Atari 5200 Guy

I own an XEGS and actually love it. In my hometown after the 2600/5200 stuff Atari showing up seemed random. The 7800 was found in another town at a toy store that sold liquidated merchandise and the 2600 junior I found at a local discount store that didn't last long. Nothing after that until I got Jaguar flyers in the mail but by that time Atari was already sold off. I did not discover the XEGS until 1998 and that I found used.

Why bother??? Its an Atari for crying out loud! 'Nuff said. Period. Besides...what other console has Space Dungeon? None. That one is a 5200-only exclusive. No other Atari console got it. The 5200 is fun but time has not been kind to it.

5200 Centipede and the arcade Centipede both used POKEY for sounds so ... This is one of a few 5200 games where the arcade sounds were exact copies. What was heard in the arcade is present in the 5200. Also this is one of only two games that takes advantage of the trackball controller which, if used, really brings that arcade experience home. And Spidey needs less caffeine!

The 5200 version is really unique compared to the 2600 version. The 2600 version is what I discovered Atari with but the 5200 and its Space Invaders is what I ended up with. While not exactly accurate the game is fun. Enemies come marching out a row at a time instead of all enemies being on the screen already. If done right the player can wipe out most of the enemies as they come marching on the screen. After every other wave the enemies change to a new set of enemies. Up to four sets are in the game with the last set being most likely some of the best animation I have seen on the 5200, ever, as this set morphs between different designs. When a wave with the fourth set of invaders starts, all rows are of the same invaders. After a few seconds they morph, or shift, into another shape which makes for a really cool effect. The first six waves of this Space Invaders follows the same mechanics of the arcade; the more enemies you destroy the faster they move. Once they start moving faster, however, their marching sound gets a bit louder. The last two waves with the shape shifting enemies doesn't use the marching sound like the other waves. Instead the sound is only heard when the shape shifts. Missing is the sound the player makes when shooting. Successfully defeat the first eight waves and the player is greeted with being rescued by a gold flying saucer. After this the game starts over using only the last set of invaders. During all waves there is a mother ship that comes out randomly whose point worth also seems to be random. As for controls ... They work good in this game, at least for me they do. And I love that 5200 box art! Some may say it is from the 400/800 version of Space Invaders but to me the 5200 version seems more advanced while using some of the same features and, yes, I played the cassette version of that Space Invaders as well but favor the 5200 version more. Its just not the same to me.

Space Invaders on the 5200 did something no other port of the game ever did, including the arcades...morph. You mentioned seeing four sets of enemies and that's all the game has. After you battle two rounds of the fourth set you've pretty much mastered the game. Every wave after that sticks with the forth set of invaders. Personally I prefer the 5200 port. It's unique. Oddly enough if some of you have one of the 5200 game catalogues that came with the system (as Asteroids in it) you will see Space Invaders mentioned with an image of the game with the rocket. For years I wondered where that image came from and why my version was missing it. There are actually three versions of Space Invaders on the 8-bits (computers): two by Atari and one on floppy disk by a 3rd party developer.

Collecting, playing, or anything to do with video games, which is a form of art in its own right, is a hobby. Just like collecting Hot Wheels or building a model railroad larger than most mansions is also a hobby. The only difference is that video games challenge the human mind and require concentration and they exercise our hand to eye coordination and motor skills. Most other hobbies only satisfy the craving to collect, video games do so much more and can be a very positive experience. Maybe someday ask your mother to play a two player game with you. Pick a simple to pick-up-and-play game. Encourage her (don't hound her) to engage and share a video game experience with you. Maybe that would change her way of seeing video games. Bottom line...yes...video games are a hobby. Nothing more or less. They won't fry your brain but most games are educational in their own way if you look deep enough. Some games even encourage thinking, reading, writing, drawing, math, problem solving, and many other day to day skills. Just sayin'. I'm 46, been playing video games since 1979, collecting for about a decade now, and I turned out alright.

I don't have this but I will try an emulator for this.

Best SMB game? Debatable. They are all good but my favorite is the N64 version. For once in the series I could relax for the most part. I didn't have a timer to worry about all the time...I could wander off and explore if I wanted to. I don't know if the DS is the same game or not as I've not had the pleasure of seeing it but for me it was Super Mario 64. It had a few flaws, yes, but still a great step in the right direction for the series. I actually have a close tie as I found Galaxy on the Wii to be a blast!

Even the 5200 version is better than the 2600 version, sadly.

