Atari 2600+ is AARP approved!

[+LS650]

1 hour ago, Brad_from_the_80s said:

https://www.ign.com/articles/atari-2600-review

This guy mostly gets it.

(snip)

Also some of the comments provide face-palm moments on just how dumb some people can be.

I read the comments.  You said some, but I would say most of the comments are mind-numbingly stupid:

   "This is hot garbage that can't compare with my PS5" etc.  

 

Philistines.

[Warboss Gegguz]

17 minutes ago, ls650 said:

I read the comments.  You said some, but I would say most of the comments are mind-numbingly stupid:

   "This is hot garbage that can't compare with my PS5" etc.  

 

Philistines.

I want to believe that's a joke, but I also know too much to assume that.

[Brad_from_the_80s]

20 minutes ago, ls650 said:

I read the comments.  You said some, but I would say most of the comments are mind-numbingly stupid:

   "This is hot garbage that can't compare with my PS5" etc.  

 

Philistines.

My favorite was the person postulating that their garage sale find 2600 might sport a Bluetooth connection, since they couldn't figure out the "prong thing", but their TV never could pick it up so they sadly "threw it away".  This genius also helpfully suggested that they should "think about including a manual".  You know.  With every garage sale purchase.

Edited December 8, 2023 by Brad_from_the_80s

[82-T/A]

10 hours ago, Sean_1970 said:

Wolf 3D on the Jag was pretty great!

 

My opinion... hands down the absolute best version of Wolfenstein 3D.

 

I just wish Spear of Destiny had made it to the Jaguar too.

[YonderVittles]

23 hours ago, Warboss Gegguz said:

Too real? I mean... My dad is 61 and I bought it for him, so it checks out.

 

BigPEmu is basically 100% compatible with the jaguar library and homebrew iirc. Even CD games, which barely worked on the console itself. Used it to play the other 2000s series games and some of the other good stuff not included in Atari 50 like Zool 2, Iron Soldier, and Wolf 3D (Carmack's favorite version apparently).

And best of all: you get to play them with something other than a Jaguar controller!

That’s a great point! I played around with it yesterday and it’s a wonderful piece of software. 😃

[scifidude79]

11 hours ago, ls650 said:

I read the comments.  You said some, but I would say most of the comments are mind-numbingly stupid:

   "This is hot garbage that can't compare with my PS5" etc.  

 

Philistines.

I like this one:

 

"I got a review unit. The graphics seem a bit behind the times, and the controller is missing a lot of modern functionality. Also, no online MP? Not sure what they were thinking with this one. 1/10"

 

That's a copy and paste from the comments section and their response to someone's "I hope you're joking" reply is: "I wish I was."

 

 

11 hours ago, Brad_from_the_80s said:

My favorite was the person postulating that their garage sale find 2600 might sport a Bluetooth connection, since they couldn't figure out the "prong thing", but their TV never could pick it up so they sadly "threw it away".  This genius also helpfully suggested that they should "think about including a manual".  You know.  With every garage sale purchase.

I saw that too. Obviously, a kid who never had garage sale Transformers from the 80s that were missing things, like my Optimus Prime with no trailer, guns or hands.

 

I don't think the manual would have helped that person anyway. The manual only had pictures of the console, no pictures of a TV with a "put this there" type of wiring. Though, if they'd had a picture of a TV, it would have been funny to see the look of utter confusion on that person's face when they didn't understand why the TV pictured looked like a cabinet. 🤣

[Brad_from_the_80s]

A new positive review, which oddly quibbles about the controller...

 

https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/gaming/1843289/Atari-2600-review-flashback-Mr-Run-and-Jump-Berzerk

 

Another positive if somewhat clueless review...

 

https://www.slashgear.com/1463321/atari-2600-plus-review-new-retro-analog-gaming-console/

[scifidude79]

3 hours ago, Brad_from_the_80s said:

A new positive review, which oddly quibbles about the controller...

 

https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/gaming/1843289/Atari-2600-review-flashback-Mr-Run-and-Jump-Berzerk

Oddly, they say it's a faithful recreation of the original controller, then criticize it for being just that. 😕 Also, I love this bit from the review:

 

"It's also got the annoyingly short wire that all retro controllers seem to have, which means you might have to sit close to the TV in order to play."

