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Concerned about game availability


StealthyTX

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I'm fairly new to retro gaming in general, and when I saw news of the 2600+ release, I got excited and ordered one with the paddles. I'm one of those waiting for December shipping, and it has given me time to think about game availability.

 

One of the big reasons I ordered the 2600+ was that (to my limited knowledge) it was the only retro system that was being supported with new game releases. But I go to the Atari website only to see almost all of the new releases are "limited edition" or sold out. I mean, if the new games that get released are going to be either prohibitively expensive or unobtanium, then I may have made a mistake 🙁.

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If you want to buy the new Atari XP and related carts, yes, you need to order them when they are available to order. On some of the newer ones that means ordering in the first few days after preorders come up, although a few have also sat in a not-sold-out state for some time, so it isn't always a land grab. But yes, if you are focused on purchasing newer games, you'll either need to get into the cycle of purchasing them when available, or pay the price for second-hand sales. 

 

That said, it is totally doable, and not nearly as bad as most other limited release purchases like records and special editions of films and such. I am generally not into fighting others for things, and it's been easy to buy all the Atari stuff, just gotta keep an eye on the news for new releases. 

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23 minutes ago, StealthyTX said:

I'm fairly new to retro gaming in general, and when I saw news of the 2600+ release, I got excited and ordered one with the paddles. I'm one of those waiting for December shipping, and it has given me time to think about game availability.

 

One of the big reasons I ordered the 2600+ was that (to my limited knowledge) it was the only retro system that was being supported with new game releases. But I go to the Atari website only to see almost all of the new releases are "limited edition" or sold out. I mean, if the new games that get released are going to be either prohibitively expensive or unobtanium, then I may have made a mistake 🙁.

You can still buy a lot of great, new homebrews from this site. And for less money.

 

For now stay away from the "Melody enhanced" games, as they will not run on the 2600+. This may change in the future.

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21 minutes ago, StealthyTX said:

I'm fairly new to retro gaming in general, and when I saw news of the 2600+ release, I got excited and ordered one with the paddles. I'm one of those waiting for December shipping, and it has given me time to think about game availability.

 

One of the big reasons I ordered the 2600+ was that (to my limited knowledge) it was the only retro system that was being supported with new game releases. But I go to the Atari website only to see almost all of the new releases are "limited edition" or sold out. I mean, if the new games that get released are going to be either prohibitively expensive or unobtanium, then I may have made a mistake 🙁.

You can get classic games for $1-$3 each on ebay, if you look out for good deals on lots, or $4-$20 for good individual games. I have about 700 and I've spent about $1000 to get them. I also bought a bunch of homebrews from the store here and @Albert is working on compatibility with the 2600+ as well as others. Just ask about games from the store for compatibility. I spent an average of $38 for each homebrew and they are quality games. The Atari store should be restocking in December if I understand correctly.

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6 minutes ago, bent_pin said:

You can get classic games for $1-$3 each on ebay, if you look out for good deals on lots, or $4-$20 for good individual games. I have about 700 and I've spent about $1000 to get them. I also bought a bunch of homebrews from the store here and @Albert is working on compatibility with the 2600+ as well as others. Just ask about games from the store for compatibility. I spent an average of $38 for each homebrew and they are quality games. The Atari store should be restocking in December if I understand correctly.

I will ultimately update the store and call out games that aren't compatible with the 2600+, but I want to get through the work we are currently doing to improve 2600 and 7800 compatibility before I do that, since significant improvements are currently being made.  I need to do this for the Retron 77, which already has considerably worse compatibility as compared to the 2600+.

 

 ..Al

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Good point people are bringing up about homebrews, which are often available long-term. The OP is correct, though, that if you are trying to buy the games from Atari themselves they are limited runs and do sell out. In some ways the company is forging new ground here, so it isn't entirely clear if there will be generally available stock of new carts in the future, but the current physical release method of doing limited runs with preorders is likely to continue for at least the next few years. 

