Whenever I think of the 2600, I always think about the story with your mother. After hearing the news, I figured I'd come back and listen to the story again. I'm sorry for your loss Adam. May she rest in peace.
"The name was 2600...terrible name!" Actually, the original name was "Atari VCS Video Computer System." They didn't incorporate the model number as the name until the Atari 5200 Super System was in the works. To add confusion, they dropped "VCS" at -the same time- *[some point]*. :(
Actually I don't think Atari dropped the VCS name at that time.Notice how on the box for Moon Patrol it says "For The Atari 2600 VCS" Moon Patrol was released in 1983 after the 5200 launch. atariage.com/box_page.php?SoftwareLabelID=554 They just made the VCS name de-emphasized in favor of 2600.After 1984 is when they dropped it altogether I think.
AandNvg You're right. It looks like all the numbered systems had a long name: Atari 2600 Video Computer System Atari 5200 Super System Atari 7800 Pro System
@@AandNvg Yeah, the units with the original case design (except for the Sears ones) all said "Video Computer System" above the cartridge port, but when the 5200 came out they started using "2600" as a brand written on the front of the machine. I think the 2600jr model dropped the "Video Computer System" label on the case, but even that had the phrase written prominently on the box it came in.
My uncle gave me my cousins old 2600 when my cousin got the master system. It was my first system. Then when I got my nes in 1990 for Christmas my uncle took back the 2600. I’m so mad. I wish I still had it. Adam thanks for the heart. We are both the same age and we both got hand me down 2600s as our first consoles. Like you the 2600 started my love for video games.
My brother had a 2600 back in 1983 or 1984. My mom likes to tell the story of how I taught myself how to hook the system up to the TV and play it whenever I felt like. I don't remember that, but I do remember playing Donkey Kong on it all the time. I remember getting an Atari 7800 for my 10th birthday in 1991. I used to raid the bargain bins at Child World for Atari 2600 games and got loads of games for 2 bucks a pop or less. I had so much fun playing them.
I am so happy. I first listened to these videos six years ago and loved them. A few months ago I tried to find them again but couldn’t. Now I’ve accidentally stumbled upon them again. Really made my day. :)
My favorites - Adventure, Venture, Congo Bongo, Zaxxon, Pack-Man, E.T. (Yes, I liked that game even though you got stuck in walls a lot), I can't recall the name, but there was a game where you flew a UFO looking ship and had to rescue people on a planet with some sort of anti-grav lift beam (or something). Super fun game. River Raid, Kaboom!, Pitfall, H.E.R.O., Joust (never owned this one, but I think I remember playing it on Atari, might have been NES though), oh, and House (maybe Haunted House). So many good games on that console.
The crazy part is, for those of us who like to tinker, is te fact that you can install a cartridge slot on the Atari Flashback consoles. There is also and FPGA based Atari scene, that's how popular this console is even to this day. I just saw a 2600 for the very first time in person yesterday. I'm 27yrs old...
To be fair the original name of the console was the Atari Video Computer System or VCS for short. 2600 was the product number that retroactively became the name when they released the "Darth Vader" model and wanted a way to differentiate it from the newer 5200 while making the new system sound more powerful. Not that "Video Computer System" is an inspired name or anything either, but I guess if "Nintendo Entertainment System" was good enough then so is that. And yes, Sears just licensed the console and most of Atari's games for release as their own version. Given how major Sears was as a retailer back then, Atari was happy to oblige. It wasn't a knock-off clone like the Coleco Gemini. There's even a heavy-sixer model of it as well as a Video Arcade II which you showed. That one was interestingly a re-branding of the Atari 2800 which was just a 2600 that was sold in Japan. My story is similar to yours. I was born after the Atari 2600 had its day and my parents had a 2600 so it was literally with me since the day I was born until I finally got a NES for my fifth birthday though the 2600 still got some love and it's always been important to me.
In fact, the name VCS was Ataris' response to the Fairchild Video Entertainment System, or VES for short. But when Atari launched the VCS, Fairchild renamed their system to the more commonly known name 'Channel F'.
You're right about Sears, in fact Atari was thrilled with the deal as they in no way had the capacity to manufacture, distribute and market on the scale that Sears did. I wonder if Atari even would have made it without Sears?
I still own a 2600 that is stamped on the bottom side for promotional use only. A four switch model made in Sunnyvale, CA. My dad got it as a give away when he purchased a new Ford Mustang in CA back in 1980. And the damn console is still kicking to this day:-)
On the topic of Halo 2600, I think you omitted an important detail. It was programmed by Ed Fries, the former vice president of game publishing at Microsoft during much of the Xbox's lifecycle, who was involved in Microsoft's acquisition of Halo developers Bungie Studios. It wasn't a creation of Atari Age. :)
Ah memories, November 1981 I was 6 years old I came home from school and there is this wierd box hooked up to the TV and my dad and my brother are playing "Combat" and it was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. I didn't know you could play video games at home, I had only ever seen arcade games. It was a woodgrain sixer like yours and we had the TV type set to black and white because the only TV we had was a black and white 19" magnavox. Also your thing about needing more switches. Parts of the Indiana Jone required the second joystick which was a pain. Also there was a game by activision called "Space Shuttle" which used the difficulty switches for landing gear and cargo bay doors.
You're so right about the power switch. When I bought my 2600 at a flea market, I noticed no video. I tried a switchbox and a direct RCA to coaxial plug to see if the video cable wasn't working. Just to be sure, I bought a different AC adapter and now the system works. Most of my time wouldn't have been wasted if there was some light to indicate it was on. This was an old console so I'll let it slide.
