Atari 2600 Beginners BUYING GUIDE & Best Games

[@jonathantefft2902]

I think that the Atari 2600 games have the best box art. Not only do they look cool but it's fun to look at the game on the screen and try to imagine what the developers wanted the game to look like based on the box art.

[@TortureBot]

Jonathan Tefft the box/cartridge artwork is one of the reasons I love to collect Atari cartridges. It's true that some cartridges have simple text labels and such, but the ones that have artwork on them is just very intriguing and interesting to look at. And back then it was all about imagination. The artwork gave you a starting point for your own imagination to go wild while you were playing the games even though on the screen there were sometimes just blocky images and pixels. You don't have to imagine much these days because the graphics are so realistic, but back in the 70s and 80s it was fun to have simple graphics and just use your mind to fill in the details.

[@dbuck]

The artwork was absolutely integral to my enjoyment of the system. I think I probably read the manuals and comic books (remember Atari Force?) more than I actually played the games.

[@luhmow]

i agree i just bought an atari art book today it basically has all of the box art from every game its aawesome you should check it out

[@egmccann]

I believe it's "The Art of Atari," and yeah, it's nifty.

[@pfzt]

I agree and it still looks fresh and crisp. Ironically the various iterations of the console look very much like something designed in 70s and 80s but the box art of the games look timeless.

[@JohnRiggs]

Adventure for the 2600 is one of my favorites of all time. I still play it today.

[@EODChaosWo1f]

Yup they missed Adventure my first atari 2600 game i had even found the easter egg when i was 7 by accident almost 24 years ago not realising it was an easter egg until years later, love Adventure so much!

[@patsfan4life]

I think it's an acquired taste because it's not an arcade style game whereas is 98% of the Atari library is

[@matthewbartke4424]

@@patsfan4life I think that makes it a 10 games you must have option because it adds variety.

[@diskkun4120]

Agreed! Where was it in this video?

[@snowyicicle1335]

When I was a kid, those dragons terrified me

[@MetalJesusRocks]

The Atari 2600 ROCKS, and here are some Games you should buy: Joust Pitfall II Millipede River Raid Warlords Berzerk Pac-Man Jr HERO Space Rocks Atlantis

[@joshuajayne8926]

+MetalJesusRocks Hey dude, one paddle game that I think is absolutely definitive and super fun is KABOOM! I just love these Atari videos. Brings back many memories. When I grew up my first console was a sega and my brother had an NES. Our mom and dad though had like 100+ 2600 games so before we even got our first consoles, we were well raised on the nuances of Atari gaming. Love your videos! Keep up the great work!

[@coreyoliver3182]

+MetalJesusRocks Great video! I really can't describe why I like this console so much..it was so wonderfully basic, and the late 70's sci-fi cartridge art was a personal fav of mine. Still cheap to collect for as well.

[@quesadilla247]

+MetalJesusRocks I gotta add Phoenix to this list

[@tbandit]

+MetalJesusRocks I would add Seaquest, Kaboom, Missile Command, Qbert, and my favorite Beamrider to this list. I love your lists because they are not only good games, but games that you personally find to be good games.

[@Stevaside]

+ultimus_noobilus Missile Command would be my #1..never gets old....Kaboom up there too for sure!

[@tombates9122]

It's funny, but when you mentioned Hero, I didn't think anything of it, but then when you put up the cover art..man, instant nostalgia. I didn't even recognize the game, but that cover art has stuck with me since it came out, when I was 5 years old. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

[@W3r3gam3r]

I think Adventure was a pretty cool game. Plus the historical factor of having the first ever easter egg in a video game.

[@Me-es6mg]

River Raid was my favourite by far. I was addicted to playing this game and was very good at it. Good times!

[@cartoonguygaming9521]

I used to play River Raid endlessly but couldn’t remember the name of it. Thanks for covering it and reminding me of it!

[@pablogonzae]

Thanks for the awsome job, I enjoy every single one of your videos!

[@JR-vu9sv]

Fatal run

[@BeeJay91]

yo amo los de metal jesus y los top de pablo gonzae son los mejores, saludos

[@SpiritOfBagheera]

My faves when I was a wee one? - Montezuma's Revenge - Star Wars: The Arcade Game - Star Trek - Q*bert - Super Cobra - Dolphin - Tron: Deadly Discs - Adventure - Asteroids

[@Tricob1974]

I can't recommend Space Invaders enough. It's loaded with different options to fine-tune the game, and it allows for a simultaneous two-player mode as well.

[@pearhams2]

Space Invaders on Atari 2600 was even better than the arcade version.

[@ksbproductions9553]

in my opinion the space invaders arcade version is better because it is on most of the flashback ataris made by at games and i find that i can get a lot farther in it than in the 2600 version. I do like space invaders on 2600 but its harder i can barely get past level 3 but on arcade i can get to 8

[@StevenVillman]

+Nerfmodboy Productions Well, the levels/screens don't get any harder in difficulty after Level 5 on the Atari 2600 version, no matter what game setting in which you are playing on there; so, once you've beaten Level 5, there's not much point in going any further than that unless you're going for the highest score that's possible there. However, when it comes to the arcade version (and the versions on the Atari Flashback plug-and-play video game consoles), there's more than 8 levels of difficulty (I've been on Level 12 or so on one version of an Atari Flashback plug-and-play video game console).

