krypton85 Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 This system is one of the most worthless systems out there. Discuss [/troll] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bomberpunk Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUm5-1x1LfA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariBrian Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 it probably is at the bottom of systems to have in some peoples opinion, but there are some good games for it and good homebrews. the controllers are what really hurt it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldSchoolRetroGamer Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 All I need to say: http://youtu.be/vWylDgzEKA4 http://youtu.be/pmc7XSYtu70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirage Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 (edited) it probably is at the bottom of systems to have in some peoples opinion, but there are some good games for it and good homebrews. the controllers are what really hurt it Conversely: it is at the top of systems to have in my opinion, and there are some great games for it and fantastic homebrews. the controllers are what really make it so great Edited February 13, 2012 by Mirage 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinMos3 Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 (edited) The Atari 5200: Why bother?This system is one of the most worthless systems out there. Discuss Definitely trolling, but in lighthearted good fun I hope. Plain and simple; it has a lot of great games, many of which are my favorite version for any system. The controllers do hurt it for some games, but are great for others. For games that are better with digital control, I recommend a Wico controller. I absolutely love mine. Having both digital and analog available as well as a trackball makes the system perfect for almost everything – with one exception named below. This makes the controller issue a moot point for me. Some examples of games meant for analog: Pole Position Missile Command Centipede Kaboom! Rescue on Fractalus Star Wars Arcade Blaster ...and pretty much any flying game Games definitely meant for digital: Keystone Kapers Pitfall I & II Montezuma's Revenge Kangaroo Pac-Man ...and pretty much any game like these where precise directional movements are needed Some games that are great with either: Adventure II (My favorite) Buck Rogers Gremlins Defender ...quite a few fall into this category Unfortunately, one of my favorite games on other systems is virtually unplayable for me on the 5200 – H.E.R.O. The controls for this one were truly converted over to analog, but I've never been able to get used to it. Using a digital joystick with this one makes it unplayable due to the digital "all-or-nothing" control, so it lacks small precise movements for navigating through the mine shafts. Edited February 13, 2012 by KevinMos3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ransom Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Yep, as others have said, it's all about the controllers. I'm a big fan of the A8, but even I prefer the 5200 for playing trak-ball games, games that use the analog controller, and games that use two buttons. Plus, who doesn't love the massiveness of the thing? Even the carts are huge. It's a very manly system. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicViper Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 (edited) I'll stick with my 800XL.... Edited February 13, 2012 by VicViper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirage Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 I think it was a troll in lighthearted good fun, and either way, since this exact same discussion comes up here every so often, and I haven't seen one in awhile, a love/hate 5200 thread was probably overdue! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fernando marrin Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 all i know is that i drooled over the 5200 on catalogs back in the day because i was a "poor" 2600 owner now it's a priceless system to me 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 I'm a recent 5200 owner, having bought my first 5200 system within the last year. I grew up playing games on the 400/800 systems, and for the longest time I didn't see any reason to own a 5200 since it's based on the same technology. It was the last of the Atari systems that I added to my collection. Now that I have one, along with an AtariMax Ultimate SD cartridge and a good set of joysticks and trackballs, I've gotten to like it for several reasons: This may be a superficial item, but I really enjoy the overall 5200 design. I much prefer the wedge-shaped, top-loading form factor for cartridge-based consoles, and the 5200 is probably the most attractive specimen that Atari produced. The size, the color, and the overall level of polish and professionalism really creates a luxurious, "no expenses spared" impression, and to me it's representative of the American video game industry at its pre-crash climax. The 7800 is a nice-looking console, too, but it's much smaller and lighter and has more of a "budget" feel to it, which isn't quite as appealing. Several of the "Atari 800" games I've played for years were actually 5200 games that had been converted to the 400/800 computers. Now that I have a 5200, I can play them on their "native system", and I find that several of them (particularly trackball games) actually work better. Speaking of which ... OH MY GOD the 5200 Trak-Ball is a gorgeous controller! It's quickly become my favorite of all the trackballs I own. I love the fact that it has two keypads for left-handed and right-handed players, something that almost didn't happen: Dan Kramer apparently liked the two-keypad design so much that he hid away the single-keypad prototype in his closet, so that it wasn't even available as an option when the final design was chosen. I think it adds to the luxurious feel of the 5200 that I mentioned earlier. I've found that the joystick controllers aren't as bad as their reputation would suggest. I'm using a pair of refurbished joysticks from Best Electronics, so I'll grant that I'm experiencing them in their best possible state (which not everyone has the luxury of doing), but I still don't see what all the fuss is about. They took some getting used to, but they function quite well for me. My biggest issues are: the possibility of perspiration accumulating behind the side action buttons (these really should not have been soft rubber), and the fact that several of the games only respond to the extreme edges of the joystick's range. Bounty Bob Strikes Back is the most heartbreaking game in this regard: I really want to play this on the 5200 exclusively, but I have to push the joystick all the way to the right or left to get Bounty Bob to move, and sometimes even that isn't enough. Perhaps I need to recalibrate the controller ports again. The 5200—at least the original version—is the only Atari-produced console which had four controller ports, without requiring an external adapter (like the Jaguar's Team Tap). This opens up intriguing possibilities for four-player games. Although few of the 5200 titles that Atari produced took advantage of this, I'm still hoping that homebrew developers explore more multi-player game ideas on systems like the 5200. