It's funny how Atari can spark so many memories

[Brad2600]

I brought issue 12 of Retro Gamer up to show my brother his weekend and he was impressed by it. He told me that he wants me to hunt down a 2600 an and a few games for him as he's interested in reclaiming the fun that we both had playing 2600 as kids.

 

Also, his neighbor saw the article and ran next door to get a surprise. The surprise turned out to be his own Sears heavy sixer! It was in suprisingly good shape and the cords and all were better than the ones on mine. He also had a few boxed Sears games, though the boxes are in poor shape. He had Pac-Man as well with an original $30 price sticker on the box. LOL.

 

Anyway, he's not gonna sell it. Still, it was a very nice system. I'm surprised that after all these years, some people still refuse to let go of their Atari systems.

 

Now I gotta find a working 2600 and games for my brother. Hmm.

 

Anyway, Atari is a word that seems to bring out the best in all of us.

[ClassicBoy]

I brought issue 12 of Retro Gamer up to show my brother his weekend and he was impressed by it. He told me that he wants me to hunt down a 2600 an and a few games for him as he's interested in reclaiming the fun that we both had playing 2600 as kids.

 

Also, his neighbor saw the article and ran next door to get a surprise. The surprise turned out to be his own Sears heavy sixer! It was in suprisingly good shape and the cords and all were better than the ones on mine. He also had a few boxed Sears games, though the boxes are in poor shape. He had Pac-Man as well with an original $30 price sticker on the box. LOL.

 

Anyway, he's not gonna sell it. Still, it was a very nice system. I'm surprised that after all these years, some people still refuse to let go of their Atari systems.

 

Now I gotta find a working 2600 and games for my brother. Hmm.

 

Anyway, Atari is a word that seems to bring out the best in all of us.

834860[/snapback]

 

I know what you mean. It seems like there are some things that spark certain memories or emotions that nothing else does. I almost find myself holding back from playing Atari 2600 games too much because I'm afraid that the new memories will replace the old ones and I won't ever have that same overwhelming nostalgic feeling I have when I "power on" the 2600.

 

Sounds a bit strange. I know. Music is kind of the same way.

[SteveW]

I have a T-shirt that has an Atari joystick on it, with the word "Represent" underneath it. I've gotten so many great comments from people about it. So many thirty-something guys recognise the Atari joystick as a core part of their childhoods.

[Lord Thag]

Yeah, lots of good memories for me too. The last memory I have of one of my Grandfathers, actually, was of him hooking up the Atari and playing it. When he died three days later, us kids basically got babysat by gtood ol' Uncle Atari while my parents dealt with the funeral. We got a whole week of Atari in (we're talking 5-8 hour stretches here, which my parents never allowed again). That was kind of the beginning of my love affair with all things Atari.

 

I still can't believe I played 2600 Donkey Kong for five hours straight though

[SteveW]

I can't believe that you played 2600 Donkey Kong for 5 hours straight and lived to talk about it! My brain would have exploded after about two!

[rasty]

I can't believe that you played 2600 Donkey Kong for 5 hours straight and lived to talk about it! My brain would have exploded after about two!

835817[/snapback]

Speaking of which, I find it really hard to do such endurance marathons.. I do have a few games I can play for hours on the 2600, but I usually give up after 1h.

I still can't understand how did they do endurance runs of 24h or so back in the day...

 

Regards!

Rasty.-

[Brad2600]

I have a T-shirt that has an Atari joystick on it, with the word "Represent" underneath it. I've gotten so many great comments from people about it. So many thirty-something guys recognise the Atari joystick as a core part of their childhoods.

835757[/snapback]

 

Whoa! I have the exact same shirt and I'm wearing it now.

 

Unfortunately, I don't get many comments regarding it.

[Lord Thag]

Speaking of which, I find it really hard to do such endurance marathons.. I do have a few games I can play for hours on the 2600, but I usually give up after 1h.

 

Ditto for me these days. I think the reason we could back in the day was because the whole concept and technology was so new. One of the reasons I still love the old games is because you can play a game in 15 min and have a great time. Try getting anywhere on Halo or Final Fantasy in the same time. The newer games are fun over HOURS of time, but there are long, boring segements where little is happening. In the older games, the action is usually frantic and consistent. Try being bored while playing Kaboom! It's impossible.

 

I actually play MORE classic games as I get older, since my life responsibilities keep increasing. It's hard to squeeze in 4+ hours to make a dent in Doom 3, let's say, when I have a 60+ hour a week job. 20 minutes of Pac-Man is usually more fun, and easier to fit in.

[rasty]

Speaking of which, I find it really hard to do such endurance marathons.. I do have a few games I can play for hours on the 2600, but I usually give up after 1h.

 

Ditto for me these days. I think the reason we could back in the day was because the whole concept and technology was so new. One of the reasons I still love the old games is because you can play a game in 15 min and have a great time. Try getting anywhere on Halo or Final Fantasy in the same time. The newer games are fun over HOURS of time, but there are long, boring segements where little is happening. In the older games, the action is usually frantic and consistent. Try being bored while playing Kaboom! It's impossible.

 

I actually play MORE classic games as I get older, since my life responsibilities keep increasing. It's hard to squeeze in 4+ hours to make a dent in Doom 3, let's say, when I have a 60+ hour a week job. 20 minutes of Pac-Man is usually more fun, and easier to fit in.