 

Amazon sells 9 pin extension cables that make the controller cables much longer. Some people just have to make things more difficult than they have to be. Though, to be fair, a better option might actually be to put the console closer to you and have a long HDMI and power cable (or plug the power cable in closer to your couch) since many 2600 games require you to hit "reset" on the console to start a new game.

Edited December 9, 2023 by scifidude79

[Sean_1970]

7 hours ago, scifidude79 said:

Oddly, they say it's a faithful recreation of the original controller, then criticize it for being just that. 😕 Also, I love this bit from the review:

 

"It's also got the annoyingly short wire that all retro controllers seem to have, which means you might have to sit close to the TV in order to play."

 

Amazon sells 9 pin extension cables that make the controller cables much longer. Some people just have to make things more difficult than they have to be. Though, to be fair, a better option might actually be to put the console closer to you and have a long HDMI and power cable (or plug the power cable in closer to your couch) since many 2600 games require you to hit "reset" on the console to start a new game.

To be fair it wasn’t long before I was reminded why I bought a third party controller back in the day - the square base starts cutting into your hand pretty quickly if you’re playing a vigorous action game and don’t have a table to use the rubber feet on.

 

You should be sitting closer to modern hi-def TVs anyway, and 1.5m is a pretty standard length for controllers with cables. Nintendo’s GameCube Smash Bros pads from the Wii U days are outliers in my experience, though I have extensions for those as well just in case 😏. But hey, it wouldn’t be a review without something negative in it, though controller cables doesn’t seem like a real issue to me in this case.

[scifidude79]

3 hours ago, Sean_1970 said:

To be fair it wasn’t long before I was reminded why I bought a third party controller back in the day - the square base starts cutting into your hand pretty quickly if you’re playing a vigorous action game and don’t have a table to use the rubber feet on.

I don't have a problem with it cutting into my hand as much as my hand will eventually start cramping from holding it too long. I'm over 6' 3" (around 2m) tall and I have large hands with long fingers. Plus, I'm in my mid 40s, so holding things like that controller in my hand for too long is uncomfortable. I don't have this with modern ergonomic controllers, or even smaller controllers from the 80s, like the NES control pads. For some reason, though, I have it with the 2600 style controllers.

 

3 hours ago, Sean_1970 said:

You should be sitting closer to modern hi-def TVs anyway, and 1.5m is a pretty standard length for controllers with cables. Nintendo’s GameCube Smash Bros pads from the Wii U days are outliers in my experience, though I have extensions for those as well just in case 😏. But hey, it wouldn’t be a review without something negative in it, though controller cables doesn’t seem like a real issue to me in this case.

I'd say that depends on the size of the screen. I have a 55" TV and if I sit too close then it's hard to see the whole screen. I sit about 2m (a little over 6') back from my TV to game and watch programming. The reason the cable length comment is invalid is anyway is because the CX40+ is a faithful recreation of the original controller, and that's how long the cords were. Though, like I said, there are ways to make them longer or to move the console closer, so it's an invalid criticism from any standpoint, in my opinion.

Edited December 9, 2023 by scifidude79

[Hawkeye68]

I grew up with the CX-40 (2600/800/ST) so it will always feel like home to me.  I intend to acquire a CX-40+ to compare.

 

That said, MAME brought the weakness of these controllers to full display.  Our local retro-arcade has well maintained machines and I can easily double my scores there vs. playing with the CX-40 at home.  Back in the day, there was a thriving market for 3rd party controllers for a reason.

[Brad_from_the_80s]

I try to keep my grip on the controller loose, but I do fatigue after a while.  And I have smaller hands.  If I remember nothing else about the Atari "back when" it was the stiff unwieldy joystick in my child hands, and boy did they recreate it.  But now it's mostly fine after getting used to it again, although I will often just opt for one of AtGames repro controllers you get with Flashbacks.  While not exactly floppy, they aren't very stiff either and I find I can pretty much finesse these with my fingertips for easy game play.  Much more akin to an arcade joystick feel.

[82-T/A]

On 12/6/2023 at 8:59 PM, scifidude79 said:

I'm actually jealous. I wish I'd had a Jaguar back in the day. I looked into getting one secondhand a couple years ago, but the prices were higher than I wanted to pay.

