Does anyone still own an Atari?

[Blisschick]

I was just reading an article where there is a dump site in New Mexico that is the subject of a new documentary. It has to do with the rumor that years ago (1983), Atari dumped 3.5 million copies of the game “E.T.” in it just to get rid of them. The game was so bad, they couldn’t get rid of it otherwise. Now the quest is on to dig up the landfill and find out if the rumor was true. I’m guessing they won’t actually find that many, but I’m betting they’ll find a lot. The game really did stink, even worse than Raiders of the Lost Ark.

My husband and my best friend still own their Ataris. Somewhere here, in the bowels of a closet that could only be packed by practicing years of Tetris, there is a case, and in it, there is an obsolete game system, complete with controllers, paddles, etc., and about 30 game cartridges. I’m very tempted to find it and dig it out, but I have no idea if I can hook it up to a flat screen, or if the little converter doohickies that once went between the unit and the TV even still exist. I’d love to play Space Invaders again, or even Asteroids, which I completely sucked at. I was the Centipede Master, however.

Topic

[si]

I think mine may be up in the attic. An Atari 2600 was my firat taate of computer games. However, I soon upgraded (?!) to a ZX Spectrum +2!

[Ben Paddon]

I’ll be buying an Atari 2600 once my lady friend moves to Los Angeles, as she grew up with one and is keen to pick it up again.

[Karnie]

I’ve got the arcade emulator MAME on my computer and this:
X-Arcade Tankstick With Trackball: Trimode USB

I can pretty much play any old arcade game I can find: Dig Dug, Pac Man, Galaga, Centipede, Asteroids, you name it.

I had bought a 2600 out of pure nostalgia at a garage sale, and after buying a bunch of games from eBay, realized I’ve just been ruined by modern gaming, and sold it again. But I was able to hook it up to a modern TV, you just have to find the right adapters.

[Phil]

I had E.T.

It was genuinely awful.

[Blisschick]

My son installed the emulator on my old computer, but I just couldn’t get into it. It’s no fun playing Frogger if you can’t throw the joystick around like it’s really going to help keep your frog from getting smashed in traffic. :/

[MANI506]

I was so jealous of my mate’s Atari ST. I used to love Robocod. I was a Spectrum 48K user.

[Pecospete666]

PONG!

[anniescribe]

No, Atari wasn’t Pong. But it was Saturday nights with Dad playing Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Pitfall!

[peas_and_corn]

Angry Video Game Nerd is working on a movie that is based around the idea of going to find the buried games. As a result of this (and that we’re approaching the anniversary of the game’s burial) is why people seem to be bringing the topic up nowadays.

[Connell]

I have an Atari 2600 along with the infamous E.T game. It truly is an abomination, there’s just seems to be no plot whatsoever. The game is an horrendous waste of time, baring no resemblance to the movie, it’s honestly like playing something a four year old made in a single evening. You can see why they ditched them all.

Also looking forward to the Angry Video Game Nerd movie after my interest in him has wained in recent years.

[takerdemon]

Peas – I love AVGN! It’s puerile and crass but what can I say? I love it!

I don’t still have my Atari 2600 but I sure do remember it, it was the first console I ever played. I recall playing the God-awful port of Pac-Man on it and Spider-man. I had the Smurfs too but that game never worked… good ol’ black screen cartridges!

[Tanya Jones]

I still have my Atari ST, plus quite a few games. I really ought to give it to a good home, as it’s just gathering dust.

[Joey TORDFC]

I still have my Atari ST.

[Blisschick]

I recall my stepsiblings, my sister, and I all got Pong as a Christmas gift around 1977-78. We drove my dad nuts with it. Eventually, my sister and I got possession of it, but it wasn’t as “fun” on a tiny B&W tv. I look at video games now and marvel at how fascinated we were by two vertical bars and a square “ball”.

[mick]

Here’s mine:

I have a few other Atari systems laying about the place but generally I only keep the 2600 set up all the time.

[Author]

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