Why did you buy the 2600+?

[etschuetz]

I saw this topic formulate in another thread, so let's have a dedicated one to discuss why you got one. Do not worry if you say something that is the same as someone else. What matters is your story, your reason. So please share.

 

Obviously I will start since I created this topic thread.

 

I grew up on the Atari VCS/2600. It was the console I remember playing every time we went to my uncles for holidays. When the Atari 2600 Jr was released, that is when we got our own console. We also noticed that everyone was selling their systems and games on yard and garage sales. That was fantastic for us. We would just snatch up games at $1 each. We would also buy some that were new in box too. When I left for the USMC in the 90s, my dad sold ALL of the various consoles (the Jr, the vader, the 4 port woody, and the Sixer - do not remember if it was a heavy or a light) and all of the games. Yeah, wasn't happy about that. Over the years, I have collected as many as I could while minding my budget. Unfortunately, I kind of gave up on the hunt as Atari cartridges are harder and harder to find. Atari 7800 carts are also just getting higher and higher due to those looking at them as an investment, and not for a nostalgia kick.

I got the 2600+ to not only replace my aging hardware, but to also skip over the snakes nest of cables I need to connect to a modern tv. I have CRT's, but the signal is horrible and the tv is just clunky. I also am a streamer. Having my Atari connected to my PC to capture video is just fantastic. After all, we know how it is when one streams retro content and the "I only use original hardware" types stumble in. I have no qualms with emulation as it is not only convenient, but it just cuts down on clutter. However, there is something about the joysticks. The new sticks with the Plus are as close to the originals as ever. The Flashback sticks were decent, but they just lacked that stiffness.

 

As a weirdly fun thing is I am also forced to "upkeep" my games. Ensuring that the connecters are clean helps me keep those carts in good condition... even though the labels need to be touched up with new adhesive.

[Sean_1970]

The 2600 was my first console. Got a four-switch woody with Pac-Man pack-in in 1982. Once I got into high school I got an 800XL and left console gaming behind other than playing with friends on theirs. Never thought about it again really until I learned about Stella and then dabbling with Activision anthology during the brief time I had a Gameboy Micro. Getting the Atari Classics compilations on PlayStation and then the Atari carts for Evercade rekindled an appreciation for 2600 gaming and introduced me to 7800 games, which I had zero experience of previously.

 

Seeing Atari promoting a new version of the 2600 which also played 7800 games and read carts rather than ROMs from a USB stick or SD card rekindled a nostalgia in me I didn’t know was there before, so I happily pre-ordered everything that was being released. I was so excited that I started recording videos on YouTube for the first time in over a decade and I’m still doing them, so that’s been fun, recollecting and sharing those recollections along with playing the games.

 

Even if the rest of the gaming world goes into a future of streaming and VR, I’ll be happy to know I can always flip some switches and play games on my 2600+ 😁👍

[bigfriendly]

I haven't bought this system yet but I'm considering it. I just wish that the Harmony Cart could be fully functional so you could play some of the newer stuff that is harder to get physical copies of. If that could happen I would definetly be on board with the 2600+. My folks got my older brother and I a 2600 for Christmas back in 1981 along with Asteroids, Space Invaders and it came with Combat. Atari definetly holds a special place in my heart:)

[Glorkbot]

I really wanted to play Mr. Run and Jump more than anything. And my old Atari doesn't look great on an hdtv over RF, and the old controllers are wearing out. And the power jack probably needs a little re-soldering but I don't own a soldering iron.

 

So when my family asked what I wanted for Christmas, I suggested the Atari 2600+ as a possibility. I love it! Mr. Run and Jump is awesome. My nostalgia for the old games is great, and I do have a LOT of carts, but I'm equally interested in the idea of Atari making new games. I want more new stuff like Mr. Run and Jump... I hope it's selling well enough to encourage more new games. (The fact that the next new bunch of new carts announced is all old games worries me a bit that I'm gonna be out of luck on more new games from Atari. I know homebrew exists but it's really hard to tell which games are compatible with the 2600+ and I don't want to purchase games that won't work.)

 

(I still want a rom of Mr. Run and Jump to go with my cart, though.)