Hi Adam. Love the channel & the content. I was born in March 1975 and lived through all the gen video game consoles. My first video game console was Colecovision. The cool thing was you could get an adapter to play all Atari 2600 & 5200 games.
I love these videos were you talk about you experiences adam. keep up the great work, you efforts are going to great use with teaching me about these awesome consoles
Being born in 73 this was my console as a little kid when the NES was my console in my teen years. And I got to say looking back I loved playing my Atari, I was so into video games, I just connected with them from the moment I first saw them. So I was so excited to get my 2600 for Christmas in either 79 / 80 (can't remember which year it was). Those early years in the 80s lots of my memories are of me playing my games. I loved Adventure, Venture, Superman, Indiana Jones, Asteroids, Laser Blast, Breakout, Night Driver, Flag Capture, Surround, Dodge "Em, Pitfall, Pac-Man, Missile Command, Demon Attack, Moon Patrol, Empire Strikes Back, Dragon Fire, Combat & Air Sea Battle. When the crash happened in 83 I was still playing all the games I had at the time but it was during that time I got into the early home computer games like King's Quest. But I got to be honest, once the NES came out it was so much more advanced than the 2600 that I hardly ever went back to play it. I put it away and have only got it out a few times over the years just to play it for nostalgia reasons. So while I have nothing but fond memories and I appreciate that era I grew up in I feel it's just too old and outdated and the games are just not as fun as games on the NES that ever really make me want to enjoy those games much anymore. I can play my NES for hours still as those games hold up, these games hold up for what they are but they're not much in comparison. If I do play Asteroids the sounds of the game remind me of the house being really quiet except for me playing that game and maybe my parents watching Hill Street Blues or some other show of that time period. Lol
Interesting fact about Space Invaders (I'm sure most gamers know this already though): The speed got faster when there were fewer enemies on screen and that wasn't done as a "difficulty" thing. It was because having too many enemies on screen was slowing down the system...so as more enemies were killed, it freed up processing power, making them move faster
I had a 2600. My father bought for me in 1981 JCPenny for $200. It lasted until 1987 when one day I plugged it in and tried to started and ir never did. By now the Nintendo classic was out and once again my father bought me one but my heart always go back to the 2600.
The Sears Tele-Games model was a straight OEM agreement. Atari manufactured the consoles with Sears branding. Sears still does this to this day with their Kenmore appliances. Fun fact: sears also signed a similar OEM agreement with Mattel Electronics and released the Intellivision as the Tele-Games Super Video Arcade. Instead of a simple rebranding, they opted for a custom design.
In the late 70s Sears was one of the largest dealers for electronics but they wouldn't allow anything besides TVs to be sold there that wasn't branded as a Sears product so a lot of companies would work out deals with Sears to make models of their stuff like VCRs and record players that just had the Sears name slapped on them so they could be sold in the Sears store. That is where the Sears Tele-Game comes from.
Absolutely my first video game console. Probably got it either for Christmas 1980 or 1981. Yes I am old. Loved it, had the paddles and loved playing 4 player Warlords with them. I wished I knew better and kept all of my old consoles and games (no idea where they would be stored). The games lived on in my Coleco VIsion with the expansion. I just can't go back and pick up the console again. I do have the 80 game Atari Anthology disc for the OG Xbox and almost want to get the newly released Atari Flashback Classics for the Xbox One. 50 games on each disc and $20 retail price.
Adam, I have been watching your videos for several years now. Just wanted to drop a note to thank you for being so articulate & real. You are open-minded and definitely do your homework for every single one of your videos. Kudos!
My Family and our History of Gaming: My Parents: The Atari 2600 My Older Sister: Sega Genesis and Sony PlayStation Me: GameCube, PS2, and Xbox My Cousin: PS2, Xbox 360, and Xbox One My Younger Sister: PS2 Slim and Xbox 360 My Little Brother: Xbox 360, Wii U, and Xbox One
I have an 2600 4 switch wood grain. Had it since brand new with box, it has seen better days. Played combat, pac-man and spider fighter all the time. Loved it and the controllers still work.
Atari 2600 was my first console I owned back in 1989 it's the junior model the only killer app for me on that console is Centipede. man to this day it's still fun to play. I still have it. and really I have to play the 2600 version of centipede. it's awesome.
IIRC, Sears Telegames were made by Atari, their older pong console was also sold through Sears as a Telegames machine.The Atari VCS/2600 was only really designed to do pong/breakout like games, the fact that games like Pitfall or Donkey Kong work on the system at all is up to the amazing skills of the programmers who had to chase the TV raster to draw actual platformer games.
Breakout wasn't co-created by Steve Jobs it was by Steve Wazniak (spelling?) who created the hardware for arcades and eventually wrote it for BASIC on the Apple II. Anyways it was fun hearing that story about getting the 2600 from your mom and her saying "they're all the same thing". I always chuckle when I hear that.
Hey Adam. Just found your channel via Game Society. I love retro consoles & games, so I'm sure there'll be a lot of stuff I'm interested in here. The 2600 was my first console too, so I have a lot of nostalgia for it. I got the Jr. version in I think Christmas '89. So I would have been 8. I remember you could still buy games for it at the time but they were super cheap, and usually the really shitty ones. There were also Atari magazines that would have a crappy game included. I got most of my (good) games from a high school kid who had a part-time job working for my dad and didn't want them any more. I still have the console and quite a few games, and they still worked last time I checked. Games I have include Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Frogger, Centipede, Galaxian, Pitfall, Kung-Fu Master, Jawbreaker (Pac-Man rip-off I quite liked), River Raid (one of my favorites), Dig-Dug, Moon Patrol, Missile Command, Cosmic Ark... lots of stuff I'm probably forgetting. It's all in my parents' attic at the moment because I don't have space. Good times though.
