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[Smiles and Cries]

2600 was at my friends

I never owned anything other than a Tandy TRS 80
I played some cave game where you had to avoid acid drops from the ceiling
and climb ropes to get to the next cavern

played Nes at my friends...

after 1988 I had my own NES oh the joys

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

FAMICOM HAR HAR

But really, I don't think I even _played_ any systems other than 2600 before the NES was out.

I never owned anything other than a Tandy TRS 80

I didn't have one until after we had our NES, but it was quite the fun beastie. Turned me on to programming. Could never get past the giant rat in Dallas Quest, though. >_<

 

[AniHawk]

I didn't have an Atari 2600... but my Atari 7800 worked as one. So Atari 2600/7800 gets the vote.

 

[Saint Cornelius]

ColecoVision & Vectrex for consoles, C64 & Apple ][e for PCs

 

[Late Stage Marxist]

C64 by far.

 

[FortNinety]

People here who say gaming only started with the NES really need to get a fucking clue. I still find Combat a far more compelling two player game than many of the FPS out there today, and you can quote me on that.

Anyways, my first system was the 7800, which I choose over the NES cuz I was such a hardcore Xevious, Galaga, Centipede freak (this was before the much superior NES version came out of course.

 

[seismologist]

C64 was ok...

intellivision was the bomb.

 

[Ryck]

C64/128 ......... Oh those were some good times.......Anyone remember Gunship?

 

[Flynn]

Atari 2600:

Warlords was a killer 4-player game.

 

[Spectral Glider]

C-64 by a long, long mile.....and that had several games that were better than NES even. 1982 the year of Coleco? pffft......82: INTRO OF THE C-64...when real gaming was born. Second would have to be the 2600 VCS, simply because it unleashed gaming to the masses and made it such a prominant part of my life.

 

[shuri]

Intellivision

 

[Tellaerin]

Bally Professional Arcade (aka Bally Astrocade).

 

[Drek]

Commadore 64. So awesome.

 

[seismologist]

guys, I hate to say it but Colecovision was for graphics whores

It reminds me of the Xbox. They launched it to compete against intellivision (which was like the PS2 of the time). But there weren't as many games. It was mostly just graphics.

 

[bjork]

C64, muthafuckaz.

IAWTP

 

[bjork]

I also haven't a clue how to start those games. I used to know. Ghostbusters used to rock, too.

Usually you'd be good by putting LOAD"*",8,1 [return], then typing RUN at the prompt.
Other times you'd have to put the actual name in place of the asterisk (ie, LOAD"PIRATES!",8,1 [return]

 

[Tellaerin]

guys, I hate to say it but Colecovision was for graphics whores

It reminds me of the Xbox. They launched it to compete against intellivision (which was like the PS2 of the time). But there weren't as many games. It was mostly just graphics.

I don't think that's an accurate comparison. A big part of the Colecovision's appeal came from ports of popular arcade games that looked and sounded like the 'real thing'. If the Colecovision library had been limited to creative-but-obscure original titles and knockoffs of popular franchises on other systems (which pretty much sums up Intellivision in a nutshell), the system wouldn't've done nearly as well as it did, even if the games did look better than the competition.

As far as your analogy goes, I think that the Atari 2600 was the PS2 of its time. The hardware wasn't the most powerful, but the system was still more popular than the competition thanks to its huge library of games and exclusive franchises. If anything was comparable to the Xbox back then, it would be the Intellivision--second-place in the market, clearly more advanced than the leading system, but lacking the biggest, most recognizable hit titles that could've carried it to the top.

 

[seismologist]

I'm pretty sure that intellivision and 2600 weren't even in the same "gen".

When Intellivision was in it's prime 2600 was on it's way out. The next challenger was Coleco.

 

[El Papa]

 

[Fusebox]

My Commodore 64.

My VZ-200 and VIC-24 were both lame, lets face it and I never had a 2600.

