Atari XE Video Game System deal

[Catsmasher]

I just found an Atari XE Video Game system new in the box. The box is somewhat worn, but the contents are new and still wrapped. My local video game guy found it in his storeroom and called me (it is good to let folks know what you are interested in). I bought the system for 60 dollars.

Did I get an OK deal? I didn't find enough of these on ebay to get a feel, but I thought it would be a good addition to the collection.

Thay have another system in the box, but it is not new. It is a bit yellowed, but it is complete.

 

Being new to this system, what are the best games to start with?

 

Thanks

Catsmasher.

[jaybird3rd]

$60 was a good price for a boxed one. XEGS systems in decent shape seem to go for about $40 on eBay, but those usually aren't new or in the box.

 

Look through the forums to get an idea of the best games for the system; it can play almost all 800/XL/XE games. The XEGS is my favorite console for use with the MyIDE interface: one of the complaints about MyIDE is that it isn't compatible with the PBI/ECI bus, but the XEGS doesn't have either. I also like that it has standard RCA jacks for composite output, making it more convenient to use as a livingroom set-top box.

[TheGreatPW]

I just found an Atari XE Video Game system new in the box. The box is somewhat worn, but the contents are new and still wrapped. My local video game guy found it in his storeroom and called me (it is good to let folks know what you are interested in). I bought the system for 60 dollars.

Did I get an OK deal? I didn't find enough of these on ebay to get a feel, but I thought it would be a good addition to the collection.

Thay have another system in the box, but it is not new. It is a bit yellowed, but it is complete.

 

Being new to this system, what are the best games to start with?

 

Thanks

Catsmasher.

 

To quote Howie Mandel from Deal or No Deal: "You made a great deal!" A better deal (if you can spare the extra dough during this Great Depression) is to buy the additional XE Game System to play on and keep the new in the box as a collector item as the value can only go up as new in the box XEGs are only going to get rarer and I suspect that Atari 8-bit computer owners will want this system more as time passes.

 

Congratulations on picking this beautiful system up! You bought the most innovative and stylish system in the XE line. Also you bought a game system that plays the best version of arcade games from the 70s and 80s that were the envy of the gaming & computer world (at the time) and was only available on Atari for a long time (until the dreaded Atarisoft anyway). What was even more remarkable was that some of the best games were made on only a 16K cartridge (for the Atari 400 computer) and was still better than versions for disk based computers with 48K or 64K that the titles would later be converted to (again by the dreaded Atarisoft and other 3rd party software developers). Back then the phrase: The world ran on PCs, schools ran on Apples and games ran on Atari was completely true and I think the following are games you should definitely check out. You probably have played some or all of these games on an Atari 2600 or other game system or computer back then but if you have not played the Atari computer/XE Game System version, you did not play the best version. Note most of them were made by Atari which made the best games that everyone wanted back then period. I also listed some "nice to have cartridges" by Atari which were not games but computer applications like word processing and computer languages which amazingly all ran on a 16K cartridge.

 

Atari

Asteroids

Berzerk

Cavern of Mars

Crystal Castles

BallBlazer

Barnyard Blasters (fun light gun game for your XE light gun)

Centipede

Choplifter (64K XE Game System exclusive released by Atari)

CrimeBusters (fun light gun for your XE light gun)

Crossbow (fun light gun game for your XE light gun)

Defender

Dig Dug

Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong Jr.

Eastern Front 1941

Galaxian

Joust

Jungle Hunt

Kangaroo

Mario Bros. (64K XE Game System version)

Millipede

Moon Patrol

Ms. Pac-Man

Pac-Man

Pole Position

Qix

RealSports Football

RealSports Tennis

Rescue on the Fractalus

Robotron 2084

Space Invaders

Star Raiders

Star Raiders II

Super Breakout

 

Nice to have (computer applications to take note of)

Atariwriter (a full featured word processor on a 16K cartridge)

Logo (a 16K cartridge that was also the best version of Logo on all computer platforms)

Pilot (Atari's alternative to Logo)

 

Parker Brothers

Frogger

Popeye

Q*Bert

 

Activision

Pitfall II

River Raid

 

Sega

Supper Zaxxon

Tapper

Up & Down

 

A lot of these titles can be purchased at a great price from B&C Computervisions. They are a long time Atari dealer from the 80s and are still around today. I can personally recommend this great Atari dealer as I have been buying Atari products from them since the mid 80s.