[@darrencarter9812]

@@ksbproductions9553 Space Invaders on the 2600 is a rhythm game. Once you lose the defense shields, it is all about rhythm. You go straight across firing 2 shots at each column, taking out the lower two rows, then one shot on each row as you travel back. The timing is perfect because you can only shoot one shot at a time. Then it is clear and you take out each column from the ends inward. It is key that you have good reflexes to get the last 3 to 1 invader. When I was 8 years old in 1981, I played it for 9 hours straight... I flipped the score 32 times as it only went up to 9999... I finally quit playing when my power adapter melted. In the aftermath I started having auditory hallucinations. I was hearing the "thunk thunk thunk" of the invaders and thought there were people trying to get into the house. True story... called my parents who left me home alone and were visiting friends a block away, and they came home. I was freaking out paranoid and crying. My gaming time was restricted for some time after that. I just noticed the comment I am replying to is a year old... maybe someone will get use from it!

[@sandal_thong8631]

@@darrencarter9812 I still haven't beat the logbook challenge of winning against invisible aliens in 9b. Level one was 4,500, level two was 6,700, level 3 was 9000, and rollover was after 9999. In 1982 I played and scored 7150, beating the 2nd level, but never made it to 9000 since. At age 11 I had the knack. PS: Space Invaders was a must-have in early 1980, sold the Atari consoles giving it so much market share, Mattel's Intellivision and Magnavox's Oddessey² didn't have a chance after that.

[@Andrew_Thannen]

I highly recommend Empire Strikes Back. It's my favorite Atari 2600 game. You play as a snow speeder and you have to destroy as many AT-ATs as you can before they reach the rebel base. The various game selections include things like the AT-ATs dropping bombs in addition to the blasters, and only being able to move through the legs and crashing if you try to go through the body.

[@randycunningham7318]

Yes it is a fun one😊

[@allensmith8237]

This video got me back into collecting video games in 2015. Bought a 2600 (which i never played before), and continued adding to my collections for NES, Genesis, Gameboy, PS3, PS4, bought another N64 and Everdrive to go with it. My love for collecting and playing games has never been stronger. The 2600 is now one of my favortie consoles. Love your buying guides. Thank you!

[@CrazyJoe]

Kaboom is my top pick for a paddle game. I also gotta throw in Fishing Derby, it's one hell of a 2 player battle.

[@mitchhamrick3117]

Thanks!

[@MetalJesusRocks]

Thanks so much! 👍

[@xINVISIGOTHx]

besides Joust, River Raid and Atlantis, I also loved Canyon Bomber, Dolphin and Chopper Command

[@johnhancockretro]

+INVISIGOTH Chopper command is in my top 25 for the system.

[@andrewswiftharp]

Just picked up my first 2600. It’s a wood grain 4-switch cib. So stoked to start getting more games!!!

[@JakeMcaulay]

liked the video straight away for john hancock total legend

[@MidnightBanshi]

I so love this system. I actually have the Sears "heavy sixer" version, as well as a 4-switch version. If I had any games to recommend for this, they would be: Pitfall II (yes, I love this game as well!) Demon Attack (sooooooo much fun!) Dragonfire (has the gate and inside of the castle) Keystone Kapers Cosmic Ark Space Invaders (who doesn't love this?) You guys are both amazing!

[@Tonebone721]

Yars revenge 👍

[@frankschalk7790]

Tony Fuentes absolutely classic title.

[@BobaGabe1]

Yar's Revenge is #1

[@valk67]

Yeah man, Yars Revenge and Enduro. I don't believe there is no Enduro in all of those best of lists here on YT. What a shame.

[@markstahl1464]

A strong choice for a beginner. I very nearly had that on my list.

[@mindfuqq]

Pshh. Yuris revenge!!!

[@j.m.74]

Just found this video in my recommendations. Here's a few faves from when I was a kid: Pitfall, Chopper Command, Demons to Diamonds, Wizard of Wor, Zaxxon. Also, my dad had a fondness for a game called Venture, but 5 year old me (1982) hated it.

[@marlinlee]

Any mention of hardware should include the 7800 because of its backwards compatibility with the 2600. Top 2600 games would include Mario Bros. Circus Atari Jungle Hunt Yar's Revenge Demon Attack Frogger Space Invaders Missile Command Q*bert Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

[@MetalJesusRocks]

+marlinlee Very true! Thanks for mentioning that because it's a great option for people !

[@marlinlee]

+utoobninja Mario Bros. for the Atari 2600

[@marlinlee]

+utoobninja Crap. I forgot KZbin won't allow links in comments. Just search for Mario Bros. on my channel.

[@Stevaside]

+marlinlee My thoughts exactly, you're definitely better off getting a 7800 console to play em all (well most of em anyway lol)...&preferably an A/V modded 7800 like I got from Best Electronics if it's going to a modern TV

[@Stevaside]

+utoobninja lol yep, hard to believe isn't it? Mario appeared on an Atari console before he did on on Nintendo haha..He was in Donkey Kong on it even earlier..Mario Bros for the 7800 is awesome & one of my top games for it

[@Cosmo-1977]

This was the best video on the Atari 2600 I have ever seen. 2600 was my first system in 1986. Had to hustle my own NES when the parents said no. The immortal and Metal Jesus would be an awesome team up for a whole series.The Immortal just rocks.