Edited February 14 by Glorkbot

[+Atari2600PAL]

I bought mine as it looks like a real Atari (unlike the Retron 77) and I wanted the picture quality (vs composite on an original console)

 

(But it's currently being used as a doorstop while I can't install any updates, hopefully that will change)

 

1 hour ago, Glorkbot said:

(I still want a rom of Mr. Run and Jump to go with my cart, though.)

I run mine from my Harmony cart on my heavy 6er (thanks to the Retron 77 community build) to save wear on the cartridge until I feel I can use the 2600+ (I only store carts I own on the Harmony, or if I want to see what a game is like before purchasing)

[+Intellivision Master]

I bought the 2600+ because I never had an Atari 2600 before.  I did have the Atari FB 9 but that is a plug and play.  For me, it's nice to have an actual replica that plays original carts.  It's fun to collect the different games.  I have a few in the collection.  With more to add.  Also, I'm glad Atari is re-releasing games again.  Hopefully they come out with some newer titles as well.  

[+LS650]

I already had three old 2600 consoles and about 60 old carts, plus a Harmony cart. 

I was drawn in by the HDMI connection, and of course the ability to play 7800 games.

 

The old consoles are now back in storage, and the Plus is on the coffee table connected to a nice LG 42" screen.

The HDMI picture quality is so much easier on the eyes, and the 7800 games are great.

Since getting the Plus, I've bought an additional 20 or so carts, including six 7800 games, Berzerk Enhanced, and Mr. Run & Jump.

[2LTIME6100]

For me it's the HDMI connection and the ability to play PAL and NSTC games. The whole thing, packaged in a stylish case, convinced me 👍😊

[Glorkbot]

1 hour ago, Atari2600PAL said:

I run mine from my Harmony cart on my heavy 6er (thanks to the Retron 77 community build) to save wear on the cartridge until I feel I can use the 2600+ (I only store carts I own on the Harmony, or if I want to see what a game is like before purchasing)

I wish I could use the dumper in the Atari 2600+ to dump & transfer my Mr. Run and Jump rom from the cart to my computer, etc.

[+karri]

At the time they announced 2600+ I only had a PAL 7800 with a RF output. So my desire was to have a 7800 that could play NTSC titles. It was also a backup for my PAL 7800 in case my video modding would have gone wrong.

 

Now I have a good 7800 PAL unit with good quality video output. I am using that unit most of the time as I want my Otaku flash cart to work on the real hardware.

 

But of course the huge number of 2600+ units sold makes it very interesting to develop games that would be compatible with the 2600+ also. Not the financial side as I don't really sell stuff. But it gives some satisfaction to publish games that others may like playing.

 

Oh, I also have a Dragonfly that is a real life saver. But the NTSC games don't always run on my PAL 7800 so I am happy to have the 2600+ and Dragonfly as my NTSC 7800 machine.

[NicodemusLegend]

• Nostalgia for the 2600 system
• Ability to play actual cartridges
• Ability to easily connect to modern TVs without MacGyver-style tactics

[Ben from Plaion]

2 minutes ago, NicodemusLegend said:

• Nostalgia for the 2600 system
• Ability to play actual cartridges
• Ability to easily connect to modern TVs without MacGyver-style tactics

In that order as well.

[ColecoGamer]

I ordered my 2600+ from Amazon yesterday and it’s arriving today. I’m interested in the HDMI video connectivity and 7800 compatibility. 
 

My old 7800 has gone to the junk heap in the sky, and buying a replacement console is too expensive nowadays. I hear the 7800 controllers will work with the 2600+, which is a bonus since I have working controllers for that system in storage.

 

My only concern is my massive library of homebrew games; will they work on the 2600+? Maybe someone can chime in with some good news?

 

 

[SparkleFork]

I pre-ordered the 2600+ off Amazon the moment it went up. You never can tell how many units of anything retro based are going to get made these days, so I'm delighted to see it's still up for sale and appears to have sold well enough to justify a second round of carts and accessories. 

 

I do still have my old 1979 six switch Atari VCS but sadly it just doesn't work anymore, so a modern reasonably priced replacement was a real no brainer. 

