The Atari 2600 VCS Thread

[Spector]

We know the score with internet forums now though, and one of the people on there was hinting he'd do the same for a music thread in trashing The Beatles, so that tells you where he's coming from.

[TrekMD]

The number of misinformed comments in that thread is baffling.

[onthinice]

Revisionist history, they have.

If ever a console was made at the right time and place it was the 2600. Space Invaders was big and the 2600 brought it home.

Would Intellivision and Colecovision been released if the 2600 would have not? Maybe but we probably would not have had the comparison commercials.

Would the Atari 7800 or Jaguar have turned out to be the same machines? Just my belief but I feel both machines would have been vastly different.

[TrekMD]

I think people forget that there has to be a progression of technology and competition drives that.  Without Pong machines, there would not have been machines with carts. Simplistic graphics give way to more advanced graphics as competition drives the creation of something better.  And it just continues.  It's almost like saying that I wish there had never been those big, bulky cellular phones first.  They were crap, why bother?  LOL

[onthinice]

I think people forget that there has to be a progression of technology and competition drives that.  Without Pong machines, there would not have been machines with carts. Simplistic graphics give way to more advanced graphics as competition drives the creation of something better.  And it just continues.  It's almost like saying that I wish there had never been those big, bulky cellular phones first.  They were crap, why bother?  LOL

  That is perfect! If I could thought of it first I would have said it, just not as well.

[TrekMD]

Glad you liked it. 

[onthinice]

I did.

But a part of me wishes the Atari 2600 was not invented. I might be playing the Odyssey 12. 

[TrekMD]

I did.

But a part of me wishes the Atari 2600 was not invented. I might be playing the Odyssey 12.  :21:

[onthinice]

I do joke but reading your latest batch of 2600 reviews makes me even more grateful for the 2600 release.

Some great gems that sometimes get overlooked and need to be played.

[TrekMD]

I do joke but reading your latest batch of 2600 reviews makes me even more grateful for the 2600 release.

Some great gems that sometimes get overlooked and need to be played.

Yes, it sure has some great gems in its library and some amazing ones considering the limitations of the console. 

[TrekMD]

Guys, head over to AtariProtos.com to check out three new protos that have been posted: Xevious (almost complete), Elf Adventure, and Morse Code Tutor.

Xevious


Elf Adventure


Morse Code Tutor

[onthinice]

Where was Morse Code Tutor when I was a kid? Back in 1980 a game like that would have sold many copies.

[TrekMD]

Agree!  It would have gotten me more interested in learning it too!

[onthinice]

The other two games look interesting! Glad these programmers are not afraid to keep trying different ideas.

[TrekMD]

Some of the stuff being done at the end of life for the 2600 was just incredible.  Stuff like Xevious and Tempest, to see them attempted on the system, is nothing short of amazing.