 

That said, these "limited runs" are also based on commercial expectations, similar to the "limited to 1000 pieces" special edition vinyl records. They expect to sell X amount, they take preorders for X amount, add some percent for replacements and overstock, add some amount for employees and press, then do the run. As buyers we like to think we're part of a rare subset of interested people who actually got one, but the reality is we are most of the expected market to begin with, and doing physical print runs this way makes it all financially doable in 2023.

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One thing to remember with the Atari 2600 is that a great number of cartridges were made for it back in the day. As others have pointed out, they're pretty cheap on Ebay. When the Retron 77 came out, I was excited about being able to play 2600 games, even though the 2600 wasn't a system I grew up with, we had the 5200 and 7800. We did have some 2600 cartridges for the 7800, though. However, by the time the Retron 77 came out, I didn't have any of my old Atari stuff, so I bought a lot containing old cartridges on Ebay. It was something like 50 cartridges for $100, I think. They also promised no repeats, which is very important with lots on Ebay, since sellers will often sneak in repeat cartridges. I'd suggest looking at a lot like that. Even if every game isn't a winner, that's still $2 per cartridge, and I got games I love, like Asteroids in that box.

 

Having said that, I do agree that the cartridges that Atari came out with more recently are cool. I'm probably going to pick up Berzerk Enhanced, even though I already own an original cartridge of Berzerk (from that lot) and I also want to get Mr. Run and Jump for the 2600.

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On 11/29/2023 at 11:15 AM, StealthyTX said:

I'm fairly new to retro gaming in general, and when I saw news of the 2600+ release, I got excited and ordered one with the paddles. I'm one of those waiting for December shipping, and it has given me time to think about game availability.

 

One of the big reasons I ordered the 2600+ was that (to my limited knowledge) it was the only retro system that was being supported with new game releases. But I go to the Atari website only to see almost all of the new releases are "limited edition" or sold out. I mean, if the new games that get released are going to be either prohibitively expensive or unobtanium, then I may have made a mistake 🙁.

 

They made nearly ~1000 different games across nearly 100 companies and two systems (2600 and 7800) from 1977 through the early 1990s. So even though some of the absolute newest "homebrews" tend to get sold out, there are hundreds of games on eBay that you can buy and play with it now. Just do a search for Atari 2600 "lot" on eBay... like this one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/225885803814

 

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On 11/29/2023 at 11:15 AM, StealthyTX said:

it was the only retro system that was being supported with new game releases.

 

The new Mr Run and Jump and Bezerk cartridges sold out but are not limited edition.  Multiple shipments of new stock arrived at port this week.  So once they move around inland- they will pop up online.

 

Other new games will come...

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2 hours ago, scifidude79 said:

One thing to remember with the Atari 2600 is that a great number of cartridges were made for it back in the day. As others have pointed out, they're pretty cheap on Ebay. When the Retron 77 came out, I was excited about being able to play 2600 games, even though the 2600 wasn't a system I grew up with, we had the 5200 and 7800. We did have some 2600 cartridges for the 7800, though. However, by the time the Retron 77 came out, I didn't have any of my old Atari stuff, so I bought a lot containing old cartridges on Ebay. It was something like 50 cartridges for $100, I think. They also promised no repeats, which is very important with lots on Ebay, since sellers will often sneak in repeat cartridges. I'd suggest looking at a lot like that. Even if every game isn't a winner, that's still $2 per cartridge, and I got games I love, like Asteroids in that box.

 

Having said that, I do agree that the cartridges that Atari came out with more recently are cool. I'm probably going to pick up Berzerk Enhanced, even though I already own an original cartridge of Berzerk (from that lot) and I also want to get Mr. Run and Jump for the 2600.

I did something similar, buying a lot of 25 carts, and trying to pick up some other old favorites like Kaboom, Food Fight, and Pitfall. Hero is too expensive, but looks like fun. I did get 7 carts that were either duplicates or just games I have no interest in, but I’m sure there’s a place on this forum I can go to give them away to someone that needs carts.

