If you are currently in your 30's or 40's, you probably grew up playing your first home video games on the Atari 2600 (aka Atari VCS).

In the late 70's, these things were truly MAGIC in a box! I clearly remember thinking how high-tech they seemed and just LOVED visiting friends who had one. Unfortunately, I did not have my own until 1982. Oh well, better late than never, right? But still, I remember thinking how cool it was to be able to play video games on a TV! Here was this little game system with a computer brain (yeah - that's how I thought of it back then) that allowed you to play interactive video games! How cool was that! And at a time when home video gaming was still relatively new. The Atari 2600 was not the first home gaming system available, but it was the first one to really take off and the first one most people owned.

Now the games were basic, the graphics were... well pretty bad, and the sound was very simple, but back in the day, this was just cooler than anything! Coming home to play Atari (yeah - we used to call it "playing Atari" back then, not "gaming") was pretty much the thing to do after school each day. And on the weekends, I'd stay glued to my Atari for hours on end!

Now gaming is much different today of course. Better graphics (approaching photo realism but not quite there yet), expansive worlds to play in, multiplayer modes (and I don't just mean two people sitting in the same room playing with two controllers), engaging storylines, interesting characters... you really can get lost in games these days, like an engrossing virtual experience. I know I've gotten totally hooked in gaming experiences to the point I didn't want to put down the controller or stop playing because I was so in to the experience.

With all the amazing power today's games have... strangely I find myself missing the old days. I still have my Atari 2600 and carts, and even most of the hand-held electronic games of my youth. They all still work too. But it's such a pain in the butt to hook up the old Atari 2600 using the RF converter and all. Sounds lame, but I just don't feel like hooking it up.

I've played Atari 2600 games on emulators from time to time, but they're just not like the original experience and often the sounds are not 100% accurate... nor is video the display. Atari was meant to be played on a TV set that has interlacing scan lines that display at 60 Hz.

Yesterday, I bought an Atari Flashback 2. I think these devices have been mentioned here before actually. But I just got mine.

HOLY FREAKIN' CRAP! All I can say is that I've been totally glued to my TV once again, all wrapped up in Atari! The graphics are just as bad as they ever were BUT they're displaying EXACTLY as I remember them... well, better actually - I've got a much better TV now than 25 years ago. The sound is still simple, BUT completely, 100% as I remember it! The games are as simple and shallow as ever... and yet, I've been completely glued playing them!

If you don't know what the Atari Flashback 2 is, it is basically a recreated Atari 2600, only with 40 built-in games (can't use actual carts in it). Which 40 games? Well, generally the earlier, classic Atari games, before they started making a heap of totally crap games. Click the link below for a listing. Sadly, there is no Space Invaders or Atari Pac Man. Atari Pac Man was probably the most disappointing arcade port of a game ever. It looked REALLY bad and didn't sound at all like Pac Man. Me and all my friends just made fun of the game - it was laughable! And yet... I played it for hours and hours and loved every minute of it anyway!

I'm not sure how many of you own one of these beautiful little gems, but if you've got many fond childhood memories of hours spent on your Atari 2600, you just may want to pick up one of th

Remember the "woodie" 2600???

I had 1 o' them, with pacman, tank and pole position.

Check the link : http://www.consolpassion.org/atari_2600bois.jpg( i hope this works)

Ive never looked back on video gaming, and remember the paddels u got with the tenis game, AMAZING.

I think ill go get 1 from e-bay .lol

I got the JACS joystick for christmas. It's fun and all, but looks nothing like this. Mayhaps I will have try it!!

TheReelTodd Wrote: If you don't know what the Atari Flashback 2 is, it is basically a recreated Atari 2600, only with 40 built-in games (can't use actual carts in it).

Actually...I've heard that's not quite true. Some people have been able to mod their F2's to accept Atari 2600 carts.

Flashback 2 cartridge mod

I have the first Flashback...and I have to say I really was not too impressed. The games for it just did not 'feel' right. I bought the thing mainly cuz it had Yars Revenge on it, and when I played it it just did not seem right. After some googling I found out it was because the first Flashback was actually a 'NES on a chip' that was running emulated 2600 games. The joysticks also were WAY too freaking small *ugh*. It was kinda cool to see the 7800 versions of some games...but overall it was nothing too stunning.

On the other hand.......the Flashback 2 has, from what I have seen, gotten nothing but good reviews. I really want to get one

Hikaru.EXE Wrote:My WORD!!! I must have taken you at least 30 minutes to write ALL of that!!! Anyway... I intend on buying one of those... I always wanted an Atari.

He he he - nope, didn't take 30 minutes. I type pretty fast. I can be pretty long winded when I get all in to something, huh?