835920[/snapback]

I agree 100% with all of the above!

The attention level that 2600 games required is higher by leaps and bounds compared to most today's games.. Plus I still happen to favour games with more action than thinking! (unless it's an adventure, where thinking is ok )

 

Regards!

Rasty.-

[Lord Thag]

I agree 100% with all of the above!

The attention level that 2600 games required is higher by leaps and bounds compared to most today's games.. Plus I still happen to favour games with more action than thinking! (unless it's an adventure, where thinking is ok )

 

Me too. Something else I noticed the other day. I almost never play classic games when I'm tired. It's because they generally require a great deal more skill, concentration and focus to play. I mean, no one can play Kaboom! or Cosmic Ark when they're half asleep, you know? Final Fantasy PUTS me to sleep most of the time. The only new games that have that level of intensity are fighting games, and the occasional FPS, but those genres have been done to death, and I'm tired of 'em. Give me falling bombs and a paddle anyday! Plus, since most of the old games are score based, and therefore unbeatable, you never conquer them, and they are still a challenge after all these years. After I beat Halo 2, I have hardly touched it. That's why I don't have a problem payin $30 for a 25 year old game, if it's good. I've gotten two decades worth of play out of, say, moonsweeper. I'm lucky if I get two weeks out of a newer game.

 

It's not nostalgia, it GAMEPLAY. You'd think developers would notice that.....

[NE146]

I'm surprised that after all these years, some people still refuse to let go of their Atari systems.

 

There's no way that I can believe that you, who have been on these boards for so long... would be at all surprised by that

[Brad2600]

Well, the person who showed me his 2600, does not even own a computer so I should have been more clear.

[Osbo]

I remember TV programs with kids playing atari/commodore for prices (consoles, video games or RC cars) it was pretty cool.

[AtariDude]

Atari has always brought up good memories. It is associated with friends, and good times. I am sure that a lot of people share similar memories which is why the name Atari shares a special place in people's hearts.

[keilbaca]

I agree 100% with all of the above!

The attention level that 2600 games required is higher by leaps and bounds compared to most today's games.. Plus I still happen to favour games with more action than thinking! (unless it's an adventure, where thinking is ok )

 

Me too. Something else I noticed the other day. I almost never play classic games when I'm tired. It's because they generally require a great deal more skill, concentration and focus to play. I mean, no one can play Kaboom! or Cosmic Ark when they're half asleep, you know? Final Fantasy PUTS me to sleep most of the time. The only new games that have that level of intensity are fighting games, and the occasional FPS, but those genres have been done to death, and I'm tired of 'em. Give me falling bombs and a paddle anyday! Plus, since most of the old games are score based, and therefore unbeatable, you never conquer them, and they are still a challenge after all these years. After I beat Halo 2, I have hardly touched it. That's why I don't have a problem payin $30 for a 25 year old game, if it's good. I've gotten two decades worth of play out of, say, moonsweeper. I'm lucky if I get two weeks out of a newer game.

 

It's not nostalgia, it GAMEPLAY. You'd think developers would notice that.....

836507[/snapback]

 

All I gotta say is 100% correct.

 

Beating a game nowadays is not hard. Maxing out Kaboom! or even just trying to get the last level requires a skill that is not easily attainable right off the bat. And that is also why I love fighting games, its the only thing that has that kind of action. Marvel vs Capcom 2, no fighter will beat that, in speed, response, character selection, and good old plain fun, period. Second place is Street Fighter Alpha 3.

 

You would think developers would get that idea, but they just don't get it. Its all about marketing and money these days, they have the reputation from when they started, so people trust them. They no longer have to try to make a good game, just good marketing and paying off companies to say the game rocks, and people buy it. Gameplay is long gone, and that is why I will always own the Atari, and it will be my most played system.

[kencrisis]

I remember TV programs with kids playing atari/commodore for prices (consoles, video games or RC cars) it was pretty cool.

836584[/snapback]

 

 

Oh yeah, in So. California there was an afternoon cartoon show and they would have breaks for "POW." They would call a lucky kid who had sent in his/her phone number and the kid would have to say "pow" when they wanted someone (likely a poor intern) at the TV station to hit the fire button on the Atari. At the time we thought it was hilarious and a total failure because every single kid would just shout "pow pow pow pow pow" as fast as they could. To this day, my wife and I exclaim "Pow!" to express the futility of something.

[candiru]

.....Something else I noticed the other day. I almost never play classic games when I'm tired. It's because they generally require a great deal more skill, concentration and focus to play....

836507[/snapback]

 

One thing I've noticed is I almost never have the urge to play Atari when things have been super busy and overwhelming at work.

 

It just doesn't seem seem as appealing to play the types of games that keep speeding up and throwing more enemies at you till you die.

[hurt]

One thing I've noticed is I almost never have the urge to play Atari when things have been super busy and overwhelming at work.

 

It just doesn't seem seem as appealing to play the types of games that keep speeding up and throwing more enemies at you till you die.

837220[/snapback]

 

I will agree on this because the older games seem to have a much higher replay value. Most there is no end so you cant say you finished it.

 

It is truly amazing how games of the past can keep people entertained for hours and hours with such limited colors and pixels. Then some newer games using way to much power and graffixs cant even get peoples attention for 10 min.

[Spongecat]

I get that way with Kaboom. It makes me remember playing it for hours. I can never achive the scores I used to. :/