[Glorkbot]

21 minutes ago, ColecoGamer said:

My only concern is my massive library of homebrew games; will they work on the 2600+? Maybe someone can chime in with some good news?

 

 

I don't have any homebrew on cart, but I know that some work and some don't.  It probably also depends what firmware you're on? Someone started a thread about it here:

 

[Microjak]

Fond memories of playing the 2600 as a kid after school,I couldn’t afford one but my best mate who lived 3 doors away had one and we would play whilst listening to Depeche Mode,Eurythmics,Ultravox etc….. great times!

Now I have my very own 2600 and can listen to 80s music AND drink beer while playing 😀 

[+LS650]

47 minutes ago, ColecoGamer said:

My only concern is my massive library of homebrew games; will they work on the 2600+? Maybe someone can chime in with some good news?

Some will, some won't.  After doing the firmware update, the majority of homebrews run, but there are still a sizable percentage that don't - including any of the games that have an ARM chip, such as the more recent Champ Games releases.

[MikeM_]

I’ve always loved retro gaming. 
 

I am the right age for the 2600, but didn’t have one myself during its top years. (First device in that realm of tech was an Apple //c, and then in the early 90’s I got my NES) It was friends that had one where I first was exposed. 
 

In the 90’s, Atari was dirt cheap and you could get quite the collection in flea markets for next to nothing. I got a 2600, 5200, ColecoVision and an Atari 800, along with a ton of games for each console. Years later I got into the 7800 and added the games I currently have for that generation to my 2600 collection. 
 

I have a couple Atari game collections on my Nintendo Switch (including the Atari 50 collection) which I love, but was always slightly frustrated by the missing arcade ports and 3rd party games that Atari doesn’t have license for. This was the major problem that the 2600+ solves and why I jumped on the pre-order as soon as I could. 
 

Most of the physical titles I have been picking up in the last couple months are third-party, or games that just aren’t available in the collections. 
 

Lastly, since I missed out on having a VCS/2600 when it was brand new, being able to get a 2600+, fresh from Atari and being the only person to own my purchased device is a way of rectifying that bit of fate. 
 

 

Edited February 14 by MikeM_

[shane857]

I own a PAL composite modded original sixer which isn't perfect, wrong colours etc. Something just stood out about the 2600+ to me.

Mainly to play all my physical carts through HDMI. The original price did make me think twice to be honest. After buying one thou I was very impressed with the actual build, especially the quality of the joystick and how close it was to the original. It has played every cart I own so far... Onwards and upwards! 👍

[Video]

Two reasons. I do want more people working on clones of 2600 (had clones started in 2000 area, we'd have a perfect, or at least near perfect one now) and of course two, the actual hardware isn't very cooperative with modern screens, and a modern clone can do HDMI.

 

Plus, heck, I just love atari, it was the only system for much of my childhood. I was over ten years old before Nintendo came out, so I'm really attached to the system in a way no other system will ever come close to.

[+bent_pin]

Initially, I ask my girlfriend to get me one for Christmas so I could use it to check cartridges before listing them on ebay. I wanted to prevent returns. However, it's become my go to system. I play on it unless a game doesn't work, then into the 7800 with it. I'm very happy with it and I'll probably order a second one to modify, when I have the time to invest.

[Plumbob]

10 hours ago, etschuetz said:

I saw this topic formulate in another thread, so let's have a dedicated one to discuss why you got one. Do not worry if you say something that is the same as someone else. What matters is your story, your reason. So please share.

 

Obviously I will start since I created this topic thread.

 

I grew up on the Atari VCS/2600. It was the console I remember playing every time we went to my uncles for holidays. When the Atari 2600 Jr was released, that is when we got our own console. We also noticed that everyone was selling their systems and games on yard and garage sales. That was fantastic for us. We would just snatch up games at $1 each. We would also buy some that were new in box too. When I left for the USMC in the 90s, my dad sold ALL of the various consoles (the Jr, the vader, the 4 port woody, and the Sixer - do not remember if it was a heavy or a light) and all of the games. Yeah, wasn't happy about that. Over the years, I have collected as many as I could while minding my budget. Unfortunately, I kind of gave up on the hunt as Atari cartridges are harder and harder to find. Atari 7800 carts are also just getting higher and higher due to those looking at them as an investment, and not for a nostalgia kick.