I'm glad you're thinking about getting one. It's good to see TRON-Sector's younger members show interest in the video games and systems us old folks grew up on! I bet your parents enjoyed these things growing up too! where to buy abortion pill ordering abortion pills to be shipped to house buy abortion pill onlineabortion pills online abortion questions cytotec abortion

Boingo_Buzzard Wrote: I got the JACS joystick for christmas. It's fun and all, but looks nothing like this. Mayhaps I will have try it!!

I looked that up on google, but couldn't find anything. Is that the Atari 10-in-one joystick game? Or perhaps one of the other 80's-arcade game joysticks? Post a link if you don't mind - I'm curious about that.

josh.exe Wrote:i got an Atari Flashback 2 for Christmas! It is very a very fun little thingy.i also hear that you can add a cartridge port to the FB2 http://www.atarimuseum.com/fb2hacks/index.htmi bought some used 2600 games at my local hobby shop (who would believe hobby shops carry classic gaming?) i even think one of them might be a prototype but anyway anyone who loved the 2600 during the 80's should buy this!

Cool - another younger (not quite alive yet when Atari ruled our world) TRON-Sector member digging the world of Atari games!

The cartridge port mod looks cool, but I'll just fire up my original 2600 if I need to play carts.

Qix77 Wrote: TheReelTodd Wrote:If you are currently in your 30's or 40's, you probably grew up playing your first home video games on the Atari 2600 (aka Atari VCS). Todd, You might want to bring the age level down to 27-37+... But what do I know.... I'm only 21 (really 29... but you didn't hear that from me)...

Whoops! I kind of figured the under 30 crowd might have grown up more on the NES than the VCS, so that's why I picked that age.

I take it you had yourself a good helping of Atari back in your youth as well.

So, do you still play Atari at all? Would you like to? I'm on day THREE of my Atari Flashback 2 and already spent about 2 hours on it this morning!

I was actually all excited to get up this morning to play games on it! I haven't been like that since I was a kid playing my original Atari! Only this time I had to do my morning exercise routine first. Have to do the routine these days. But after that and a good shower it was ALL Atari!
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I had an Atari 2600 too (though I knew it as a VCS back then, the 2600 name came later). Wood-grain and all.

It's amazing how long (and how many!) companies continued to make cartridges for it. The 2600 probably has more cartridges than any other system, except maybe the NES.

Unfortunately, I sold my 2600 plus all the cartridges and accessories because I needed the money for the next thing . . . my first computer! (Whoah, does that bring back memories too. I think I'm on my 13th computer now. )

But you know what, TheReelTodd? You're absolutely right. Sometimes I miss the days when games were simple, but oh-so fun and addictive. While games have become much more sophisticated, I think they're also becoming a bit too complex sometimes for their own good.

Did you know that there were twice as many people playing video games in the 2600 era, compared to today? The game companies like to talk about how their sales are booming, but that's nothing compared to two decades ago. And I think that's mainly because back then, it was easy to pick up a game and play it, even for casual folks. The games were so easy to play. Now, with multiple buttons and a cluttered on-screen interface in most games: people just don't want to take the time to learn all that in order to play.

Now for me personally, and probably for most of you as well, we're all computer and video game addicts. We don't mind, and in fact WANT our games to become more deep and complex. (And by complex, I don't just mean graphics!) We want things to keep moving forward. Still, there's something nice about being able to kick back once in a while, and go back to a simpler time!

TheReelTodd Wrote: He he he - nope, didn't take 30 minutes. I type pretty fast. I can be pretty long winded when I get all in to something, huh?

I get this mental image of Todd's keyboard breaking out in a cold sweat anytime he clicks the reply button.

That's why we love you Todd, your long posts are worth reading every time, no matter how crazy a rant you can churn out.

Sweet. I've always wanted an Atari 2600 system of my own. Gotta love the classic woodgrain look.

I've never owned a 2600. The first real game system I had was a hand-me-down Intv II. I got the System Changer a few years back, which plays Atari 2600 games. Got Pitfall 2, Battlezone, Start Trek Simulator, Breakout, and Solaris. I really wish the Changer displayed Solaris correctly on a tv screen. Is Solaris on the Flashback 2? I read about the problems the first flashback system had, which is why I avoided it. I bought the Intv plug and play controler, and was VERY dissapointed in it. It had Tower of Doom, my favorite Intv game, and here the port to the controller was just HORRIBLE! Great to read that the Flashback 2 is worth getting. Might have to look into getting one myself.

I've got Activision Anthology for my Game Boy Advanced SP, and it's the most played catridge out of all my GBA games. I love it so. Have earned a few patches in the game. Atari's high score patch system was a brilliant market device. There are so many to choose from on the catridge. So far Spider Fighter has become a bit of a favorite. Would love to have the game music theme Overtaken and Anthology on my laptop.

EDIT: Awww, Flashback 2 doesn't have Solaris.

Still, it offers a good selection of games.