10 Amazing Atari 5200 Facts

[@pumzilla54]

This system will always hold a place in my heart. I was my holy grail. I had the 2600 for 4 years and sold it along with 30 cartridges to help my mother pay for it. !!! Man, if only this was released earlier.

[@irata2006]

That last commercial was basically admitting that their own Atari 2600 PacMan was a POS, LOL.

[@wadmodderschalton5763]

In otherwords "Differs slightly from the original"

[@toqertv]

I ended up buying a 5200 a few weeks ago. It wasn't my favorite system as a kid (I had a coleco + 2600 adapter) but I saw it in a video game store, and man if it wasn't the sexiest system atari put out. That sleek gloss black accented by brushed metal. I had to repair the joysticks, live stream on my channel from a few days ago where I replace the flex connectors and buttons with new ones. There's a company in San Jose California called Best Electronics that makes new parts for these old joysticks. Having grown up with the 800xl around the same time the 5200 came out, it kind of feels like I'm getting less, but it's sexy. I'll give it that.

[@wallacelang1374]

I believe that there is another interesting thing about the Atari 5200 Super System: When the name Atari 5200 was settled upon Atari released a catalog of the first series of game cartridges for the Atari 5200. The original first game cartridge that was intended to be packed in the box with the Atari 5200 console was the Asteroids game cartridge, but someone in the office at Atari must have had no confidence in Asteroids for the Atari 5200 ... so Asteroids was suddenly and without any explanation replaced with Super Breakout for the Atari 5200 instead. Video Game Historians discovered a working Atari 5200 Asteroids game ROM that is now being published by two different homebrew game cartridges publishers.

[@TheLairdsLair]

Asteroids was replaced and left unreleased because it didn't work very well with the analogue joysticks, hence the hasty replacement of Super Breakout.

[@DTM-Books]

This topic has been discussed elsewhere, but the reason Asteroids 5200 was scrubbed was because the programmer couldn’t properly calibrate the controllers for the game, as it was ported from the 400/800. Fortunately, an Atarian has “completed” Asteroids with working controls, and it’s far better as a result. I only wish the game were built from the ground up for the 5200, like Centipede and Qix, taking advantage of 360 steering and analog speed. What’s here in “complete” form is very impressive, however. You’ll have to dig around to find the improved 5200 Asteroids. An Atarian did make a video about it, I can’t remember his name, but it’s here on KZbin, with a direct link to the appropriate AtariAge forum.

[@ShamrockParticle]

thank you for giving time to this underrated gem of a console! if Atari hadn't built the controller on the cheap... 3rd party replacements were neat, but far too late. especially by 1983. Gremlins was an awesome game. Glad it got released despite the goofiness. in high school, I had a friend who introduced me to it. wonder where she went to since then... the 5200 was rather nifty. precision x and y axes due to resistor potentiometers rather than on/off buttons, pause button, and a keypad for more nuanced games... like Rescue on Fractalus or Star Raiders... it could have done a lot better. MULE was a great game that allowed 4 players, but even if it did get ported from the 800 computer, it still was a) ahead of its time and b) a type of strategy game that a lot of people still dislike because there's no "pew pew zap splat" involved. 12 turns seemed too small and one can't fast forward or bypass auction stages either. The XEGS was done right, and may be the only 8 bit computer apart from the original IBM PC to have a detachable keyboard. A shame the XEGS was poorly constructed (cheap RAM often fails, cheaper quality plastic despite a great 80s design where triangles and pastel bunnies got together and that was their offspring. silliness aside, I love it. but I wish the chassis was black, the buttons would pop even more.) the idea of putting all the messy cables by the switchbox was novel, leaving just the one going from the console. sadly, one bump by a pet wandering by and brushing against it (such as a dust mite) would cause the system to short out and the fuse is not user-replaceable. fortunately, third parties developed fixes for controller and power. and new games made. the 5200 is robust, but it stumbled too much out of the gate. and the 5100 looked promising too. :)

[@ShamrockParticle]

have you ever seen the homebrew 5200 game "Atariblast!"? it would not fit on a cartridge back in 1983, but the graphics couldn't begin to be matched by competitors...

[@TheLairdsLair]

Yep, I've featured it on my channel before, in one of my Atari 8-bit videos I think.

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

The revision 9 flex cable is recommended when fixing these controllers.

[@dragokills6990]

The XEGS is definitely the better option, but killer set of facts here.

[@Skorpio420]

You forgot to mention the original/4-port model TV/power all-in-one adapter. Without it your 4-port model is a paperweight.

[@ALurkingGrue]

Wasn't the power supply an absolute nightmare combining it was the antenna switch box?