 

I didn't get one until 1997, which was right around the time that Atari went bankrupt and they were blowing them out at Kay Bee Toys. I won't rub it in too much... because I got everything for $5 to $7, and I bought all the rares. But in any case, it was being advertised everywhere when I was in high school. I remember some kid I knew had one, and we played Wolfenstein 3D on it, back in like 1994? Anyway, the graphics were fantastic... even better than the PC version of it that I had.

 

But I remember before I'd actually played it (how often do you hear this), I trashed it because I thought it was so stupid that it had DOOM, since it was better for the PC. So I used to shit on it all the time... which of course, I feel bad about now. But we do dumb things when we're young and dumb.

 

 

On 12/8/2023 at 10:18 AM, scifidude79 said:

I like this one:

 

"I got a review unit. The graphics seem a bit behind the times, and the controller is missing a lot of modern functionality. Also, no online MP? Not sure what they were thinking with this one. 1/10"

 

That's a copy and paste from the comments section and their response to someone's "I hope you're joking" reply is: "I wish I was."

 

How are people so stupid? I mean, like... the myopia is insane here. This is like an automotive magazine editor reviewing a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB... one of the most iconic vintage Ferraris in the world, and sought after by collectors everywhere... and then the reviewer saying... "No tiptronic, there's no air conditioning, and the seats don't have memory foam... 1 out of 10. Do better Ferrari."

 

Ugh... I just don't understand how people can be so myopic.

[Sean_1970]

19 hours ago, scifidude79 said:

I don't have a problem with it cutting into my hand as much as my hand will eventually start cramping from holding it too long. I'm over 6' 3" (around 2m) tall and I have large hands with long fingers. Plus, I'm in my mid 40s, so holding things like that controller in my hand for too long is uncomfortable. I don't have this with modern ergonomic controllers, or even smaller controllers from the 80s, like the NES control pads. For some reason, though, I have it with the 2600 style controllers.

 

I'd say that depends on the size of the screen. I have a 55" TV and if I sit too close then it's hard to see the whole screen. I sit about 2m (a little over 6') back from my TV to game and watch programming. The reason the cable length comment is invalid is anyway is because the CX40+ is a faithful recreation of the original controller, and that's how long the cords were. Though, like I said, there are ways to make them longer or to move the console closer, so it's an invalid criticism from any standpoint, in my opinion.

I sit around 2m away as well due to the shape of my lounge. If I had more flexibility in space I’d probably have it further away, but this is ideal given the 2600+. The Evercade VS has some pretty long controller cords, but you can tell it’s unusual because they’re almost comically long compared to every other gamepad - certainly from pre-2000 consoles!

[Sean_1970]

18 hours ago, Brad_from_the_80s said:

I try to keep my grip on the controller loose, but I do fatigue after a while.  And I have smaller hands.  If I remember nothing else about the Atari "back when" it was the stiff unwieldy joystick in my child hands, and boy did they recreate it.  But now it's mostly fine after getting used to it again, although I will often just opt for one of AtGames repro controllers you get with Flashbacks.  While not exactly floppy, they aren't very stiff either and I find I can pretty much finesse these with my fingertips for easy game play.  Much more akin to an arcade joystick feel.

If they do a repro of that two-button 7800 joypad I’ll totally get one of those despite not having any two-button 7800 games. Just for variety, mind 😉

[scifidude79]

15 hours ago, Sean_1970 said:

I sit around 2m away as well due to the shape of my lounge. If I had more flexibility in space I’d probably have it further away, but this is ideal given the 2600+. The Evercade VS has some pretty long controller cords, but you can tell it’s unusual because they’re almost comically long compared to every other gamepad - certainly from pre-2000 consoles!

Yeah, we used to sit right in front of the TV to game in the 80s.

 

It was Microsoft that started the whole longer cord thing with the original XBOX. Even the PS2 and GameCube controller cables weren't that long. They did it again with the wired 360 controllers. They don't make wired ones anymore, but that trend continues with 3rd party wired controllers. Usually, the cords are 8 to 9 feet long. Other companies that make clone consoles have also joined that trend, especially Hyperkin. They make NES, SNES and Genesis controllers with 10 foot cords. This is due to larger HDTVs.

 

Ah, the Evercade VS. That's a fun system for retro gaming.

