Algus

The XEGS is just a console version of the 65XE they both play exactly the same games. You can connect a keyboard to the XEGS too to turn it into a computer so you can use tapes, disks and applications. Ahh, alright cool. Thanks for the speedy response. If I decide to go this route I will probably look at getting a 65XE or a 130XE...I think the XEGS looks really stupid >.>

Alright, I did some Googling/ebaying so quick question for you computer guys. Am I right in guessing the Atari XEGS is the Holy Grail so to speak in that it can run all the Atari 8-bit computer games + its own library? With optionally an Atari 130XE as my second choice - it being able to do EVERYTHING but run XEGS specific games?

I'm a big fan of the SaGa series. It used to be heavily panned in the US though it seems like these days most of the haters have moved on so all thats left is a vocal, and loyal, fanbase. SaGa Frontier is one of my top PS1 games. There's a few NES games I think are great that people either hate or just don't know about. Dick Tracy comes to mind. It is a hard game but once you know how to manipulate the rules it becomes a lot easier and its got very good visuals for the NES (anything that is clean and bright is a win for me).

Thanks for all the great feedback guys! RE Rikkarr - I'm kind of a goofball and like having the original machines. I'm even like "errrm...nah" when playing stuff on the VC on my Wii (even though I mainly bought it for VC...) I don't like to emulate on my PC very much either (although I do it..). Also I'm to lazy to take my 32X off my Genesis heh. I would definitely like to have the SMS hardware at some point. If it was just to play the games there are plenty of other options. RE malducci - Mainly US since I don't have a ton of cash and imports can get expensive at times. I have a few Japanese games in the collection, although they're all for PSP so I wouldn't really call them them vintage . I think I want to start either a Famicom or Super Famicom collection at some point but those are long term goals and there's other US stuff I'd like to have first. But yes, I'm mainly interested in just US hardware/games right now. You guys might have me sold on checking into an Atari 8-bit computer (I would still like a 5200 at ~some~ point but maybe when I have more money and won't flinch at the controller costs haha). I had been contemplating either a VIC-20 (as a curiosity) or a Commodore 64 (never had one, have several friends who rave about it...also Transformers games!) from that era of home computers, though my main interest was in collecting consoles. So the Atari 400/800 are super cheap? Didn't one of them use the same cartridges as one of the consoles? Or am I getting confused with the ADAM?

IIRC later iterations of the original model had smaller internal hardware and then there was the SNES 2 which had a different casing as well as a different internal arrangement.

Now that I've got my atari 6-switch out of the way, I've also been thinking about what system to grab next. Have my eye on three Sega Master System Pros: Its Sega Cons: None? Atari 5200 Pros: STUNNING ARCADE VISUALS Cons: I Really don't want to put out the bones for a good controller ($50 USD?) TurboGrafx-16 Pros: Hardware is affordable and reliable (sans the CD add-on) Cons: Small library? The SMS will complete my Sega collection (for consoles, not handhelds). Turbografx would be my first "minor" console I guess. Dunno about the 5200. Like I don't even really care about the games, I just like the idea of the console itself. Even unmodified controllers are so damn pricey though. SMS has the lowest entry point in terms of price of hardware I believe, but I wonder if I'll like its library over the Turbografx library. For the TG-16 I adore Bomberman and want a crack at the Adventure Island game. For the SMS I really want to play the Wonder Boy games as I've never played them despite being a huge Adventure Island fan. The 5200 interests me for the possibility that I should be able to easily collect the majority of the library and it seems like most of the games are improved versions of 2600 classics. Dunno about that funky A/V setup its got going though and I know for sure I want the 4-port so I'd have to contend with it... I also kind of want to get a Coleco Telstar or something just so I can be all, "I have something from every generation, " but that's kind of a low priority for me and I'm to lazy to research what would be the best Pong console to grab. Plus it seems like all of those kinds of machines are multiplayer which is a bit of a downer as we're usually gaming at my friend's house so I'd have to drag it over there just to really check it out.

Nice! Gamecubes have been pretty easy to get because no one really needs them with the Wii out. The controllers and cards tend to be pricey though since they went out of production but people need them for their Wiis heh. Try to find a wavebird if you can. No rumble feature but they work great. A bit bulky if you have smaller hands though.

Good luck with the Dreamcast! I never could get my hands on one that had a good laser.

