Atari 5200 Guy

Considering how very little advertisement happened in the area I grew up surrounding anything video games the first real game machine that came to our area was the Atari 2600. We did not get anything before it other than Pong units but not very many people we knew had it. I only found one of our family friends who owned one but that was AFTER the 2600 was well supported in my area hometown in Arkansas. It has been said we were about 6 years behind times from the west coast when it came to technology. When it came to video games, though, we caught up quick. So, while internet history says other machines came first, for me it the 2600 came first. I had no knowledge of anything else before that until the internet came about. Even then I didn't know until about a decade ago.

Sorry guys. Been very busy. I'll try to squeeze in a quick game or two. Moon Patrol is one of my favorites no matter what machine it's on.

Welcome to Atari I/O!

Atari's Jack The Ripper in disguise.

I have to admit...I played the NES port many moons ago and was not impressed. How Capcom made a Data East game for the NES when Data East was also making NES games is beyond me. It never kept my interest. The 7800 port, however, I love playing. It's more colorful and more arcade accurate. I have more fun with that one. The XE version I would have been satisfied with over the NES version.

Let's see: Sorcerer's Stone (1), Chamber of Secrets (2), Prisoner of Azkaban (3), Goblet of Fire (4), Order of the Phoenix (5), Half-Blood Prince (6)... The sixth is the Half-Blood Prince. Deathly Hallows was book 7 and movies 7 and 8. Yea...I really enjoyed the Harry Potter series. After the last one I was a bit disappointed only because I knew there would be no more.

Audiobooks in the car on a long drive worked for me so I could keep up with Harry Potter. I think it was the sixth book.

Other than Iron Soldier 2 and Skyhammer those games I remember well. They were all solid titles. Some a bit weird but still had a certain charm. They were unique and only on Atari. Cybermorph is a personal favorite. I spent many of my new Jaguar owner days playing that game. I love 2D space shooters so that one was right up my alley. Sorry to hear about the loss of an old friend. My sympathies to his family and friends during this time of morning. May he rest in peace.

Hi Atarians! Missouri is "supposedly" having another wave of infections. But my wife and I are kinda on the same page with how we think about the virus. We are not saying that it is not real. It obviously is because lives have been lost because of it. What sort of makes this pandemic a bit questionable is that it all started once Trump got impeached. Then when Floyd lost his life to a cop suddenly the COVID was no longer in the news forefront. That and the protesting stayed for awhile until TRUMP decided to finish his campaigning. Now there is a second wave of this virus happening again. I'm beginning to wonder if Trump has the "never-get-overs." On a more serious note...we are doing well but battling high temps. The local weather has not mentioned it but I wouldn't be surprised if we reached triple digits before August. It's very humid and hot out there. Step outside and in a few seconds you will sweat in places you didn't know you have. I recommend just staying home and playing Atari when not working. I'm still trying to adjust to everything closing at night now with the exception of one truck stop in town. Some of our Walmart employee friends have said that the company is seriously considering not going back to the 24-hour operations. You know what I think? I think it would be a good thing for stores to not be open 24 hours any more or on Sundays. Go back to the way things use to be. Give everyone a for sure day to have a breather. We don't need 24 hours. You want 24 hours then shop online.

Contracts to AC! Way to go, Bro.

Thanks!

Yep...BASIC PROGRAMMING over Brain Games because 1) I don't have Brain Games and 2) even in BASIC form everyone that wants to learn the 2600 should start with BASIC. It's an easier language to learn.

I had a 1st Gen iPad and loved it (WiFi only). But not long after I got it the 2nd gen came out and I did not feel like upgrading. Also, some apps for the 2nd gen I couldn't get to work on my 1st Gen. It makes sense if they bring MACs into the iOS world...then they would only need one OS not two trying to work together.

I've never seen the arcade machine of Food Fight. Not in person I mean. I've seen pics of it online but that's about the extent of it.

Me either.

