titles, either physical or ROM image, it doesn't matter to me... your argument "Doesn't EVERYONE have these ROM images"... really just as easily applies to having the original title. Who cares if you have a Quadrun cart you paid $1000 for, when any joe can search for and find the same ROM image online and play it on an emulator, or, with a CC2, on the actual hardware? I think the idea of a competitive race to horde more Atari stuff than the next guy is often what collecting becomes, and again... I think this eventually robs the joy of these games that gets MOST people into these titles in the first place.

 

I *also* think that there is a distinct difference between the 30+ year old guys who grew up on it, and have memories of it... and the NES-Nintendo 64 era and since guys who got into it only in the last 10 years or so as part of a larger "collecting" hobby that generally includes other things like action figures and comic books, as well. In general... not as a universal truth. I think it is fantastic that new blood becomes interested in these old consoles and titles, and I think that young blood has it's place in this community, but they bring a far different outlook about value and reason/motivation to the hobby than those of us who were (about) 4-12 years old when the Atari was first released.

Edited by Paranoid
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As I think may have been said before, one of the joys about Atari is you can pick up a game and play for a few minutes. No complex controls, no cinematics, no long devotions of time required. You can play a little, or a lot. It's up to you.

 

As for homebrews, I'd recommend Seawolf and Go Fish. I have both, with Lady Bug on the way. Seawolf is a visually impressive shooter. Good audio, too. Go Fish is a very different kind of game - you start as a little fish and eat other smaller or same size fish to get bigger.

 

Right now I don't think I see any other homebrews I'd want to buy. But it's worth keeping an eye on. You never know what will come along!

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Paranoid, I recently obtained a Commodore 64 at the ECCC show. I've played Space Taxi dozens of times in an emulator, yet I still took the time to write a floppy and play it on the original equipment. Why would I do that if it's about the game? Why would anyone do that?

 

The answer is, the *feel*. Electronics (partically the older psudeo-analog ones) are tricky things, with timings that are difficult to replicate. When I played Space Taxi on a PC emulator, it felt unchallenging, slow, and mushy. I didn't quite understand why everyone liked it so much. Yet on real hardware, the game was challenging, smooth, and a lot more fun.

 

As a game programmer, I can attest that games are all about the details. Mucking around with just about any parameter can change the gameplay considerably. Even though the C64 emulators are running at (supposedly) the same speed as the original, it throws off the timing and control parameters enough to make a difference. Thus playing on the original hardware is a superior experience.

 

With the 2600, we're lucky in that the emulators are exceptionally good. There's very little difference between the system and the emulator. Still, a difference does exist, and that's partly why people still enjoy the real thing. You see, it *is* about the game, not about the collection. It's about playing it as it was originally intended, and experiencing it as it was intended. Just as an arcade cabinet can provide an experience that MAME can't, a 2600 can provide an experience that an emulator can't.

 

As for the matter of collecting games not being about the games, I think there is more to this than just "that game is good and that one isn't." Opinions vary considerably, so trying a game for yourself is the only way to be certain if it's good or not. As long as the cart isn't overly expensive, I'll usually pick it up and try it out. I used to ignore games that I thought would suck (especially sports games, I usually hate sports games), but I later found that I was cheating myself out of a lot of great titles. So again, it can still be about the game.

 

You prefer emulators, and that's okay too. Everyone has their own opinions, and we should respect that. :)

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As I think may have been said before, one of the joys about Atari is you can pick up a game and play for a few minutes. No complex controls, no cinematics, no long devotions of time required. You can play a little, or a lot. It's up to you.

 

 

It infuriates me that many people don't grasp this concept. Maybe some of us don't want to sit through stupid cinematics and wait on slow load times. It's nice to take 15 minutes and see if I can beat my high score....and that's all there is to it.

 

oh well...live and let live.

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There's certainly room for both types of games in the world. Frankly, I wish more modern games could capture that "jump right into the action" feel of classic games while still maintaining the audiovisual polish and gameplay depth of modern games. (In other words, yeah, too much loading and cutscenes and other hogwash in modern games. Enough to make me use a word like "hogwash"... but I suppose what else can you do when you have to load a gigabyte of graphics from an optical disc?)

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I'm absolutely agreeing with all the posts since my last, here. In particular, Jbanes.

 

I don't PREFER emulators. I prefer Demon Attack, via emulation, on my 17" laptop. One title. :)

 

And, I think that for arcade cabinets, for most people, MAME is the closest you're going to be able to get, for practical purposes, unless you are solely interested in a SINGLE cabinet that is your cornerstone game, or you have a deep budget and lots of room (which some of you who live in reasonable real estate markets, enjoy). So I think MAME is "Technically" better simply from a practical perspective, although I'll readily admit it has liabilities and isn't completely faithful at recreating the true arcade cabinet experience.