 

I’ll have a look at the home brews, at $30 each that is definitely more reasonable than the $60-100 Atari wants for their “500 only limited edition FOMO buy now” games. I’ll just have to peruse the AtariAge store for something I Ike and then try to see if it actually works on the 2600+ (sigh).

 

Was considering a GameBoy or NES system also, but cartridge prices for the better games are a damned effective gate keeper to keep people like me away. At least with the 2600 I’m able to get the past titles I want for under $20, it’s just a pity that it seems like Atari is going that way with the pricing on new stuff they are releasing for the system.

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On 11/29/2023 at 11:15 AM, StealthyTX said:

I'm fairly new to retro gaming in general, and when I saw news of the 2600+ release, I got excited and ordered one with the paddles. I'm one of those waiting for December shipping, and it has given me time to think about game availability.

 

One of the big reasons I ordered the 2600+ was that (to my limited knowledge) it was the only retro system that was being supported with new game releases. But I go to the Atari website only to see almost all of the new releases are "limited edition" or sold out. I mean, if the new games that get released are going to be either prohibitively expensive or unobtanium, then I may have made a mistake 🙁.

I fully recommend you find old carts on eBay like Ms. Pac-Man. Word of advice for old carts, you may need a Q tip and isopropyl alcohol to clean the pins.

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2 hours ago, StealthyTX said:

I did something similar, buying a lot of 25 carts, and trying to pick up some other old favorites like Kaboom, Food Fight, and Pitfall. Hero is too expensive, but looks like fun. I did get 7 carts that were either duplicates or just games I have no interest in, but I’m sure there’s a place on this forum I can go to give them away to someone that needs carts.

 Man, I'm looking forward to getting my 2600+ (it will be delivered on Saturday) and playing some Kaboom. I have the cartridge and the paddles, but the paddles don't function properly on the Retron 77. There's some kind of issue with the hardware and software not working together properly, so there's a massive dead zone on the right of the screen when I try to use the paddles with any game on the Retron 77. I need to get Pitfall too, and River Raid. Food Fight is also a necessity, since I grew up with that on the 7800. Sure, I can play it on my VCS, but nothing beats being able to use an original cartridge.

 

1 hour ago, StealthyTX said:

Was considering a GameBoy or NES system also, but cartridge prices for the better games are a damned effective gate keeper to keep people like me away. At least with the 2600 I’m able to get the past titles I want for under $20, it’s just a pity that it seems like Atari is going that way with the pricing on new stuff they are releasing for the system.

Yeah, NES prices have gone a lot higher the past few years. I grew up with Atari, but I bought a NES when I was 16, even though it was an outdated system at the time. (this was the mid 1990s) I had a decent amount of games back in the day but, like my old Atari stuff, all went away over the years as original hardware failed on me. However, some years back I got into clone consoles, so I started buying NES games again, as well as expanding game libraries that I still had from the 1990s, like GameBoy, SNES and Genesis. I've watched the prices go up over the past several years as retro gaming has gotten more popular. A lot of people selling cartridges for those systems are getting greedier and greedier. For now, Atari prices seem to be decent, but it's always a good idea to get them now, in case they too go up in the future.

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7 hours ago, scifidude79 said:

 

 Man, I'm looking forward to getting my 2600+ (it will be delivered on Saturday) and playing some Kaboom. I have the cartridge and the paddles, but the paddles don't function properly on the Retron 77. There's some kind of issue with the hardware and software not working together properly, so there's a massive dead zone on the right of the screen when I try to use the paddles with any game on the Retron 77. I need to get Pitfall too, and River Raid. Food Fight is also a necessity, since I grew up with that on the 7800. Sure, I can play it on my VCS, but nothing beats being able to use an original cartridge.

