What was the first Atari game you bought?

[gulag picture radio]

I won my Atari in a local contest in '83 (I think), so I had a while before I could actually go and claim it. I bought Data Age's "Airlock" for $7.90 at Toys R Us. I had played it before and liked it for some reason (probably because I could reliably beat it), and it was a price that I could afford.

 

Man, I don't know how many times I read and re-read the instructions for that game in anticipation of playing it on my own Atari. I felt like I was getting a little piece of growing up - I was going to get a sophisticated electronic device of my own.

 

Not long after, there were lots of games that were getting blown out at Sears (their own branded versions of Atari stuff) for around $10, and famous cheap crap-mart Zayre. Games at Zayre went from $1.88 to .99, and I think that I bought whatever they had. It was stuff like Video Pinball, Video Olympic, LOTS of Combat, PacMan, even Star Raiders with the controller! or a long time that was the bulk of my collection of ten games.

[ussexplorer]

Well the system I purchased used at a yard sale game with about 10 games or so. I remeber purchasing other games at yard sales too. Like crystal castles. But what I consider the first and only official game purchased directly from atari was Moon Patrol. This was latter on in Atari's life before the jaguar but during the 2600jr/7800 systems. So it was like 19.95 I think. I would have to look at the receipt if I still have it. Funny part to is it died. So years later I replaced with with one from a thrift store or someplace. As another note First game I purchased for nintendo was spy hunter and the first game I purchased for a sega gensis was ms. pacman and the 6pack with sonic. I only purchased two new games systems. Genesis 3 at closeout price of like 20.00 for a gift to my younger brother since I had duplicate games floating around and for myself and wife a playstation one we later pawned.

 

later,

 

ussexplorer

[dykesr]

Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back great game the first i ever bought with my own money i still have it i love it is is actually in special frame above my heavy sixer with a plaque that says it was the first game i ever bought for the atari VCS.

 

RD

[Rockin' Kat]

The first game I bought for my Atari 2600 was Astroblast. Someone had conveniently stuck it in the Atari 2600 I found on my first ever trip to Goodwill.

[gdement]

I never myself paid for any of my 2600 games. The first one that I remember walking into a store, picking out, and having someone buy for me was "Star Wars: Death Star Battle", but there were lots of games that mysteriously showed up before that.

 

The first game I actually paid for was Xevious on the 7800. It was only $10 in the Sears catalog in 1987.

[Rudolphy]

Decathlon! I LOVE THIS GAME.

[Mr Egg]

my dad gave my 5 dollars for childrens day , (mexico holiday) and with that i bougth my first 2600 game which was dodge em, my brother who is 2 years older than me got 10 dollars so he bougth galaxian and phoenix . that was back in 1984 rigth at the video game crash so atari carts were going for 5 dollars each . the store was la internacional #2 in laredo texas

[bedrock]

Space Invaders!!!.....Christmas 1980. After my dad hooked up the Atari 2600, I played this game for 3 days straight. At age 9, I had never had a "sore muscle" in my life. After the first day my hands and thumb felt like never before....but I continued to play and as I look back now...I discoverd 3 things about myself that would carry on into adulthood.

 

1) These games instilled a "never give up" attitude in me......I soon realized after years of Atari 2600 action that most of the games never had an end!!! I'm still trying to beat that damn game

2) Video games increased my need for competition and self-improvement. These games, believe it or not, have enhanced all aspects of my future....besides the fact that I still live at home with me parents (just kidding!)

3) Video games or TV?.....I watched very little TV as I usually took one look at the Atari sitting there next to the TV and said to myself..."Mmmm, I think I can beat my high score on Missle command!!!!....forget the Brady Bunch. Hand eye coordination over Mind Mush Television I always say!!!!!

[gdement]

my dad gave my 5 dollars for childrens day , (mexico holiday) and with that i bougth my first 2600 game which was dodge em, my brother who is 2 years  older than me got 10 dollars so he bougth galaxian and phoenix . that was back in 1984 rigth at the video game crash so atari carts were going for 5 dollars each . the store was la internacional #2 in laredo texas

 

I still remember when I was playing at a friend's house, and he was showing me the "Night Driver" game which I thought was cool for some reason, probably because it made me imagine "Knight Rider". He told me he had gotten it for $5 at Target (I think, K-Mart doesn't ring a bell), and later we saw the TV commercial advertising the same sale. My mom saw the ad so my parents took the family out to buy Atari games. I didn't realize there was anything apocalyptic about these games being cleared out for $5, I was oblivious to any "crash" at the time. I just thought it was cool we were buying several Atari games in one night.

[Vic George 2K3]

Didn't really have my own money to buy games with until 1984 when I first worked on a summer employment program at St. Vincent's Home. And then I don't even remember what the first Atari 2600 game I bought with it was. (Swordquest: Fireworld, perhaps?) Although I was starting to buy games more frequently around 1983 when the prices for Atari 2600 games started going down.

[Goochman]

Adventure and Dodge'Em

 

Played them to death

[Stingray]

Adventure! I bought it the day after Christmas (I'd just gotten my first VCS). Adventure was the reason I wanted to get a VCS in the first place. It was the very first video game I ever bought and remains to this day my favorite Atari game and one of my favorite games on any platform. Good times!

 

-S

[128bytes]

Space Invaders