In late 1971, former amusement park manager and electrical engineer, Nolan Bushnell, together with his business partner Ted Dabney, and amusement company, Nutting Associates, created and released Computer Space - - the first arcade video game ever created, as well as the first ever commercial video game. Heavily inspired by the 1962 MIT computer program, Spacewar! - - one of the first ever non-commercial video games - - Computer Space would prove to be a modest success for Bushnell and Dabney. In June of the following year, the pair would form their own video game company, Atari, shortly before parting ways with Nutting Associates.
Their next arcade title, Pong, would also be their first official release as Atari, debuting in the fall of 1972. Pong would quickly become a massive hit, with Atari finding itself struggling to make new machines fast enough to keep up with the demand for them. Over the next few years, Atari would grow by leaps and bounds, releasing several Pong variants, in addition to a variety of other arcade titles. Then, in 1975, Atari struck a deal with department store chain, Sears, which would sell dedicated Pong consoles that could be hooked up and played directly from any consumer television set. Originally branded as the "Sears Tele-Game", Atari-branded versions would eventually become available, as well.
Following the success of their Pong home device, Bushnell started a project within Atari to develop the world's first ever flexible home gaming console, that could allow different titles to be swapped in and out at any time. In order to help see this device come to fruition, a deal was struck in which Atari would be acquired by entertainment conglomerate, Warner Communications, in exchange for $28 million, and Bushnell getting to stay on in his same roles, as chairman and CEO. Though they would ultimately be beaten to market by the 1976 release of US rival, Fairchild's, swappable cartridge-based home game console, the Video Entertainment System (later rebranded as the "Channel F"), Atari would eventually succeed at creating their own such system, as well.
Featuring 6 metal switches (later scaled back to 4) and a faux wood grain panel on the front, the Atari Video Computer System - - or VCS, for short - - would officially launch on October 14, 1977. While Atari was a bit slow to build up a respectable library and user base for the console, they would finally begin to hit their stride by the beginning of the 1980s, with monster hits like Space Invaders and Asteroids (amongst others). It was the (eventual) collection of top-notch titles like these that made the VCS the incredibly popular cultural phenomenon that it was. In honor of the console's anniversary, we would like to take a look back with you, now, at 12 of the finest examples of groundbreaking excellence that the Atari VCS/2600's library had to offer.
Their next arcade title, Pong, would also be their first official release as Atari, debuting in the fall of 1972. Pong would quickly become a massive hit, with Atari finding itself struggling to make new machines fast enough to keep up with the demand for them. Over the next few years, Atari would grow by leaps and bounds, releasing several Pong variants, in addition to a variety of other arcade titles. Then, in 1975, Atari struck a deal with department store chain, Sears, which would sell dedicated Pong consoles that could be hooked up and played directly from any consumer television set. Originally branded as the "Sears Tele-Game", Atari-branded versions would eventually become available, as well.
Following the success of their Pong home device, Bushnell started a project within Atari to develop the world's first ever flexible home gaming console, that could allow different titles to be swapped in and out at any time. In order to help see this device come to fruition, a deal was struck in which Atari would be acquired by entertainment conglomerate, Warner Communications, in exchange for $28 million, and Bushnell getting to stay on in his same roles, as chairman and CEO. Though they would ultimately be beaten to market by the 1976 release of US rival, Fairchild's, swappable cartridge-based home game console, the Video Entertainment System (later rebranded as the "Channel F"), Atari would eventually succeed at creating their own such system, as well.
Featuring 6 metal switches (later scaled back to 4) and a faux wood grain panel on the front, the Atari Video Computer System - - or VCS, for short - - would officially launch on October 14, 1977. While Atari was a bit slow to build up a respectable library and user base for the console, they would finally begin to hit their stride by the beginning of the 1980s, with monster hits like Space Invaders and Asteroids (amongst others). It was the (eventual) collection of top-notch titles like these that made the VCS the incredibly popular cultural phenomenon that it was. In honor of the console's anniversary, we would like to take a look back with you, now, at 12 of the finest examples of groundbreaking excellence that the Atari VCS/2600's library had to offer.
