the atari VCS (more commonly known as the 2600 ) was introduced in october, 1977. not quite the 80's, but close enough ^_^;

Oh to have this today!!! Instead of all of the fast paced killing games we give the kids to play. I loved Packman, Centipede, Frogger and Donkey Kong!!!

I'm sure you can still get one today...today's games are better though. Old skool stuff still rules though, for its time and for how advanced it was for its time.

The Atari 2600 had color...Only the older pongs were black and white.

Does anyone remember a game with dragons and you were only a square & in a castle? I want to know the name of the game, please.

Frankie, the name of that game is "Adventure" and it was my favorite! :)

I fought and fought my parents to get me an Atari and finally my Godfather Negui was the one that ended up buying it for me. Gotta Love him!!!

i have our first atari 2600 system and over 100 c artidges and i still have the sears version of it it still works but needs a switch and also one of the swordquest games is a dead cartidge never had the main chip installed.i fire it up once in a while i also have the manuals for most of the games.

I resurrected my Atari 1600 not too long ago.. I had to get a new power cord for it, no big deal! Lots of fun, I can actually play some of these games (unlike today's games).

Maybe the description is written as a joke, but the original 2600 had lots of color, and although the graphics were of very low resolution initially (later cartridges used improved graphics modes) it certainly cannot compare to today's technology. To its credit the animation is remarkably smooth, and it's ability to generate seamless gradient rainbow effects still impresses me today. The picture shows the miniaturized 2600 that was in fact released in the 80's, but was functionally identical to the original 2600.

The 2600 was replaced by the 5200. The 7800 replaced the 5200. I've had to get one of those Atari 2600 joysticks that have 10 games in them, nothing like playing Yar's Revenge again.

I had the Atari 2600 jr. game just like the one in the picture!!! I was 10 at the time!!!

pac man ruled!!! and phoenix!! joy sticks rock!!

I had an Atari that had a keyboard on it (Well kind of...it was flat letters and numbers that you had to push really hard). I had a game called "States & Capitals" and I played it constantly in 2nd grade. Pleased to say that I still remember all my states & caps because of it! lol

two words....SPACE INVADERS!!!!

I had an Atari and I have got to admit that I get almost giddy at the idea of playing the original version of M.U.L.E. again. The newer versions of arcade entertainment hide behind intense graphics and accelerated hardware. Just like movies these days, all the new bells and whistles have kinda taken away from the aggresively original mindsets that made the old classics what they truly are "CLASSICS"

Pitfall,, they need to do a remake of that game

I think they did do a remake of pitfall for the PS2 a few years ago.

hehehe, the 5200 and 7800 *Attempted* to replace the 2600(VCS), but the 2600 was still around and still popular long after the 7800 was dead and gone....... if Anything "replaced" the Atari 2600 it was the Nintendo NES(AKA The Kamakazi Toaster)...... I still miss the good ol' days, even my parents would sit around the TV and try to beat each others scores, the 2600 with its simple unintimidating graphics and single button joystick was the only video game my parents would touch.

Had the two switch 2600 console and 25 games. Built a nice wooden box to store all of it including the WICO joysticks I got for it after I broke the black ones. Sold it and the games at our moving sale. Wish I didn't now.

Does any one remember Decathalon? A bunch of Olimpic games that required you to frantically move the joystick back anf forth. Nothing was more grueling than the 15 min decathalon. It was so satisfying to make it to the end that you didn't care that you rubbed a hole into your palm. Now that's old school gaming.

Playing Atari was some of the most fun times of my childhood. My parents, sister and I would play Warlords and have great fun! We always tried to beat each others' high scores at many games. But when it came to most of the games no one could touch me and I was the youngest! Too bad Pac-Man was as big a disapointment as it was although I did play it with my bay sitter. I also solved Raiders Of The Lost Arc many times, got past level 8 on Kaboom, got over 110,000 on Pitfall, solved Pitfall 2 many times with a perfect score, rolled the score over on Frogger, could finish E.T. at will and I could go on...

