Volareman Posted June 8, 2003 Share Posted June 8, 2003 What are considered the launch games for the 2600? When the 2600 first appeared on store shelves, what games could you purchase that same visit? And what month in 1977 was the 2600 released? Thanks for any info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApolloBoy Posted June 8, 2003 Share Posted June 8, 2003 The launch games were: Combat Star Ship Air-Sea Battle Blackjack Indy 500 Surround Street Racer Basic Math Video Olympics And the 2600 was launched on October 1977. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volareman Posted June 8, 2003 Author Share Posted June 8, 2003 Did the Indy 500 have the fat box with the controllers in 1977, or did they package the controllers differently? Also, was it this first batch of cartridges that had the boxes with a flap that opened? (Like Intellivision) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liquid_sky Posted June 8, 2003 Share Posted June 8, 2003 Yes, the boxes were "gatefold" style with all text labels on the carts. Im not sure how Indy 500 was sold, but im PRETTY sure it was in the big box with the controllers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Mitchell Posted June 8, 2003 Share Posted June 8, 2003 The Pack-In game with the Sears Video Arcade was Target Fun (Air-Sea Battle) and the only game otherwise available initially was Tank Plus (Combat). The other seven games came in gradually throughout the fall selling season: Outer Space Blackjack Pong Sports Chase Math Race (big box contained both cart box and pair of paddles) Speedway II All featured Sears version of the folding gateway box. Sept/Oct 1977 sounds right for the introduction of the VCS/Sears VA. Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liveinabin Posted June 8, 2003 Share Posted June 8, 2003 This is pretty cool - I never knew this. Was combat always included with the console or did you initially have to buy it seperately? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Mitchell Posted June 8, 2003 Share Posted June 8, 2003 This is pretty cool - I never knew this.Was combat always included with the console or did you initially have to buy it seperately? Well for the first several years .. yes, Combat was the pack-in game. unless you had the Sears Video Arcade in which case Target Fun was the pack-in game and you had to buy Tank Plus (Combat) separately .. So I paid $20 for Combat back in 1977. Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron_Albanese_Again Posted June 9, 2003 Share Posted June 9, 2003 Ya know, I'm nowhere near an expert on the "early days," but man is it fascinating! And, I always think 1978 for the debut, but it's really '77 ... Wouldn't it be cool to see store photos of displays at the time of the launch, etc.? You know there has to be something, somewhere! Maybe the Sears archives (ha ha)? Maybe John Hardie? I DO have the 1978 Sears catalogs -- Spring, Fall and Christmas, and at least one has a beautiful full pages Sear Arcade layout. Ron! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velvis Posted June 9, 2003 Share Posted June 9, 2003 You should scan the video game section of the catalogs. My and my friend LOVED to go through the catalog at Christmas and check off all the games we wanted to get. Does anyone have a net resource with Sears catalogs (77-85) to look at online? Personally I would love to check these out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NovaXpress Posted June 9, 2003 Share Posted June 9, 2003 Sears was very good about letting peope try out games before buying. Every store had a Video Arcade running. I remember the first day Missile Command came out and I gave it a test play. My family and four other people watching immediately bought it. Interesting note: Sears only carried the relabeled Atari games until September 1982. That's the first time any Activision games appeared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron_Albanese_Again Posted June 9, 2003 Share Posted June 9, 2003 I said this before, but I'd really like to set up a page on my site for the Sears ads .... maybe this summer I'll make it happen! Seriously, I'm teaching summer school, so that might be a good time to post this stuff ... Polyester-era Pixels to All, RON! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keir Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 Bumping an old thread here because I found myself asking this same question: Did the Indy 500 have the fat box with the controllers in 1977, or did they package the controllers differently? I've only seen the original Indy 500 in the small gatefold box, but it seems strange that they would make you buy the controllers separately with the initial game release and then bundle them later. Unless the first release of the VCS (BIG SEXY) came with driving controllers. That would make sense. Anyone know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 (edited) I said this before, but I'd really like to set up a page on my site for the Sears ads .... maybe this summer I'll make it happen! Seriously, I'm teaching summer school, so that might be a good time to post this stuff ... Polyester-era Pixels to All, RON! Did you ever scan that stuff in? If not, please put a piece of black construction paper behind each page when you do. It usually makes the other side of the page invisible, nothing will show through: http://www.randomterrain.com/personal-scanning-tips.html Edited December 17, 2007 by Random Terrain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Mitchell Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 I've only seen the original Indy 500 in the small gatefold box, but it seems strange that they would make you buy the controllers separately with the initial game release and then bundle them later. Unless the first release of the VCS (BIG SEXY) came with driving controllers. That would make sense. Anyone know? The one pair of driving controllers were only included with the purchase of the Indy 500 (Sears Race) cartridge. The gatefold Indy 500/ Race cart box was included inside the fat box. Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncillaryDrone Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 The Pack-In game with the Sears Video Arcade was Target Fun (Air-Sea Battle) and the only game otherwise available initially was Tank Plus (Combat). My Sears Atari came with Space Invaders as well as Target Fun. Can you tell me what year I would have gotten this system? I always thought it was 1980 but I am not sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shining slade Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 Are there any carts with a 1977 copyright date on them? I've only seen 1978 carts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincYnoTi Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 The Pack-In game with the Sears Video Arcade was Target Fun (Air-Sea Battle) and the only game otherwise available initially was Tank Plus (Combat). My Sears Atari came with Space Invaders as well as Target Fun. Can you tell me what year I would have gotten this system? I always thought it was 1980 but I am not sure. Are you sure about that? Target Fun was the pack-in for the heavy-sixer, light-sixer and the 4-switch. With the 4-switch, there was a special that added pac-man as a pack-in and another package which had asteroids & pac-man as the pack-in (no target fun in that one). For the Video Arcade II, space invaders was the standard pack-in. And there was a special for the VAII that added pac-man. Can you remember which model of the video arcade you had (6-switch, 4-switch or VAII)? And if it was space invaders as a pack-in, was it the text or picture label? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncillaryDrone Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 Can you remember which model of the video arcade you had (6-switch, 4-switch or VAII)? And if it was space invaders as a pack-in, was it the text or picture label? It was a six switch Tele Games unit. Both Space Invaders and Target Fun were Sears text label. The system came with paddles also, I remember trying to use them with Space Invaders and Target Fun and wondered why they didnt work :wink: . It's possible that Space Invaders was purchased seperately and I just put it all together in my young mind. If anyone can tell me for sure I'd like to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keir Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 I've only seen the original Indy 500 in the small gatefold box, but it seems strange that they would make you buy the controllers separately with the initial game release and then bundle them later. Unless the first release of the VCS (BIG SEXY) came with driving controllers. That would make sense. Anyone know? The one pair of driving controllers were only included with the purchase of the Indy 500 (Sears Race) cartridge. The gatefold Indy 500/ Race cart box was included inside the fat box. Ah, like this one? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...8129926204&rd=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindfield Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 Are there any carts with a 1977 copyright date on them? I've only seen 1978 carts. A quick scan of my list shows that I have the following 1977-dated carts: Blackjack (text # label) Indy 500 (text # label) Race (Sears) (Text label) Tank-Plus (Sears) (Text label) Target Fun (Sears) (Text label) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
video game addict Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 Are there any carts with a 1977 copyright date on them? I've only seen 1978 carts. A quick scan of my list shows that I have the following 1977-dated carts: Blackjack (text # label) Indy 500 (text # label) Race (Sears) (Text label) Tank-Plus (Sears) (Text label) Target Fun (Sears) (Text label) None of my Atari branded 77 releases have dates on them, only on the boxes & manuals. Sears carts do though. In fact some sears carts have earlier dates 75 & 72 I think I saw before, based off of the Atari name, or arcade version of something, not so much the game in question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Mitchell Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 Ah, like this one? Yup! Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted September 20, 2004 Share Posted September 20, 2004 Are there any carts with a 1977 copyright date on them? I've only seen 1978 carts. I believe the Atari "picture" label variation of Star Ship (the large yellow and white text one) displays a copyright date of 1977. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariboy2600 Posted September 20, 2004 Share Posted September 20, 2004 I remeber that on my birthday in 1977 my mother got me the VCS and all of the 9 launch games I lived in NYC at that time so it was easy to fine all thouse games. And still got the console and the games, to bad that my mother trash all game boxs but I still have the VCS box to store all the game with the unit 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamchevy Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 Did the Atari and Sears consoles/games have a simultaneous launch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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