 

[Naked Snake]

The MSX computer, without a doubt.

 

[Tellaerin]

I'm pretty sure that intellivision and 2600 weren't even in the same "gen".

When Intellivision was in it's prime 2600 was on it's way out. The next challenger was Coleco.

Could've fooled me, with the Intellivision vs. Atari 2600 print ads that Mattel ran back in the day.

 

[Fusebox]

Great pic El Papa, they just dont make toys like they used to.

 

[seismologist]

I was going from memory. I just checked the dates and Intellivision was launched 3 years after the 2600.

I'm sure there was competition at first but like I said by the time intellivision was in it's prime, 2600 was pretty much gone. 2600 then intellivision were the main consoles of their respective generations.

Colecovision never really took off.

 

[DCharlie]

The C64.

An awesome period in gaming, and all bow down to the mighty SID chip.

 

[bobbyconover]

all bow down to the mighty SID chip.

Oh I BOW alright. That thing produced the wildest game sounds I've ever heard, and totally exposed game music to me as a unique, creative, and bizarre genre all its own. I'd absolutely love to own a SID Station, had I the cash. Maybe someday.

 

[Norse]

Atari 2600 and then straight to the apple II and atari computers......then amiga, and mac se for a bit, and then onto pc clones at the intel DX50 chip. Been on pc clones since..though I own a new G5 power mac with 23 inch HD display as my main machine. My xbox has all the games I care to play. I don't have time for anything more.

 

[Tellaerin]

I was going from memory. I just checked the dates and Intellivision was launched 3 years after the 2600.

I'm sure there was competition at first but like I said by the time intellivision was in it's prime, 2600 was pretty much gone. 2600 then intellivision were the main consoles of their respective generations.

Colecovision never really took off.

Systems released three years apart weren't considered 'different generations' back then, with consumers automatically dumping the older system in favor of a newer one like they do nowadays. The 2600 was still going strong well after the Intellivision was released.

From AtariAge:

Then, in October 1977, Atari released the Atari VCS (Video Computer System) with an initial offering of nine games. This system, later renamed the Atari 2600, would come to dominate the industry for many years.

In 1979 Atari continued their trend and released 12 more games which met with continued success. However, Atari was now facing some stiffer competition from the Mattel Intellivision and the Magnavox Odyssey2.

By 1981, the video game industry was basically a horse race between the 2600 and the Intellivision. While the Intellivision was technologically superior in some respects, the 2600 continued to lead in sales.

Coleco entered the market in 1982 with the release of the graphically superior Colecovision. To combat this new system, Atari produced the 5200, a technologically comparable system. The 2600 dropped $100 in price in order to remain competitive.

In the end, the 2600 enjoyed a decade-long run, outliving many competing systems. Hopefully those quotes put things in better perspective.

 

[Spectral Glider]

I'm pretty sure that intellivision and 2600 weren't even in the same "gen".

When Intellivision was in it's prime 2600 was on it's way out. The next challenger was Coleco.

Well, the "gens" were a little hazy then. I've seen some declare the following:

Generation 1:
Fairchild Channel F - 1976
2600 (VCS) - 1977
Odyssey 2 - 1978
Bally Astrocade - 1978

Generation 2:
Intellivision - 1980
Colecovision - 1982
5200 - 1982
Vectrex - 1982/83
7800 - 84 (well, was supposed to be 84 but never released till 86, so it can be lumped into either generation 2 or 3.)

Generation 3:
NES
Master System

All of these were 8-bit love children though. For me, I tend to think of 76-82 as all one gen with the NES ushering a whole new generation.

 

[Gregory]

Commodore 64. Never played on consoles until Playstation came out. Only computers before that.

C64 was mostly an european thing though, wasn`t it?

 

[siege]

C64, hands down.