OMG i LOVED this toy, i got it for my 10th B-day (10/10/82....can't believe im almost 36,yikes!)My Mom LOVED it to....PacMan was my fave! I also loved Donkey Kong, Frogger,Space Invaders...my Moms fave was PitFall.....i sooo wish i still had it :-)

i still have one that works with games i cant hook it up it has the old wire hook up im looking to sell it jjjelswick@yahoo.com

Heather, you had an Atari 400. It was an actual computer you could proram yourself. They also had an 800 which had a real keyboard. Then a couple years later came out with a 1200, which I had. I loved that thing, and learned to program on it.

What I remember most about the Atari 2600, is how those joysticks were damned-near INDESTRUCTABLE! My friend got so frustrated during a game, he yanked the joystick out of the deck; took it out side; flung it against the side of his house; it hit & bounced off the wall, landing about 8 ft. away! All this did was scratch up the controller & knock the rubber "boot" off the stick! My friend then picked it up, took it back inside, plugged it back in, & cont'd his game! (I personally witnessed this!)

The joysticks were tough but the same couldn't have been said for the paddles. I would play games like Kaboom and Super Breakout and after a long time they'd get shaky and we'd always have to go out and replace them. We must have bought about 3-4 paddles and you needed good paddles to play Kaboom when you reach levels 7-8. And I reached over 10,000 when the Mad Bomber has that "look" on his face! And on Super Breakout our favorite was the Progressive level especially when the walls drop after every hit! We never could figure out what those "bonus points" were for, though. SB was a cool game and it would have been even more cool if they had made Children's versions of Double, Cavity and Progressive. Oh and have doubles & cavities of the pregressive as well.

Pitfall ruled. Probably made me have ADD. What about "River Raid"? That game rocked.

I have a 2600 atari, but can't figure out how to hook it up to "new" tv's. Sorry I'm technically challenged : )

You can still play the games today. A PC program called Stella allows rom images of 2600 games to be played. I still play Pacman, Missile Command, Q Bert and Combat

Wow, what a flash back. I remember seeing the Atari setup in Kmart and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world!!! Bring back the days of Combat, Pac Man, and Word Zapper! My sister and I would play for hours. The 80s ruled!!!

I remember QBert, loved that game, although, my sister always said I played QBert suicide. I always ending jumping off the side. Good Times.

I still have mine. And to Stewie, who mentioned Warlords...I LOVE that game! Unfortunately, I always had to play by myself against the computer...NO ONE remembers that game!

I had an atari, not the one pictured, mine had wood on it, I love these games the best! Pac-Man, Frogger, Donkey Kong, Space Invaders!! I don't think that Xbox, Nintendo or playststion competes! I wish I had one again!

fucinell u bastards

xbox 360 rocks

I never had one of these but everyone I kn ew did. So I played with theres.

This system started it all for me, it's hard to believe but I can still remember playing this when I was like 3.

My brother never let me play!

I never had an Atari (had an Intellivision though). When I went to grandparents house I used play with my uncle's Atari...well, if my dad would give me a chance anyway. If I wasn't playing the game "right", he'd take the controller away to "show me how" and then I'd have to settle for watching him play it for the next three hours. When I whined about wanting to play, he'd tell me I was playing because I was learning how to play the game right. This just made me even angrier so I'd tell on him to my mom. Then she would yell at my dad, repeatedly, to quit ignoring the family and come into the living room. Good times :)

we have plenty of vintage tv consoles including woody atari contact at support@80stoyshop.com everyone welcome

I Wish I could play M.U.L.E again *sigh * I loved that game!

I have a working Atari 2600 with close to 80 games. I basically rebuilt my collection from the early 80s and added a few I never bought at the time. I bought the games used, priced from about 99 cents to about $3.99 at Game Swap in the Eastgate Mall in Cincinnati, OH. This was about 2006 or so. I would say, in no particular order, my favorites were Pitfall, Missile Command, Air and Sea Battle, Commando Raid, Space Invaders, Superman, Yars Revenge and Dragonfire. Some of those knock off companies ( like US Games ) that made compatible 2600 games actually made some decent games, but a lot were pretty bad. Sears had a brand of games called Imagic that were also 2600 compatible. Activision put out the best non-Atari designed games, like Pitfall, River Raid and Chopper Command. Overall, they don't compare to today's PlayStation or Xbox graphics-wise but back then graphics wasn't the #1 reason to own one: just HAVING a game system at home without having to feed quarters to play it was.