Combat (Atari, 1977)
One of the first video game cartridges ever sold (as only a handful of Fairchild VES/Channel F titles had preceded it), Combat could also be considered the first Atari cartridge, as it originally came bundled with every one of their VCS systems sold. As far as first impressions go, Combat couldn't have been much more solid. This was despite the fact that the game was only for two players, which wasn't actually too big of an issue as the VCS also originally came bundled with two standard controllers.
Loosely based on their 1974 arcade game, Tank, Combat was a shooter title in which two players would face off in mostly one-one-one battles of either tank, biplanes, or jets (though some of the game types did offer three-on-one battle variations as well). The real fun of the game, however, was in all of the crazy variants on offer, such as invisible tanks, guided artillery (where you could actually steer your projectiles somewhat), and arguably the most entertaining by far, the repeatedly rebounding artillery game type, "Tank-Pong". In the years since its debut, Combat has been included in nearly every Atari compilation ever released and is generally considered to be among the greatest video games, not only for the VCS, but of all time.
Loosely based on their 1974 arcade game, Tank, Combat was a shooter title in which two players would face off in mostly one-one-one battles of either tank, biplanes, or jets (though some of the game types did offer three-on-one battle variations as well). The real fun of the game, however, was in all of the crazy variants on offer, such as invisible tanks, guided artillery (where you could actually steer your projectiles somewhat), and arguably the most entertaining by far, the repeatedly rebounding artillery game type, "Tank-Pong". In the years since its debut, Combat has been included in nearly every Atari compilation ever released and is generally considered to be among the greatest video games, not only for the VCS, but of all time.
Indy 500/Race (500) (Atari, 1977)
Including Combat, Atari made a total of nine titles available to coincide with the launch of their VCS console. While these were overall a fairly decent assortment of games, only one really stood out above the rest (other than Combat, of course) - - Indy 500. A racing title inspired by the famous annual sporting event of the same name, the game was actually based off of Atari's 1975 arcade release, Indy 800.
Like Combat, Indy 500 featured a variety of game types to choose from, some with slightly crazier mechanics, such as the "Ice Race" variants, or the "Tag" game mode. Unlike Combat, however, not every game type in Indy 500 required a second player in order to enjoy them. Since the launch of the VCS, Indy 500 has fairly widely been regarded as one of, if not the best racing title ever released for the system. The game has frequently been included in the number of Atari compilations that have appeared of the years, often under its simpler alternate title, "Race (500)".
Like Combat, Indy 500 featured a variety of game types to choose from, some with slightly crazier mechanics, such as the "Ice Race" variants, or the "Tag" game mode. Unlike Combat, however, not every game type in Indy 500 required a second player in order to enjoy them. Since the launch of the VCS, Indy 500 has fairly widely been regarded as one of, if not the best racing title ever released for the system. The game has frequently been included in the number of Atari compilations that have appeared of the years, often under its simpler alternate title, "Race (500)".
Space Invaders (Atari, 1980)
Considered by many to be the first shoot-'em-up video game ever made, Space Invaders was a 1978 arcade title from Japanese developer, Taito. The game was a massive hit upon release and helped to usher in what has since come to be known as the golden age of the arcade. As a result of the game's enormous popularity, it wasn't long before Atari acquired the rights for a VCS version; and Space Invaders soon became the first ever officially-licensed console port of an arcade title.
Just like the coin-op original, the 1982 home port of Space Invaders would also prove to be a monumental success. The title would quickly become the first ever "killer app" for a home game console, managing to actually quadruple sales numbers for Atari's previously struggling VCS. The overwhelmingly positive performance of the game would inspire Atari to license other popular titles for release on the console, starting with their infamous 1982 port of the Namco-developed 1980 arcade hit, Pac-Man.
Just like the coin-op original, the 1982 home port of Space Invaders would also prove to be a monumental success. The title would quickly become the first ever "killer app" for a home game console, managing to actually quadruple sales numbers for Atari's previously struggling VCS. The overwhelmingly positive performance of the game would inspire Atari to license other popular titles for release on the console, starting with their infamous 1982 port of the Namco-developed 1980 arcade hit, Pac-Man.