 

[seismologist]

well that's interesting. I'm no videogame historian but I vaguely remember periods where the main console on the the store shelf at Toys R Us was Intellivision.

which makes sense based on the article. If Atari 5200 was introduced in 1982, the 2600 was probably on it's last legs in '81.

Of course mainstream gamers still had Atari's most hardcore gamers had moved on to intellivision by then.
Now that I think about it Intellivision did have pretty good graphics for it's time. We had finally made it past the point where all the players in the basketball game went from single dots to actually having arms and legs



Colecovision wasn't as big as a jump. But it was touted for having graphics that were just a little bit cleaner. Thats why it reminded me of Xbox.

 

[Buffy4ever]

All of these were 8-bit love children though. For me, I tend to think of 76-82 as all one gen with the NES ushering a whole new generation.

Yes Inthose days people didn't separate game systems into Generations becuase people still layed the old ones/ My first game system was the Atari 2600 in 1981. I later remember ing wanting a CelecoVison but couldn't afford it.

 

[Spectral Glider]

C64 was mostly an european thing though, wasn`t it?

Nah, the C-64 dominated in the states. Just ask Atari, Apple, and Texas Instruments. lol.

 

[Ristamar]

...the 2600 was probably on it's last legs in '81.

Damn, I didn't my 2600 until '84. I had only turned 3 in '81.

 

[john tv]

Intellivision baby. Made the 2600 its bitch.

 

[DCharlie]

"Oh I BOW alright. That thing produced the wildest game sounds I've ever heard, and totally exposed game music to me as a unique, creative, and bizarre genre all its own. I'd absolutely love to own a SID Station, had I the cash. Maybe someday."

I hear you. The C64 was the reason i got into making dance music. Some of the tracks that people were putting out into games were amazing.

SID Station would indeed be awesome... *looks in wallet* hmm... i wonder....

 

[Ambience]

 

[Vormund]

2600 here.

Loved River Raid and H.E.R.O.



I didn't get an Intellivision (which doesn't work anyway) or a Coleco Vision until about 3 years ago.

 

[Spectral Glider]

Yes Inthose days people didn't separate game systems into Generations becuase people still layed the old ones/ My first game system was the Atari 2600 in 1981. I later remember ing wanting a CelecoVison but couldn't afford it.

Yeah, we first got a 2600 in 1980. Just before that we had one of the Odyssey Pong machines and Atari Video Pinball, both of which my dad dug up from some flea markets.

The 2600 actually sold really well up until 82, maybe even 83.

 

[clipunderground]

I loved Vectrex. I actually had the system, aracade stand, 3d goggles, and well over 100 games....

one of my favorite games on the system was called "cosmic chasm". Anyone ever play that one? good stuff...

Remember this?:

 

[Spectral Glider]

The vectrex certainly had some cool ideas.....imagine if back in 82 they were able to turn it into the size of a gameboy, who knows what could have happened. The only problem was though I think people were percieving vector graphics as a fad that passed.

 

[KAOS]

I always wnated a Colecovision but couldn't afford it. Thus I became a bitter little Atari 2600/5200 fanboy. Gaming was so pure and simple back then and it required more use of my imagination.

Miner 2049er rocked!!!
Moon Patrol owned!!!
Demon Attack was the game of the Year in 1983!

Ahhh the memories...

 

[Comfort_Eagle]

Since the only one I had any experience in playing was a 2600, I would have to go with that. I loved that machine.

 

[Chi-Town]

well that's interesting. I'm no videogame historian but I vaguely remember periods where the main console on the the store shelf at Toys R Us was Intellivision.

which makes sense based on the article. If Atari 5200 was introduced in 1982, the 2600 was probably on it's last legs in '81.

Well, speaking as someone who was around during that system generation...

The 2600 was still hot when the 5200 came out. It was released as a higher end system not a replacement for the 2600.

The Intellivision was never higher then second string. The 2600 dominated and then the Colecovision became the "hot" system until Coleco screwed up the release of the Adam computer.