We had the Atari 2600 and Atari 5200. The 2600 got broke. The power button of all things.

All good stuff here, but does anyone remember earning "PATCHES" for reaching milestones in particular games? I got patches (as in cloth patches you could sew onto your 80's demin jacket, or whatever else you wanted) for several games. One of them was a brown patch with a rainbow (no jokes please....the rainbow had a different meaning in the 80's, we all know). It was for some sort of horse racing game and I won it myself, but can't remember the name of the game. I do remember my father having to take Polaroid pictures of the TV screen to prove that I had reached the right level or score to earn the patch. As for the game "Adventure"...I must have been very impressionable when I played that game.... After seeing it again recently I thought I was going to faint...such a huge rush of feelings and memories.....

Once a year I pull mine out and hook it up. After 30+ years it's still a pleasure to play games like Pitfall I & II and Enduro amongst others...still haven't beaten Raiders of the Lost Ark yet though LOL

Chriops - I had the patch that Activision had for Laser Blaster. You had to reach a certain score then all the digits would turn to exclamation points. I agree about Adventure. I great classic game can send you back in time like few other things. Great comments, folks.

I have 3 Atari and several games I would really like to show my kids but I can not hook it up to the new t.v any help would be appreciated.

Amy, You shoudl be able to cpnnect it to your TV by using a switch box. They are commonly for sale on E-Bay. Try this link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ATARI-2600-TV-Game-converter-direct-connect-switch-box_W0QQitemZ110508511183QQcategoryZ32838QQcmdZViewItem

Boy...I remember my dad and myself getting up at 5:00 on school mornings just to play the 2600. Those were good times.

the best game ever made for the Atari is seaquest and ghostbusters and dig dug

I have been looking to buy an atari for several years,if anyone has one in good working condition with games"especially pitfall and frogger for decent price let me know,would love to buy it,deannaklinley@gmail.com

I loved Keystone Kapper. I think that is what it was called. You were running from the cops and had to hop over shopping carts and duck bullets. Great game!

i have 4 atari 2600s and a old genimi system they all work,i have 114 games for the atari,is there a collector out there who would like to buy these,,how much are the systems worth now?

I remember my older brothers playing PacMan on this in like 85 or 86. They would disconnect one and hand in to me to shut me up and make me think I was playing.:0)I can still remember the feel of the control in my hand.

I still saw this aat a supermaket and some ppl actually buy it it came with 40 games

Wow, I remember my parents buying one in the late 70's. My brother and I weren't allowed to play it at first!!! Of course we were only 3 and 5 years old...haha. We had a lot of games for it. I loved Adventure, Night Driver, Combat, Air Sea Battle, Asteroids, etc. We even had Raiders of the Lost Ark and ET (which my husband told me that TONS were thrown into land fills because they didn't sell well - I liked it!). The year Pac Man came out, my brother and I BEGGED to get it. I think we got it for Easter that year. I think my favorite game was probably Breakout. I still have ours and a bunch of games, but need to dig through the garage and find it all. Hope it all still works!!! I'd love to show my kids what video games looked like in the "olden days."

I'm 37, almost 38 and I remember we had an Atari system when I was a little kid. I remember playing with it when I was about 4-5... then my dad got a Commodore 64 computer, which replaced it as I loved playing games on that, lol. My parents either gave it away or sold it at a garage sale around the late 80s I think. A friend and I saw an Atari system at a garage sale in the early 90s for about $5! My friend bought it for herself since my mom wouldn't let me get it (*sigh*).

My ex and I had a 2600 back in the day. I took it and all the cartridges we had for it when I divorced him. Still works great today, even though we had to buy a switch box to hook it up to the new TV.