The Atari 2600 was my dad’s first system, mine was the Sega Genesis. I feel ya whenever you said you’ll always be partial towards this console because I feel the same way with Genesis.
Some companies used to make special versions of products for Sears. Sears was a major retailer in the 70s and part of the 80s. The Sears unit is made by Atari for Sears. Kenner used to make special Star Wars toys exclusively for Sears. It was not unusual at the time. ...and the 2600 is being sold for more than Nintendo or Sega hardware - even original, no mods. It's like $80 for one. $100 for one with AV output. That's what I see at local retro stores. Favorite games (no special order): Empire Strikes Back Berserk Battlezone Earth Dies Screaming Mouse Trap Barnstorming Trick Shot Flag Capture Blackjack Demon Attack Code Breaker Maze Craze Adventure Night Driver Surround is like the Tron light cycle game. You create a wall as you move and you try to get the other player to crash into the wall.
Fond memories indeed. I had the Gemini system, I believe it got its name because it came with controllers that had both a joystick and a paddle in one.
I had a six switch telegames console that I got for free because it looked like it had been sitting in about 2 inches of water for a while. Obvious water mark on the front of the console and everything inside including the main circuit board was corroded up to that point, but it still worked perfectly.
I once saw one of these in a junk dumpster, that was brought to this house suburbs once in every couple years, so that people could throw their useless trash into that. I have a fainth memory, that there was two controllers, all of the cables, the machine itself, plenty of games, all in the original package. Propably many think, that it's not a big deal, but I happen to live in scandinavia, where these ancient consoles are more rare than megalodon.
The real name of the console was Atari VCS (Video computer system). The "2600" was only added after the 5200 came out. And at the time it was referred to as "An Atari" by pretty much everyone.. "Vader" is a fan nickname that became popular after they started cheaping out on the wood paneling. Sears at the time liked to rebrand products with their own labeling, and the first big success Atari had with this console was to get a giant order from Sears, on the condition that they made a custom Sears version of the console and its games.
yup, this was the first console i ever played on too.. not including my ZX spectrum, which was obviously a computer.. my earliest console memory is playing centipede on the 2600 and absolutely loving it..
It was until the release of the 5200 that they rebranded it the 2600. Before that it was just known as the Atari or Atari VCS (Video Computer System). My parents bought our first 2600 back in '81 when I was only 10 years old.
Sega did not own the license for the console version of Frogger. Parker Brothers licensed the game for the Atari vcs/2600. Raiders of the Lost Ark used a second controller to play the game. Omega Race had an added controller that you would slide over the Atari 2600 Joystick, to allow for an additional fire button, along with the VCS controllers input for ship thrust.
To comment on your pet peeve, my mom calls everything to this very day Nintendo. My nephew has the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. She always calls it Nintendo. It was the first console we had in my family and it's the only company I've ever bought for as far as video games go.
Awesome video Adam! I love playing my Atari 2600 from time to time. It's nice for a quick gaming session without going through drawn out storylines and whatnot from modern games.
I can still remember when we went too Sears an picked it up had pacman ..an we also got hard revenge , asteroids and M. command. I also remember my thumb hurting when I woke up haha...this was Epic Adam really appreciate your time and effort
I can still remember when we went too Sears an picked it up had pacman ..an we also got hard revenge , asteroids and M. command. I also remember my thumb hurting when I woke up haha...this was Epic Adam really appreciate your time and effort !
Sears had a "Telegames" product line which extended through three VCS models and even Intellivision (Super Video Arcade). You could buy them through the Sears catalog (the 1978 Sears Wishbook was LEGENDARY), and at the stores. Parents trusted Sears-branded products, even though Sears wasn't the OEM. They did it with home appliances as well. I had a Telegames VCS and a Super Video Arcade. The Super Video Arcade (Intellivision) had detachable controllers. My originals were destroyed through honest use, but I bought replacements when I got into retrogaming.
The 2600 was my first console also but I was really young and it was actually the vcs before it was the 2600. I didn't really get into gaming until I got my sega master system. But I still love my 2600 and play it at least a couple times a month.
Video games were never a fad for me young lad. People like myself are the reason why video games didn't become a fad infact. Something changed in me the first time I saw a Pong stand-up cabinet.
I saw on Wikipedia that the Sears Telegames was a partnership with Atari in which they would rebrand the console and even some games. The games under the Telegames brand where developed by Atari
Lol. I agree. I always wondered why it was 2600. I remember getting Burgertime,pitfall and ms pac man. My first 1 ever was the Vader black. I recently found a heavy 6er at a yard sale with box for 20.00.
I ordered a package with 12 consoles inside (2x Mgega Drive, 2x Mega Drive 2, 2x Master System 2, 5x Atari 2600 Junior, 1x Playstation 2 Super Slim, for all together 140€ from Ebay. Description says unsure if the consoles are working because he had no power suppliers for testing them. I tested all 5 Atari 2600s yesterday and all work. Some I needed to switch on and off many many times and some I needed to put the antenna cable in and out like 30 times until getting a picture, but after that they all start instantly now and work fine. After getting a culture shock from the graphics and sound now I really enjoy it, playing Missile Command over and over, it's the only game I have just now. But yes, it's an authentic old-school arcade experience, and also here in Germany this consoles are dirt cheap like nobody wants them. Same with the games. I even can just plug the antenna cable into my modern TV and it works. Also I'm just using my old Mega Drive controller to play. I prefer a controller over a joystick either.
