Is it worth picking up a 5200?

[Tom_Explodes]

Haha. I intend to at some point, I just have a limited budget, so it's one or the other for right now.

[vaf5136]

That's not to say I think anyone would bother BEING in this forum if they didn't like it, what I really mean is... I have a 2600. I've been spending quite some time cleaning, fixing, collecting for and playing with it. So, I have a few questions. See, I'd like to possibly get a 5200 for Christmas, but barring that, I may pick one up myself. What I'm wondering is:

 

1.) How much will it set me back?

I don't have a lot of money to spend on game collecting of any kind, but I do like to do it. Is it likely to be rather expensive to pick up a used 5200 that works along with cables, controllers that work, and the like?

2.) Seeing as I have a 2600, should I get a 5200?

I know "most" people think that the 2600 is the be-all end-all of the Atari consoles, for reasons unknown to me. The better versions of several games for 5200 and just the idea of owning one is rather appealing to me.

3.) Should I just skip it and pick up a 7800 instead?

4.) Assuming all of these = get one, what are some games I should look for?

 

I'm not badmouthing the 5200 or anything of that nature, from what little I know I actually rather like it. I just don't know a whole lot about cost etc. and I guess I'd just really like to hear what people have to say about it. You guys here are great and I don't like doing anything Atari related without asking around first. So, any opinions on the subject would be very much appreciated. Hope I haven't taken too much of your time. Thanks in advance, everybody.

 

- Tom

If you are pressed for cash, get yourself an Atari 8 bit computer. They are easy to collect for, and most not all of the 5200 library of games are almost identical to the Atari 400/800 or the XEGS. It will not set you back as much as the 5200 and is MUCH MORE RELIABLE. You can still use your 2600 controllers also. That means you can use Sega controllers which are compatible with Atari 2600, 400,800 or XEGS. The 5200 as described in many posts on this web site is extremely unreliable and will cost you a substantial amount of money to get reliable controllers and/or adaptors to get around the most controversial(read: useless) stock controllers. Good Luck!

[Brian R.]

I was fortunate to be able to get a Wico controller. I love it. Without it, my 5200 would be unusable. I found even a working stock 5200 controller unbearable to use. And PacMan is the game I play most on my 5200 with the Wico, and I have no complaints.

 

But from what I remember seeing, the Wicos aren't as easy to get now as when I got mine. I got mine sometime in the mid to late 90s from a retailer that no longer has them.

 

As for the 5200 itself, I've never had cause to consider the console unreliable in the least. The console is solid hardware, like most Atari products.

Edited November 29, 2007 by Brian R.

[SRGilbert]

I'm sure I've said this before, but for me, the problem with the controllers isn't the stick as much as the fire buttons, and this is almost as bad with the stock 7800 Prolines, or the Colecovision, or the Intellivision, blah, blah, blah........ I HATE SIDE MOUNTED FIRE BUTTONS!!!! The 5200's are particularly bad to me, but I understand that can be improved with the Best Electronics upgrades. For me, I'm just loving those Coin Controls Competition Pros.

[ninermaniac]

Get a 7800 instead. If you find Bounty Bob for the 5200 though I'll give you 20 bucks for it. Honestly I like my 7800 to play the games. Channel 3 HA ha. Anyways it would be a system to set to the side and give to the kids later after you're gone. The 7800 is so much better and looks better.

[phuzaxeman]

like the lynx, the 5200 is hands down one of the best atari game consoles in terms of good to bad game ratio. i like my 7800 and still love my 2600 but the 5200 still gets the most use.

 

i was fortunate to own all those systems back in their primes so i'm not biased at all....having all of them is the best thing for a "true" atari fan.

 

while true the 800xl probably rules in all games, the 5200 is great because their are so many excellent titles and it doesn't take forever to load using mulitcarts.

 

playing 5200 gremlins, adventure II, advanced baseball (voice), space dungeon (dual), countermeasure, robotron (dual), berzerk (voice) and centipede (trackball) alone make the 5200 worthy of owning and is overall a better game system if you rebuild your 5200 controllers (all which aren't really available for the xl).

 

there are a few nice games on the 7800, but the 5200 just has a ton more better quality games. there's a lot of crappy games with 2600 sounds on the 7800. i compare the 5200 to 7800 like i compare the lynx to my jag. both 5200 and lynx have a great library of games yet are technologically inferior (5200 and lynx are not as adanced as the 7800 and jaguar).

[mimo]

while true the 800xl probably rules in all games, the 5200 is great because their are so many excellent titles and it doesn't take forever to load using mulitcarts.

 

You are joking aren't you?!

I can get my 7800 out of the cupboard, connect it all up and load a game off my Maxflash or Cuttle Cart faster than a Windoze machine can boot up

[Lord Helmet]

while true the 800xl probably rules in all games, the 5200 is great because their are so many excellent titles and it doesn't take forever to load using mulitcarts.