I got the 2600+ to not only replace my aging hardware, but to also skip over the snakes nest of cables I need to connect to a modern tv. I have CRT's, but the signal is horrible and the tv is just clunky. I also am a streamer. Having my Atari connected to my PC to capture video is just fantastic. After all, we know how it is when one streams retro content and the "I only use original hardware" types stumble in. I have no qualms with emulation as it is not only convenient, but it just cuts down on clutter. However, there is something about the joysticks. The new sticks with the Plus are as close to the originals as ever. The Flashback sticks were decent, but they just lacked that stiffness.

 

As a weirdly fun thing is I am also forced to "upkeep" my games. Ensuring that the connecters are clean helps me keep those carts in good condition... even though the labels need to be touched up with new adhesive.

HDMI output. Bright colorful games. Ease of setup to modern TVs. Tactile feel of holding a physical game and pushing it into the slot.  I remember the first time I bought a game on Steam, not getting a cardboard box to open, or a CD or whatever to hold, it felt like my money kind of vanished into thin air.  I’ve had various computer systems and games over the years but I’ve always known in the back of my head that most Atari games really are still fun to play (But not Stampede, sorry!) Also, I’m feeling really turned off with the modern gaming industry: passwords, monthly fees, needing to be online to authorize/confirm I own a game, two factor authentication, ads, micro transactions, having to link my Xbox account to my Minecraft account or whatever that was all about, forgetting my passwords and then forgetting which email and password the recovery  code went to.   I mean, yes modern games are cool, but is anybody truly enjoying where we are at with all of this nonsense?  But then the 2600+ comes along and you just push the game in and power it on. That’s it; you’re in. You can start playing! I don’t even mind waiting 10 seconds for it to load.   Now I’m obviously not going to sit and play Mrs Pac-Man for 4 hours nonstop like I might with Minecraft, but there is nothing wrong with short bursts of fun.   I don’t know how to explain it, but there is something about modern graphics that doesn’t give me joy anymore.  I want to go back to being a kid again with bright fun colorful friendly simple graphics and great game play. Sometimes I just want to escape from the responsibilities of being an adult. 

I hope the 2600+ becomes an “evergreen” type product that exists along side modern games rather than needing to compete with them. 

I’m looking forward to the possibility of new games like mr run and jump and homebrew.  

I believe that there is still more potential to squeeze out of the 2600, 2600+, and 7800 platforms and in future years there very well could be some amazing new games that we can’t even imagine right now. 

[Ampersound]

The Atari 2600 was my first console as a kid. A sixer woody but cannot remember if it was heavy or light one. I had to do a lot of chores to get a couple of quid to then rent a game from a video store over a weekend. Great times. 
 

I preordered a 2600+ as soon as they went up on Amazon UK last year as it was going to be my 50th Birthday present to myself over Xmas. My wife told me I had to give it to my parents for them give to me (as they brought the original when I was a kid). It arrived in November so I had to pass it over to my folks and wait until Xmas.

 

it was worth the wait. Love it so much.. great build, lovely HDMI and I’ve spent almost £250 on games (carts, CIB and pre ordered the new games and Cx78 controller for May) since Xmas. Takes me back with that warm nostalgia feelings of when I was kid.
 

 

Edited February 14 by Ampersound

[Peloquin17]

The 2600 was my first console as a kid and always loved it. 
 

at one point in my adult life I almost had a complete 2600 collection, aside from a handful of super rares. 
 

I slowly sold off all my retro collection a few year ago, and the only thing I regret selling was the 2600. 
 

as soon as it was announced I preordered one without hesitation. 
 

I’ve been super happy with it, and only planned on getting a few games, but I’ve already passed the 100 mark, and keep getting more. 

[MikeM_]

23 minutes ago, Ampersound said:

I preordered a 2600+ as soon as they went up on Amazon UK last year as it was going to be my 50th Birthday present to myself over Xmas. My wife told me I had to give it to my parents for them give to me (as they brought the original when I was a kid). It arrived in November so I had to pass it over to my folks and wait until Xmas.

 

I nominate this as the best 2600+ story so far. Very cool 👍🏼