Asteroids (Atari, 1981)
First released to the arcade in the fall of 1979, Asteroids quickly caught on and, like Space Invaders, soon became one of the first monster hits of the arcade's famous golden age. A black-and-white vector-displayed title, Asteroids saw the player controlling a small triangular ship, and was tasked with both avoiding and destroying all the asteroids (and flying saucers) in the wrap-around field of play; with subsequent levels gradually increasing in difficulty. The game was notable for it's semi-realistic ship physics, emergency randomized teleport/hyperspace mechanic (which was actually "borrowed" from Spacewar!), and for its tense two-note melody that bore more than a passing resemblance to John Williams' famous "Jaws" theme.
Considering how popular the game was, it was only natural that a VCS port would eventually follow. Although the home version traded the detailed vector graphics of the arcade for blockier, simpler sprites, they were at least upgraded from black and white to color. Asteroids was also the first VCS game to utilize a programming technique called bank switching, which effectively doubled the cartridge size from the (then) standard 4 kilobytes to 8. The VCS release would prove to be every bit as popular as the coin-op version, and it would quickly become a best-selling title for the home console.
Considering how popular the game was, it was only natural that a VCS port would eventually follow. Although the home version traded the detailed vector graphics of the arcade for blockier, simpler sprites, they were at least upgraded from black and white to color. Asteroids was also the first VCS game to utilize a programming technique called bank switching, which effectively doubled the cartridge size from the (then) standard 4 kilobytes to 8. The VCS release would prove to be every bit as popular as the coin-op version, and it would quickly become a best-selling title for the home console.
Donkey Kong (Coleco, 1982)
Nintendo's first big hit, ever, was their 1981 arcade title, Donkey Kong. Upon release, Donkey Kong took the world by storm and, along with Pac-Man and Space Invaders, became one of the biggest and most successful titles, not only of the arcade's golden age, but of all time. The game would also mark the beginning of Nintendo's Meteoric rise to success, in addition to debuting what would become two of their premier characters/franchise - Donkey Kong, himself, of course, as well as their future mascot, Mario (originally called "Jumpman").
While Atari would attempt to strike a deal for the licensing rights to the game, Nintendo would instead ultimately grant them to Atari rival, Coleco. However, in addition to bundling a port of the game with their new, more powerful ColecoVision console, Coleco would also create a port for the VCS, as well. Despite their own version looking and playing closer to the arcade original, as well as it being included with every ColecoVision sold, the VCS release would still end up as the most popular home console version by far, ultimately selling over twice as many copies.
For its part, the Atari port did look and play incredibly well on the inferior VCS hardware. Though it may have been missing a few things, and Donkey Kong, himself, may have more closely resembled an undecorated gingerbread man than a detailed cartoon ape, the game was still a joy to play, somehow managing to capture a bit of that same magic as the coin-op (instant) classic. Like the arcade version, the VCS port of Donkey Kong would also go on to become the third best-selling cartridge for the system; once again, right behind Pac-Man and Space Invaders.
While Atari would attempt to strike a deal for the licensing rights to the game, Nintendo would instead ultimately grant them to Atari rival, Coleco. However, in addition to bundling a port of the game with their new, more powerful ColecoVision console, Coleco would also create a port for the VCS, as well. Despite their own version looking and playing closer to the arcade original, as well as it being included with every ColecoVision sold, the VCS release would still end up as the most popular home console version by far, ultimately selling over twice as many copies.
For its part, the Atari port did look and play incredibly well on the inferior VCS hardware. Though it may have been missing a few things, and Donkey Kong, himself, may have more closely resembled an undecorated gingerbread man than a detailed cartoon ape, the game was still a joy to play, somehow managing to capture a bit of that same magic as the coin-op (instant) classic. Like the arcade version, the VCS port of Donkey Kong would also go on to become the third best-selling cartridge for the system; once again, right behind Pac-Man and Space Invaders.
Frogger (Parker Brothers, 1982)
Although Sega/Gremlin's 1978 arcade title, Frogs, may have come first, Konami's similarly-themed 1981 arcade hit, Frogger, traded the former's more relaxed, fly-catching focus, for the slightly more exciting gameplay hook of hopping your fragile amphibian across a busy highway and swift-moving river whilst attempting to avoid getting squashed by vehicles or swept away on a log. Frogger would quickly become a much bigger success than Frogs had ever been and Sega/Gremlin would end up publishing Konami's title in the West as well. As a result of Frogger's massive popularity, longtime board game company, Parker Brothers, would strike a deal with Sega for the home console rights, releasing a VCS port of the title in 1982.
