Atari 5200 Guy

Hmm...sounded like a good idea but lack of a prototype to show people that they mean business, and actually know what they are doing, would do a lot for this venture.  We would need to see the specifications they set out when it was called the Retro VGS, at least I would.
 
From a personal point of view:  It's cool that the dyes used to mold Jaguar casings was purchased by someone.  Even if a little retooling was done on them they are still a part of gaming history and deserve to be preserved.  Using them to allow others to have custom Jaguar cases was awesome and I soooo wanted one because a working mainboard is somewhat cheaper than a full working Jaguar, thus a bit easier to obtain.  Now...and I might be stepping on toes with this...but I feel that console design, no matter what, should stay with the Jaguar.  I cringe every time I see those dentist/doctor devices using the Jaguar's shell.  It's a design icon and when I see the design I think of video games and not health.  When I see the design I think of the Jaguar and Jaguar only, not another console with an identical design.  I already have a console with that shell therefore if I was to partake in supporting the Chameleon I would want the design to be custom-made so that it stands out and not have a retooled case that was already used for another system.
 
But, in all seriousness, I would pass on it.  The price is too steep and there are other things, gaming devices, I'd rather spend my hard-earned money on like importing me a Famicom, Twin Famicom, NEC PC Engine (either Core or Core II), and some games.  Then there's the Raspberry Pi adventure I'd like to experience as well.  And these, any of these, cost less than kickstarting this project.  I'm sorry...I love video games and I enjoy knowing that someone, or some people, want to do these things but this project has shown nothing solid to back up the project.  
 
Word of advice, guys (Chameleon developers), make the prototype no matter what it takes.  Get it up and running without blowing it or yourselves up in the process.  Get a game running on it...then get a few more games on it.  At best this would be a two or three year project for just a prototype but if you are highly serious about this game console then I would suggest showing the public actual hardware and software in a similar fashion to how Steve Jobs would have just one more thing.  That is my 2 cents worth.  Just saying.

You should check out Bundle Stars...
 
https://www.bundlestars.com/en/
 
Also...for modern gamers looking for a bit of a break check out this link:
 
http://www.cdkeys.com/
 
Some of the items they have are cheap, others are not.  It's hit and miss with them but the price of something like a year's worth of XBOX Gold is cheaper than retail.  Something to think about.

Hey these are cheap target shelves (18.00)  The only crap part is the amount of adjustment they give you for shelves.  I ended up drilling new holes for all of them.  They are really cheap though, but for the price hey.....

Ahh so I bought shelves so I could cut up one and have more shelves and I originally figured correctly, but then I wanted some headroom to make it easier to get the games out, argh which left me one shelf short when I put my games in.  

Nice job!

You've got a lot of gems in that collection!   I may have to come "borrow" that copy of H.E.R.O.

You could stack the the other way on the top shelf. I bet they'd all fit.

Oh man, what a sweet haul
 
and pretty cool to have an overflow of carts
 
it's kinda like having a Horn O'Plenty
...an Atari Shelf O'Plenty

Yes I spent tonight hooking 13 systems up to one tv and 11 of them worked.  Can't get the nes to stop blinking and the colecovision won't power on.  Tomorrow is another day.

Crossbow
Atari 7800
Difficulty: Default
High Score: 833,500
January 5th, 2016

I can't say too much because I really haven't played too many 8bit Atari computer games. I can say games I feel deserve recognition that I have played.
 
First up, Star Raiders! I love this game because it is a perfect blend of arcade style controls with computer style strategy and each game is different than the one before.
 
Second Up, M.U.L.E.! Offers a break from the hustle and bustle type games...for me anyway.
 
Third, Racing Destruction! I got this game with an XEGS system I bought used, years ago, for $40. I enjoyed the track construction and it reminded me of a prehistoric RPM Racing on the SuperNES.
 
My last one, for now, is after I discovered public domain games recently. After I seen this one I was like, "Wow!! Someone made this for an Atari?!?". And it has become my go to title regularly. Dr. Mario...on Atari 8-bits. Seriously fun game.
http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-dr-mario_25690.html
 
I really don't think these machines have been fully pushed yet. Close though.

Seven Cities of Gold was another good one.  It seemed really cool that the game could "invent" a whole world, save it to disk, and allow you to explore it. 

I can't say too much because I really haven't played too many 8bit Atari computer games. I can say games I feel deserve recognition that I have played.
 
First up, Star Raiders! I love this game because it is a perfect blend of arcade style controls with computer style strategy and each game is different than the one before.
 
Second Up, M.U.L.E.! Offers a break from the hustle and bustle type games...for me anyway.
 
Third, Racing Destruction! I got this game with an XEGS system I bought used, years ago, for $40. I enjoyed the track construction and it reminded me of a prehistoric RPM Racing on the SuperNES.
 