[NE146]

[82-T/A]

8 hours ago, NE146 said:

 

AtariAge members, as envisioned by AI...

 

 

 

10 hours ago, scifidude79 said:

Yeah, we used to sit right in front of the TV to game in the 80s.

 

It was Microsoft that started the whole longer cord thing with the original XBOX. Even the PS2 and GameCube controller cables weren't that long. They did it again with the wired 360 controllers. They don't make wired ones anymore, but that trend continues with 3rd party wired controllers. Usually, the cords are 8 to 9 feet long. Other companies that make clone consoles have also joined that trend, especially Hyperkin. They make NES, SNES and Genesis controllers with 10 foot cords. This is due to larger HDTVs.

 

Ah, the Evercade VS. That's a fun system for retro gaming.

 

To be fair, the Atari 2600 came with an absurdly long composite cable. Most people had smaller TVs, so they HAD to sit closer to the TV. But I don't think the intent was to sit closer any more than Microsoft's goal was for people to sit further away. For most of us... the idea is that we have the Atari plugged in and set up in a permanent spot by the television... and this is how most people had it.

 

Atari likely envisioned the 2600 more as a someone might take out a game of Monopoly and play it every once in a while. When you look at most of the advertisements they had from the late 1970s to early 1980s, this is how Atari portrayed their games. In almost every advertisement, the Atari 2600 was on the coffee table directly in front of the family playing the game... with the TV a good 6-8 feet away from them. The difference of course being some of the magazine ads where they needed / wanted to get everything into one shot, and they have like 5 people all 1 foot away from a television in some weird action scene, hahah. But this was all new, so there were no "culture standards" if you will. A game was a game, and to a large degree... many of the early "video" games were some homologation of a board game and an actual video game.

 

My parents wouldn't let me have the Atari 2600 plugged in all the time, but we did leave the "switch box" plugged into the back... so I'd bust out the Atari 2600 every now, hook it up, and play for hours. I'd usually have it on the ottoman, and have the carts strewn about...

Edited December 11, 2023 by 82-T/A

[Brad_from_the_80s]

2 hours ago, 82-T/A said:

Atari likely envisioned the 2600 more as a someone might take out a game of Monopoly and play it every once in a while. When you look at most of the advertisements they had from the late 1970s to early 1980s, this is how Atari portrayed their games. In almost every advertisement, the Atari 2600 was on the coffee table directly in front of the family playing the game... with the TV a good 6-8 feet away from them. The difference of course being some of the magazine ads where they needed / wanted to get everything into one shot, and they have like 5 people all 1 foot away from a television in some weird action scene, hahah. But this was all new, so there were no "culture standards" if you will. A game was a game, and to a large degree... many of the early "video" games were some homologation of a board game and an actual video game.

 

Always notice this in old commercials and ads for the system.  But in fact I think an ideal for the new unit would probably be a long HDMI cord and pull it out to your coffee table with your stack of games however many feet from the TV.  Assuming people still have those, and you have something that stretches for power too.

[scifidude79]

10 hours ago, 82-T/A said:

My parents wouldn't let me have the Atari 2600 plugged in all the time, but we did leave the "switch box" plugged into the back... so I'd bust out the Atari 2600 every now, hook it up, and play for hours. I'd usually have it on the ottoman, and have the carts strewn about...

Yeah, we never had our Ataris hooked up all the time either. When we wanted to game, we'd hook up the 5200 or, later, the 7800 for a good session. Usually, it was some combination of my mom, sister and me, because my dad worked in the evening.

 

These days, if something isn't hooked up, it's only because I have something else hooked up in its spot. Luckily, I have a 5-port HDMI switch hooked up to one of my inputs, because the 2600+ needs a spot, as does my VCS, and two ports are home to my Series S and PS5, with everything else sharing the other port via that switch.

[tradyblix]

On 12/7/2023 at 9:44 PM, ls650 said:

I read the comments.  You said some, but I would say most of the comments are mind-numbingly stupid:

   "This is hot garbage that can't compare with my PS5" etc.  

 

Philistines.

Yeah my favorite was "It's going to fail" like anyone other than aging Gen X at the latest would buy this device or even care. It can hardly fail when it's not trying to take the whole market over lol. 

 

What, you thought this was competing with Xbox and PS ? or even the 8-bit/16-bit minis ? Whaaaat ? 