There is LOTS of worthwhile games on the 2600. Definitely worth checking out. Being a poor boy and having very limited funds by mowing, collecting aluminum, returning returnable pop bottles, and maybe getting some apples from apple trees in our back yard and selling them id take my money to a local fleamarket and pick up 2600 games for around .50 cents a piece. It was when nes was big and people where getting rid of there 2600 games. Great time to score for a poor boy.😊
I will watch later, I've been looking forward to this, but I've been cleaning, testing and tearing down controllers for a week, I'm burned out, gave you a thumbs up cause I know it's a good video.
The reason why it was called 2600 was phone phreaking. Nolan Bushnell and many workers in Atari was involved in hacking/phreaking. The original name was VCS Video Computer Company.
thanks for doing this series Adam! I really love these Recap videos. Also I look forward to you returning to Missouri Game Con, you need to get a panel or something next year!
I think the all black console was bundled with Pac Man just to shift stock that was sitting in the warehouse gathering dust. I know here in the UK in late 1982 the all black model was being sold by retailers with three games bundled in, two of which was Pac Man and Space Invaders, the third may have been Combat for the price of £129.99
My Grandpa Bought an Atari 2600 in 1980 (He Bought it for Himself) my Mom got to play it at that time and she hated it because the Controller is just a Black Joystick with a Red Button on the Side and she said the Controls are Difficult to use and also my Dad owned one Around the time it 1st Released and he grew up playing Pong (Which most Grown Folks know about) you see my Parents grew up in the 70's and 80's (My Mom was Born in 1962 and my Dad was Born in 1964) and the 1st Game Console they played was the Atari 2600 they told me all about it a few Years back and that's how I found out about the History of Gaming and did my Research and I know the History of Gaming since I heard about the Story of the Original 2600 in Late 2012 - Early 2013
Man that Coleco add-on, lmao! It's like Sony making a Xbox One add-on to the PS4, then just "fuck it, here's a Sony One complete console, u mad MS?!" Once again a fantastic video Adam!
I got my first 2600 for Christmas 1984. Then a couple days later a package arrived in the mail. It was filled with loose games that my dad picked up at a flea market. (My parents were divorced and my mom told my dad she was getting us the system so he picked up loose games and mailed them to us.) It included multiple copies of Pac-Man lol. We had fun with the 2600 version, although I did know it wasn't as good as the arcade version, it was mother fucking Pac-Man on my home TV! A few weeks later I bought Frogger but I got the wrong one. I don't remember which system it was for but it wasn't the 2600 and since we opened it, we couldn't take it back. I didn't even know there were other consoles at the time so I didn't bother to read the box to make sure before buying it. One of my favorite games at the time was Demons to Diamonds. Just like Pac-Man, I was so excited to have Space Invaders and Asteroids to play at home.
Whenever I think of the 2600, I always think about the story with your mother. After hearing the news, I figured I'd come back and listen to the story again. I'm sorry for your loss Adam. May she rest in peace.
"The name was 2600...terrible name!"
Actually, the original name was "Atari VCS Video Computer System." They didn't incorporate the model number as the name until the Atari 5200 Super System was in the works. To add confusion, they dropped "VCS" at -the same time- *[some point]*. :(
Actually I don't think Atari dropped the VCS name at that time.Notice how on the box for Moon Patrol it says "For The Atari 2600 VCS" Moon Patrol was released in 1983 after the 5200 launch. atariage.com/box_page.php?SoftwareLabelID=554 They just made the VCS name de-emphasized in favor of 2600.After 1984 is when they dropped it altogether I think.
atariage.com/2600/systems/sys_Atari2600.jpg Seems to say it on this vader model.
AandNvg You're right. It looks like all the numbered systems had a long name:
Atari 2600 Video Computer System
Atari 5200 Super System
Atari 7800 Pro System
@@AandNvg Yeah, the units with the original case design (except for the Sears ones) all said "Video Computer System" above the cartridge port, but when the 5200 came out they started using "2600" as a brand written on the front of the machine. I think the 2600jr model dropped the "Video Computer System" label on the case, but even that had the phrase written prominently on the box it came in.
Wow, you know *very common* knowledge!
My uncle gave me my cousins old 2600 when my cousin got the master system. It was my first system. Then when I got my nes in 1990 for Christmas my uncle took back the 2600. I’m so mad. I wish I still had it. Adam thanks for the heart. We are both the same age and we both got hand me down 2600s as our first consoles. Like you the 2600 started my love for video games.
My brother had a 2600 back in 1983 or 1984. My mom likes to tell the story of how I taught myself how to hook the system up to the TV and play it whenever I felt like. I don't remember that, but I do remember playing Donkey Kong on it all the time.
I remember getting an Atari 7800 for my 10th birthday in 1991. I used to raid the bargain bins at Child World for Atari 2600 games and got loads of games for 2 bucks a pop or less. I had so much fun playing them.
Ben Hughes sweet!
The 6 switch 2600 was my first console back in 1977 i loved it, gonna buy one again cant wait
I am so happy. I first listened to these videos six years ago and loved them. A few months ago I tried to find them again but couldn’t. Now I’ve accidentally stumbled upon them again. Really made my day. :)
My favorites - Adventure, Venture, Congo Bongo, Zaxxon, Pack-Man, E.T. (Yes, I liked that game even though you got stuck in walls a lot), I can't recall the name, but there was a game where you flew a UFO looking ship and had to rescue people on a planet with some sort of anti-grav lift beam (or something). Super fun game. River Raid, Kaboom!, Pitfall, H.E.R.O., Joust (never owned this one, but I think I remember playing it on Atari, might have been NES though), oh, and House (maybe Haunted House). So many good games on that console.