Parker Brothers' port was highly-praised by the gaming press for its authenticity to the arcade original, in addition to its impressive level of detail. Like the arcade version, the Atari Frogger title would prove to be incredibly popular as well, ultimately becoming one of the top-selling games for the VCS. It would also set a record for Parker Brothers, as the best-selling new product in thier (then) entire 99-year history.
Parker Brothers' port was highly-praised by the gaming press for its authenticity to the arcade original, in addition to its impressive level of detail. Like the arcade version, the Atari Frogger title would prove to be incredibly popular as well, ultimately becoming one of the top-selling games for the VCS. It would also set a record for Parker Brothers, as the best-selling new product in thier (then) entire 99-year history.
Pitfall! (Activision, 1982)
Arguably one of the most famous games to ever grace the Atari ironically wasn't even created by them. Rather, it was created by a contingent of disgruntled former employees of Atari that had come together in 1979 to form Activision, the first ever third-party video game development company. Although they had released a string of fairly popular titles prior to 1982, it was that year's game, Pitfall!, that would prove to be their biggest hit for the VCS by far.
One of the very first platformers - - following Nintendo's smash hit, Donkey Kong, just a couple months prior - - Pitfall! featured colorful graphics and an adventurous setting, with gameplay fairly strongly reminiscent of the Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark (by which the game was actually partially inspired). As hero character, Pitfall Harry, the player was tasked with navigating a variety of jungle hazards whilst attempting to discover a number of secret treasures and relics that were hidden throughout the games many stages. Following its release, Pitfall! enjoyed heaps of praise and immense popularity, both from gaming publications and the population at large. The game would go on to become one of the best-selling titles of all time for the VCS, and would also serve as Activision's first of their many wildly popular, top-selling game titles over the decades that would come.
One of the very first platformers - - following Nintendo's smash hit, Donkey Kong, just a couple months prior - - Pitfall! featured colorful graphics and an adventurous setting, with gameplay fairly strongly reminiscent of the Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark (by which the game was actually partially inspired). As hero character, Pitfall Harry, the player was tasked with navigating a variety of jungle hazards whilst attempting to discover a number of secret treasures and relics that were hidden throughout the games many stages. Following its release, Pitfall! enjoyed heaps of praise and immense popularity, both from gaming publications and the population at large. The game would go on to become one of the best-selling titles of all time for the VCS, and would also serve as Activision's first of their many wildly popular, top-selling game titles over the decades that would come.
RealSports Volleyball (Atari, 1982)
After a rival ad campaign aggressively criticized two of their earlier sports releases for the console, Atari opted to start the RealSports series of titles, which would signify a higher tier of quality for their sports games going forward. One of the first releases under this new series would by 1982's RealSports Volleyball. The game would actually be an enhanced version of an earlier Volleyball prototype that had already been created by Atari, but never released.
Unlike the rather simplistic rectangles of earlier Atari "sports" titles like Pong and Video Olympics/Pong Sports, RealSports Volleyball featured actual player characters (Crude, though they may have looked) on an actual court; and at the beach, no less! The game also sported moving waves in the background, as well as a high sun that would gradually drop down low in the sky, and even set, if you played for long enough - - details that were incredibly impressive in those days! As arguably the greatest sports title to ever grace the 2600, RealSports Volleyball was well-regarded by critics and enthusiasts alike and has been included in numerous Atari compilations over the many years since its release.
Unlike the rather simplistic rectangles of earlier Atari "sports" titles like Pong and Video Olympics/Pong Sports, RealSports Volleyball featured actual player characters (Crude, though they may have looked) on an actual court; and at the beach, no less! The game also sported moving waves in the background, as well as a high sun that would gradually drop down low in the sky, and even set, if you played for long enough - - details that were incredibly impressive in those days! As arguably the greatest sports title to ever grace the 2600, RealSports Volleyball was well-regarded by critics and enthusiasts alike and has been included in numerous Atari compilations over the many years since its release.
