Does the 2600 hold its own today?

As in, is it relevant in your collecting and playing accumen? I have to confess that 2600 was my first game system, but it rarely gets a look these days, and somehow that makes me feel guilty. I don't hate the 2600 or trash on its 'poor graphics', but just find some newer systems and games more compelling at the moment. Maybe I will come back around to the granddaddy of them all some day, but this made me wonder if anyone else gives the 2600 a regular workout these days or basically ignores it like I find myself doing.

I do not play it as much as used to, but was thinking today how much I miss playing Gopher and Fast Food. Seems there will always be games that can't be found on other systems.

Good thing the 2600 is very dependable.

I still very much enjoy playing 2600 games, particularly some of the very impressive homebrews that have been released that truly push the machine. Sure the games are not visually stunning like modern games, but that's the charm of it. It's also interesting that I've run into teenagers that find the 2600 cool and want to play its games.

TrekMD wrote:It's also interesting that I've run into teenagers that find the 2600 cool and want to play its games.

I wish I would. That is the part of early 80's gaming I miss, people to actually play cooperative and competitive games with/against. All the people I grew up with playing those games have moved on. I really wish some ingenius person would develop online-enabled 2600, Intellivision, and Colecovision games. Kind of like Xbox Live, but for the ancient gaming crowd.

I hear you about finding folks interested in playing. Not very many of my friends are. They just outgrew the games. I do know, though, that you can get the Xbox to play emulators for Atari systems. What I don't know is if you can play with others online. Now, that would be cool! It would give me a reason to get an Xbox.

Ha! My situation is the opposite. My friends will play the older systems, but we all have moved farther away from each other.

Thin ice, where do you live in Ohio? I live in northern Indiana. Maybe we could meet for a classic game session sometime.

I'm about a mile from the Indiana-Ohio line. Auburn, Indiana would be the closest. Sounds good.

I live about an hour west of Fort Wayne.

Fort Wayne is about 20 minutes from Auburn. At least if you take I-69 south. Construction on the highways might be the only drawback. Thankfully that is only seasonal.


I read a post a few days ago about 2600 games holding up over time. Titles like Pitfall and Atlantis were two games that seem to have lost some replay value. Both titles were mentioned a few times by other poster.

It might have helped to get the ages of those that posted. Might give some perspective, if it was a younger view of the Atari 2600 game library or older gamers starting to outgrow the system.

onthinice wrote:
I read a post a few days ago about 2600 games holding up over time. Titles like Pitfall and Atlantis were two games that seem to have lost some replay value. Both titles were mentioned a few times by other poster.

It might have helped to get the ages of those that posted. Might give some perspective, if it was a younger view of the Atari 2600 game library or older gamers starting to outgrow the system.

There is a current thread over at Atari Age about overrated games for 2600 and Pitfall and Atlantis have both gotten a couple mentions each. I liked each game, but must say that Pitfall always struck me as an overrated game on the system, mainly because of the general sameness of the screens. Atlantis is definitely a Missile Command knockoff, but fun all the same. I only wish I could come across the elusive Atlantis II 2600 cart.

I always thought the original Pitfall was overrated as well. I don't feel that way about Pitfall II, however. I found Pitfall II to be superb. Atlantis is a fun game on the 2600 but much better on the Intellivision.

I have always liked Pitfall and Atlantis. Good thing the 2600 had a wide selection of software choices.