[@Magnetron692]

Hey guys, thanks for the introduction of the Atari 2600. I love the game "Star Voyager" by Imagic a lot and I played it in autumn 1984. Now I have a new version purchased on eBay along with its box and manual. Battlezone by Atari is also great! Best, Ralf from nearby Stuttgart, Germany

[@johnnycage3673]

*MY* Top-10 Atari 2600 games: 1) Frogger 2) Ice Hockey 3) Pole Position 4) Kangaroo 5) Decathlon 6) Labyrinth / aka. Maze Craze / aka. Maze Mania 7) Kung Fu Master 8) Jungle Hunt 9) PhantomPanzer 2 10) World End / aka. Laser Base

[@GBG993.]

Having an Atari 2600 Telegames model, I never thought I'd have as much fun as I do with it when buddies are over. I'd recommend Kaboom!, Asteroids, Yar's Revenge, Vanguard, as well as the classic Warlords.

[@johnhancockretro]

+GuitarBoarder Gaming (GBG) I love Vanguard. A great early shooter.

[@FansOfDJLordRon1]

I have the 4 Switch Atari 2600 Console & I recently bought the Atari Flashback 2. I play my games on a Toshiba 13" TV & it's like being in 1977. I'm 57 & I never get tired of playing my favorite games. Salute to the gamers. Peace!

[@Randomtask68]

These Buying Guides are so awesome I have to say

[@MetalJesusRocks]

+Randomtask68 Thanks! We are enjoying making them...AND we've already filmed a bunch more...so stay subscribed!

[@BobbyOsborneII]

This video couldn't have been better timed. I showed your video last night to some friends of when you and DMP went to John's to show off his collection and right after the video we got to talking a bit about Atari. Also: I just noticed The Longest Journey just hanging out in the background!

[@eebbeerrttpp]

I went to a yard sale and I got one in its original package for $25. It came with 11 cartridges. Now I have to learn how to play some of the best games. 🐧

[@fseelye]

Dig Dug, Galaxian, and Ms. Pacman were my favorites. Great video! Thanks!

[@retrononsense582]

Great video and some great selections indeed. HERO is my favorite Atari game of all time as well! As a big Atari fan myself, I’d recommend Cosmic Ark, Vanguard, laser blast, Return of the Jedi, chopper command, Yars Revenge and Adventure to name a few.

[@Oldbmwr100rs]

The "Heavy 6er" was the earliest made with a thick base (which was the heavy part) .Originally the system was designed to have built in speakers, which the grilles are still molded into the top. Other thing with the 6 switch models was they had a buffer IC that the 4 switch didn't have. The buffer protected the controller inputs as well as video was fed through it, making the colors richer. Put a 4 and 6 switch side to side and see the difference. My first job was working for Atari on the last 2600 production line in the U.S.. I was a line tech fixing boards which failed pre-assembly test. Was a fun job, still remember it well.

[@ClassicContagious]

Some of my favorites, Keystone Kapers, Pressure Cooker (my personal favorite), Cosmic Ark, Kangaroo, Spider Fighter. Also really cool you mentioned homebrews as I really love Lady Bug.

[@ClassicContagious]

+Class Sicks Hehe I'm a Patreon member.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

+Classic Contagious Gaming BTW: I just uploaded a brand new Nintendo NES HIDDEN GEMS video. I think Patreon members will early access this Sunday to give people plenty of time to jump out and buy them early.

[@ClassicContagious]

+MetalJesusRocks Awesome man.

[@badbirdkc]

Good list, but you have to have Yar's Revenge on any list of Atari games to own. Atlantis is awesome. Not only were the graphics really nice, but the sound was incredible. When you hit the little ship and it explodes, the bass is amazing.

[@ClassicBee17]

Yars is so good

[@Advanced-Recon]

Here after the 2023 announcement.

[@TheGeekLife1]

I had a major blast to the past when you showed River Raid! I used to play that game all the time on my Dad's Commodore 64 when I was about 5 years old! I haven't played it in over 24 years, but as soon as I saw that little yellow plane, I knew what it was! Gotta get me a 2600!

[@KristianWontroba]

Enduro. Best racing game on the 2600. :)

[@johnhancockretro]

+Kristian Wontroba The first time I ever played Enduro, I was blown away by the different effects the game had. Amazing racer, and in my opinion blew away the others on the system.

[@thetman0068]

Rad Racer before Rad Racer. A true gem.

[@markstahl1464]

@PineKushDude Hahahaha, I have to agree with you. Enduro is actually the first and only racing game I've ever LIKED! That's saying something.

[@SupremeNerd]

The closest that you could get if you liked Sega's Turbo

[@chriswheatley3146]

Enduro, Yar's Revenge, Journey. While my neighors had the 2600, I did quite enjoy these games when I'd visit.

[@jayMaze5]

Maze Craze and Surround are two of my faves! They also are still a lot of fun to this day as two-player games.

[@sandal_thong8631]

I had Surround/Chase; it was one of the original 9 carts, but got pulled from the catalog. They used it as one of the Tron games in the arcade (light cycles). I like games with different stages like Gorf, Phoenix, Donkey Kong, and Jungle Hunt. Sadly, they didn't port Tron to Atari as it was in the arcade.

[@jimmywright5029]

ADVENTURE!!!!, Pressure Cooker, Flash Gordon, Gopher, Dragonfire, Spider-Man, And Blueprint were some of my favorites as a kid.

[@stevefulkerson4995]

The Raiders of the Lost Ark game on the 2600 was mind-blowing to me as a kid. The puzzles were basically trial-by -error but the first time I figured it out and beat the game was my first memorable gaming moment.