Yes, I agree with this whole-heartedly. When I first seen Solaris I thought the artwork looked familiar. The same thing was done on the Atari computer versions of Star Raiders and SR II. Those use the same artwork as well but SR II's manual is more in-depth than Solaris'. Solaris is a great game and an engineering marvel that really pushed the 2600 hardware. Very impressive. Radar Lock, which uses much of the same mechanics as Solaris, is also an excellent marvel. If there were any Jack-era Atari 2600 releases that really impressed me it would have been those two. It needed it's own cover artwork, not reusing one that had already been done. However there is a slight change between the 2600 Star Raiders artwork and that used on Solaris. See if you can spot it.

Start out simple. Don't go for the full monte the first time out. Take your time, give your first few videos the time to help you discover yourself and how you best represent what you are after. Do a few sample runs, repeatedly watch what you did, see if everything is kosher or if you need to make slight adjustments. Sometimes unscripted things tend to work best for some YT creators. Even if they are old they are going to be your best friends in this adventure. When time and funds allow then work on getting upgrades. If you use a modern PC you might find OBS Studio of value. It's free open-source software that can capture just about anything you throw at it from capture devices connected to your computer to webcams to what ever the computer puts on your computer screen. I've used it to capture games I play on Steam and on emulators for some of the score challenges here. I like it and use it often. I have yet to find a decent editor that is free so I stick with Windows' Video Editor. I have a Sargent USB capture dongle but it sort of sucks. Anything below Dreamcast it doesn't seem to work with. I haven't tried the N64 or Super NES yet but anything that doesn't do 480 resolution is pretty much not going to work. Avoid it if you want to capture 2600 up to Sega Saturn stuff. There is one similar to it I found at Wal-Mart once not too long ago that advertised itself as a way to transfer home VHS videos to digital formats and VHS tapes are way under 480 resolution (I think they are about 220 or something like that) so that one might work with your older game consoles. And even if you find one that works but doesn't support those RF inputs your VCR will become your very best friend in no time. Simply connect your RF game consoles to your VCR, set the VCR to the game's channel, then use your VCR's A/V out feeds to your capture device's RCA inputs. Old VCR's have always worked as a high-priced signal converter because anything that VCR sees or produces goes through both RF and RCA outputs. So your cable channels, per say, when going through your VCR can be sent to a standard video input on a TV or any device that has that input. It might be old tech but that VCR can have a lot of potential for your YT channel when you least expect it. I still have a JVC Hi-Fi VCR I use regularly for movies but I have had to use it for a signal converter a time or two. To give you an example, the video below has a Logitech HD (720p) webcam pointing at the TV to capture the video but the audio is from a 2600 connected to a VCR's RF IN so I could capture the 2600's sounds with a direct connection from the RCA Audio Out (white/red) to the recording computer. When I captured the video I was able to select the audio source as well so I captured both at once in a single shot. The only editing was to add an opening title and end copyrights if present. Maintain a positive spirit and attitude with what you are doing and take any "I don't like this" responses from your viewers as creative criticism. It's going to take a while and you won't be able to make everyone happy. You may also come across those that want to do nothing more than take you down but don't let them. Most YouTubers with high subscribers have been doing those videos for many years and some of them still have not done everything right. Just be yourself, let the world see you, you might even surprise yourself in the process. Any other tricks I can think of I'll pass along as I discover them otherwise I say go for it with what you have. See what you can do with the equipment/software you have. We all got to start somewhere sometime and you won't know until you try. Avoid this and if you capture music from more modern game consoles mute the music or you might find a copyright flag on your videos. I've got one video on my channel (Monster Truck Mayhem on Wii) that had one music track on one of the levels get flagged. I can continue to show the video but if my video ever generates any ad revenue that revenue will go to the creator of the music track and not me. I don't get ad revenue anyway so everything is what I either currently own, donated, or out of my own pocket to support the channel. Good luck with your channel. I hope to see it soon.

Tunnel Runner I had way back in the late 1980s. It's a very fun and unique game. But it's a bit pricey these days. Sort of crazy how that works; games back then no one could sell for a penny are all of a sudden worth tons of money. Makes no sense to me.

My 5200 got Qix. The 2600 did not. I'd probably pick that one.

Welcome to Atari I/O @1Littlebeast. You'll love it here. Favorite arcade game? Gee...you had to play that card? Ummm...lemme think. I have two actually each from different eras. Pre-crash I'd have to pick Galaxian. Post-crash has to be OutRun. Gyruss is good, too. Gotta love the music in that one.

I like CIB as well and I have bought new old stock games before but not to sit on a shelf and collect dust...I get them to play them, period. Preservation is for emulators lol. Those of us that lived through the early Atari years know that box meant nothing...it was all about the games on those carts and how quick you could get in some game time. Why change it now? Lol. Just kidding. Times change. It shouldn't matter as long as they work and you enjoy playing them. They don't have to be perfect.