Keystone Kapers (Activision, 1983)
In 1983, Activision released another outstanding 2600 platformer, called Keystone Kapers. In this title, you played as a Keystone Cop named Keystone Kelly, whose goal it was to navigate a hazard-filled, multi-level department store while chasing down a fleeing criminal named Harry Hooligan. The game was incredibly complex for the time and featured a mini-map, an elevator, escalators, toy airplanes, runaway shopping carts, bouncy balls, and more. Following its release, the game was highly praised - - particularly for its colorful, detailed graphics, and deeply entertaining gameplay - - and, along with Pitfall!, it is widely considered to be among both Activision's and the Atari 2600's best titles ever made.
Dig Dug (Atari, 1983)
Following the unprecedented success of Space Invaders, in 1980, Atari began searching for other popular arcade titles that they could license for release on the VCS. Atari would soon strike a deal with acclaimed Japanese company, Namco, to port several of their coin-op releases to the console; starting with their wildly successful 1980 smash hit, Pac-Man. Despite selling millions of copies, the VCS port of Pac-Man was almost shockingly poor in quality and both the game and Atari were subject to quite a bit of criticism, as a result.
Atari did seem to take that criticism to heart somewhat, however, as their 1983 ports of Namco coin-op hits, Pole Position and Dig Dug, were much more faithful to the originals than Pac-Man had been. Dig Dug, in particular, was an exceptionally high quality 2600 adaptation. The title actually utilized a more advanced 16k ROM cartridge, instead of the system-standard 4k variety - - one of the few games to do so.
Even with the increased cartridge size, however, the (then) aging 2600 hardware still couldn't have reasonably been expected to fully replicate the look and sound of the latest and greatest arcade releases. Yet, Dig Dug on the 2600 came impressively close, far closer than Pac-Man; and arguably closer than any of the other countless arcade ports that graced the console. All of the game's simple charm, gameplay mechanics, and infectious melodies were replicated with a surprising level of accuracy. Unsurprisingly, Dig Dug was a critical and commercial success on the 2600 as well, ultimately selling over a million copies for Atari.
Atari did seem to take that criticism to heart somewhat, however, as their 1983 ports of Namco coin-op hits, Pole Position and Dig Dug, were much more faithful to the originals than Pac-Man had been. Dig Dug, in particular, was an exceptionally high quality 2600 adaptation. The title actually utilized a more advanced 16k ROM cartridge, instead of the system-standard 4k variety - - one of the few games to do so.
Even with the increased cartridge size, however, the (then) aging 2600 hardware still couldn't have reasonably been expected to fully replicate the look and sound of the latest and greatest arcade releases. Yet, Dig Dug on the 2600 came impressively close, far closer than Pac-Man; and arguably closer than any of the other countless arcade ports that graced the console. All of the game's simple charm, gameplay mechanics, and infectious melodies were replicated with a surprising level of accuracy. Unsurprisingly, Dig Dug was a critical and commercial success on the 2600 as well, ultimately selling over a million copies for Atari.
Snoopy and the Red Baron (Atari, 1983)
In 1983, Atari released the first ever video game to be based off of Charles M Schulz's incredibly popular Peanuts franchise. Snoopy and the Red Baron was an action title in which you controlled the beloved beagle, Snoopy, as his World War I fighter ace persona, engaging his "Sopwith Camel"/doghouse in aerial combat with his imaginary rival, the infamous Red Baron. Periodically, the Red Baron would briefly stop trying to shoot Snoopy out of the sky in order to instead drop bonus-awarding treats from his aeroplane, such as pizza slices, popcorn, and glasses of root beer.
Despite being released during the waning months of the Atari 2600's life, when the market-altering video game crash of 1983 was beginning to take its toll, the game was still a well-regarded, charming, and colorful late life classic for the console. Additional Peanuts titles had been planned for the 2600, but were cancelled as a result of the aforementioned deteriorating market conditions. Two fairly decent follow-ups to Snoopy and the Red Baron would eventually materialize, however, just not on an Atari device - - the 2006 PlayStation 2 title, Snoopy Vs the Red Baron, and the 2010 Xbox (360) Live Arcade release, Snoopy: Flying Ace.