The game you can't remember the name of where you rescue creatures on a planet with a anti gravity beam is called cosmic ark and it was made by imagic
The crazy part is, for those of us who like to tinker, is te fact that you can install a cartridge slot on the Atari Flashback consoles. There is also and FPGA based Atari scene, that's how popular this console is even to this day. I just saw a 2600 for the very first time in person yesterday. I'm 27yrs old...
DaneSaysStuff only the flashback 2 is modable :(
back in the day not everyone had multiple TVs, so having an old black and white TV to let the kids game on makes sense.
To be fair the original name of the console was the Atari Video Computer System or VCS for short. 2600 was the product number that retroactively became the name when they released the "Darth Vader" model and wanted a way to differentiate it from the newer 5200 while making the new system sound more powerful.
Not that "Video Computer System" is an inspired name or anything either, but I guess if "Nintendo Entertainment System" was good enough then so is that.
And yes, Sears just licensed the console and most of Atari's games for release as their own version. Given how major Sears was as a retailer back then, Atari was happy to oblige. It wasn't a knock-off clone like the Coleco Gemini. There's even a heavy-sixer model of it as well as a Video Arcade II which you showed. That one was interestingly a re-branding of the Atari 2800 which was just a 2600 that was sold in Japan.
My story is similar to yours. I was born after the Atari 2600 had its day and my parents had a 2600 so it was literally with me since the day I was born until I finally got a NES for my fifth birthday though the 2600 still got some love and it's always been important to me.
In fact, the name VCS was Ataris' response to the Fairchild Video Entertainment System, or VES for short. But when Atari launched the VCS, Fairchild renamed their system to the more commonly known name 'Channel F'.
Well the "Family Computer" was misleading since the thing was damn far away from a computer.
Famicom even has a Basic cartridge.
It would have made for a solid home computer back in the 80's.
You're right about Sears, in fact Atari was thrilled with the deal as they in no way had the capacity to manufacture, distribute and market on the scale that Sears did. I wonder if Atari even would have made it without Sears?
The Tele-Games used Atari components and was manufactured out of the same Sunnyvale, CA location as the Atari 2600.
The Tele-Games was made by Atari, so they could sell the 2600 in Sears stores.
I still own a 2600 that is stamped on the bottom side for promotional use only. A four switch model made in Sunnyvale, CA. My dad got it as a give away when he purchased a new Ford Mustang in CA back in 1980. And the damn console is still kicking to this day:-)
A four-switch Cali model?! Wow!!
Outta curiosity, does your dad still have that mustang?
The Atari was my first console my mom bought one at a garage sale and I played the hell out of it. It holds a special place in my heart.
"Quality control... None of that existed."
Heh, some things seem to have reverted back to what they were in the 2600 days.
"What kind of truck is that?"
"Look's like a ford, maybe a chevy."
That name generalizations happen with everything.
So true.
I've been waiting for this series to continue :D
On the topic of Halo 2600, I think you omitted an important detail. It was programmed by Ed Fries, the former vice president of game publishing at Microsoft during much of the Xbox's lifecycle, who was involved in Microsoft's acquisition of Halo developers Bungie Studios. It wasn't a creation of Atari Age. :)
That I did not know, very neat.
@JezBollah 667 Marathon and Halo aren't the same game, but both are sci fi FPS games developed by Bungie.
Ah memories, November 1981 I was 6 years old I came home from school and there is this wierd box hooked up to the TV and my dad and my brother are playing "Combat" and it was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. I didn't know you could play video games at home, I had only ever seen arcade games. It was a woodgrain sixer like yours and we had the TV type set to black and white because the only TV we had was a black and white 19" magnavox.
Also your thing about needing more switches. Parts of the Indiana Jone required the second joystick which was a pain. Also there was a game by activision called "Space Shuttle" which used the difficulty switches for landing gear and cargo bay doors.
An example of a game that used two controllers, buttons, and joysticks was raiders of the lost ark
In 20 years, I will recap your recap videos. I'll have people watch me watch and discuss your recaps lol
I dread the future of UA-cam because this is actually a profitable idea.
T00muchF00D I didn't know you watch him! Hey by the way!
No one will remember this in 20 years.
I mean...yay, sounds fun!
Adam Koralik savage 😂😂😂😂
Switch Play in 40 yr i'll react to your videos on 'hologram' at the future
You're so right about the power switch. When I bought my 2600 at a flea market, I noticed no video. I tried a switchbox and a direct RCA to coaxial plug to see if the video cable wasn't working. Just to be sure, I bought a different AC adapter and now the system works. Most of my time wouldn't have been wasted if there was some light to indicate it was on. This was an old console so I'll let it slide.
Hi Adam. Love the channel & the content. I was born in March 1975 and lived through all the gen video game consoles. My first video game console was Colecovision. The cool thing was you could get an adapter to play all Atari 2600 & 5200 games.
I love these videos were you talk about you experiences adam. keep up the great work, you efforts are going to great use with teaching me about these awesome consoles
Thanks for watching!
a game with two controllers? indina jones
Another one I think that required 2 controllers was riddle of the sphinx for the atari 2600.
Being born in 73 this was my console as a little kid when the NES was my console in my teen years. And I got to say looking back I loved playing my Atari, I was so into video games, I just connected with them from the moment I first saw them. So I was so excited to get my 2600 for Christmas in either 79 / 80 (can't remember which year it was). Those early years in the 80s lots of my memories are of me playing my games. I loved Adventure, Venture, Superman, Indiana Jones, Asteroids, Laser Blast, Breakout, Night Driver, Flag Capture, Surround, Dodge "Em, Pitfall, Pac-Man, Missile Command, Demon Attack, Moon Patrol, Empire Strikes Back, Dragon Fire, Combat & Air Sea Battle. When the crash happened in 83 I was still playing all the games I had at the time but it was during that time I got into the early home computer games like King's Quest.