I found a neat car video series to watch on YouTube. I loved tinkering with cars in the past when I had the "freedom" to do so because it was interesting to find a $100 car that was crap and get it going enough to drive around town. It's how I found a Mazda 323 coupe with moon roof that was a lot of fun to drive. $50 for the car, replaced windshield, bondo the hole in the hood, replace the tires all the way around. I got 40,000 miles out of it before the computer went out in it. 5 speed, too. It was a fun little car. I think I miss that car more than any other I had. It was suppose to be totaled but it ran fine...just needed some TLC. I still remember my Grandmother getting on to me for buying it. Then when it died all I head was "ahhh...that was such a good lil' car." Yeah...exactly what I thought LOL. Anyway, here's one of this channel's videos for you guys to check out. Pretty interesting stuff. Kinda makes me want to go and try to find some old barns or junkyards to go through. Enjoy!

I would honestly prefer the 7800 version. However, if the XEGS was the only game console I had to play this game with then I would have been OK with it. The only version I knew of until now was the 7800 version. That one is a lot of fun. I have that one for the 7800 but not for the XE. That was on a cart for the XE, right? I hope they didn't waste a disk for that.

The only version of Desert Falcon I've played is the 2600 version which isn't too bad but often times difficult to tell where you are in relation to the enemies and ground. That's not surprising and the 7800 is probably going to be smoother. What most Atari people don't realize is something so simple and right there under their noses that was carried over from the A8 and 7800 consoles: custom graphics processors. Atari was the only company to make their own graphics processors -OR- release machines under their umbrella that used a custom graphics chip. Where do you guys think NVIDIA and ATI came from? Part of their design is owed to the engineers at Atari that developed those early 8-bit graphics processors. Atari was the only company then making feature-rich graphics processors with all kinds of abilities. Color cycling was a key Atari feature as was collision detection. The 7800 lacks the collision detection but makes up for it the ability to process screen graphics at lightning speeds. It's the only console from the 8-bit era capable of such graphical speed and power. Most others struggled to come close to what the 7800 could pull off. And, as Lance has mentioned, even the A8s is a bit sluggish compared to the 7800. One of these days I'll be able to see both games in action in person. It looks like fun for sure.

I've got to get another BugHunt.

I'd like to try that XE version. I've sampled the ST version and it is fun but the Atari 8-bit computers have slightly better animation than the ST sometimes so I would very much like to see the XE version of that game in person. It's not a bad game, it is fun, I sacrificed my BugHunt. I had fun with it but I can see why that game wouldn't sell the XEGS when the NES had Duck Hunt and Hogan's Alley. Those games were more colorful comparing. I'm proud of my Grandfather. Unfortunately America is falling apart right now. At times it seems like everything those guys died to protect is being torn down.

If talking about just the XE computers 65 and 130 I agree with RickR about the carts. Those were a step up up from the conventional Atari computer carts but, I agree, missed opportunity to add end labels. The only two aspects I disliked about the XE was the mushy keyboard and the location of the cart port. They really showed how they felt about video games on that design by literally putting the cart slot on the back burner. The XEGS is a nice hybrid and the XE model I would experience first but long after Atari's burial. I do like the fact I have a console or a computer which ever I need when I need it. Again, though, the keyboard is mushy which I can't stand. I like to feel the click or some sort of resistance. The XE gun I have learned is not an accurate device. It's horizontal aiming is off. But the cart games that don't need a keyboard are a nice way to enjoy/experience some of the Atari 8-bit games. I like both of them because of what they are, not who made them. Those are solid A8 contenders but for quality I would stick with the 800 or XL line personally. The XEGS, however, is the better option of the XE line.

The Microprose games are good for those interested in WWII kinda of stuff. I'm not very good at those but I am having fun trying to figure out the strategies on the Commander series games. I love all the attention to details those games have. And those manuals are more than just manuals...there's American history in those books. My only wish is that the A8 series got Microprose's highly recommended Railroad Tycoon. That one is one of my favorites from them. Covert Action on the IBMs was fun, too. These games, along with a few others, came out while the A8 were still somewhat supported. It's a shame they didn't get them either.

The 7800 version of Mario Bros feels like it was made by amateurs. A step up from the 2600 version but still not right. I grew up with the 5200 version so, to me, that one seems the better one but even it is wrong at times. That XE version looks really good. I'm surprised they didn't try to reuse the 5200 port. After all, it was an 8-bit in disguise.

I love you guys. This is my family. I gotta pick on you guys now and then. Awesome score RickR. But you do need to give up your secret LOL