[@TortureBot]

Steve Fulkerson I still haven't beat that damned game. I couldn't figure it out as a kid and then I revisited it as an adult and got very far using an online guide but I think the part where you fall and open a parachute and have to swing into a cave or something was just hard as hell for me, and I ended up finally giving up that night when I was trying to beat it. And as you know, there's no saving your place. You lose everything when you cut the power off. It is still great to have an adventure game like that with puzzles though from a very early console like that. I really enjoyed the Riddle of the Sphinx and all the little items you could use in it.

[@sandal_thong8631]

@@TortureBot I played Riddle at a friend's house, same with Raiders. I had to use the manuals to figure them out, but didn't realize I had to dig on the dirt pile inside the tomb of the Ark, so didn't beat that one as a kid. Even after doing it, I didn't get full points because there's a glitch I think that won't let you go to the top.

[@TortureBot]

@@sandal_thong8631 I think I was playing Raiders in 6th or 7th grade maybe? Was confusing as heck to me. So were the Swordquest games.

[@sandal_thong8631]

@@TortureBot They came out with Adventure, Superman and Haunted House which were good, but went crazy in 1982 making Earthworld, Raiders of the Lost Ark and E.T. So many of the last were returned, even though it's the most replayable of the lot (last time I won 5x before running out of energy). Without the instruction manual and comic book, Earthworld didn't make any sense; I got through several levels through trial and error but didn't win, until I got the answer online.

[@TortureBot]

@@sandal_thong8631 I can't remember if my friend and I ever beat Adventure back in the early eighties, but we played it a lot. His mother would play with us, and she called the dragons DUCKS, LOL! I definitely played and beat E.T. a lot. It was the first game that drugstore Revco nearby had on sale for $1. I never thought it was the worst game ever made. Far from it. The Mythicon games, all 3 of them, were the worst! Best artwork on the carts, but most TERRIBLE games by far! Each was almost identical in gameplay. I think Star Fox was the best of the three. Yeah, Atari 2600 had Star Fox BEFORE Nintendo did! LOL!

[@calibribody6776]

Out of the cartridge retro consoles i've collected up until now. That being the NES, SNES, Megadrive, and Atari. I have to say the Atari has the best feeling when inserting a cartridge. The NES pushing down the cartridge once inserted is close behind. But just the way the atari cartridge clicks in. So satisfying.

[@michaelwolfe9496]

My recommendations that weren't mentioned in this video (no particular order). Battlezone Yars' Revenge Missile Command Enduo Fantastic Voyage Tunnel Runner

[@mgabrysSF]

Robot Tank from Activision was great too. Surprised they put Atlantis ahead of Demon Attack.

[@djrizla420]

I still have my 6-switcher, with 2 joysticks & 2 paddles, and it’s still in it’s original box (although it is a bit tatty now, it is 40 years old) My games are: Asteroids Breakout Carnival Combat Dig Dug Donkey Kong Joust Missile Command Ms Pac-Man Pong Space Invaders

[@MathieuStPierreart]

Riddle of the Sphinx haunted me as a kid. Such a great early RPG style.

[@benni1023fm]

I *LOVE* that game!

[@colinmcdonald2499]

Good buyers guide. It is so tough to narrow down only 10 games. A few I would add: --Drinking games: Outlaw Human Canon Ball -- Arguable top 10: Keystone Capers Space Arc Star Raiders

[@JakeVegas-d4o]

getting a heavy 6er for christmas. cant wait

[@nicolasmash]

jake robert I got a vader with like 30 games. No cords though...

[@coyotekelly7143]

I got a Vader with the Atari game center and a bunch of games. Love it.

[@maxxdahl6062]

Got me a flashback 2 that I intend to install with the cartridge slot here.

[@kevinrodriguez2352]

Hey Metal Jesus! I finally got my own Atari 2600. I bought it off ebay and it works great and came in today. It got converted to composite so it uses composite cables instead of rf so it so much easier to connect. I love it! My essential Atari 2600 games is Enduro, Space Rocks, Basic Programming, Adventure, and Pac-Man 4k and 8k. Hope you make more Atari 2600 videos! 👍🏻

[@Sirynx77]

My two favorite paddle games for the 2600 are Demons To Diamonds and Tac/Scan. As much as I like Atlantis on the 2600, the Intellivision version is by far better due to the daytime/nighttime intervals. You can't forget about Cosmic Ark which is believed to be the first console sequel and also noteworthy due to the use of a 2600 hardware bug to render the starfield.

[@SupremeNerd]

Agreed!!! Tac-Scan and demons to Diamonds are 2 of my faves

[@sandal_thong8631]

I didn't get into Atlantis, but I suppose that if I put my mind to it, I could gauge when to fire and up my score. I think Cosmic Ark was the best one I played from Imagic, (based on Space Zap which I played in the arcade) which company was formed by Intellivision and Atari programmers. I recognize 8 games of theirs from 1982, but only 1 (Star Wars: The Arcade Game) from 1983.

[@richardadams4928]

Enduro. The mind-blowing Defender II. Jr. Pac-Man is a GREAT choice. Vanguard. Phoenix. Mario Brothers. Frogger. Battlezone. Chopper Command. Galaxian.

[@richardadams4928]

Megamania. Jungle Hunt. Moon Patrol. Star Raiders. Atari really upped their game after Activision started putting out games SO much better than Atari's earlier efforts.