I use Atari I/O for this 😁

Most of the game consoles in my collection, including one or two 2600 consoles, I bought in non-working condition because it was cheaper to obtain them that way and to try to fix 'em . So far all are working beautifully although I've got an original PlayStation having drive issues after a few minutes of game play. Atari's are a bit easier to deal with, though.

I don't know if you have secondhand stores in your area @HDN or not but you might keep an eye on them from time to time. I know you said you are going to lay low for a while but just a bit of advice to pass along is all. Those 7800 games often get mixed up as 2600 games sometimes if the seller doesn't know what they have. That use to be the case...I don't know if that is still true nowadays. Let's see, you have Xevious, Galaga (I love the sounds in that game), Food Fight, Pole Position II, Karateka, and One-On-One now. Is that all of them? If so then you will have enough to last you a while. For Xevious one of the Difficulty switches on the front changes between each fire button doing something different or both doing the same thing. If you want one switch to drop bombs and the other to be your standard fire button then the switch goes in one position, if you want either button to drop bombs AND fire then the switch goes in the other position. I don't remember which way, though, so sorry about that. Also...switch moved left is B and switch moved right is A I believe. I don't know why Atari/GCC didn't mark those. Oh...wait...that would cost a penny more. Nevermind. When you get the money saved back up you might ask @Video 61 if he has any used 7800 titles you are looking for. It never hurts to ask.

The Dreamcast! The only console I've ever pre-ordered and all because of Sonic Adventure. I seen the opening on a demo unit and was blown away. Then I got Tokyo Xtreme Racer and my favorite racing game switched from Gran Turismo to TXR. As far as I'm concerned Sega knocked it out of the park with that console and it's game library. LOTS of excellent games. I had SC5 and loved it. I spent a LOT of time on it. Neat game. I still have a Dreamcast Magazine disc with Sega Swirl on it. I played that one a lot, too, but it was a pain to get to it to load it up.

Nostalgic? My 5200 for one. I still remember the day I woke up to one. Brings back good memories. Vinyl records come second. My very first album was the Heavy Metal OST, double-album, gatefold jacket, beautiful artwork. My second album was Styx Paradise Theatre where Side 2 had no label but a really cool etched logo that you could see only when light hit the grooves just right. It was really something. Then I got a Boston picture disc. I couldn't figure out why I was given three records when I had no record player of my own. The boyfriend Mom had then had got a decent setup with a fancy dancy turntable I was not allowed to touch. So he gifted me his old Panasonic, all-in-one stereo. I loved that thing and it could rock! It had an 8-track player and AM/FM but I used records. When I'm really feeling nostalgic I'll put on a vinyl record with 80's rock music on it and play an Atari for a while. There are times when those old K-Tel albums make sense.

Aw man. You mean I have to try harder?!? 😉 Nice scores guys! I'll try again in a day or two. And... ...is one sexy and clean looking 2600 unit! @RickR's games are pre-trained for the Squad Challenges. 😁

Pointer should you ever get one. Never connect a 7800 controller to an Atari ST computer. You will fry the computer's video circuitry.

PP II was not all bad. The SMS I got one Christmas came with Great Football and the machine was the model with the hidden snail maze game. Not very impressive to me. Sound wise I prefer the 7800's sounds. They are not as ear piercing as the SMS sounds. PP II I spent a lot of time with. I loved the visuals and track options. I didn't like the controller or how it shifted (up for hi, down for low) but I grew to accept them. I personally thought the sounds coming from the system were weak at first but I appreciated the familiar tone that I would label as the Atari sound. Like I said...it's pleasing. As cheap as Jack was I'm surprised it came with a game at all. But, to each their own. PP II and the 7800 were my initial experience and memories with the system. It could have been worse.

I have not owned or tried Karateka. Sounds like a game you would gift someone on that one list who hasn't exactly been good. Maybe? One on One I have but haven't given it a serious chance. I need to try it someday. If you like Pong style games Hat Trick might interest you. I know it's suppose to be hockey but it reminds me more of a fancy Pong game than hockey. My absolute favs on the 7800 are Asteroids and Ballblazer. Those and Ms. Pac-Man are my go to games. Xevious looks and sounds really good, Galaga is entertaining as well. Keep an eye peeled for Commando! It is much better than the NES version. Finally, I recommend upgrading to a Europad when you can. Your hands will thank you for it.

I tried using an Atari on a LCD and, uggg, colors were dark and grungy looking. Not nice to look at at all. My old 20" Sanyo is a CRT but a true flat screen CRT. It still has a bright and vibrant picture and looks really good with these older consoles designed for CRTs. I wouldn't part with it for anything.