 

Yeah, NES prices have gone a lot higher the past few years. I grew up with Atari, but I bought a NES when I was 16, even though it was an outdated system at the time. (this was the mid 1990s) I had a decent amount of games back in the day but, like my old Atari stuff, all went away over the years as original hardware failed on me. However, some years back I got into clone consoles, so I started buying NES games again, as well as expanding game libraries that I still had from the 1990s, like GameBoy, SNES and Genesis. I've watched the prices go up over the past several years as retro gaming has gotten more popular. A lot of people selling cartridges for those systems are getting greedier and greedier. For now, Atari prices seem to be decent, but it's always a good idea to get them now, in case they too go up in the future.

And this greed will just drive people to Mister or those cheap consoles with “20000 games”.

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I went to a used video game store the other day, and was surprised to see that they had a whole bunch of Atari 2600 games. They actually had a decent selection... I haven't seen 2600 games in a used video game shop in almost a decade. It was 3 for $5, which is not horrible. It'll never beat the $0.25 for each that i used to see in the late 90s, as I'd rifle through huge bins of 300+ carts each. I miss those days.

 

Anyway, I got Commando Raid, Robot Tank, and Stampede. I also bought T&C Surf Designs for the NES because I'd always loved that game growing up, hahah...

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Looking on sites like eBay and Etsy myself, the price varies a bit but is usually around $6-10 for tested, less-grungy games, with the price varying based on availability and/or popularity. And that's assuming they have them in stock to begin with, as big titles like Asteroids, Space Invaders, Pitfall!, etc. all sell out super fast.

That's the main reason I got a Harmony cart for it in the first place. Getting all the games I was looking for physically would've rivaled the cost of the console + taken up a ton of space. At least unless you gamble and buy bulk untested lots. 

Even with the current dev-mode necessity for Harmony on the 2600+, it's better than investing in a ton of carts with prices that've skyrocketed thanks to the whole retro gaming bubble.

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15 hours ago, 82-T/A said:

I went to a used video game store the other day, and was surprised to see that they had a whole bunch of Atari 2600 games. They actually had a decent selection... I haven't seen 2600 games in a used video game shop in almost a decade. It was 3 for $5, which is not horrible. It'll never beat the $0.25 for each that i used to see in the late 90s, as I'd rifle through huge bins of 300+ carts each. I miss those days.

 

Anyway, I got Commando Raid, Robot Tank, and Stampede. I also bought T&C Surf Designs for the NES because I'd always loved that game growing up, hahah...

I am fortunate to have several used game stores in my area that stock 2600 games. Have been haunting them for years and watching (some) prices creep up -- where I used to get handfuls of common (Pac-Man, Asteroids, Combat, etc.) for <1$, most are now starting around 3$.

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I don't really have anything to contribute to this thread other than to say that I really love just how friendly and helpful everyone has been here.  Trying to stretch your money as far as possible while expanding your game collection is my jam!

 

Also, and weirdly, the 2nd & Charles closest to me has a surprisingly good 2600 collection.  They're not overpriced either!

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Speaking from personal experience, if you can make it to any of the decent sized retrogaming expos, you can make a killing in terms of cheap carts. Lots of vendors will have bins of Atari games, and you can often wheel and deal, as the vendors frequently (especially towards the end of the show) don't wanna haul stuff back.

 

Another option is to post here. A lot of long time collectors often have a stack or two of duplicate carts.

 

The cool thing about the VCS is that most of the really fun games are not that rare, and most of the rare stuff is pretty meh to actually play (there are exceptions of course: Rescue Terra I, Crazy Climber etc). Even today, it's pretty simple to amass a collection of 150 good carts over a couple of years for not much more than you spend on Starbucks per cart.

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4 hours ago, Lord Thag said:

The cool thing about the VCS is that most of the really fun games are not that rare, and most of the rare stuff is pretty meh to actually play 

This is very true; if a game never sold in decent numbers BITD, there's probably a good reason why.

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