[@TheLairdsLair]

Yep, correct!

[@Skorpio420]

​@@TheLairdsLairWhich was fixed/separated on the two-port model.

[@wadmodderschalton5763]

I wouldn't be surprised that there are any surviving PAL prototype Atari 5200 consoles out in the wild. (14:20)

[@datacipher]

The only system I kept from back in the day. Still have my Apple 2e as well. Loved the 5200. I had a colecovision but the 5200 was overall superior.

[@Hologhoul]

I didn't realise it was only released in North America, no wonder it seemed a bit mysterious over here! What a pity; some great conversions, decent sound, nice looking console (amazed at the size comparison with Xbox!) but lack of backing, marketing and decent controllers. How on earth did unreliable, silly controllers get through all the testing phases? Anyway, I was delighted to install kat5200 a few years ago and finally experience this console, it was a good one, despite everything.

[@pinebarrenpatriot8289]

I think the games on the 5200 look and play better than the Colecovision overall however those faulty controllers really were an issue.

[@jasonkoestner4630]

The 5200 was a monster especially with 64 k under the hood plus a pokey chip for sate. Of the art sound the only killer design screw up was was those damn controls when you look at the specs between the the 2600;5200 and colecovision it wasn’t even a a fight the 5200 just needed a better pair or of controllers

[@Earths1stgamer]

The 400 code name was not Pam it was Candy. Pam was the 5200 only.

[@john2001plus]

I was unimpressed with the 5200 at the time because it appeared to be an Atari 800 without a keyboard. Why not just buy an Atari 800?

[@john2001plus]

In the mid-1980s, there were rumors of a more powerful game console coming out, but we got the 5200. I was ready to buy the more powerful console, which ended up being the 7800, but this took so long to be released that it was already surpassed by the Nintendo Entertainment System, which I chose to buy instead.

[@Skorpio420]

​@john2001plus Plus what didn't help the 7800 was using the Atari 2600 sound chip.

[@petewillson205]

​@@Skorpio420yeah but the optional pocket chip was a descent solution mass produced and added to all games it wouldn't of made the games that much more expensive...what was ballblazer 34.95 vs 20 to 30 bucks for others

[@d.vaughn8990]

A 5200 "done right", would've been released, no later than, the Summer of '81. November of '82 was way too late! The real landslide of VCS purchases occurred in time for Christmas 1981. Once families purchased a VCS, there's no way 95% of them were going to buy a new advanced console anytime soon. Two button, digital controller's and Pac-Man, as the pack in game, would've cemented the consoles success! Built-in, backwards compatibility, although nice, was not critical at an "earlier" juncture.

[@TheLairdsLair]

Yes, I totally agree actually. Given it was 1979 technology an '81 release was more than possible and would have beat all their rivals to the market too. A two or three button arcade stick would have been good, promoting it as basically an arcade in your home, especially Exidy released an arcade system based on an Atari 8-bit computer too. It would have made somewhat like an early Neo Geo.

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

Had it been before the ColecoVision was released, the 5200 would also have had a PAL version for Europe, U.K. Australia and New Zealand.

[@herbbranan2188]

Great video about one of my first game systems. For its various and many flaws, it still has a place in my heart. A few corrections, though, as two system beat Atari to the punch on some of the 5200's features: - Four Controller Ports: The Bally Astrocade (which actually was my first game system), released in 1978, has four controller ports. - Pause: Both the Astrocade and the Intellivision have a built in pause features. On the Intellivison, pressing 1 & 9 or 3 & 7 simultaneously on the keypad will pause most games. Some later Intellivision games bypassed this built in code, although even some of those implemented their own take on the feature. The Astrocade can pause a game by pressing the "C" key. - Track ball controller: This might be viewed more as a technicality, but the 2600 had a trackball controller. Atari made a trackball controller for the computer line, which used the same ports as the 2600. It wasn't so much that the 2600 didn't have a trackball controller available as much as they never made a game to fully take advantage of it. Some later homebrew games have the option of using the trackball on the 2600.

[@billblake9665]

my grandmom heard my brother and me wanted atari for xmas...........we said the 2600......she got us the 5200 it was impossible to find......we went absolutely nuts we played it around the clock during the xmas vacation........really we played it nonstop......i got a job delivering circulars and saved my money for new games.....we had a snowstorm i freaking killed myself shoveling sidewalks i refused to stop till i made 40 bucks so i could buy defender....that next fall i found a job selling the Philadelphia daily news.......every damn satiurday i would buy a new game and a bag of weed lol..........what a great system pacman looked like the real game.....ditto for centipede joust and defender......missle command on that trackball .......man...those damn controllers......i loved the play but they freaking broke......my heart broke over that......the 5200 the sega master system and the original xbox are my favorites forever......great video thank you so much.