But I got to be honest, once the NES came out it was so much more advanced than the 2600 that I hardly ever went back to play it. I put it away and have only got it out a few times over the years just to play it for nostalgia reasons. So while I have nothing but fond memories and I appreciate that era I grew up in I feel it's just too old and outdated and the games are just not as fun as games on the NES that ever really make me want to enjoy those games much anymore. I can play my NES for hours still as those games hold up, these games hold up for what they are but they're not much in comparison. If I do play Asteroids the sounds of the game remind me of the house being really quiet except for me playing that game and maybe my parents watching Hill Street Blues or some other show of that time period. Lol
I heard Custers Revenge is the biggest fan favourite of the Atari 2600
PNG _Gamer lol
Best game ever.
Good joystick practice
You heard wrong. The novelty wore off very quickly...
Interesting fact about Space Invaders (I'm sure most gamers know this already though): The speed got faster when there were fewer enemies on screen and that wasn't done as a "difficulty" thing. It was because having too many enemies on screen was slowing down the system...so as more enemies were killed, it freed up processing power, making them move faster
DvdXploitr I did know that, but I still enjoyed reading it👍
I'm sure the Arcade version was similar to this.
Paddle Pop I assume it started on the arcade and carried over
i've been getting into the 2600 recently, and i've found myself playing it a ton.1
I been wanting one now haha.
I had a 2600. My father bought for me in 1981 JCPenny for $200. It lasted until 1987 when one day I plugged it in and tried to started and ir never did. By now the Nintendo classic was out and once again my father bought me one but my heart always go back to the 2600.
The Sears Tele-Games model was a straight OEM agreement. Atari manufactured the consoles with Sears branding. Sears still does this to this day with their Kenmore appliances.
Fun fact: sears also signed a similar OEM agreement with Mattel Electronics and released the Intellivision as the Tele-Games Super Video Arcade. Instead of a simple rebranding, they opted for a custom design.
In the late 70s Sears was one of the largest dealers for electronics but they wouldn't allow anything besides TVs to be sold there that wasn't branded as a Sears product so a lot of companies would work out deals with Sears to make models of their stuff like VCRs and record players that just had the Sears name slapped on them so they could be sold in the Sears store.
That is where the Sears Tele-Game comes from.
Coleco actually made their own port of Donkey Kong to be the superior one to increase sales of their own console, and it worked.
Absolutely my first video game console. Probably got it either for Christmas 1980 or 1981. Yes I am old. Loved it, had the paddles and loved playing 4 player Warlords with them. I wished I knew better and kept all of my old consoles and games (no idea where they would be stored). The games lived on in my Coleco VIsion with the expansion. I just can't go back and pick up the console again. I do have the 80 game Atari Anthology disc for the OG Xbox and almost want to get the newly released Atari Flashback Classics for the Xbox One. 50 games on each disc and $20 retail price.
Adam,
I have been watching your videos for several years now. Just wanted to drop a note to thank you for being so articulate & real. You are open-minded and definitely do your homework for every single one of your videos. Kudos!
Thanks!
My Family and our History of Gaming:
My Parents: The Atari 2600
My Older Sister: Sega Genesis and Sony PlayStation
Me: GameCube, PS2, and Xbox
My Cousin: PS2, Xbox 360, and Xbox One
My Younger Sister: PS2 Slim and Xbox 360
My Little Brother: Xbox 360, Wii U, and Xbox One
I have an 2600 4 switch wood grain. Had it since brand new with box, it has seen better days. Played combat, pac-man and spider fighter all the time. Loved it and the controllers still work.
The original name was the Atari VCS. It was later changed to 2600
Custard's Revenge is fucking art...
lol
Atari 2600 was my first console I owned back in 1989 it's the junior model the only killer app for me on that console is Centipede. man to this day it's still fun to play. I still have it. and really I have to play the 2600 version of centipede. it's awesome.
plus it was a budget console. and we didn't have the extra money to buy an NES at the time when I was very young.
IIRC, Sears Telegames were made by Atari, their older pong console was also sold through Sears as a Telegames machine.The Atari VCS/2600 was only really designed to do pong/breakout like games, the fact that games like Pitfall or Donkey Kong work on the system at all is up to the amazing skills of the programmers who had to chase the TV raster to draw actual platformer games.
Breakout wasn't co-created by Steve Jobs it was by Steve Wazniak (spelling?) who created the hardware for arcades and eventually wrote it for BASIC on the Apple II. Anyways it was fun hearing that story about getting the 2600 from your mom and her saying "they're all the same thing". I always chuckle when I hear that.
Hey Adam. Just found your channel via Game Society. I love retro consoles & games, so I'm sure there'll be a lot of stuff I'm interested in here. The 2600 was my first console too, so I have a lot of nostalgia for it. I got the Jr. version in I think Christmas '89. So I would have been 8. I remember you could still buy games for it at the time but they were super cheap, and usually the really shitty ones. There were also Atari magazines that would have a crappy game included. I got most of my (good) games from a high school kid who had a part-time job working for my dad and didn't want them any more.
I still have the console and quite a few games, and they still worked last time I checked. Games I have include Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Frogger, Centipede, Galaxian, Pitfall, Kung-Fu Master, Jawbreaker (Pac-Man rip-off I quite liked), River Raid (one of my favorites), Dig-Dug, Moon Patrol, Missile Command, Cosmic Ark... lots of stuff I'm probably forgetting. It's all in my parents' attic at the moment because I don't have space. Good times though.
Welcome aboard! Hope you enjoyed the After Party.