 

But as you point out, with the 2600, emulation has become REAL good. And it isn't just Atari emulators (although Atari has the best, because of dedicated Atari emulator programmers, I believe). Almost every emulator I play with is VIRTUALLY indistinguishible from the real deal to all but a purist, today. That wasn't ALWAYS the case. Emulation was, in it's infacy, very frustrating, at best. I think a lot of people hold memories from those days. I also think that people want emulation to be a completely free ride, and it isn't. You've got to play with settings, learn the interface, and, most importantly, invest in some good i/o devices to really get the best results. And at best, there will still be limitations... some games lend themselves better to emulation than others.

 

I'm *very* content with emulation... but you don't see my hardware going up for sale in the forums or on eBay. But, I just see how we get into degrees...

 

Emulation is good enough/as good as.... (call this extreme left)

 

You need the real hardware, but you can play the same emulated ROMs via multicart and that is good enough/as good as...

 

You must have the real hardware, the real cart... but, loose carts are fine...

 

You've got to have it all, in pristine condition, including *all* original material, and you should be completist. (extreme right).

 

Or you know, if the left and right offends you, reverse them. They're arbitrary. But the point remains. There is this range, and there are two extremes in opinion. I'm certainly not on the Emulation is Good Enough Always extreme. It has a place, and is useful, and enjoyable, so I wouldn't *exclude* it. And having the hardware is nice, too... and I do have some complete, in the box, all original material carts... and that is kind of neat, too. But it certainly will NEVER be my guiding priority in this hobby.

 

That is my approach, though, and it seems to keep me happy.

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i'll tell you what still excites me and keeps me going is new stuff that 'doesnt exist yet' (not on cart,) etc. stuff from the 1k game competitions (master of arcturus, first rts on the 2600,) and stuff from stella (fade out, etc.) and the programming threads here on atari age (batari basic titles, like the new jumpman inspired game,etc.) exciting hacks (like the amazing AMAZING stuff done with pesco and the original 2600 pac man, etc.) I'll add a vote for Lady Bug and Aztec Challenge (now avail as a reg cart,) those are some amazing fun, addictive, classic games.

 

'how mega man fan got his groove back' ?

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sub note : shouldn't mega man fan be all about getting his NES passion back?

 

also, I find new-old roms really cool too (finally playing ewok on my 2600, for example, what a great game. cant wait to see if there is really a -final- LOTR that is different from the one I have, charlie brown, atrix, etc. )

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I say don't force it.

 

A lot of people that're passionate about whatever hit slumps. I have myself with the music that I love.

 

Just forget about it, and if the passion comes back it comes back, if it doesn't, well, obviously that means you just need to move on and find something else that makes you all goose pimpily. :lol:

 

I think though, if you've been passionate about something for years, then even if you do have slumps, they'll never stay permenent, you'll always get your passion back. Just don't force it.

Edited by Ross PK
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I'm half gamer and half collector. The main part of enjoying classic games, you know, the meat and potatoes of it, is playing the game. It doesn't matter if it's on real hardware or not for this--just playing the game is the basis.

Another equally important aspect, though, is looking at the artwork, and perusing the catalogs, reading the back of the boxes, and chatting with people about it all. Sometimes it's good just to sit down and look through the literature that comes with a boxed game.

You can't re create that with an emulator. Having the instructions right at hand serves a functional purpose, too. You don't have to minimize the emulator and go look up the instructions to your game. You glance at the book and you're back in action in half a second.

 

The third important aspect (to me, anyway) of classic gaming is restoration. Sure, I'll take that trashy Submarine Commander cart and I'll make it look great again. I'll replace the torn labels, clean the contacts, and put in a working EPROM with the correct software. I'll even print a book for it.

Got a prototype that's complete but has no box? Why not make one for it? How about a name? Hmmm, Unknown Activision Prototype number 2 is stupid name. Let's try "Martian Mountaineer"!

 

The hobby, to me, is more than just playing, but I'm not completely obsessive about label condition and getting every single 2600 box.

 

If you don't own any carts, all you do is emulate, ask yourself this:

"Am I really interested in the VCS, or do I have these ROMS just so I can be kewl?"

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I doubt anyone would have ROMS to be cool. If they do think ROMS make them cool, then there's something seriously wrong with them.

 

I think they just have them because they enjoy the games, but don't care to much about the hardware itself or the real software.

 

I used to have a lot of 2600 ROMS myself, because I was interested in playing and checking out all the games. I don't think I'd ever buy an original console and games though. On the other hand, with the Atari 800XL, which I grew up playing as a kid, I am very interested in the real hardware and software, that's why I'd much rather have an 800XL and be buying original games for it instead of playing the ROMS on my PC, plus, playing on the real thing with a joystick on the TV has a much better feel to it anyway.