 

Of course you also have eBay as well if you want to avoid the retailer route (although B&C also has an eBay store).

 

For further reading, check out Videogame Trader Magazine's article on the XE Game System for free.

 

Also, if you want to add a disk drive, a 1050 or XF551 are your best choices as the 810 may not be fully compatible with all the software that was released. Lastly you can also buy a new Atari dot matrix printer like the XMM801 or a reconditioned 1025 printer from B&C Computervision as well to fully experience the Atari 8-bit computer world.

 

Have fun! Long live Atari!

Edited February 25, 2010 by TheGreatPW

[Catsmasher]

Wow!

Lot's of great feedback.

That is more information than I was able to get after three days of surfing the web.

Thanks a lot. I look forward to playing on the system and learning about it.

I just bought Robotron2084 off of ebay. It is one of my favorite arcade games.

Unfortunately I have been out of town since I bought it

But my son tells me it works well.

[mimo]

Wow!

Lot's of great feedback.

That is more information than I was able to get after three days of surfing the web.

Thanks a lot. I look forward to playing on the system and learning about it.

I just bought Robotron2084 off of ebay. It is one of my favorite arcade games.

Unfortunately I have been out of town since I bought it

But my son tells me it works well.

 

hope you got the joystick holder for robotron, makes the game so much better using 2 joysticks imo

[Catsmasher]

Wow!

Lot's of great feedback.

That is more information than I was able to get after three days of surfing the web.

Thanks a lot. I look forward to playing on the system and learning about it.

I just bought Robotron2084 off of ebay. It is one of my favorite arcade games.

Unfortunately I have been out of town since I bought it

But my son tells me it works well.

 

hope you got the joystick holder for robotron, makes the game so much better using 2 joysticks imo

 

Yes I did. The game is new in the box with the holder. I will probably use it as a pattern to build a wooden holder so I don't tear up the box.

[TheGreatPW]

Wow!

Lot's of great feedback.

That is more information than I was able to get after three days of surfing the web.

Thanks a lot. I look forward to playing on the system and learning about it.

I just bought Robotron2084 off of ebay. It is one of my favorite arcade games.

Unfortunately I have been out of town since I bought it

But my son tells me it works well.

 

hope you got the joystick holder for robotron, makes the game so much better using 2 joysticks imo

 

Yes I did. The game is new in the box with the holder. I will probably use it as a pattern to build a wooden holder so I don't tear up the box.

 

Since you brought up the controller holder, be sure to check the link to B&C Computervisions in my earlier post as they also sell the trackball controller which is the best way to play Missile Command (a built in game on the XE Game System). You may also want to pick up Centipede and Millipede as well as those games are no where as fun with a joystick.

 

Also Track & Field is a great game and B&C sells the Track & Field controllers that brings the whole experience home. It is a real nice to have as part of your collection.

[atariksi]

Wow!

Lot's of great feedback.

That is more information than I was able to get after three days of surfing the web.

Thanks a lot. I look forward to playing on the system and learning about it.

I just bought Robotron2084 off of ebay. It is one of my favorite arcade games.

Unfortunately I have been out of town since I bought it

But my son tells me it works well.

 

hope you got the joystick holder for robotron, makes the game so much better using 2 joysticks imo

 

Yes I did. The game is new in the box with the holder. I will probably use it as a pattern to build a wooden holder so I don't tear up the box.

 

Since you brought up the controller holder, be sure to check the link to B&C Computervisions in my earlier post as they also sell the trackball controller which is the best way to play Missile Command (a built in game on the XE Game System). You may also want to pick up Centipede and Millipede as well as those games are no where as fun with a joystick.

 

Also Track & Field is a great game and B&C sells the Track & Field controllers that brings the whole experience home. It is a real nice to have as part of your collection.

 

I think Missile command is great with a trackball but Centipede/Millipede lose that accuracy with a trackball vs. a joystick. Atari ST mouse works well with Missile Command-- at least the simulated one that I tried.