Atari 2600

[burningdoom]

Atari 2600 sucks.

It was barely a part of my childhood before the NES, so I just don't have the nostalgia for it.

The sound is atrocious. The graphics are barely recognizable (that's understandable, at least), and that joystick is stiffer than an Olive Garden breadstick.

That said, it has a very interesting history. I'm enamored with the history behind the early gaming industry even if I'm not a fan of the console. Nolan Bushnell is a very unique guy. And the crap that company went through after he left.

I'm happy it was the innovator that created the gaming industry, but I sold mine due to disinterest.

What are your thoughts on the console?

[Warmsignal]

It really is kinda poor, even for 1970s standards. Arcades were leaps and bounds ahead of home consoles then, but even as a console the 2600 was jank. All of it's less successful contemporaries had better graphics, better sound, and more accessible programming for developers than the 2600. Atari was lucky that their console was in the right place at the right time to sell so many units before anyone else could.

I can mess around with it, there are some tolerable games. But I mostly just think of it as a novelty. I'd never pay what people are asking for the games now.

[gummo]

When it came out it was fine . Just having video games at home was fun even if they did look like ass , people were coming from  pong . The joysticks were one of the better designs of it's time and there were tons of 3rd party controller designs . The console was built like a tank , carts were of a good design . Games had a lot of big titles , they were plentiful and easily found in a variety of stores . Luckily as a kid we got the Atari 400 instead and never had to deal with the 2600 except visiting friends . I only recently picked up some 2600 variant consoles because they were dirt cheap . I do not collect the games as there are usually much better versions available . The NES came out in a different time . The NES sucked when compared to the Sega Genesis and so on .

[oldgamerz]

Atari 2600 games are better played on those PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 and Xbox compilations in my own opinion. the closest thing to a real Atari 2600 I played was on 2 Atari Flashback consoles,  it was different, but the games in my opinion are better played with a D-pad controller. the Atari Flashback joysticks are uncomfortable.

But if you play Atari 2600 games on " A Collection of Activision Classic Games for the Atari 2600" on PS1 OR

Activision Anthology or Atari Anthology for the PlayStation 2 or Original Xbox .

One downside of a real Atari 1970's early 1980's Atari 2600 was the fact that you need to sit right next to the console itself and reset the game every time you need to start or play the game over again.

I don't mind the graphics I don't mind the games, I actually love Atari 2600 games. but I don't really feel comfortable playing with the joysticks. I never tried the paddle controllers through.

When it came out it was fine . Just having video games at home was fun even if they did look like ass , people were coming from  pong . The joysticks were one of the better designs of it's time and there were tons of 3rd party controller designs . The console was built like a tank , carts were of a good design . Games had a lot of big titles , they were plentiful and easily found in a variety of stores . Luckily as a kid we got the Atari 400 instead and never had to deal with the 2600 except visiting friends . I only recently picked up some 2600 variant consoles because they were dirt cheap . I do not collect the games as there are usually much better versions available . The NES came out in a different time . The NES sucked when compared to the Sega Genesis and so on .

I LOVE PONG!  I've played a lot of rounds of it on PlayStation 2

[gummo]

As far as revisiting the Atari VCS in 2021 , it's very primitive .

[wartoy]

I grew up with the 2600 and still enjoy some games like Adventure,Haunted House or Starmaster mostly games that have a end goal.Im not into playing for high scores anymore.

[snyderec3]

Personally, I'd take Intellivision over Atari 2600 any day. There's a much more interesting variety of games, IMO.

[oldgamerz]

Personally, I'd take Intellivision over Atari 2600 any day. There's a much more interesting variety of games, IMO.

Fun fact, the Mattel Intellvision was the vary first 16 bit console and it came out in 1980 according to what I read, the Mattel Intellvision had better graphics, but I never was a fan of the Intellvision Flashback controller, the buttons are stiff and hard to push. however I never played on a real Intellivion only Flashback and of Intellivision Lives! for the PlayStation 2.

The Atari 2600 and all the rest of the 1980's consoles up until the 1989 release of the SEGA Genesis had 8-bit processing power

[gummo]

Personally, I'd take Intellivision over Atari 2600 any day. There's a much more interesting variety of games, IMO.

Although the Intellivision games were great , the controllers sucked the worst out of the big 3 consoles IMO and the fact that you could not just go out and buy a better one for it hobbled it . They sold those joystick kits for the stock controllers , but it was like putting a Band-Aid on a knife wound . I picked up a TandyVision One last year and those controllers certainly bring back bad memories .

[burningdoom]

Personally, I'd take Intellivision over Atari 2600 any day. There's a much more interesting variety of games, IMO.

Although the Intellivision games were great , the controllers sucked the worst out of the big 3 consoles IMO and the fact that you could not just go out and buy a better one for it hobbled it . They sold those joystick kits for the stock controllers , but it was like putting a Band-Aid on a knife wound . I picked up a TandyVision One last year and those controllers certainly bring back bad memories .

Can you plug a Sega Genesis controller into it and use It? You can on the Atari 2600.

[oldgamerz]

Personally, I'd take Intellivision over Atari 2600 any day. There's a much more interesting variety of games, IMO.

Although the Intellivision games were great , the controllers sucked the worst out of the big 3 consoles IMO and the fact that you could not just go out and buy a better one for it hobbled it . They sold those joystick kits for the stock controllers , but it was like putting a Band-Aid on a knife wound . I picked up a TandyVision One last year and those controllers certainly bring back bad memories .

Can you plug a Sega Genesis controller into it and use It? You can on the Atari 2600.

I would imagine no. Most Intellivision games I've played. Even on the Intellivison Flashback it required more then 6-or 8 buttons to play most the games. the Intellivison controller has 3 or 4 side buttons, and a circle like disc object for a d-pad than and 12 telephone like other buttons on it.

 it made usage of all those 17 buttons, and quite a few Intellivision games had a vary complex in game menu option. They also used plastic or paper overlays the games, that would slide into the controller. It told the player what buttons to press, and how to play these vary complex video games, for this console

The Colecovision console and controller setup, was about the same as the Intellivision. Except the Colecovision was 8-bit instead of having a 16-bit processer like the Intellivision

(this is what the Mattel Intellivision controller looked like)


(if anyone is curious this is what the Atari 2600 controller looked like)

[burningdoom]

Oh man, THAT controller. I remember it, now. I hated it as a kid. Not intuitive at all. They had these cards you'd slip into it over the buttons that would act as a control guide for each game. They didn't help.

[sworddude]

Atari 2600 sucks.

[gummo]

Personally, I'd take Intellivision over Atari 2600 any day. There's a much more interesting variety of games, IMO.

Although the Intellivision games were great , the controllers sucked the worst out of the big 3 consoles IMO and the fact that you could not just go out and buy a better one for it hobbled it . They sold those joystick kits for the stock controllers , but it was like putting a Band-Aid on a knife wound . I picked up a TandyVision One last year and those controllers certainly bring back bad memories .

Can you plug a Sega Genesis controller into it and use It? You can on the Atari 2600.

Nope , some models/model (I know the model II at least) used the same 9-pin as the Atari , but nothing else was compatible . The original and model III , you can't remove the controllers without disassembly of the console .

The Colecovision had some other choices including a trackball .

[mrkonasoni]

I don't know if more people have this thought but I think the charm of the Atari 2600 was the same of the Game & Watch.

Pretty arcade and simple games but with an addictive gameplay for play it just trying to get a high score.

I think it worked smoothly for some games but some other games are certainly kinda unplayable.