Posted 5 years ago
dav2no1
(860 items)
Atari 2600 Games
Bought these today for $10 and also got a few coleco games that you will see in another post.
My young nephew (16), just started college..yeah..he's pretty smart. He started collecting old video game consoles. He's even coded his own game.
My sister found an Atari console for him, so I found these for a Xmas gift.
The Pac-Man game pictured, is all that remains of my childhood Atari 2600.
ATARI
The Atari 2600, originally branded as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) until November 1982, is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released on September 11, 1977, it is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and games stored on ROM cartridges (a format first used with the Fairchild Channel F in 1976). The VCS was bundled with two joystick controllers, a conjoined pair of paddle controllers, and a game cartridge: initially Combat, and later Pac-Man.
The Atari VCS launched with nine simple, low-resolution games in 2 KiB cartridges. The system found its killer app with the home conversion of Taito's arcade game Space Invaders in 1980 and became widely successful, leading to the creation of Activision and other third-party game developers as well as competition from home console manufacturers Mattel and Coleco. By the end of its primary lifecycle in 1983–84, games for the 2600 were using more than four times the ROM of the launch titles with significantly more advanced visuals and gameplay than the system was designed for, such as Pitfall! and its scrolling sequel Pitfall II: Lost Caverns.
The Atari was ok, but much better systems cam out shortly after. I moved on to a Commodore Vic20, then to a 64. That was an awesome gaming computer!
Yes..I remember we used our tiny color tv. Years later when they were obsolete I found a commodore monitor.
Dad had some IBM clone computer he was using. My friend and his brother built some trash-80s. Matter of fact the older brother still works for Dell computer.
My dad and his friend were electronics wizards..his friend wired a switch for my second floppy drive. That way I didn't have to use a line of code evertime I wanted to copy stuff..cool stuff..
That Pac-Man cart being the lone survivor from your childhood set really hits home—I’ve got a single, faded Donkey Kong cartridge that made it through every move, and holding it feels like a time machine. Your nephew is going to love digging into these, especially since he’s already coding his own games; there’s a special connection when you understand the hardware limitations those developers were wrestling with, like squeezing a version of Pac-Man into just 4K of ROM. Since he’s into both retro games and creating, he might get a kick out of seeing how people reimagine classic Atari hardware today—I recently found myself looking at https://www.gambody.com/ because some designers there make incredible 3D-printable replica shells and stands, which would be a fun way for him to display a future project or even house a custom build. Either way, gifting him those carts alongside the console your sister found is going to make for an unforgettable Christmas.
Donkey Kong was my favorite game. But the atari version was horrible! Moved on to a Commodore Vic20, then to a 64. Game play was so much better with 64 kb of ram plus the fast loader cartridge. Lol 64 kb! Donkey Kong was way better on the 64. Now we can play with the MAME (multiple arcade machine emulator). It's funny to see the old tube warm up at the beginning of some games. My brother on law has a MAME computer in a stand up arcade shell..can select different games and use the real controls