[@Apprentice_of_the_Leonine]

The 2600 can be modified for S-Video, and there is a DIY mod kit for less than $26.

[@sracer]

Fun video! I'd just add that there were additional official controllers for the Atari, by Atari. Indy 500 had a special paddle-like controller packed in. What made the Indy 500 controller different than the Paddle controller is that the Indy controller was free spinning... there were no "stops" like the Paddle controller. The Paddle controller could only turn so much in either direction. Also, great call on Atlantis!

[@sandal_thong8631]

I got Indy 500 for birthday or Christmas. I thought it was extraordinary compared to race games Dodge 'Em, Street Racer, Slot Racers (still don't have it), and Night Driver. Surprised to learn this week it was one of the original 9 Atari cartridges! Sadly they never did anything else with the steering controllers like Tempest or Indy 2. They could have made it for mail-order only like Crazy Climber, or double-packaged two games with the steering controllers.

[@nathanbutcher7720]

Adventure! Gotta have that game.

[@LastHumansGarage]

River Raid was in my top 3 favorites of all time

[@terrykohut1651]

ms pacman, pitfall, space invaders, astroids, jr pacman defender, pole position, combat, tank, pitfall 2, missle commend. river raid 2.

[@LastHumansGarage]

there was a river raid 2??? i gotta get me some of that..

[@jasonpaulelder]

MetalJesusRocks There are (obviously) so many great games for the Atari 2600, but - to recommend just ten of them (apart from some of those that were mentioned), my list is as follows: 1. Space Invaders (A quintessential shoot-em-up space game, which was, surprisingly, not mentioned - even with Hancock's t-shirt.) 2. Missile Command (This was one of the first Atari games that I ever played, which really worked tactically, graphically, and audibly - it still does, actually. Also, I thought that the explosion at the end of the game was pretty inventive as well.) 3. Adventure (I saw this game as being a great introduction to D&D in a way. Also, the Level 3 "secret dot" inspired me to look in other Atari games, but to no avail.) 4. Yars' Revenge (This, being one of the other games that I looked in - ha. Still, there was a mystique about the level changes of color, the ominous sound that ran throughout the game, and the way that the mobile shield altered shape when hitting it. The packaging even contained a comic book, "The Qotile Ultimatum," which was a great accompaniment.) 5. Decathlon (I actually won at record times quite often, which meant having to use the joystick frantically as if on three pots of coffee while being starved on Ritalin. I even photographed the screen for one of their nifty prize patches, but never mailed it to Activision, unfortunately.) 6. Frogger (It's still entertainingly rewarding after all these years, even when run over. By the way, why couldn't the frog swim?) 7. Kaboom! (A quick action game which, unfortunately, I found put too much wear on the eyes after a while - meaning, within 10 minutes. Still, even though it bordered on seizure-inducing, I kept returning to it, regardless.) 8. Gorf (4 shoot-em-up games in 1 which had aspects of Space Invaders & Galaga. Ok, it was a little more than just "aspects.") 9. Super Breakout (Although I enjoyed this game, the paddles always broke. Perhaps, I was just "that" good at breaking them.) 10. Bowling (Yes, really.)

[@ztoxtube]

YARS' REVENGE!! Thanks bye

[@seppdroid]

Yah!

[@dbuck]

Indeed!

[@TheMultiGunMan]

Your videos are so AWESOME you've inspired me to get into video game collecting. I started with the "retro replica game consoles" that come preloaded with games.....Sega Genesis, Nintendo, Super Nintendo.

[@SlyBeast]

If you had told me back in the early 80's that people would one day have to explain what RF switches were, I wouldn't have believed it. I just thought it'd always be that way.

[@TortureBot]

SlyBeast and if you're like most Atari owners from the old days I bet you can remember when those little spade terminals broke off your RF switch box and you had to strip the wires back and wrap them around the screw terminals on the back of your television set, right?

[@SupremeNerd]

@@TortureBot yep I do

[@sandal_thong8631]

I bought a TV in 1991 that only had the one antenna connection, not knowing we'd be using separate audio/video connections soon.

[@andrewmarshall1142]

You know it's a good console when it is still fun for the current generation (I'm 14, me and my friends love the 2600)

[@GigTube]

dude, KABOOM!

[@PetersPianoShoppe]

CONCURRED.

[@puts1421]

Chad9976 kaboom was fun. also keystone capers.

[@cosmiccharger]

So many classics but one I had a blast with was Indy 500. So basic but the 2 player game play was a blast. Race on blacktop or ice. The tag game is so competitive. This is just one game I feel gets overlooked. Keep up the Great work Metal Jesus!

[@ScottWozniak]

13:35 Activision absolutely WAS the first third-party console game developer. I thought this was common knowledge.

[@NimbleswitchMusic]

Activision formed in 1979. David Crane claims they were the first third-party developer for the VCS. John Hancock says they were *not* the first. Who are you going to believe?

