Ransom Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 If you're into collecting the physical objects rather than just the ROMs, get whichever 2600 console you want and then start looking for the games in the Miss 2600's Top 100 list. If you want to be a little more cautious, get an emulator (Stella is awesome) and the ROMs and figure out what you like before you invest any money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiitsbrian Posted December 29, 2015 Author Share Posted December 29, 2015 Not a fan of flash carts. I guess I'm a purist when it comes to collecting physical media. The only time I'd buy a flash cart is after I've bought all the games I want that I can afford. Then I'd use the flash cart for the crazy expensive titles I'll never be able to buy a real copy of. But seeing as there's probably roughly only 50 2600 games I'm interested in owning physical copies of, the harmony cart might be in my not so distant future. Will probably stop by the local game store today to see what they have and get a head start on buying games. Will wait until the weekend before I get a console. The flea market here is open on weekends and I'm gonna see if they have one I'd want before I order from eBay. So, do you guys collect for any other consoles? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiitsbrian Posted December 29, 2015 Author Share Posted December 29, 2015 Also, an ignorant question, but excuse me because I'm a noob... What are the six switches for? Resetting the game and I know some carts have different game modes, so do you lose some of that functionality with the JR since it has 4 switches instead of 6? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Also, an ignorant question, but excuse me because I'm a noob... What are the six switches for? Resetting the game and I know some carts have different game modes, so do you lose some of that functionality with the JR since it has 4 switches instead of 6? The switches are, from left to right: Power, Color/BW, Left Difficulty, Right Difficulty, Game Select, Reset. The four-switch and Jr. consoles moved the difficulty switches to the back. Every version of the 2600 has them, so you don't risk losing any functionality by choosing one version of the console over another. And very few games from ~1982 onward use the difficulty switches anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Homebrews use them. Sometimes to turn the music off, or rate of fire, shit like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 So, do you guys collect for any other consoles? I think pretty much everyone here does. I don't know if anyone collects one platform exclusively, let alone the 2600. Currently I'm most actively collecting for Atari 7800, Commodore VIC-20, TRS-80, and TRS-80 Color Computer, but I also have substantial (near complete in a few cases) collections for a whole bunch of other systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schizophretard Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Slightly off topic, but is there a huge advantage to owning a stand alone VCS? When I first started poking around here, I figured the best bang for my buck would be a 7800 or a ColecoVision with the expansion module. Because of how the pause button on the 7800 works it breaks the functionality for 2600 games that use the color/bw switch for game play. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+wongojack Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 I like pretty much every game on your target list. They are nice examples of 2600 gaming, but I also think you need some more paddle games. Pong Sports was the only one (also called Video Olympics btw). You probably don't need all 3 Pac Man games, but they are easy enough to track down. A comparison to NES games: Adventure = Zelda Pitfall(s) = Mario HERO = Metroid There aren't really platformers on the 2600. They are more like proto-platformers. That being said, Pitfall II has some neat little innovations like checkpoints and background music that probably make it feel more like a next gen game than most 2600 games. The homebrew Stay Frosty 2 is one you should check out as it is probably the best platformer ever made for the system. Besides single screen arcade games, A genre that has a lot of titles that are pretty good on the 2600 that wasn't popular on the NES is the first person space/flight genre. Starmaster, Radar Lock, and Solaris are all pretty impressive. Here's a nice thread where someone with your perspective asked similar questions: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/180896-help-me-learn-to-love-the-atari-2600/ And once you get your VCS, this post will help you shine it up: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/184296-slowcoders-guide-to-cleaning-up-your-2600/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiitsbrian Posted December 30, 2015 Author Share Posted December 30, 2015 Thanks for the all the helpful feedback, everyone. Went to my local Game XChange and they had a lot of the games on my list, but the labels were mostly in horrible condition so I ended up leaving with 7 more NES titles lol. I'm really anal when it comes to trying to get games in decent condition with pretty good labels and such. Anyone else suffer from this horrible condition? Looks like I might have to stick with ebay so I can track down carts in good physical condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schizophretard Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Thanks for the all the helpful feedback, everyone. Went to my local Game XChange and they had a lot of the games on my list, but the labels were mostly in horrible condition so I ended up leaving with 7 more NES titles lol. I'm really anal when it comes to trying to get games in decent condition with pretty good labels and such. Anyone else suffer from this horrible condition? Looks like I might have to stick with ebay so I can track down carts in good physical condition. It will be hard to do with Activision carts. They get worse with age because the glue forms spots called actiplaque. