the game system that changed the course of history
Written: Aug 26 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: classic system, classic games, started everything
Cons: fragile controllers, can't find Atari games anymore
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| zhouse's Full Review: Atari 2600 |
As far back as I could remember, it seemed that my dad has always owned the Atari 2600, even before I was born. Since the 2600 was released in 1977 and I was born in 1979, it seems like an accurate assumption.
When I was only four years of age (my earliest memories stretch back to only this point in my life) I remembered my dad wearing the now infamous Atari T-shirt (I think it actually came with the Atari when he bought it) playing the now-classic game "Space Invaders" on his Atari. He would play for hours during his weekends of from the office, blasting away at aliens and racking up points by destroying the purple flying saucer that would fly across the top of the screen from time to time with brutal accuracy. No one could ever touch his scores, or outperform him on Space Invaders. Not his friends. Not even me, when I became old enough to play video games. Even to this day, I could never beat my dad at Space Invaders, even though I am a gaming whiz in my own right.
The Atari VCS 2600 is truly the gaming system that started it all.
-The graphics and power the Atari 2600 had were adequate at the time. The game system came with a console, black with wood trim, with a power switch, a game reset switch, and a game select switch. There were 2 controller ports were you could plug in your controllers, which also had difficulty switches, so you could adjust the size of your "player" in the games. This size adjustment would either came your player an easier or harder target to hit.
-The Atari also came with 2 basic joysticks and a set of paddle controllers. The joysticks were easy to grip and use and only had one button on it's top left corner. Very simple to use. And several games required the paddles to use. The paddles were two devices held together which spliced off at the end so you could plug both ends into each controller slot. Each paddle device had a wheel on the top, and one button one its left side. The purpose of the paddle is simple: in games requiring its use, you would turn the top wheel from left to right in order to control your player. Pretty simple.
-The console connected to your television through an RF modulator box, and was powered by an AC adapter. Fairly simple to connect.
-And finally, unlike the video game systems of today, this classic game system was accompanied by a game: Combat. It was a two player game that pitted you and an opponent on a variety of battle fields as either a tank, a plane, or a boat. Lots of fun
-The one thing my dad never told me was the cost of his system, but I assume he spent almost 150 dollars or more for his Atari.
And I knew that my father loved his Atari. He purchased so many games for it. Several I could still remember were:
Space Invaders
Pac-Man
Asteroids
Berserk
Super Breakout
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
I know my dad had more games in his library, but these were the only ones I could still remembered after all these years. The graphics and sounds these games had range from below average to average, but simplicity is always the best thing. These games would still draw people into playing them for hours at a time.
The one thing I never liked the Atari 2600 was the fact that the controllers were not designed for longevity. After many years of use, both controllers started to malfunction. It was quite a shame. Plus, in the year of 1987, the Atari 2600 console finally short circuited and gave out. It was beyond repair. Even though our Atari 2600 finally brokedown, my family and I still had fond memories of playing some of the best games ever made. It was still sad though to lose our Atari 2600, that is, until my dad bought the Atari 7800 later on that year.......
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
zhouse
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Member: Manny Z.
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Reviews written: 79
Trusted by: 57 members
About Me:
Is everyone I know gone?
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