[@egmccann]

Activision first, and iMagic second if I recall. I do recall Coleco and M-Network (Air Raiders!) as well

[@patsfan4life]

egmccann I M network games were generally terrible

[@victormanuellimon1160]

Patsfan 4life i like lock’n chase and kool aid man

[@SupremeNerd]

Well, you had Parker brothers then US games but if I'm not mistaken, Activision was in fact the first 3rd party game developer. I don't include Sears because all of their games are repackaged Atari games

[@MrBoy-qj3bs]

All great picks, but these also deserve mentioning: 1) Tunnel Runner --Incredible first-person tunnel/maze game. The cartridge came with an extra ROM chip, which improved upon the 2600's graphic capabilities and allowed for randomized mazes. A technical marvel and still really fun to play. 2) Keystone Kapers --One of my favorite Activision titles. Simple, fun, addictive, and really good graphics for the time. 3) Beamrider --Another Activision classic. I get the feeling this was their answer to Tempest. 4) Fantastic Voyage --One of several noteworthy games from 20th Century Fox. You journey through a person's bloodstream and blast away nasties while avoiding blood cells. You get docked if you brush against the arterial walls, so it's kind of like the board game Operation in that sense. 5) Dig Dug --The 2600 wasn't known for accurate arcade conversions, but this game retains all the gameplay elements of its arcade counterpart.

[@metalslugfest]

Aw man, y'all totally missed Surround! It costs nothing and is an amazing head-to-head party game, with many outrageously fun game modes. Think Tron light cycles or Snake, but with the best additional modes.

[@johnhancockretro]

+metalslugfest Surround is a great tourney game. In the early days of PRGE shows, we had it for tournaments.

[@TheJeremyHolloway]

+metalslugfest True…and that's a very old 2600 game at that.

[@eigenvee]

+metalslugfest I'm happy you mentioned this one which seems rarely to be given its due. I squeezed a lot of enjoyment out of this simple game, playing often with friends (over 30 years ago). This is one of the few games on the 2600 where graphical limitations weren't an issue for me. The simplicity of the look of the game was a "just right" match for the hardware and for the gameplay. And it had the perfect jarring sound effect to go with (preferably your opponent's) collisions. I still hear this sound in my mind whenever I accidentally hit my thumb with a hammer.

[@sandal_thong8631]

I enjoyed it until kids stopped coming over (we moved a lot and I had baby siblings). All those two-player games were good if other kids could learn the controls and how to play well. Not too many cooperative games.

[@lucywillis4535]

1: space invaders 2: Solaris 3: mega mania 4: dark chambers 5: keystone kapers 6: Atari video cube 7: realsports tennis

[@johntyler3544]

Isn't it weird to think that Activision, the main people behind the yearly Call of Duty games, was revolutionary in the video game industry and created one of the first platformers? I'm sure it's different people now but still, that's so weird to me haha.

[@enfieldjohn101]

Yes, you can pretty much thank the Atari 2600 and 7800 for making Activision the publisher that we know and love today.

[@sandal_thong8631]

Graphics were so much better, but they didn't have a lot of game variations that I was used to. Makes me wonder if Intellivision had won market share by licensing Space Invaders, what would Activision games look like?

[@MrGunter11]

Fantastic review and information guys...I'm looking at buying an Atari 2600 in the next few weeks and this was an Excellent tutorial on what to buy console/games, so it was an enormous help. Thank You.

[@punkojosh89]

Great vid. Any chance of a 5200 buyers guide?

[@TheJeremyHolloway]

+punkojosh 5200 homebrew titles are picking up lately. Check the 5200 forum over at AtariAge for plenty of info. Lots of Trak-Ball games which is fitting because the 5200 has the best Trak-Ball controller of all time.

[@johnhancockretro]

+Jeremy Holloway The 5200 is not a bad system if you have a workaround for the terrible controllers. Many great versions of Atari classics on the system. I personally prefer the 7800 and 800xl for later classics.

[@TheJeremyHolloway]

+John Hancock True. But the CX-53 Trak-Ball Controller makes the 5200 all worth while…there's no equivalent on the 400/800/XL/XE platform to it. Dan Kramer, the Atari engineer who created Atari's consumer Trak-Ball Controllers agrees. Although they've since been back ported over to the Atari 8-bit computers, many of the 5200 titles are better than their commercial 8-bit computer versions; there's various tweaks and improvements to them. There's also tons of controller adapters for the 5200 floating around AtariAge. If you get a PC GamePort cable adapter, you can buy the Mako PC GamePad which has both an analog and digital thumbstick so you have all joystick type games covered on the 5200. I have a NeoGeo arcade stick converted to work with my 5200. And there's a modder working on a Jaguar/5200 controller that has a DPad, 2 analog sticks, the keypad, and a rotary controller built in. Watch the 5200 AtariAge Forums…plenty of home-brews, hacks, and conversions going on. If you can, get Tep392's "Pac-Man Arcade" version, although he's also made it for the 8-bit computers. He's working on upgrading "Zaxxon" at the moment.

[@johnhancockretro]

+Jeremy Holloway Yep, I have a pretty large 5200 collection including hombrews, multicart, and several boxed games. I have a masterplay interface as well as some 3rd party controllers that make the 5200 more playable. Space Invaders and a Trackball work well with each other.

[@punkojosh89]

John Hancock Ah man, that all sounds like quite the collection. Just subscribed to your youtube channel as well John, looks like there is tonnes of information on the 5200 and other stuff to look at... looking forward to watching through it. Thanks for the reply!

[@iainbatchelor4414]

it was only yesterday that i watched your Atari compilation and today you treat me with this! many thanks dude!