 

You are joking aren't you?!

I can get my 7800 out of the cupboard, connect it all up and load a game off my Maxflash or Cuttle Cart faster than a Windoze machine can boot up

 

 

 

I'm confused...what does booting up a computer have to do with using the 5200 with a multicart?

[mimo]

while true the 800xl probably rules in all games, the 5200 is great because their are so many excellent titles and it doesn't take forever to load using mulitcarts.

 

You are joking aren't you?!

I can get my 7800 out of the cupboard, connect it all up and load a game off my Maxflash or Cuttle Cart faster than a Windoze machine can boot up

 

 

 

I'm confused...what does booting up a computer have to do with using the 5200 with a multicart?

Nothing, just saying that loading from multicarts is NOT a slow process

[BydoEmpire]

5200 Pac Man isn't all that great imho, but 5200 Pac Man is my favorite home port by a wide margin... in fact, I like it more than the arcade game. No, I haven't played Pac Man Collection yet.

[Jess Ragan]

5200 Pac Man isn't all that great imho, but 5200 Pac Man is my favorite home port by a wide margin...

 

[+wood_jl]

I would suggest that you get an Atari 8-bit computer - like 800XL or "XE Game System."

 

Functionally, they are equivalent to a 5200 (the 5200 itself was kind of an ill-fated derivative OF the 8-bit Atari), but without all the issues. I don't want to upset anybody with these observations - I sense a day in the future (when I'm not trying to go to school and can afford everything) when I will get a nice 5200 setup......but money IS an issue for me now and if it is for you, then an 8-bit Atari computer should fit in nicely.

 

The 8-bit computer plays the same games, but uses the 2600's controllers. That's the big coup for the casual gamer - the controllers. As far as I know, you **CAN** "fix" a 5200's notoriously troublesome and unreliable controller. ***SOMEONE FILL ME IN SINCE I'VE BEEN OUT OF IT FOR A WHILE*** But if you check such sites as "Best Electronics" for **ALL* the upgrades necessary to do it, it's going to cost you roughly $35 (more???) plus shipping just for the controller.

 

I picked up a MINT 130XE (the top 8-bit Atari computer) for $45. It has S-video built in (but need $12 cable from Ebay - but for 5200 you need a much more expensive/troublesome mod to get S-video (or composite)). The 130XE plays all the same games. It uses dime-a-dozen 2600 controllers.

 

I like the 5200 and want to learn MORE about how to "permanently" fix the controllers (if that's possible) but I have to advise that I think the 8-bit Atari computer is not only a fitting competitor for a 5200, but that it's actually cheaper. You'd have to get a 5200 (for whatever cost), then spend maybe $40 to get a "perfected" controller shipped to your door, then more for a video mod to get composite or (better yet) S-video output. You can get a cable on Ebay for $12 (I just did) for the 130XE. Not to mention the 130XE itself cost little more than a "perfected" 5200 controller (only) does....and it uses dirt-cheap 2600 controllers.

 

I don't dislike the 5200; I'd like to learn more about them and I think I'll get one for "the collection" but I'd be hard-pressed to not acknowledge the things I've said, and I wonder if anyone else wouldn't be as well.

 

James Wood

Laramie, WY

Edited November 30, 2007 by wood_jl

[Jess Ragan]

He's... got... James Wood! And I've got James Wood, too!

[+wood_jl]

He's... got... James Wood! And I've got James Wood, too!

 

 

He's the "Patron Saint of Creamy Desserts".

 

Better watch out, but I'd have to have wear a body condom before I got around him.

[Jess Ragan]

As I said in the private message, it's a reference to the James Woods episode of Family Guy. Don't get all wound up about it.

 

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6...h&plindex=0

 

(Bah, jokes are never funny when you have to explain them...)

 

Also, calling people "fluffer" and telling them they have HIV probably isn't too smart. I'll chalk this up to a misunderstanding but let's not try that again.

Edited November 30, 2007 by Jess Ragan

[+wood_jl]

As I said in the private message, it's a reference to the James Woods episode of Family Guy. Don't get all wound up about it.

 

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6...h&plindex=0

 

(Bah, jokes are never funny when you have to explain them...)

 

Also, calling people "fluffer" and telling them they have HIV probably isn't too smart. I'll chalk this up to a misunderstanding but let's not try that again.

 

 

Ok, point taken.

 

Assuming everyone knows the "Family Guy" reference probably isn't the wisest move ever, especially if you invoke their name directly. My apologies to you, then. Note I didn't call you anything in a public forum. Nonetheless, I apologize. Might I suggest you consider I didn't know your reference; but should I realistically be expected to?