 

I KNOW Millenials don't care and don't respect Atari or their games as they've loudly told me such over the years, all while having to listen to them talk about Charizard and Pikachu. Ugh. 

 

Sure you might get the few "fan of game history" folks that are young but by and large the 2600 is (unfairly) maligned. "THOSE GAMES AREN'T EVEN PLAYABLE ANYMORE !!!" OK. 

Edited December 15, 2023 by tradyblix

[scifidude79]

7 hours ago, tradyblix said:

Yeah my favorite was "It's going to fail" like anyone other than aging Gen X at the latest would buy this device or even care. It can hardly fail when it's not trying to take the whole market over lol.

It keeps selling out everywhere. People who placed preorders back in September are just now getting their shipping notifications. I'm sure Atari has ordered more units to keep up with the demand. As we all know, for a niche console that plays classic cartridges, homebrews and the ones Atari is releasing now, that's nowhere near a failure.

 

7 hours ago, tradyblix said:

"THOSE GAMES AREN'T EVEN PLAYABLE ANYMORE !!!" OK. 

That's because those kids grew up with games that include tutorials that hold your hand and you get unlimited tries. We grew up with games that dumped you onto the first screen, let you figure it out, and gave you three to five tries to get it right.

[82-T/A]

26 minutes ago, scifidude79 said:

That's because those kids grew up with games that include tutorials that hold your hand and you get unlimited tries. We grew up with games that dumped you onto the first screen, let you figure it out, and gave you three to five tries to get it right.

 

Oh my God... I HATE tutorials... especially the ones that you cannot skip. It is so maddening.

 

The most recent Ultima Underworld (or whatever the call it), is like an hour of tutorial, and I can't get past it because I simply cannot handle an hour of micromanagement in a video game... so I've never made it past the first level.

 

This is like one of the core things in life that I hate...

[Brad_from_the_80s]

3 hours ago, scifidude79 said:

 

That's because those kids grew up with games that include tutorials that hold your hand and you get unlimited tries. We grew up with games that dumped you onto the first screen, let you figure it out, and gave you three to five tries to get it right.

Maybe not everybody did, but I grew up reading and keeping the game manuals, which is often necessary with Atari games and even later 8/16-bit games.  Usually the games follow enough conventions that you can get started right away (I mean, there are only so many things you can try to press), but to get the most out of the game you kind of have to read a little.  Plus I always enjoyed the art work, the little back story, etc.  These kids have no concept, if they can even read at all. 

 

I get so sick of the small-minded tripe about how nothing before NES is even playable or Atari games are just mini-games.  It's all BS.  The NES and other similar consoles clearly have some technical advances and can display more expansive worlds on the screen, but they don't actually do EVERYTHING better, if you can get past whatever it is about an NES's chiptunes or not-that-stellar graphics is giving you a dopamine hit.  I think if these people detoxed from all other games for a week or two and seriously tried just the Atari they're perfectly capable of getting what is so great about it, but they won't.  There's nothing wrong with enjoying newer stuff, a lot of it is really good and fun to play.  Taking an hour to load a game or go through a freaking tutorial isn't so fun, but the point is I can appreciate and enjoy them all.  An Atari isn't actually somehow "less fun" than it was in 1981, that isn't even logical.  It is people and their spoon-fed, over-indulged, over-stimulated lazy minds that have changed.  People have more leisure than ever, have access to a gluttonous and dazzling array of entertainment, and like everything else the more they have the less they are satisfied with to the point where almost nothing can impress them any more.

 

It's also curious to me that, while the overall response and reviews are pretty positive and the 2600+ is clearly selling, some people pop up a lot in comments on reviews, on Facebook, on YT, and beyond just the ignorant one-off remarks, some individuals repeatedly trash the device or the ideas behind it in favor of their preferred way to play these games (or not playing them at all).  It is weird to me that they are somehow threatened or offended by this inert innocuous thing that they don't have to buy.

Edited December 15, 2023 by Brad_from_the_80s

[Sean_1970]

I have to say having had only a 2600 back in the day, I feel like I could do that again; maybe have the Evercade for a little variety. Big consoles seem to be heading towards streaming and whilst I’ve been there for downloads, I’m not doing that. Whatever happens if my Atari 2600+ lasts, I’ll be happy 😊