Edited by Ross PK
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I just read all of this. You know, I think that there are a lot of assumptions about people who collect the real games floating around. Sure, you've got your grasping, greedy collectors out there, but not everyone who collects is 'keeping up with the jonses'. Take me for example, I have around 500 Atari 2600 games. I rarely spend more than a $100 in three months, sometimes six. It's taken twenty years to get all those games. I'm pretty laid back (read lazy) about collecting. Why do I collect over emulation? Because I like the colors, the art, the feel of the real thing. I like using a real CX-40 plugged into a real 2600. I like walking over to my giant bookcase and selecting a game the way I might browse through my library of books. Sure, I could do the emulation thing if I wanted, just like I could read an ebook on my pocket pc, but I prefer the real thing. I like lying back in a chair and reading an old favorite time-worn book just like I like playing the same, dirty old Pitfall cart I had when I was nine. Does that make me better? No. It makes me me.

 

I use emulation too, mainly for portable gaming. But you know what? IT DOESN'T MATTER. Play/buy/get whatever makes you happy and gives you the most enjoyment. We're all different.

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I say take the money you would be spending on games and buy MrsMMF somthing nice. Somthing unexpected. She seems like a very supportive and cool wife and perhaps a suprise is in order.

 

-Tim :)

 

I generally surprise her by making random and unexpected payments on her favorite credit card, then she can go out and purchase whatever cool new thing she wants herself; although I did get her a 30 GB video iPod when they dropped the price to clear them out in favor of larger units. :D

 

Speaking of which why the hell hasn't somebody cobbled together an Atari emulator for iPod yet?

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Re: Collecting vs. Playing vs. Emulation.

 

I spent years emulating before I got real equipment. I went the extra mile on emulation - building custom interfaces to attach a real Atari joystick to my computer, cutting, splicing and wiring SNES pads driven off the miniscule 5 Volt TTL logic of my parallel port, etc. I prided myself on how close I felt I got to the real thing. I felt that the play was the thing.

 

Then I got a real 2600 4 switch unit that my wife's parents had stashed away in their attic. It didn't work well, but with a soldering iron and some time I managed to nurse it back to health... and the few carts we had were an absolute joy to play on the real console with the various controllers (I especially missed Kaboom on real 2600 paddles with proper timing - I had rigged up a nice OSCAR spinner to my PC via USB but it just wasn't the same feel or precision).

 

Now, I'm 5 years down the road - I have a small army of Atari consoles and more than 250 carts. The joy of finding and obtaining a new cart and playing it on the real console is far more enjoyable for me than playing the same games on my computer. I always have a hard time explaining just why that is... Part of it is tangible - playing on a real system just feels closer to the experience I had as a kid with the machine. Certainly there is the aspect of caring for and repairing vintage equipment - to make nearly 30 year old hardware hum with life again. Hunting down an elusive cart or finding a big score at a yard sale is fun part of the hobby for me. But there is also something intangible about playing on real equipment that I can't quite put my finger on... I've now termed this elusive quality soul.

 

In the end, you simply need to be happy with what you get from the hobby. If emulation works for you, that's great. If playing on a real system feels better then that's what you should do. If collecting boxes and manuals floats your boat, more power to you. For me, I find the entire experience of collecting carts, cleaning and repairing systems and playing on actual hardware holds the most appeal. I re-tried emulation recently and found it an empty experience. It lacked soul.

 

To each, their own.

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Re: Collecting vs. Playing vs. Emulation.

 

I spent years emulating before I got real equipment. I went the extra mile on emulation - building custom interfaces to attach a real Atari joystick to my computer, cutting, splicing and wiring SNES pads driven off the miniscule 5 Volt TTL logic of my parallel port, etc. I prided myself on how close I felt I got to the real thing. I felt that the play was the thing.

 

Then I got a real 2600 4 switch unit that my wife's parents had stashed away in their attic. It didn't work well, but with a soldering iron and some time I managed to nurse it back to health... and the few carts we had were an absolute joy to play on the real console with the various controllers (I especially missed Kaboom on real 2600 paddles with proper timing - I had rigged up a nice OSCAR spinner to my PC via USB but it just wasn't the same feel or precision).

 

Now, I'm 5 years down the road - I have a small army of Atari consoles and more than 250 carts. The joy of finding and obtaining a new cart and playing it on the real console is far more enjoyable for me than playing the same games on my computer. I always have a hard time explaining just why that is... Part of it is tangible - playing on a real system just feels closer to the experience I had as a kid with the machine. Certainly there is the aspect of caring for and repairing vintage equipment - to make nearly 30 year old hardware hum with life again. Hunting down an elusive cart or finding a big score at a yard sale is fun part of the hobby for me. But there is also something intangible about playing on real equipment that I can't quite put my finger on... I've now termed this elusive quality soul.

 

In the end, you simply need to be happy with what you get from the hobby. If emulation works for you, that's great. If playing on a real system feels better then that's what you should do. If collecting boxes and manuals floats your boat, more power to you. For me, I find the entire experience of collecting carts, cleaning and repairing systems and playing on actual hardware holds the most appeal. I re-tried emulation recently and found it an empty experience. It lacked soul.

 

To each, their own.

 

 

 

I've never used emulation for this reason. I don't want to try games on a computer before I play them on the real hardware. It takes some the discovery out of it for me. I think about it sometimes.....but I'd rather eventually get all the carts. Maybe not possible....

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