Experiencing the 2nd Generation

[marlowe221]

To all you old timers out there, whether you are an old timer in either the physical sense or the spiritual sense, what is the best way to experience the best of the 2nd generation of gaming consoles?

Just to be clear, I am talking about the Atari/Intellivision/Colecovision/etc. generation here.

The hardware from this generation looks to be either quite pricey, on the fritz, or just plain incompatible with more modern equipment. Emulation may be the answer but some of these ancient and legendary consoles had some REALLY unique control schemes and controller designs that don't look like they would translate well.

I have my original Atari 2600 (Vader) that my mother got me in 1989 (that's right, I STARTED out as a retro gamer ). I still enjoy playing it, although some games have definitely stood the test of time better than others. But I have been wanting to expand my horizons a little in this interesting console generation that I was born on the tail end of and know so little about.

So what is the best/most cost effective way to get into it?

[Exhuminator]

So what is the best/most cost effective way to get into it?

Best way? Buy the real thing.

Cost effective way? Emulation.

A lot of those esoteric controllers can actually be used over USB with a little finagling.

[fastbilly1]

To test without dropping alot of money, buy one of the flashbacks. The Atari Flashback 4 has IR controllers, 90 games, and can use real controllers if you so like. It is a great way to test the world with no real hassle other than batteries.

[Gunstar Green]

The Atari, Intellivision and Colecovision Flashbacks are all pretty decent and good primers for experiencing those second gen consoles.

They're a nice middle ground between the real thing and emulating them on your PC. The obvious disadvantage is that as plug and play consoles you're limited to the games provided.

The best way is of course always going to be getting the real thing but there are inherent challenges to that such as price and reliable hardware. You've got to be interested and committed before going this far. Having some technical knowledge to make repairs or modifications helps too.

You've also got arcade games and early home computers where emulation is definitely the most reasonable solution.

[BoneSnapDeez]

I love this era of gaming.

First off,

Atari/Intellivision/Colecovision

These are the three "core" systems of that gen, and some would argue the only three you need. You're off to a great start by already owning a 2600.

The Intellivision stuff (whether it be games or the system itself) is generally cheaper than ColecoVision, though the Coleco is probably the better system overall.

If you just want to get your toes wet and are cautious about investing in legit hardware, check out the new(ish) ColecoVision and Intellivision flashback systems. The controls and included games aren't phenomenal, but there are some good titles to be found. Check your local Sam's Club, Dollar Tree, etc to see if they're still in stock. There are some good compilations out there too. Intellivsion Lives! for the DS is probably the best one dedicated that console. The Atari and Activision compilations released during the 6th gen are a must too. You can also check out some of the Taito, Komani, Capcom, SNK, whatever compilations to experience their respective Golden Age arcade games.

And btw we have a nice second gen discussion thread over here as well:
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... =6&t=48560

[marlowe221]

I had not considered the Flashback consoles. To be honest, I saw them and just automatically assumed they were complete crap. Whoops!

@BoneSnapDeez - Nice thread! Didn't know about that one but I will definitely be reading/participating in that discussion.

[Fragems]

Atari 2600 games are pretty cheap in the current market. Thanks to the massive amount of rereleases(Atari Anthology, Activision Hits, and etc.), huge amount of games that were produced and are now on the used market, and the low demand the prices are actually really low aside from a handle of extremely rare games. Locally I can get loose games for around $1 usually and they aren't much more expensive online as long as you buy lots since shipping is usually worth more then the game itself when you buy individually.

Best deal I've gotten so far was a reseller was looking to get rid of his Atari inventory and I scored around 250 carts for $75. Ended up having a lot of duplicates which I recouped some cash with and was left with a pretty solid collection.

I'm not sure what the prices are like with the other consoles but I couldn't see them being to much higher. Just isn't much demand outside of hipsters wanting wall art since the games are to basic to draw the attention of many gamers .

As far as reliability I've only had 1-2 out of maybe 300+ carts that I've tested fail to boot after a nice cleaning. Consoles are a little more finicky I have a woody, vador, and junior all of which work but the woody and junior have slight graphical issues so I usually use my Vador. Only big issue I had was all of the original power bricks were dead when I bought them but a third party replacement cable got them all up and running.