My last one, for now, is after I discovered public domain games recently. After I seen this one I was like, "Wow!! Someone made this for an Atari?!?". And it has become my go to title regularly. Dr. Mario...on Atari 8-bits. Seriously fun game.
http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-dr-mario_25690.html
 
I really don't think these machines have been fully pushed yet. Close though.

Taz
Atari 2600 
Difficulty: Default
High Score: 388,500
December 17, 2015

I missed all the TG16 games except one Keith Courage. It came with the system and the only game I ever found. Through emulation I have discovered this and other TG16 games where I would like to get a PC Engine someday...especially for Salamander.

It makes sense now.  "Let's use the fake Project Dream to sabotage the Coleco Chameleon project!", is probably what someone was thinking.  That makes sense.

I missed all the TG16 games except one Keith Courage. It came with the system and the only game I ever found. Through emulation I have discovered this and other TG16 games where I would like to get a PC Engine someday...especially for Salamander.

It makes sense now.  "Let's use the fake Project Dream to sabotage the Coleco Chameleon project!", is probably what someone was thinking.  That makes sense.

It makes sense now.  "Let's use the fake Project Dream to sabotage the Coleco Chameleon project!", is probably what someone was thinking.  That makes sense.

I guess I'm one of few that didn't stumble across hardware issues with the Sega consoles I owned (Master System, Game Gear, Genesis Model 1, Saturn, and Dreamcast).  I had one Dreamcast fail but that was because it was abused/neglected and I picked it up for spare parts anyway because you never know when a system will fail...not just a Sega console.  I put two hours worth of work into a Dreamcast console that played games until the disc drive just couldn't handle it any more.  The only thing that caused it to stop working was the disc spindle motor died from brushes going bad.  The rest of the hardware still worked.  That was back in 2002 - 2003 and I didn't have internet so finding parts meant a call to Sega.  I just never could afford the $65 to replace the disc drive.
 
If it sounds like I'm defending them then rest assured I am not.  I'm only relating my experiences with Sega's hardware...which has been positive.  I have two Dreamcast units now (one made in Japan and the other made in China) but only because I won those at a ShopGoodwill auctions only minutes apart from each other.  One auction was just the system and two controllers while the other auction had 7 games with it, one controller, three memory cards, and another console.
 
I still would like to see Sega make one last attempt at a new console...but I don't see it happening no more than I see the Atari we all enjoy so much making a new gaming console.  I'm not saying it can't or won't happen it just doesn't seem like neither company is interested to get back into the console market seriously at the moment. 

I love my Atari systems but I love my Dreamcast, too, and would like to see Sega get back into the hardware business again. The world needs Sega's innovations and trying something new attitude again. The modern stuff lacks originality...everything is pretty much a "me too" deal. Come on Sega! Make this DC 2 real!

Mom loved this game on our 5200 and later the 7800.  When she seen the 5200 Trak-Ball controller on clearance in K-Mart she picked one up and we spent hours on that thing...playing just Centipede.  

I will participate with the games I have and do my best!

One of the last Atari consoles I would obtain by miracle, if not by accident.  It was Christmas 1994.  I was living with my Grandmother to help take care of her and taking Computer Science classes at the local community college.  My Mother lived with her new husband in a town 2 hours away.  I would visit her on weekends.
 
On one cold November day my Grandmother asked me what I would like to have for Christmas.  I really didn't know because I had not thought of anything.  Was there anything I needed for my car?  Nope...couldn't think of anything (I had a '79 Monte Carlo with T-Tops at the time).  I didn't need anything for college.  So, I walked down the hill, three blocks away, from where we lived and paid the old Radio Shack that was once there a visit.  https://www.google.com/maps/dir/1239+N+Main+St,+Harrison,+AR+72601/1122+N+Pine+St,+Harrison,+AR+72601/data=!4m8!4m7!1m2!1m1!1s0x87cef5432296c701:0xb532cb5183553096!1m2!1m1!1s0x87cef543bb562403:0x474f80cf465ad78e!3e0
 
(I'm providing a map so the distance can be seen.)
 
I looked in the store for anything.  Nothing of particular interest.  I asked about any video games and they pointed to the large catalog they had bolted to the counter.  I flipped through it.  Nintendo, Sega, Atari...Atari?!?  I flipped to the Atari section.  I seen the 2600 stuff and some 7800 stuff.  They still had 5200 items as well but no 5200 consoles so I passed on those.  On the next page, in bold lettering, was "Atari Jaguar".  That ad I got in the mail during the summer immediately came to mind.  "Raw 64-bit Power!"..."Do The Math!"  For $225 you could get a console with A/V cables, two controllers, and two games called "Cybermorph" and "Iron Soldier".  I wrote it down and ran, back up the hill (seriously, this hill is murder at any age if you have to even walk up it).  
 