AdamKoralik I did! Will hopefully catch you guys on the next one.
If I remember correctly, I bought Rampage for the Atari 2600 in 1987/1988. They just kept putting games out for it. Lots of fond memories.
+AdamKoralik It is so cool you just did Dan and Rabi's podcast , can't wait to hear it what a small world dude
Enjoy!
The Atari 2600 was my dad’s first system, mine was the Sega Genesis.
I feel ya whenever you said you’ll always be partial towards this console because I feel the same way with Genesis.
A composite modded 2600 is one of the best retro purchases I've ever made.
There is an RGB Mod for it
Some companies used to make special versions of products for Sears. Sears was a major retailer in the 70s and part of the 80s. The Sears unit is made by Atari for Sears. Kenner used to make special Star Wars toys exclusively for Sears. It was not unusual at the time.
...and the 2600 is being sold for more than Nintendo or Sega hardware - even original, no mods. It's like $80 for one. $100 for one with AV output. That's what I see at local retro stores.
Favorite games (no special order):
Empire Strikes Back
Berserk
Battlezone
Earth Dies Screaming
Mouse Trap
Barnstorming
Trick Shot
Flag Capture
Blackjack
Demon Attack
Code Breaker
Maze Craze
Adventure
Night Driver
Surround is like the Tron light cycle game. You create a wall as you move and you try to get the other player to crash into the wall.
Fond memories indeed. I had the Gemini system, I believe it got its name because it came with controllers that had both a joystick and a paddle in one.
Man, I love your console generation series... That's what brought me to your chanel. I'm looking forward to future 2nd gen episodes
Thanks!
I had a six switch telegames console that I got for free because it looked like it had been sitting in about 2 inches of water for a while. Obvious water mark on the front of the console and everything inside including the main circuit board was corroded up to that point, but it still worked perfectly.
I once saw one of these in a junk dumpster, that was brought to this house suburbs once in every couple years, so that people could throw their useless trash into that. I have a fainth memory, that there was two controllers, all of the cables, the machine itself, plenty of games, all in the original package. Propably many think, that it's not a big deal, but I happen to live in scandinavia, where these ancient consoles are more rare than megalodon.
The real name of the console was Atari VCS (Video computer system). The "2600" was only added after the 5200 came out. And at the time it was referred to as "An Atari" by pretty much everyone.. "Vader" is a fan nickname that became popular after they started cheaping out on the wood paneling. Sears at the time liked to rebrand products with their own labeling, and the first big success Atari had with this console was to get a giant order from Sears, on the condition that they made a custom Sears version of the console and its games.
Thank you for your work in these videos, Adam.
Cumprimentos de Portugal.
yup, this was the first console i ever played on too.. not including my ZX spectrum, which was obviously a computer.. my earliest console memory is playing centipede on the 2600 and absolutely loving it..
As far as I know, we never got the ZX Spectrum.
It was until the release of the 5200 that they rebranded it the 2600. Before that it was just known as the Atari or Atari VCS (Video Computer System). My parents bought our first 2600 back in '81 when I was only 10 years old.
I just found out my mom had one in the Philippines when she was a kid I had no idea my parents enjoyed video games at one point
Sega did not own the license for the console version of Frogger. Parker Brothers licensed the game for the Atari vcs/2600.
Raiders of the Lost Ark used a second controller to play the game. Omega Race had an added controller that you would slide over the Atari 2600 Joystick, to allow for an additional fire button, along with the VCS controllers input for ship thrust.
To comment on your pet peeve, my mom calls everything to this very day Nintendo. My nephew has the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. She always calls it Nintendo. It was the first console we had in my family and it's the only company I've ever bought for as far as video games go.
adam i think Microsoft has the atari 2600. n there studios because the maker of the original xbox was inspired by his atari 2600 growing up
What a console.
Awesome video Adam! I love playing my Atari 2600 from time to time. It's nice for a quick gaming session without going through drawn out storylines and whatnot from modern games.
Thanks.
I can still remember when we went too Sears an picked it up had pacman ..an we also got hard revenge , asteroids and M. command. I also remember my thumb hurting when I woke up haha...this was Epic Adam really appreciate your time and effort
I can still remember when we went too Sears an picked it up had pacman ..an we also got hard revenge , asteroids and M. command. I also remember my thumb hurting when I woke up haha...this was Epic Adam really appreciate your time and effort !
Sears had a "Telegames" product line which extended through three VCS models and even Intellivision (Super Video Arcade). You could buy them through the Sears catalog (the 1978 Sears Wishbook was LEGENDARY), and at the stores. Parents trusted Sears-branded products, even though Sears wasn't the OEM. They did it with home appliances as well. I had a Telegames VCS and a Super Video Arcade. The Super Video Arcade (Intellivision) had detachable controllers. My originals were destroyed through honest use, but I bought replacements when I got into retrogaming.
Cool vid. I wouldn't mind a 1 gen recap where you talk about pong and it's influence
Thanks!
The 2600 was my first console also but I was really young and it was actually the vcs before it was the 2600. I didn't really get into gaming until I got my sega master system. But I still love my 2600 and play it at least a couple times a month.
Video games were never a fad for me young lad. People like myself are the reason why video games didn't become a fad infact. Something changed in me the first time I saw a Pong stand-up cabinet.
Ahhh Adam's first love!
The Atari 2600 was like a doorknob. Everyone got a turn.
Happy late birthday Adam
Thanks!
I saw on Wikipedia that the Sears Telegames was a partnership with Atari in which they would rebrand the console and even some games. The games under the Telegames brand where developed by Atari
just picked up a new 2600 today since mine was on the fritz and died. :( love this little console. :)
Lol. I agree. I always wondered why it was 2600. I remember getting Burgertime,pitfall and ms pac man. My first 1 ever was the Vader black. I recently found a heavy 6er at a yard sale with box for 20.00.