 

Note to all: I'm simply here to chat up the facts. I'm really enthusiastic about video games, and I'd have to say - after all these years, especially so about getting back into Atari, which I can't believe I've been without for so many years.

 

I'd like to hear REAL 5200 OWNERS opinions, by the way. My friend (die-hard 5200 advocate) has me almost conviced. Star Raiders on 5200 (my opinion as non-5200 owner) is the BEST!!! The strategy of using residual momentum to enter a sector and "coast" towards your targets makes me want a 5200 just for that.

 

I withdraw my comments, but before you question my intelligence, I suggest you ask youself the question "What would you think" if the patron of creamy desserts was - unbeknownst to you - predicating some sort of humor using your real name, which you had balls enough to use in the first place.

 

I stand corrected.

 

James Wood

Laramie, WY

[Jess Ragan]

I probably should have included the link in that post, I'll grant you that.

 

By the way, the "Patron Saint of Creamy Desserts" title is from a little-seen film called Freaked, directed by the blond guy from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Here's a little clip.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-YaFNNb3Nw

 

But yeah, the Atari 5200. It's a great system, but be sure to get the two-port version! It's much less hassle.

Edited November 30, 2007 by Jess Ragan

[phuzaxeman]

while true the 800xl probably rules in all games, the 5200 is great because their are so many excellent titles and it doesn't take forever to load using mulitcarts.

 

You are joking aren't you?!

I can get my 7800 out of the cupboard, connect it all up and load a game off my Maxflash or Cuttle Cart faster than a Windoze machine can boot up

 

 

 

I'm confused...what does booting up a computer have to do with using the 5200 with a multicart?

Nothing, just saying that loading from multicarts is NOT a slow process

that's what i said.... :-)

[ApolloBoy]

Get a 5200, 7800 and an XEGS/800XL. Done.

[ApolloBoy]

The 7800 is so much better and looks better.

 

Something tells me you've never seen a clean 5200 before. Don't get me wrong, the 7800 is an attractive system, but the 5200 looks more slick, what with all that glossy plastic.

[vaf5136]

I would suggest that you get an Atari 8-bit computer - like 800XL or "XE Game System."

 

Functionally, they are equivalent to a 5200 (the 5200 itself was kind of an ill-fated derivative OF the 8-bit Atari), but without all the issues. I don't want to upset anybody with these observations - I sense a day in the future (when I'm not trying to go to school and can afford everything) when I will get a nice 5200 setup......but money IS an issue for me now and if it is for you, then an 8-bit Atari computer should fit in nicely.

 

The 8-bit computer plays the same games, but uses the 2600's controllers. That's the big coup for the casual gamer - the controllers. As far as I know, you **CAN** "fix" a 5200's notoriously troublesome and unreliable controller. ***SOMEONE FILL ME IN SINCE I'VE BEEN OUT OF IT FOR A WHILE*** But if you check such sites as "Best Electronics" for **ALL* the upgrades necessary to do it, it's going to cost you roughly $35 (more???) plus shipping just for the controller.

 

I picked up a MINT 130XE (the top 8-bit Atari computer) for $45. It has S-video built in (but need $12 cable from Ebay - but for 5200 you need a much more expensive/troublesome mod to get S-video (or composite)). The 130XE plays all the same games. It uses dime-a-dozen 2600 controllers.

 

I like the 5200 and want to learn MORE about how to "permanently" fix the controllers (if that's possible) but I have to advise that I think the 8-bit Atari computer is not only a fitting competitor for a 5200, but that it's actually cheaper. You'd have to get a 5200 (for whatever cost), then spend maybe $40 to get a "perfected" controller shipped to your door, then more for a video mod to get composite or (better yet) S-video output. You can get a cable on Ebay for $12 (I just did) for the 130XE. Not to mention the 130XE itself cost little more than a "perfected" 5200 controller (only) does....and it uses dirt-cheap 2600 controllers.

 

I don't dislike the 5200; I'd like to learn more about them and I think I'll get one for "the collection" but I'd be hard-pressed to not acknowledge the things I've said, and I wonder if anyone else wouldn't be as well.

 

James Wood

Laramie, WY

Ditto, the XE ROCKS!

[BassGuitari]

I'm just going to post my thoughts on this. It's late, and I didn't read the entire thread, so I apologise if and when I repeat things mentioned by other posters:

 

The Atari 5200 is a great system with a vast amount of brilliant software, but I hesitate to recommend it to casual players/collectors. The hardware is generally more expensive than other consoles. Also, there is the matter of the Atari 5200's joysticks, which require frequent maintainance, unless you get a "gold-dot" refurbished joystick, which are typically sold at about $40 a pop. Or you could buy the parts and do it yourself...either way, you're either tinkering and repairing or paying through the nose, though with the gold dot upgrade, it'd probably be a one-time thing. And just to let you know, when they are working properly, the Atari 5200 joysticks are awesome controllers...don't listen to the haters! Third-party controllers and other accessories like the Joystick Coupler and Trak-Ball controller, while often of high quality, are also often expensive.