Despite being released during the waning months of the Atari 2600's life, when the market-altering video game crash of 1983 was beginning to take its toll, the game was still a well-regarded, charming, and colorful late life classic for the console. Additional Peanuts titles had been planned for the 2600, but were cancelled as a result of the aforementioned deteriorating market conditions. Two fairly decent follow-ups to Snoopy and the Red Baron would eventually materialize, however, just not on an Atari device - - the 2006 PlayStation 2 title, Snoopy Vs the Red Baron, and the 2010 Xbox (360) Live Arcade release, Snoopy: Flying Ace.
Star Wars: The Arcade Game (Parker Brothers, 1984)
In mid-1982, shortly before releasing their outstanding home port of Konami's coin-op hit, Frogger, Parker Brothers had released another title - - Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. In addition to being one of the first movie-to-video game adaptations ever, it was also Parker Brothers' very first video game - - as well as the first ever official Star Wars video game. While the title's sales and general reception weren't disappointing, per se, they weren't particularly impressive either; and neither could remotely compare to Frogger's.
Throughout 1983, three more Star Wars titles would be released - - two additional 2600 games from Parker Brothers, and an arcade title from Atari. While both of the Parker Brothers releases were of fairly middling quality, Atari's simply-titled "Star Wars" was an absolutely incredibly 3-dimensional, vector-displayed rail shooter (one of the first ever made, in fact), in which players could pilot an X-wing starfighter in a recreated simulation of the final Death Star assault sequence from the groundbreaking 1977 film. Atari's Star Wars title was not only one of the most profitable arcade releases of that year, but has since been regarded as one of the greatest video games ever made.
In 1984, following their steady stream of Star Wars mediocrity, Parker Brothers smartly decided to release a port of Atari's arcade hit, as well. Titled, "Star Wars: The Arcade Game", their console port did a heroically stellar job of recreating nearly every aspect of the fantastic arcade hit on the vastly less powerful (and by this time), absolutely ancient 2600 hardware. Somehow, the game still managed to feature 3D vector-style graphics, a melody from the movie, and all three distinct gameplay phases from the arcade version. Sadly, whether due to the oversaturation of the market by Parker Brothers' previous Star Wars stinkers, or to the game having been released near the height of the video game crash of '83 (or both), Star Wars: The Arcade Game came and went, largely unnoticed by the gaming press and public; but it has since become one of the pricier and more sought-after 2600 titles, among collectors.
Throughout 1983, three more Star Wars titles would be released - - two additional 2600 games from Parker Brothers, and an arcade title from Atari. While both of the Parker Brothers releases were of fairly middling quality, Atari's simply-titled "Star Wars" was an absolutely incredibly 3-dimensional, vector-displayed rail shooter (one of the first ever made, in fact), in which players could pilot an X-wing starfighter in a recreated simulation of the final Death Star assault sequence from the groundbreaking 1977 film. Atari's Star Wars title was not only one of the most profitable arcade releases of that year, but has since been regarded as one of the greatest video games ever made.
In 1984, following their steady stream of Star Wars mediocrity, Parker Brothers smartly decided to release a port of Atari's arcade hit, as well. Titled, "Star Wars: The Arcade Game", their console port did a heroically stellar job of recreating nearly every aspect of the fantastic arcade hit on the vastly less powerful (and by this time), absolutely ancient 2600 hardware. Somehow, the game still managed to feature 3D vector-style graphics, a melody from the movie, and all three distinct gameplay phases from the arcade version. Sadly, whether due to the oversaturation of the market by Parker Brothers' previous Star Wars stinkers, or to the game having been released near the height of the video game crash of '83 (or both), Star Wars: The Arcade Game came and went, largely unnoticed by the gaming press and public; but it has since become one of the pricier and more sought-after 2600 titles, among collectors.
In 1978, Warner Communications hired former Burlington Industries VP, Ray Kassar, to head up Atari's marketing department. Kassar and Bushnell would soon come to disagree on where best to focus company resources, which would ultimately lead to Bushnell's departure from Atari, in 1979, and Kassar replacing him as CEO, later that same year. Sadly, Kassar was a lot better at marketing than he was at managing, and his arrogant, unappreciative leadership style would soon lead to a mass exodus of Atari's most talented programmers, several of which would band together to form their own game companies. The most notable of these, of course, being Activision.