[@SolarLeigon1324]

Bezerk ah yes the best game that "gave someone a heart attack"

[@markstahl1464]

My 2600 Starter Kit: 1.) Adventure (absolutely essential) 2.) Space Invaders (plays extremely well on a Slik Stik by Suncom) 3.) Ms. Pac-Man (a great game to ignore your score and try to get as far as possible) 4.) Super Breakout (Game Variation 7 is both relaxing and exciting at the same time. A set of well conditioned paddles is a necessity.) 5.) Gravitar (Absolutely binge-worthy on Game Variation 5. This is the first 2600 game that I became completely enthralled with.) 6.) Keystone Kapers (The day I first got this game, I played it until my hands hurt.) 7.) Enduro (an awesome racing game for people who don't even like racing games) 8.) Ice Hockey (an amazing sports title by Activision with surprisingly awesome mechanics) 9.) River Raid (I prefer to flip the difficulty switch on this one because I like straight shot bullets. Also, it's not intuitive, but you should mostly shoot the fuel tanks and only fuel up if you're running really low on gas.) 10.) Millipede (plays extremely well on a Sega Genesis gamepad)

[@DailyGoatShow]

Man, I will never collect for this console but loved the video.

[@thickybird1]

Thanks for tip regarding " Space Rocks" , looks awesome. 1. Yars Revenge 2.Space Invaders 3. Missile Command 4. Frostbite

[@hailtheslayers]

Star Raiders is the most have for any Atari collector.

[@sandal_thong8631]

Starmaster was the same game, but much better. Star Raiders was a disappointment.

[@sandplasma]

"Multiple copies of this game because I never want to be without it." Sounds like a great topic for a question to ask yourself and all your regulars! The game that would fit that description for me would be Seven Kingdoms: Ancient Adversaries. Absolutely love it!

[@Michirin9801]

How about Star Wars: Bird vs Camel? xD

[@Nestalgba92023]

Michirin9801 I'm curious that are you a Japanese or some other Asian?

[@Colonel-Llama]

Sounds like Jeff Minter's Attack of the Mutant Camels

[@NormanBates60]

"Frog Pond" is a favorite for me, had so many fun nights with friends seeing who could get a higher score and yelling at the tv!

[@Adamchevy]

Some of my kids favorites: Galaxian Chopper Command Pengo Keystone Kapers Grand Prix Kaboom! My kids that are age 6 and 9 love to play the 2600. They have access to many newer consoles and when there friends come over the Atari 2600 is the one they are most excited to show off and play.

[@sandplasma]

I started playing Atari when I had a swag Genesis in the early 90s but still loved it. One of my favorites must have been Space Shuttle. To this day I am unable to land it!

[@eratic0311]

My mom used to play her Atari 2600 before she left it in her old room for me to discover when I was 10 years old! (2013) It took me 3 years to make it work again and when I got it to work I got my mom's old games and stared playing it like there was no tomorrow!

[@Mockingbird650]

'Riddle of the Sphinx' This is the first Atari title that really got me hooked to coming back & trying to finish it. I consider it to be one of the earliest 'RPGers', and the first of that style of game I ever played. It was a "platformer" with a "puzzle" element incorporated. A little like Pitfall, but way better. It had depth.

[@sandal_thong8631]

Both were good. I played the former at my friend's house, and the latter I got for Christmas and was my only Activision game for years.

[@stetsonshirley6488]

Just bought me a 2600, and this video was helpful on things I didn't know. Thanks a lot!

[@Soccer5se]

It would be awesome if you went back and updated these buying guides. A lot has changed in 7 years. And we could use some updated help in starting our collections!

[@TheJeremyHolloway]

There's so many good 2600 games to choose from. Outlaw, Warlords, Kaboom, Missile Command, Yar's Revenge, Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark [dual joystick support], Star Wars - Jedi Arena, Vanguard, Space Invaders, Pitfall & Pitfall 2, River Raid, Space Invaders, etc. I would recommend getting a Harmony SD Cart adapter for serious gamers and then just support home brewers by buying those cartridges. There's a lot of hardware missing from this guide. You really should get a CX-22 Trak-Ball Controller for the 2600. There's also the Keypads, Star Raiders Controller, the Kids Controllers, the Indy 500 Rotary Driving Controller, etc. And then there's all of the third party controllers like the Wico joysticks and the Epyx 500XJ joystick. There's the Starpath Supercharger but all of those games can be played using the Harmony Cart.

[@ceccaryou]

If your TV does not tune old RF signals, you can try a (Chinese) RF to HDMI converter, 100-240 V analogue TV receiver adapter with remote control! Works in all color systems...

[@The_Bad_Guy.]

No one ever mentions Star Master. Loved that game. Really complex too for an Atari 2600 game with the Galaxy map and all your different systems on your ship. Of course it was made by Activision who produced a ton of great Atari games. Also loved laser blast and seaquest. Both are addictive and fast paced.

[@victormanuellimon1160]

Mike Werley agree starmaster join with chopper commando, ice hockey, tennis, skiing and kaboom

[@pleslie923]

Great video. I recently got a 2600 loving it all over again. Mine had the coax adapter already attached and at first was in and out as far as signal. I put an in line booster I had from an old antenna and have no problems now. Also, couldn't agree more with the old tv idea, went and found a 90's Sony Trinitron crt, found it for 10 bucks on craigslist and it works great. Anyway, you can keep these retro system videos coming as far as I'm concerned, loving it.

[@treismac]

H.E.R.O. transcends well past nostalgia. Introduced it a buddy for the first time and we were playing it for the better part of the night. Spectacular game.

