Jump to content
IGNORED

Atari's 50th Anniversary: What are your favorite memories?


swlovinist

Recommended Posts

I remember buying all manner of 2600 at yard sales as a kid.  I would take them to my grandparents retirement home at the shore and play against my grandmother.  We would play Combat of course and Space Invaders and Q*Bert.  My sister and cousin would play with us when they were there too.  I don't remember what became of all the systems and games that I bought but hopefully they found good homes and are still being loved by someone.

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Though I had every Atari system (starting with Video Pinball in 1978-Atari VCS) at one point or another, here are some brief memories that stand out:

 

1.)August 1985-Receiving a brand new 130XE computer with 1050 disk drive (which I still use to this day).

2.)Playing Castle Wolfenstein on Jaguar with my little sister and pausing the game as the bullet enters the German Shephard when you shoot it lol

3.)January 2022-present-Finding an Atari 5200 at a local mom and pop electronics store and refurbishing it top to bottom to its original 1982 form. As well as really getting into this system. 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
On 7/1/2022 at 3:42 PM, MrMaddog said:

My favorite memories?

 

1. Seeing older kids play Pong on their TV's and the towering arcade games as a little kid, wishing I was old enough to play them.

2. Getting that first 2600 on Christmas morning where my mom made me open the little box before the big box.  Once I saw it was a Donkey Kong game I tore that big box open real fast!

3. Finally getting that Atari 8-bit computer I've always wanted on my 13th birthday. It was a 130XE with much more memory than the expensive 800 at a fraction of the cost.  Power without Price indeed...

4. Receiving a 1040STe when I graduated high school which got me through the first years of college.  It was my first "serious" computer I used for term papers and going online (School's VAX machine, local BBSs & the first ever dial-up ISPs).  Was great until PC compatibilty became a must.

5. Playing awesome versions of Tempest 2000 and Gauntlet Legends in the 90's. (Sorry but the Hasbro Interactive remakes were too cutesy for my tastes.)

6. Blasting through the latest Unreal Tournament games that had Atari branding on the loading splash screens, it was the last great moment of PC gaming IMHO.

7. Receiving Atari Flashbacks (and other consoles) from family memebers during my birthday or holidays, it was like reliving my earlier Christmas memories.

8. Currently cataloging classic Atari computer & video games as a middle-age hobby, also enjoying the Recharge series on Steam.

 

Yep, Atari has been a huge influence on my whole life including getting me into a computer career.  Here's to another 50 more years!

 

And to all the 'retrogamers' that constantly judge Atari only on it's lowest moments...

 

“Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. One fails forward towards success.”

― C.S. Lewis

Lol. I also got the 130XE on my 13th birthday and was obsessed waiting for 2600 Donkey Kong to be released. Reading your post I feel like I'm reading about myself 😃

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My first time playing my still-favorite game (arcade or home): Centipede.  I don't know the name of the mall where I played this in the arcade, but it was in the suburbs of Denver.  I fell for that game instantly and hard.

 

And I guess it was influential as well, because the next time we had pizza, it was the first time I ate mushrooms.  I remember asking my mom what those things were in the game, and it piqued my curiosity.  Fortunately, centipedes were not a potential topping.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

My favorite Atari memories:

  • The first time seeing Activision games (Starmaster, Pitfall!, Keystone Kapers) and how vibrant and flicker free they were
  • Getting the Atari 800 with the 410 and buying my first off the shelf game, Fort Apocalypse
  • Getting the 1050 from Toys R Us and going next door to the computer store to buy my first box of disks ($50 Verbatim)
  • Spending weekends pecking away on the keyboard to enter game codes from magazines (Compute!, Analog, Antic) and then debugging my typos
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My older brother driving me around the county at 2am trying to find a store that was actually *open* AND sold Polaroid film. I had finally hit the patch threshold for Stampede but of course, the Polaroid was out of film. The only place back then (1981/2 I don't remember which year) was 7-11, and they weren't on every corner. We had a 110 instamatic camera, but I was NOT going to take the chance of having to take the film and have it developed only to not come out right.

  • Like 2
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...