WHAT an iconic console !
Atari 2600 was my very first video game console. It was fun back in the day until I got Commodore 64
talking about breakout, that reminded me of playing it on my ipod classic years back
Ayyyy, finally something worth while to watch today!
Thanks.
My father had a Atari 2600 that he loved to play with and now I have one (not the same one)
I ordered a package with 12 consoles inside (2x Mgega Drive, 2x Mega Drive 2, 2x Master System 2, 5x Atari 2600 Junior, 1x Playstation 2 Super Slim, for all together 140€ from Ebay. Description says unsure if the consoles are working because he had no power suppliers for testing them. I tested all 5 Atari 2600s yesterday and all work. Some I needed to switch on and off many many times and some I needed to put the antenna cable in and out like 30 times until getting a picture, but after that they all start instantly now and work fine. After getting a culture shock from the graphics and sound now I really enjoy it, playing Missile Command over and over, it's the only game I have just now. But yes, it's an authentic old-school arcade experience, and also here in Germany this consoles are dirt cheap like nobody wants them. Same with the games. I even can just plug the antenna cable into my modern TV and it works. Also I'm just using my old Mega Drive controller to play. I prefer a controller over a joystick either.
There is LOTS of worthwhile games on the 2600. Definitely worth checking out. Being a poor boy and having very limited funds by mowing, collecting aluminum, returning returnable pop bottles, and maybe getting some apples from apple trees in our back yard and selling them id take my money to a local fleamarket and pick up 2600 games for around .50 cents a piece. It was when nes was big and people where getting rid of there 2600 games. Great time to score for a poor boy.😊
I will watch later, I've been looking forward to this, but I've been cleaning, testing and tearing down controllers for a week, I'm burned out, gave you a thumbs up cause I know it's a good video.
Thanks!
It not recognised in the UK... We had Spectrums, then the Master System, Megadrive, etc.Really interesting though...
Good stuff! I love my 2600 :)
Pitfall / River Raid rocked.
Thanks. The wood panel is truly one of the best designed consoles.
I didn't know there were so many versions of the 2600.
God bless, Proverbs 31
"Not expensive". Meanwhile in New Zealand, I'm watching a local auction for a darth vader model at $250...
adam i love your channel i say that as a PC gamer and Nintendo fan
Thanks!
The reason why it was called 2600 was phone phreaking. Nolan Bushnell and many workers in Atari was involved in hacking/phreaking. The original name was VCS Video Computer Company.
I still have my 2600 and there is a retro store that sells the carts for 3 for a dollar
thanks for doing this series Adam! I really love these Recap videos. Also I look forward to you returning to Missouri Game Con, you need to get a panel or something next year!
Good job, I dig this video!
Adventure is a graphical adaptation of the first text adventure, Colossal Cave Adventure
Also, Sega and Konami made the arcade Frogger together. Sega licensed it to Parker Bros, as in Monopoly, to publish for 2nd gen systems
I've had mine since 1980. It's still in great working order.
That was the same Year my Grandpa Bought it (He Bought it for Himself Actually)
love when you tell us about your childhood, i just love to get some snack and watch it xD
I think the all black console was bundled with Pac Man just to shift stock that was sitting in the warehouse gathering dust. I know here in the UK in late 1982 the all black model was being sold by retailers with three games bundled in, two of which was Pac Man and Space Invaders, the third may have been Combat for the price of £129.99
I have the Vader sitting on top of the Atari game center full of games! I play it alot. Still a great system
I tried and Master System controllers work on my 2600 too! Opposite is also possible,playing Sonic with a 2600 controller is pretty fun
Playing bomber raid with an Atari contriloller on my master system is the best
My Grandpa Bought an Atari 2600 in 1980 (He Bought it for Himself) my Mom got to play it at that time and she hated it because the Controller is just a Black Joystick with a Red Button on the Side and she said the Controls are Difficult to use and also my Dad owned one Around the time it 1st Released and he grew up playing Pong (Which most Grown Folks know about) you see my Parents grew up in the 70's and 80's (My Mom was Born in 1962 and my Dad was Born in 1964) and the 1st Game Console they played was the Atari 2600 they told me all about it a few Years back and that's how I found out about the History of Gaming and did my Research and I know the History of Gaming since I heard about the Story of the Original 2600 in Late 2012 - Early 2013
Man that Coleco add-on, lmao! It's like Sony making a Xbox One add-on to the PS4, then just "fuck it, here's a Sony One complete console, u mad MS?!"
Once again a fantastic video Adam!
To be fair, Atari parts were off the shelf parts.
I got my first 2600 for Christmas 1984. Then a couple days later a package arrived in the mail. It was filled with loose games that my dad picked up at a flea market. (My parents were divorced and my mom told my dad she was getting us the system so he picked up loose games and mailed them to us.) It included multiple copies of Pac-Man lol. We had fun with the 2600 version, although I did know it wasn't as good as the arcade version, it was mother fucking Pac-Man on my home TV! A few weeks later I bought Frogger but I got the wrong one. I don't remember which system it was for but it wasn't the 2600 and since we opened it, we couldn't take it back. I didn't even know there were other consoles at the time so I didn't bother to read the box to make sure before buying it. One of my favorite games at the time was Demons to Diamonds. Just like Pac-Man, I was so excited to have Space Invaders and Asteroids to play at home.
Raiders of the lost ark used 2 controllers, both joysticks and both buttons
*The Atari 2600 jr is also my favorite version too, for many of the same reasons.*