[@makeamericaprotestagain3361]

Laird, you are wrong that the intellivision did not have a pause feature. In fact it did. Press 1 and 9 (or 3 and 7) at the same time on ANY intellivision game and the screen will go blank and will pause. repeat the same process to unpause. I guess you can consider it an 'amazing fact' about the intellivision you didnt know I guess.

[@TheLairdsLair]

There are lots of consoles that have pause features, some 2600 games use the colour switch, but the 5200 had a specific pause button 😉 Anyway, I didn't know that, so thanks for another amazing fact!

[@Larry]

Hey Kieren, little tip, avoid using one word tags, try and think of variations you'd type in if you were looking for a video like this, like "atari facts" or "5200 facts" Etc.

[@TheLairdsLair]

Thanks for the tip!

[@Larry]

@@TheLairdsLair No worries :)

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

I believe the 5200 could have survived longer if it had a special adapter to play 2600 cartridges, as the ColecoVision did.

[@TheLairdsLair]

It did have one! I show it and talk about it in the video!

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

@@TheLairdsLair Thank you, I thought so. But, when I saw that just now I noticed it did say on the box that it will not work on the earliest 5200 consoles. The real rarity I spotted, however, was the 7800 adapter (to play on the 5200 those games for a system as yet unreleased!), designed by Steve Golson, which in the end seemed ironic as the 5200 was gone in '84.

[@TheLairdsLair]

You could send your 5200 off to Atari to get it modded to work I believe.

[@datacipher]

@@TheLairdsLairit was always a straw man. That was not the issue. lol. Nobody with a 5200 wanted to play the old games - the 5200 was SO far ahead of the 2600. Plus most people - like me - HAD a 2600 if we wanted to play it. My 2600 went in the closet after getting my coleco… and then that too fell aside as I got my 5200. The real problem was that they killed it. It was growing in sales and beating cv… then they pulled it and announced the 7800. I was ANGRY. In retrospect it’s galling they had fantastic games ready like super pac, millipede, junior pac… and games like stargate and tempest almost done.

[@mrnobodytheuser2950]

Ataris complacency and putting the consumer last failed what should have been a decent for the time machine

[@stude1965]

Nice video. I was lucky to get a couple of wico controllers with my 5200 when I got it over 20 years ago. I let a friend have one. I bought a 4 port first but couldn't find one of those weird switchboxes for it. I tried to build one but it didn't work so I bought a 2 port.Two games, Space Dungeon and Robotron 2084 used both controllers so they made a plastic holder to make it easier to control. I've never seen one but I see there's 3d printer file out there to make your own.

[@gstcomputing65]

I remember watching the "here is Pac-Man for Colecovision" commercial as a kid. Even as a pre-teen, I didn't understand why Atari would basically insult their 2600 customers in a commercial.

[@johneygd]

It was actually a great way from atari to use coleco’s atari 2600 adaptor against them by using it’s poor 2600 pacman version against them(a sort of revenge against coleco😁 Also pac man,popeye and mariobros did got eventually released for the atari 400 as well,eventrough it was too late but better too late then never🙏😁 I personally think it was a smart decision from atari to release both pac man,popeye and mariobros for their 5200 much earlier in the hopes to boost sales of their 5200 system😁

[@wadmodderschalton5763]

They showed the crappy low-budget prototype fan game version of Pac-Man in the Atari 5200 commercial that mocks ColecoVision customers. (18:51)

[@atariforever2002]

Awesome video! Well done and thought out. Thumbed up and subbed!

[@TheLairdsLair]

Awesome, thank you!

[@alexxbaudwhyn7572]

Got my CV August of 82. Then a 5200 Christmas of 83 as prices dropped with the Crash. Intv and others had keypads, multiple fire buttons and pause, but including a real xy analog stick on a big name console was a big deal at the time, as only expensive computers like the apple2 and ibm pc had analog sticks pre 1985. And all common consoles until the n64 used only stock digital pads and sticks, so almost 15 years for another console to add analog stick in the box. Not much to be said that hasn't re the 5200. The 5200 was THE Poster child and textbook example of American corporate mismanagement, arrogance, and disregard for their consumers and fans. It should have been the xegs at launch, even if the 5200 case and controls were as released. Someone mentioned getting the 5200 to market by mid or fall 81. Probably tough due to costs, but probably doable had they simply used Atari 400 motherboards (same 16K Ram as 5200), with cost reductions as needed, ie no sio port, 2 stock Atari 9 pin joystick ports, standard rf out as 2600, same cart port as 400, plays all Atari 8 bit carts, with a bus cobbector like the CV to add Sio ports for drives, printer later. But Atari execs shot that down, only for Tramiel to do this exact thing 5 years later, an eternity in videogame time. A 5200jr form factor, smaller with no internal controller storage and empty space, full A8 compatibility, add Sio and keyboard later to keep costs down, and 80s gaming would have been better all around.