Huffing and puffing I went into the bedroom, shuffled through one of the nightstand drawers beside the bed, and pulled out the ad we held on to.  I immediately showed Granny the ad.  "What's this dear?"  Sometimes I forgot that my Grandmother was legally blind even if after surgery she could see colors and outlines...but was still blind.  I told about the Atari console in the ad.  She goes, "Is that what you want?"  I gave an excited yes and said I wrote it down if you would like to get it when I'm not here.  She handed me her Radio Shack credit card and sent me back down the hill.  She didn't want others to know what she was doing (bless her heart).  She never did.  They would know after I unwrapped it but by then why bother.  Granny spoiled me every chance she got and the rest of family never understood it.  Heck...I never understood it but I didn't complain.
 
So, I placed the order.  Radio Shack called my Grandmother for her approval for me to use the card.  They were family friends but still needed authorization for using cards by people other than whose name was on the card.  Order placed, I went back home and looked through the ad.  "Did they have more games?"  I told her I didn't look and I didn't want her to get any more until we knew for certain just how good the "Atari Jaguar" was going to be.
 
After a while we both sort of forgot about the order.  Her Radio Shack bill didn't come in before the holidays because it was one of those no payments for a few days sales pitch.  We got a call one Saturday.  "We have your order", they said to my Grandmother.  She sent me to retrieve it.  I almost forgot what it was.  When I got home she told me to open it and make sure everything was there.  The system, extra controller, A/V cable, and one game, Iron Soldier, was in the box.  Where was the other game?  The system box didn't say anything about a game inside.  So we opened it.  Cybermorph was there so both games present.
 
"Well, since it's opened you might as well try it out.  Just make sure you can make it look like it wasn't opened later."  Granny said.  I laughed.  Hooked up to her RCA Hi-Fi 27" console TV that swiveled the Jaguar showed its stuff.  Cybermorph came first.  I played around and explored the game a bit.  Eh...not too bad.  That was my first impression.  Then I popped in Iron Soldier.  I wasn't suppose to open that one...opps.  I sat for two or three hours with that game.  Then I had to pack it all back up and place it in the bedroom closet to be wrapped up before Christmas.  You know how hard it was to know that a game machine was in that closet and I couldn't play it until Christmas Eve?  I tried playing the Genesis and SuperNES I had and they just didn't cut it anymore.  There were a few times at night after she went to sleep with her TV on and blaring (an every night thing) where I would drag it out and play for a little bit then put it up.  I know...I was bad.
 
Christmas Eve came and it was time to unwrap the Jaguar.  Finally!  But...I had to save it for last.  First gifts were the usual:  a new sweatsuit, some new pants, socks, and shirts, and a few new movies of Disney favors.  Then came the Jaguar.  I couldn't be happier!  Or so I thought.  Another surprise package came from my Aunt.  In a box usually for clothes was some more games for the system.  They had found a few in Springfield's Battlefield Mall on clearance and grabbed a few.  While there was no Tempest 2000 there was I*War, Syndicate, and Wolfenstein 3D.  I was set for one helluva winter!  
 
The Jaguar left an impression that year in such a way that I was glad to have taken a chance on it.  The family members involved to this point in Christmas gifts to me I no longer have.  I don't think they ever knew just how much I appreciated all those Christmases I had with them...and all the other times I spent with them as well and not just around the holidays.  They knew what I enjoyed the most and went out of their way to fill that hobby.  I didn't have to ask and in some ways it felt like that was their way of rewarding me for what I was doing from my Grandmother, who I had been helping take care of since I was 10 years old.  Granny enjoyed the games as much as she could with the colors and sounds...and it would often times place her mind at ease so much that she would go to sleep on me (haha).  
 
They don't make family members like that much any more, and it seems like the holidays are nothing like what they use to be.  Just like my family members the Jaguar will forever hold a place in my memories that will not be forgotten.  I was fortunate enough to have another Jaguar, after decades of being without one, land in my living room and when I seen it I sat there and held the machine for what seemed like a long time admiring the design and immediately shed a few tears when memories of that Christmas Eve started playing back in my mind.  
 
It took me a long time to understand why I have such a heart for these game machines.  They are nothing more than plastic and computer electronics.  They entertain...that's all they do.  But I realized that every machine, mostly Atari machines, I ever had gave a connection to the love of family that loved me more than anything else in the world.  And that's why all my game machines, including the Jaguar, continue to play an important role in my life.
 

If I could I'd give a home to a Tempest cab.  And while it's not an arcade if I had a Jaguar Kiosk I'd feel like I had an arcade cab.