Yeah. Almost all the old light guns have those problems. It really blows for me because I don't have an old set anymore so all my zapper games on my NES languish in disuse. Whenever I get around to finally picking up Hogan's Alley, I'm just gonna go find an old TV though.

Broke in my new 6-switch with Asteroids and Galaxian last night. Gave Vanguard a go this morning and will probably go Space Invaders later tonight.

Heh, funny enough a few days after I posted in this topic I saw a great deal for a 6 switch on ebay with a stack of games and manuals I didn't have so I decided to bite the bullet. It arrived today

That was my thought on it as well. Sounds like something I'm to lazy to actually earn enough points to do anything with on but eh

Oh that looks a lot snazzier than mine. I just have Pac-Man, Galaxian, Bosconian and two other games I never play (I htink Pole Position is one of them)

I wouldn't look for an STO port to OS X at all. I played heavily for a good six months and things in that game are just to grim. I'm still in contact with my Fleet but it doesn't sound like the game is getting any better. And I'm not just talking about the game itself, but in terms of who and how many people are working on it and the size of the player base. I don't think they have the capital to develop an OS X port.

The Gold Box engine was snazzy as heck but I really hated how you had to carry around a freaking book for the dialogue for most of the games. I really, really dug Unlimited Adventures, the "gold box game maker" The included scenario was a blast and it cut down on a lot of the tedious bulk from the earlier games and streamlined the whole experience. Man, now I wanna fire DOSBox up

Yeah didn't Atari have a fairly respectable 15% market share or so? They weren't the King like they had been in the late 70s and early 80s (and largely through inept management IMO) but they were still doing fairly steady business. They just had a hell of a time getting third party support on their later consoles.

That Popeye one is amazing. Unf. most of these predate me as I wasn't really reading comics until 92-93 or so

Nintendo would have gone alone eventually I bet. It might have propped Atari up for a bit, but even a great product would have a hard time correcting bad management which is the biggest demon that Atari faced. My guess is Atari would have done something to anger Nintendo and the big N would have started marketing its products on its own. It is kind of ironic that years later after licensing deals fell through, Nintendo would eventually be squashed by Sony when their cd add-on turned into the PS1.

You got any issues that have the original print ad for Mystic Quest? I remember reading DC comics in the early 90s and they all seemed to have this ad. It made Mystic Quest seem like the most awesome game ever.

Have you seen A-VCS-Tec Challenge? Its homebrew so it doesn't represent the typical kind of game that was coming out in the Atari 2600's heyday but its visuals are eye-popping. Also what is that game that managed to have an actual starfield? That looked impressive as hell as well and IIRC it did come out during the 2600's commercial lifetime

boo I'm really bad at old games, even if I love them. Asteroids is just the right mix for me. If I ever actually start trying to get boxed games instead of just going for cartridges, I'll probably have to fetch Asteroids in the box

I gotta get Kaboom! myself. GET ASTEROIDS DUDE

Two Worlds literally made me cry heh Bullet Witch is dreadful but I couldn't stop playing it. Good budget game. I feel like a sexist worm by even looking at it but Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers. This game is a joke that you have to see to believe. PS2 graphics at best and it plays terribly (redefines button masher). And my old favorite Rumble Roses XX. In the words of my friend's fiance when she saw it, "I HATE ALL MEN"

What do you like and what have you played? heh, there are literally years worth of games from all those systems to keep you busy. Some favorites: Atari 260 - Yars' Revenge, Galaxian, Missile Command, Asteroids NES - River City Ransom, The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Dragon Warrior III, Castlevania (series), Super Mario Bros. 3, Double Dragon 2, Kirby's Adventure SNES - Final Fantasy III, Chrono Trigger, Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals, Pocky and Rocky, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Star Fox, Super Metroid Genesis - Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage (series), Phantasy Star II, Jurassic Park, B.O.B. (on SNES as well), Vectorman Saturn - NiGHTs into Dreams, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider Dreamcast - Shenmue, Skies of Arcadia I'm a bit of an RPG fan as you can see so it is a bit RPG heavy...

Haha, sounds like something I would do. I'd like to get a Colecovision at some point but I've still got the Atari 5200 and Sega Master System higher on my list. Need to round out my game libraries on my older systems a bit more before I buy new hardware anyway.