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 (edited) The answer is "Why not?" Edited February 13, 2012 by NE146 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Dart Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 So far the tally is: 1 vote for "It's shiny" 1 vote for "at least you don't need separate paddles" and 1 vote for "Why not" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirage Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 So far the tally is: 1 vote for "It's shiny" 1 vote for "at least you don't need separate paddles" and 1 vote for "Why not" You forgot "it's huge". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Cafeman Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 This system is one of the most worthless systems out there. Discuss [/troll] 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DamonicFury Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Besides the look and feel of the console and its carts (which truly are really a notch above most other Atari hardware), I really like the small, but awesome library of games for the system. It's not terribly hard to get a full collection of the 70 or so games released for the system "back in the day", especially since just one game is really rare (Bounty Bob Strikes Back), and even it can be had without having to sell one of your organs (unlike the dozen or so 'holy grails' for the 2600.) And there's very, very few bad games in the library. It makes the system a real delight for the collector. Also, I'll second KevinMos3's recommendation of the Wico controller. For me, it makes a huge difference, largely because I can't stand side-mounted fire buttons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlvinKarpis Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 I love the 5200, it is by far one of my favorite consoles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydro Thunder Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 1. Best version of Moon Patrol of the consoles (only other one is the 2600, and the 5200 version whips its buttocks) 2. Dual controller Space Dungeon 3. Generally much better sound than either the 2600 or 7800 (see above, Moon Patrol soundtrack for example) 4. My favorite version of Pac-Man for any system. I can't even fully explain it, I just really love 5200 Pac-Man, even above the arcade one. 5. My favorite version of Space Invaders for any system. Love the different creatures, the sound effects, the animations on the invaders. 6. I love the Dreadnaught Factor, and don't have interest in an Intellivision (the only other console it came out for I believe). The video game critic hated it, but that guy is often completely insane. 7. Controller problems? Get a Best Electronics lifetime gold refurbished controller for $40ish. Problems solved. 8. Hate the controllers? Okay, I'm sort of down with this, particularly the buttons for button mash games. Solutions are out there though; Wico, competition pro, or in these forums there are dudes who mod PC controllers for the 5200. I've got one and love it. 9. Qix 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BydoEmpire Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 I love the 5200, it is by far one of my favorite consoles Seconded! I didn't have a 5200 back in the day. I picked mine up a few years ago, but it quickly became a favorite. Great games - that's why I bother! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Kai Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Just the fact that it annoys 800xl fanboys is reason enough. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck D. Head Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 It is a useless abomnination and I would be glad to dispose of one for anyone unfortunate enough to own one. Please include a trakball and games. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krypton85 Posted February 13, 2012 Author Share Posted February 13, 2012 I had one of these as a kid, but we got it right before the nintendo came out, then all my friends had NES, and I was the kid with the shitty system that no one wanted to play. Maybe it's long lost pent up anger from dealing with that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris++ Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 I've always wondered about this: Since the 5200 is an Atari 8-bit without a keyboard, why would one bother with it now? Are there more games that are identical on both platforms, or are they outnumbered by those that are different on the 5200? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 I've always wondered about this: Since the 5200 is an Atari 8-bit without a keyboard, why would one bother with it now? Are there more games that are identical on both platforms, or are they outnumbered by those that are different on the 5200? I believe that the majority of 5200 games were also released for the 8-bit computers, and that most if not all of the exclusives and updated titles that the 5200 got (such as Qix and Centipede) have since been ported over to the 8-bit computers, too. What the 5200 still has to offer is the tactile experience of playing these games on the 5200 itself, with its cartridges and analog joysticks and Trak-Ball controllers. Some of the games, such as Space Dungeon, don't work as well with the digital joysticks on the 8-bit computers, and there are also a few homebrews that are exclusive to the 5200. But for the most part, if you already have an 8-bit computer, you don't really need the 5200: you already have access to almost the entire library of games, and you can play them with digital joysticks, which are a better choice for many of them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris++ Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 I see. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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