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chas10e Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Thanks for the all the helpful feedback, everyone. Went to my local Game XChange and they had a lot of the games on my list, but the labels were mostly in horrible condition so I ended up leaving with 7 more NES titles lol. I'm really anal when it comes to trying to get games in decent condition with pretty good labels and such. Anyone else suffer from this horrible condition? Looks like I might have to stick with ebay so I can track down carts in good physical condition. searching loose carts in a brick & mortar store, Atari carts are generally on the floor usually covered with dust & cobwebs. when I started collecting a couple years ago I was encouraged to collect cib (complete in box) ... I look to find them as inexpensive as possible, the boxes can be pretty tattered but the carts inside are most always in terrific condition. even the Activision carts have very little "mottling" if the loose cart label seems rough, if cheap enough you can upgrade later, if the shell is in good condition Albert will accept them as doner shells for store credit here 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Algus Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Think I own more PS1 and NES games than 2600 games. But for PS1 that is all stuff that I bought new! I think the only PS1 game I've added to my lineup since you couldn't buy them in stores anymore has been King's Field. Great game. Actually the only long box title I own. To be honest, I am less into Atari than I am into other systems but IMO AtariAge is one of the best gaming communities on the Net. I came for 2600, stuck around for the people. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I'm really anal when it comes to trying to get games in decent condition with pretty good labels and such. Anyone else suffer from this horrible condition? Yep. It's sort of a curse, but on the other hand, I've got a pretty good-looking collection. With some third-party games, like Activision, cruddy labels are just a fact of life due to the adhesive they used; even really clean ones can turn shitty in a hurry. (I'm hoping to just put replacement repro labels on mine eventually). Luckily Atari cartridges can usually be found with good labels, no matter which label variation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Thanks for the all the helpful feedback, everyone. Went to my local Game XChange and they had a lot of the games on my list, but the labels were mostly in horrible condition so I ended up leaving with 7 more NES titles lol. I'm really anal when it comes to trying to get games in decent condition with pretty good labels and such. Anyone else suffer from this horrible condition? Looks like I might have to stick with ebay so I can track down carts in good physical condition. It will be hard to do with Activision carts. They get worse with age because the glue forms spots called actiplaque. searching loose carts in a brick & mortar store, Atari carts are generally on the floor usually covered with dust & cobwebs. It was those things which made re-building my previous collection a tiny self-contained nightmare. After a year of messing around and spending an inordinate amount of time for little gains I called it quits. Luckily emulation just getting underway and I got on that bandwagon early in the game. In retrospect it was the best fucking move I ever did when it comes to classic gaming and vintage computing. What is still notable (to me) was the time between my collection having blown up and when emulation burst onto the scene. A mere 7 years between the two "events". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schizophretard Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 It was those things which made re-building my previous collection a tiny self-contained nightmare. After a year of messing around and spending an inordinate amount of time for little gains I called it quits. Luckily emulation just getting underway and I got on that bandwagon early in the game. In retrospect it was the best fucking move I ever did when it comes to classic gaming and vintage computing. What is still notable (to me) was the time between my collection having blown up and when emulation burst onto the scene. A mere 7 years between the two "events". It is the opposite of a nightmare for me. Most Atari carts I can clean and refurbish to my satisfaction. I use tips discovered online and sometimes come up with my own tricks. For an example, plastic text labels that get scratches all over them that makes the labels look dull. I had this CD repair goo that I got from GameStop. I figured that if I could use it to make CDs look new I could do the same with plastic text labels. My reasoning was correct because I can buff them to a shine. I get a satisfaction from it something like someone who repairs paintings for a museum. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiitsbrian Posted December 30, 2015 Author Share Posted December 30, 2015 Watching a guy review each variation on YouTube. The Jr. looks great in pictures, but getting a better look at every version has me leaning towards the Darth Vader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeneerJansen Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 (edited) Watching a guy review each variation on YouTube. The Jr. looks great in pictures, but getting a better look at every version has me leaning towards the Darth Vader. As a person that owned an Atari back in the days I agree w/ some who say that the one to own is one w/ faux wood grain on the front, colored bezels and as many as possible of those typical retro pin switches on the front. Realize that many people won't even recognize an Atari Jr (or even a 7800, although I'd love to own one!). A lot of the Atari systems you mention came out after "the great crash" and therefore might not be associated w/ the fondest of memories. I'd definitely go for a sixer like the one pictured below! Figure 1. Now this is an Atari! Edited December 30, 2015 by MeneerJansen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 To be honest, I am less into Atari than I am into other systems but IMO AtariAge is one of the best gaming communities on the Net. I came for 2600, stuck around for the people. More and more people seem to be heading toward NES these days. The hardcore Atari guys are falling off the radar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeneerJansen Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 More and more people seem to be heading toward NES these days. The hardcore Atari guys are falling off the radar. There's a very long discussion 'bout that here on the Atariage forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 The hardcore Atari guys are falling off the radar. I'll be around until I'm dead. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 It is the opposite of a nightmare for me. Most Atari carts I can clean and refurbish to my satisfaction. I use tips discovered online and sometimes come up with my own tricks. For an example, plastic text labels that get scratches all over them that makes the labels look dull. I had this CD repair goo that I got from GameStop. I figured that if I could use it to make CDs look new I could do the same with plastic text labels. My reasoning was correct because I can buff them to a shine. I get a satisfaction from it something like someone who repairs paintings for a museum. Yup I know how that goes. Curating a digital collection provides similar excitement for me and is just too cool for school. It even includes the thrill of the hunt on occasion. Sometimes you can be looking for a certain piece of information, scan, or book, and all of a sudden it appears out of nowhere. This just happened for a rare piece of Apple II documentation(1). Rare in that I've only seen one copy for sale on ebay in the past 10 years. Didn't cost much. It was so rare that no one even thought to look for it - thus no bidding war. I love it when stuff slides under the radar. So I purchased it and put in my to-be-scanned pile, thus enriching the community. It's even fun to step back and study disk maps and see where things need de-duplication & defragmenting and what makes up the bulk of the repository. The nice thing about this is that you can start and stop work on it instantly and shape and mold it over decades of time. Especially as new developments in Information Theory and organizational techniques come to light. (1) I do maintain a real physical Apple II collection because that's what survived all the years since the later 1970's and all of the 1980's. But I do use emulation to play games and try out new images from ftp asimov. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiitsbrian Posted December 30, 2015 Author Share Posted December 30, 2015 Is that the light sixer, Meneer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister-VCS Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 get a vader - the only 2600 with a keyboard 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiitsbrian Posted December 31, 2015 Author Share Posted December 31, 2015 So indecisive. I will have disposable income in mere hours.http://www.ebay.com/itm/161850945499?ul_noapp=true Yay or nay? The aftermarket controller/power adapter is turning me off. Or is that actually a good thing? (No idea how OG 2600 controllers hold up these days). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+wongojack Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Only 1 3rd party stick and an aftermarket power adapter? I'd say that is only worth about $50 (and that is generous). Some of those 3rd party sticks are absolute crap. Take a look in the marketplace here on AA - there are usually good deals to be found. Post in the "wanted" section and I bet someone will respond. You should be able to get some games, 2 sticks, 2 paddles, and a working 4 or 6 switch model for $100. The heavies do tend to trade at a little higher price. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
AtariAge on Instagram
Watch us on YouTube
Chat on Discord
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.