[@williamkopko5775]

You can use the Sega controller as well

[@TheLairdsLair]

Not without some kind of adapter

[@dreamcaster4754]

Very interesting video, I learned a lot here thanks!

[@TheLairdsLair]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ElectronStarCollapse]

I had been debating on searching for a 5200, as I've been slowly building my retro library (just purchased the computer module for the Intellivision). However, a part of me feels like I should ignore it, and just hope for a decent price to show up on an Atari XE of any form. It's been quite the conundrum for me.

[@TheLairdsLair]

Personally I would go for an XE or an XL (which I believe are more common over there) as they will play all the same games.

[@pinebarrenpatriot8289]

As an older retro collector the faulty controllers discouraged me from buying a 5200 but some of the games are amazing for the time like the Kangaroo and Moon Patrol ports

[@buffalodebill1976]

Any XL (preferably, due to better build quality) or XE will do instead (XEGS is OK). There's plethora of SW available for these, and not just games - truly, these machines were very universal and thus perfectly usable at any household. However, when speaking about games only - as, if I understood correctly, that is your target SW-collection group 🙂 - these range from identical to almost identical to those for 5200. Some, originally requiring analogue controller, have been adjusted to cope with the regular (digital) joysticks, but e.g. 'Missile Command' gets unbeatable for me by Level 5 and 'Centipede' and 'Millipede' are not as fun due to the lack of quick and precise positioning. In other words, though these are damn good games, they are not as good as their console versions. I need to add, that with some of the games, you can use regular e.g. home-computer-bundled paddles, as they provide +/- equal functionality as 5200 controllers - a great examples for using these are 'Kaboom!' and various 'Arkanoid' games (which are nigh unplayable with a standard joystick). And not to forget - if you insist on using the 5200 controllers, you will have to get an adapter, as the home computer ports and 5200 plugs are physically incompatible with each other. It's worth mentioning that the 5200 trackball has two 'cousins', one is the '2600 Pro-Line Trak-Ball' and the other is the poetically named 'Atari CX-80 Trak-Ball'. Both work fine and directly with Atari home computers. There are also some 3rd party ones available (Wico made some, for sure). Lastly, the 5200 joystick is actually good (IMHO) and can last a long time, but only after you refurbish it using modern replacement parts. The whole thing is surprisingly cheap, however, and - as there are a couple of good videos here on YT showing the step-by-step process - easy to proceed with, even if you're not a tech-savvy type of a person. So good luck to making the choice that will make you happy and satisfied with 'cross-my-fingers' cheers from a long-time (expanded and upgraded) Atari 800 XL power-user 🙂

[@baroncalamityplus]

If you want to collect one just to have it, sure. But if you want to play one, forget it. It was hard to find a working 5200 25 years ago. Finding a working one now is nearly impossible. If you do find a working one, don't expect it to work for long.

[@Perich29]

It was the controller with stupid key pad that killed Atari, If Nintendo made that type of controller then Nintendo would fail.

[@tiagopereirasantossilva556]

Atari 5200 is amazing console with very bad controller. Or at least, a good controller broken.

[@TheLairdsLair]

That's a good summary!

[@petewillson205]

True, backwards compatibility built in, and a different set of controllers included probably would of saved the system. Granted the system was doing OK then the crash happened, so who knows. Releasing it about a year in a half after the 2600 had hit mass hit status was probably a questionable move, but it was a very new industry, consumers didn't understand, that they would need to buy updated systems every 5 or 6 years, so it was a hard sell to buy a system that played a better version of asteroids, or dig dug

[@wadmodderschalton5763]

With a controller not so advanced, it won't play arcade. (1:35)

[@ecernosoft3096]

The Colecovision had a 2600 adapter, not a 5200 one.

[@johneygd]

Atari should,ve sew both commodore,coleco and mattel for releasing a atati 2600 adaptor for their systems as not only did it infright atari’s own 2600 system BUT it probably also harmed the sales of their atari 5200 system,am mean it was clearly an UNFAIR COMPETITION , Also what atari should,ve done was release their atari 5200 jr nation wide as the giant 4 port model probably would,ve be a success due it’s clunsy rf switch box design and poor quality uncentrerible poke stick controller.

[@Tolbat]

it was crap, sorry not sorry, they all sucked, every last atari