In December of 1979, American toy manufacturing company, Mattel, released their Intellivision home game console, in direct competition with Atari's VCS. In response, Atari would begin working to create a newer, more powerful VCS replacement. This new console, dubbed the "5200", would eventually launch in November of 1982. In order to better differentiate the two consoles and ensure optimal branding alignment, Atari would officially rename the VCS to the "2600", that very same month.
As a result of their decision to release their new console near the height of the 2600's popularity, in addition to not initially providing it with any compatibility whatsoever with the already well-established library of popular 2600 titles, the 5200 would end up being a pretty spectacular failure for Atari. Worse still, 1982 happened to be the same year that Atari would cause irreparable damage to their reputation, with the release of both Pac-Man and E. T. - - two of their most high profile and highly-anticipated titles that would also end up being two of their worst. By 1983, the public began to lose faith, and interest, in Atari, and their sales began to plummet precipitously as a result - - kicking off what would later become known as the infamous video game crash of 1983.
By 1984, Warner was already looking to divest itself of their failing subsidiary, which they ultimately did, with their July sale of Atari to former Commodore International CEO, Jack Tramiel. Under Tramiel, Atari would release multiple new consoles over a span of several years, including the newer, smaller 2600 "Jr"; an even more powerful 2600-compatible successor, called the 7800; the Atari Lynx color portable; and the "64-bit" Atari Jaguar. Sadly, Atari wouldn't see much success with any of these products and the brand would end up changing hands a couple more times before finally being scooped up by French company, Infogrames Entertainment, in 2001. Though Tramiel's Atari would stop supporting the 2600 in 1992, in 2023, Infogrames - - which rebranded themselves as Atari, in 2009 - - in conjunction with Austrian media company, Plaion, would begin selling multiple 2600 and 7800 titles, as well as a slightly smaller, high-definition, 7800-compatible VCS replica (right down to the woodgrain panel), called the 2600+; something they are still doing to this day.
In December of 1979, American toy manufacturing company, Mattel, released their Intellivision home game console, in direct competition with Atari's VCS. In response, Atari would begin working to create a newer, more powerful VCS replacement. This new console, dubbed the "5200", would eventually launch in November of 1982. In order to better differentiate the two consoles and ensure optimal branding alignment, Atari would officially rename the VCS to the "2600", that very same month.
As a result of their decision to release their new console near the height of the 2600's popularity, in addition to not initially providing it with any compatibility whatsoever with the already well-established library of popular 2600 titles, the 5200 would end up being a pretty spectacular failure for Atari. Worse still, 1982 happened to be the same year that Atari would cause irreparable damage to their reputation, with the release of both Pac-Man and E. T. - - two of their most high profile and highly-anticipated titles that would also end up being two of their worst. By 1983, the public began to lose faith, and interest, in Atari, and their sales began to plummet precipitously as a result - - kicking off what would later become known as the infamous video game crash of 1983.
By 1984, Warner was already looking to divest itself of their failing subsidiary, which they ultimately did, with their July sale of Atari to former Commodore International CEO, Jack Tramiel. Under Tramiel, Atari would release multiple new consoles over a span of several years, including the newer, smaller 2600 "Jr"; an even more powerful 2600-compatible successor, called the 7800; the Atari Lynx color portable; and the "64-bit" Atari Jaguar. Sadly, Atari wouldn't see much success with any of these products and the brand would end up changing hands a couple more times before finally being scooped up by French company, Infogrames Entertainment, in 2001. Though Tramiel's Atari would stop supporting the 2600 in 1992, in 2023, Infogrames - - which rebranded themselves as Atari, in 2009 - - in conjunction with Austrian media company, Plaion, would begin selling multiple 2600 and 7800 titles, as well as a slightly smaller, high-definition, 7800-compatible VCS replica (right down to the woodgrain panel), called the 2600+; something they are still doing to this day.
[Images: Atari, Coleco, Parker Brothers, Activision]
 | [AJ Amideo] |