Here is a question that I am asking myself

[AtariDude]

Here is something that I have been wondering for a while. Given the fact that the Atari 7800 is compatiable with Atari 2600 games, why would someone go out and purchase an Atari 2600 machine when for about the same cost, they can obtain an Atari 7800 system and get access to more games.

 

Is it simply because some people are not aware of the existence of the Atari 7800 or is it simply because people want to relive playing with their 2600s to the point of not even considering the 7800?

 

I loved my Atari 2600 when I had it but when I went out to obtain a model, I obtained the 7800 since I would be able to play both types of games.

 

I was just curious as to why people are choosing the 2600 in some cases as opposed to obtaining a 7800.

[Lemmi]

Well for me i love the way the 2600 looks the METAL switches with the all black look or the wood grain

 

and some games are just easier to play on the 2600 (space shuttle for example)

 

and when my darth vader system died i got me a new 7800 so i could play my old games and to play the new ones, but theres nothing like hooking up the old 6 switch 2600 with the original joysticks and putting in Pitfall to play , it sends a chill up my spine just remembering how i used to do this exact same thing 20 years ago

 

[ 12-09-2001: Message edited by: Lemmi ]

[eric_ruck]

quote:

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Originally posted by AtariDude:

why would someone go out and purchase an Atari 2600 machine when for about the same cost, they can obtain an Atari 7800 system and get access to more games.

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Of course there is the nostalgia thing -- you could very well be nostaligic for the "woodie". Also a few games the 7800 won't play, as well as the Supercharger that won't work with most 7800s.

 

But I personally prefer the 7800. I never owned any version of the 2600, and I have a 7800 that works with the supercharger.

 

Oh yeah, for the insane collectors, there is the completeness angle. Can't consider my collection complete until I have one of each (heavy, woodie, darth, 4 switch, telegames, both jr's, etc.)

 

Eric

[sway3]

quote:

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Originally posted by eric_ruck:

Of course there is the nostalgia thing

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I concur. Out of every 10 atari system requests I get, 9 are for the woodgrain and the remaining splits the vader, jr, and 7800.

 

Most people don't distinguish between the 6 and 4 switch because they don't necessarily remember how many switches their Atari had ~ they just want the woodgrain Atari.

[liveinabin]

I personally like to play the game on the system it was designed for and playtested on. So 2600 games have to be played on a 2600. Anything else and I might as well be using an emulator.

[Jetboot Jack]

That seems a bit of an odd position - "Anything else and I might as well be using an emulator."

 

One would hardly describe a 7800 running a 2600 game as an emultor - there is no emulation, the code is running on the correct CPU etc....

 

Most games are designed for not just one system, but the one that will get the compnay the most revenue.

 

And as for playtesting - you only had to work for Atari to know what a complete joke that is, people like Nintendo/Sony etc have huge QA depts, Atari got the warehouse staff to test the games!!!!

 

sTeVE

[liveinabin]

I don't mean that the 7800 is emulating, but more that i'd rather get the full hardware experience from a game, I'd only play 7800 titles on a 7800. 2600 titles on a 2600, Only ps2 titles on a ps2 (if there were any I'd want to play) and...er ..oh well I DO have Pokemon crystal loaded into my Gameboy Advance, but that's more so I can show off my Pokemon center GBA to passing kids

I guess its the difference in playing defender on the dedicated cabinet or the same game on a generic cab.

just feels right.

[Atari-Jess]

well my first Atari was a 7800, so playing it on that feels right to me. I got this as it was the first Atari that i was able to buy. the moment i seen it, i knew it was mine so i bought it at a steal for 5 bucks and a good ol' bag o games!

[Fretwobbler]

I cant see the point in having a 2600 and a 7800 next to each other my console desk thingie, unless I'm playing space shuttle which is very rare but then I haven't got the overlays and get confused and switch it off anyway. 4 consoles within a very limited space is too many as it is.

 

Why doesn't somebody invent a box with a 7800,2600,5200,megadrive,master system, snes, nes and jag slot on, put a DVD-RW, CD-RW, 1.44 flop in there and stick enough bits 'n' bobs inside to cater for all the stuff. Stick a big knob on the front that CLICKS like a 1970's tv channel changer to select the 'System Mode' that you want and every body would be happy.

 

and stick a 5.1/4" floppy on there for posterity.

 

Plus the back of you tv would not look like a badly tangled fishermans net with 15 RF's and 5 scarts.

 

Ive dreamt of owning a little box like that for many years now.

 

Adam

[AtariDude]

Such a box would be great. I am not sure if something like that is possible, but if it is, I wonder how expensive it might turn out to be.

[Fretwobbler]

Quote from Atari Dude -

 

quote

I am not sure if something like that is possible  

 

People are building an International Space Station and you can drive from England to France in a tunnel, In Japan they built an airport on the sea it must be possible . What we need is somebody whos good with electronics (me=:confused to buid it and someone who's rich to finance the ambitious project.

 

I'll play the part of chief playtester abuy the first production model. Any takers??

 

Adam

[VidGameKing]

I am actually working out the details of building such a box. but not with so meny things. I am designing a system that is compatable with 2600/5200/7800/400/800/XE systems. but still need some info before I can print the circuit. what I need a detail schematics for the XEGS. I've got everything else in order.

[VidGameKing]

Actually thats sort of what I figured, but I wanted to let people understand what sort of thing I going to build. I actually think I can combine the curcuitry of the 130XE and the 5200 and put a hardware buffer to switch between the two different settings. I wanted to put in the removeable keyboard of the XEGS so that why i wanted info on that. so I could figure out how to do that. still I need any and all info people can give me. I'm also thinking wireless controllers, 900Mhz or 2.4 Ghz that would eliminate cords all together.

[Gunstar]

quote:

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Originally posted by marialover:

I am actually working out the details of building such a box. but not with so meny things. I am designing a system that is compatable with 2600/5200/7800/400/800/XE systems. but still need some info before I can print the circuit. what I need a detail schematics for the XEGS. I've got everything else in order.

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I hope you don't mean your going to try both an XE computer AND an XEGS, they're the same thing!!! Only different boxes and board designs, but if your making an all Atari box, only one or the other is needed. i'd go with the 130xe in that case since it has the extra memory built in...also, the 400/800's aren't really needed either since the XE can run those programs... 2600/5200/7800/and one computer-800/xl/xe is all that is needed, heck, you could even do away with the 2600 since the 7800 has the 2600 inside (basically), so 5200/7800/XE is really all you need to play games for all the 8-bit Atari systems. That's how I'd go if I were to construct such a box.