5200 cartridges in 1986

[Mister VCS]

I heard that Atari stopped supporting the 5200 in 1983/1984.

Why was Atari producing cartridges for this system in 1986?

The 5200 was dead since 2 years! Did they re-release the unit in 1986?

 

In Germany the 5200 never saw the light of the day, because Atari Germany

didn´t want a competition between the 5200 and the 600/800 XL.

[Tempest]

Atari re-distributed 5200 games in 1986 like they did with the 2600. AFAIK they never redistributed the 5200 units themselves. It's interesting to note that it was during this time that Gremlins finally hit the shelves even though it was ready in 84. Apperently it had just been released to manufacturing the day before the Tremiels took over so it was too late to stop it from being produced. They must have had thousands of Gremlins carts ready to go and just sat on them for 2 years until 86.

 

Tempest

[atari70s]

im yet to see a 5200 cart dated after 1984. tempest do you have any on your webstie???

[Tempest]

I do own a few, but I don't have any pictures posted. I know I have a 1986 Dig Dug and RS Football. I've seen RS Tennis (may have this as well), Vanguard (the famous no title cart), and Space Invaders.

 

Tempest

[+-^CrossBow^-]

I have an 86 copyrighted Countermeasure. Looks just like the standard label only the artwork and lettering is a little fuzzy as if it is all outta focus. Also the shiny silver color that is on the outer edge of the label art was changed to a much duller silver color that almost looks grey. I can scan it later tonight if interested...

 

I might add that all the 86 label carts I have seen and I have seen several, are also missing the 3 digit manufacture code that is also imprinted into the labels in the upper left corners. So that was probably the first thing that I noticed was that missing from the 86 labels. Also, because of the time of release I think that most of the Lucasarts games are missing the 3 digit manufacture code as well. I know my Fractalus cart doesn't have the 3 digit date code, has the duller greyish outer edge on the label arework and has a copyright of 86 on it as well. I think the scan of it here at AtariAge is the same?

 

Anyway, 86 labeled 5200 carts do indeed exist.

[Albert]

quote:

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Originally posted by Tempest:

It's interesting to note that it was during this time that Gremlins finally hit the shelves even though it was ready in 84. Apperently it had just been released to manufacturing the day before the Tremiels took over so it was too late to stop it from being produced. They must have had thousands of Gremlins carts ready to go and just sat on them for 2 years until 86.

---

 

I don't know, the picture of the Gremlins cart here on AtariAge (which is from my collection) has a copyright date of 1986. So if they did manufacture the carts in 1984, they apparently didn't create (and apply) labels until 1986.

 

Other Atari 5200 carts with a 1986 copyright are Ballblazer and Rescue on Fractalus. All the other pictures on AtariAge for other 5200 carts produced by Atari have copyrights earlier than 1986. I'll have to go through the duplicate 5200 carts I have (well over a hundred) and look at every label to see what I can unearth.

 

..Al