 

Another thing to consider is whether you want a system with four controller jacks or two. Each have their own annoying quirks that makes one system a trade-off for the other. The 4-port model, for instance, requires a proprietary RF switch unit (which sometimes tend to be flaky), and is compatible with all Atari 5200 cartridges, but is incompatible with the Atari 2600 Adapter. The 2-port model can use any old switchbox you've got lying around, and is compatible with the 2600 Adapter, but is incompatible with a couple of games (Pitfall and Mountain King, iirc...there may be one or two others). For the record, I own both, and I prefer the 4-port Atari 5200.

 

Those are the negative aspects of the Atari 5200 in a nutshell. It can be expensive and the joysticks often require some work under the hood. It's a mechanic's system, as it were.

 

However, I think the positive aspects of the Atari 5200 outweigh its negatives. The Atari 5200's software library is among the finest of any classic game system. For every twenty good games, there will be one mediocre title. I say "mediocre" because I don't think there are really any BAD games for the Atari 5200. And, barring rare collectible cartridges and prototypes, they can be had inexpensively, which is especially great when you consider the dues you have to pay with the hardware. The Atari 5200 also has homebrew games -such as Adventure II, Koffi: Yellow 'Copter, Castle Crisis, and Beef Drop- that will blow your mind. And games like Centipede, Missile Command, Super Breakout, and Kaboom! take on whole new lives when played with the Trak-Ball controller. Space Dungeon and Robotron, with their dual-joystick control scheme, offer gameplay that is so unique and addicting that Joe Lieberman would try to make it illegal if he knew about it. Space Dungeon cannot be found on any other system, if I'm not mistaken. The Atari 5200's smallish library makes it a great system to collect for, as well. Oh yeah, and the console looks about as sexy as video game consoles can look.

 

Those are the positive aspects of the Atari 5200 in a nutshell. The games KICK ASS, it has a very high ratio of good games to not-so-great games, and it's fairly easy to collect for.

 

Should you get an Atari 5200 if you have an Atari 2600? Absolutely.

 

Should you get an Atari 7800 instead of an Atari 5200? Maybe, assuming the ability to play Atari 2600 games isn't part of the equation. But since they both can (the 2-port 5200 with a 2600 Adapter), it's not. It's personal preference, but I would go with the 5200, on the basis that, in my opinion, the Atari 7800 simply has a lower ratio of good games to bad games from a total number of titles that is low to begin with. The Atari 7800 is a neat system, but I prefer the 5200 for various reasons.

 

Should you get an Atari 8-Bit Computer instead of an Atari 5200? Yes and no. "Yes" because you have access to a vastly larger software library and you can use Atari 2600-compatible controllers. Most of the 5200's games are identical to their 400/800 counterparts anyway, so from that standpoint the 8-Bit is more practical. "No" because the Atari 5200 is an experience. There's just something about it that I can't explain coherently, but I think if you played a 5200 you'd know what I mean. "5200ness" may not be enough of a reason for some people for forgo the practicality of the 8-Bit, but it's still pretty damn cool. Hell, just get a 5200 AND an 8-Bit. But at least with the 5200 you don't have to buy disk drives and all those other assorted devices.

 

 

Well, there you have it. If you're up to it, the Atari 5200 is definately worth picking up. But, you really have to want it.

[+Random Terrain]

Is Jess Ragan Patron Saint of Distasteful Posts?

 

By the way, the "Patron Saint of Creamy Desserts" title is from a little-seen film called Freaked, directed by the blond guy from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Here's a little clip.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-YaFNNb3Nw

I saw that movie a long time ago. I think everyone should see it at least once. This related

sure does suck though.

 

If I could use a converted modern controller with a 5200 where the thumbsticks on that one controller could be used as both Atari 5200 controllers, I'd probably buy an Atari 5200.

 

One controller in place of two Atari 5200 controllers? Can it be done? I can't do it, but will anyone else ever try? Tune in next week, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel! (Wood_jl, that last part is from the the 1966 TV series called Batman. Try not to freak out. I wasn't calling you batty.)

[Prodos8]

One controller in place of two Atari 5200 controllers? Can it be done? I can't do it, but will anyone else ever try?

Its been done: http://www94.pair.com/jsoper/2600_psx_adap.html

[+Random Terrain]

One controller in place of two Atari 5200 controllers? Can it be done? I can't do it, but will anyone else ever try?

Its been done: http://www94.pair.com/jsoper/2600_psx_adap.html

Thanks. Now will anyone do it so that we can buy them?