[@sandal_thong8631]

I don't know any games from 1984 as I stopped buying carts and had a home computer. They could have listed 10 games 1984 or later when chips were cheaper, and I'd have nothing to say.

[@nintendoor1]

always loved your videos. i just found a 2600 Jr. and a bunch of games at a yard sale for a great price, and i’ve always wanted one, so i grabbed it. i’m excited to start collecting and playing the games! picked up pitfall and yars revenge at my local retro game store

[@guitaracademyarchive]

I loved Dodge 'Em too... and I remember I had a racing game (Indy 500 maybe?) that came with its own controllers that were paddles with no left/right stop on them. So cool!

[@sandal_thong8631]

That was good. Too bad they didn't release Tempest for use with that controller. I learned this week Indy 500 was one of the original 9 games for the Atari.

[@RyanKentBarnhart]

An AV modded 2600 or 7800 would definitely be a worthy investment. And might be a better option for those who don't want to keep a heavy CRT TV around. Personally I did both - an AV modded Atari connected to a nice 27" CRT looks AMAZING.

[@mattskirble6845]

Im 23 I just got into the 2600 this year Ive been buying tons of games really cheap Im playing alot of Venture which I know is better on the colecovision but Ive been enjoying the 2600 version Berzerk is awesome and and even the 2600 version of Donkey Kong has been my addiction lately .

[@sandal_thong8631]

Like 2600 Pac-Man, Donkey Kong used a cheaper chip, so its quality suffered and it lost a stage.

[@Siggy4844]

My Top 10 would have to be: 1. Megamania 2. Cosmic Ark 3. River Raid 4. Atlantis 5. Stampede 6. Frogger 7. Chopper Command 8. Missile Command 9. Galaxian 10. Defender Best paddle games: Warlords and Kaboom!

[@eduardobonifaz]

I really love my atari 2600 as a 50 year old guy Im an oldschool ganer, its awesome! My &avorite game. Robot Tank. A must for a collector

[@MrMoneyclips]

My dad got one when it was new and it still works to this day

[@ValensBellator]

The one thing I remember about Bezerk is that your character is incredibly slow for how fast he's shuffling his feet lol... it's like the floor is covered in grease or something.

[@Joeykm1972]

Mountain King, Kaboom, Keystone Capers, Stampede and Yar's Revenge are considered the classics of 2600 for me.

[@sandal_thong8631]

I never beat Mountain King, even after finding an instruction manual and walkthrough. But your other games were really good.

[@editdelete9323]

Yes, Atlantis, awesome. Still have it. Probably in my Top 5 with Raiders of the Lost Ark, Adventure, Missile Command & Barnstorming.

[@sandal_thong8631]

Barnstorming was the first Activision game I played at another kid's house. It looked awesome, and I wondered why Atari wasn't making theirs like that. Better programmers and better chips? Grand Prix was another, but I only got it on eBay a couple years ago. Pitfall was the only Activision game I got in the 1980s I think.

[@guerillagrueplays6301]

I would probably say go for the following five games (including why!) 1. River Raid ---- I completely have to agree with you here, MJR, River Raid is one of the absolute best games on the console, showcasing mechanics that wouldn't become mainstream in console titles for years to come. Heck, some concepts -- like your ship's fuel meter -- are STILL vastly underutilized in games of this type. 2. Ms. Pac Man ----You discussed Pac Man and Pac Man Junior, and mentioned that Ms. Pac Man vastly improved on the former, but it really is worth experiencing the game on the console to see just how good arcade ports could be on the console, even later in its mainstream lifespan. I have Ms. Pac Man on several platforms, and this is probably my favorite one to play. 3. Night Driver ----Cheap, fun, and challenging, Night Driver not only has a very nice aesthetic for a 2600 game, making excellent use of the console's limited graphics capabilities and using its name to wonderful effect, but it also serves as a great title to hone one's capabilities with the paddle controller on. Superscalar(ish) racing on the 2600? Yes indeedy! 4. Barnstormer ----Like y'all, I have a strong love for Activision's Atari-era releases (which makes their modern situation all the sadder, but I digress.) Like many of their other titles, Barnstormer is a great example of taking a simple mechanic and a thorough understanding of the 2600's hardware and making something beautiful. Fun, smooth gameplay, attractive visuals, and an addictive dodge-based risk/reward system make this a great on the console. 5. Adventure ----People give Zelda credit for creating the console adventure genre, but this game is where things really kicked off. Top-down exploration with little in the way of guidance and loot-based progression should be quite familiar to gamers who've checked out the games inspired by Adventure, and though the game certainly doesn't have the longevity of play value of the console's arcade-style games and ports, it's still a very important cornerstone of the development of modern gaming. In addition to the games, I would say you missed two major hardware elements that should be brought up, one for handiness and one for the lack thereof: the driving controller, and the Star Raiders numpad. The driving controller is great for those games that support it, including many of the single-player paddle games, and its freedom of movement is handy to have in a lot of games like Enduro. Meanwhile, the numpad is literally useless for any game EXCEPT Star Raiders, though it would have been nice to have had use of in some of the console's more complex games, like the space shuttle simulator. Oh, and for modern gamers just getting into the 2600, I'd almost say the genesis 3 button controller isn't just an option, but a necessity, since it gives them access to a much more familiar controller format for modern sensibilities. Plus they tend to have longer cables; useful when you want to use your 2600 more than 3 feet away from the platform. :D