Atari 2600

TheAtari 2600is avideo game consolereleased in theUnited Statesin October 1977. The Atari 2600 was originally called the Atari Video Computer System (or VCS). The Atari 2600 uses game cartridges which can be swapped in and out to change games, which was a new idea in video games at the time. Over 30millionAtari 2600 consoles weresold.

Name

While Atari designed their console, theycode-namedit Stella. When released in 1977, they called it the Video Computer System (VCS for short). There was also a version that was sold atSearscalled the Sears Video Arcade. It was not called the Atari 2600 until theAtari 5200released in 1982. The 2600 is called this because that is the part number the company used to tell the difference in versions.

Launch

When the Atari 2600 came out, it usually came with twojoystickcontrollers, a pair of paddle controllers, and a game cartridge. There were initially nine games available at launch, featuringCombat(packaged with the console),Air-Sea Battle,Basic Math,Blackjack,Indy 500,Star Ship,Street Racer,Surround,andVideo Olympics.The 2600 originally sold for$199.

Atari 2600 Paddle Controller
Atari 2600 Joystick Controller
Pac-Man Game cartridge for atari 8-bit computers

Colors and graphics

The Atari 2600 uses different sets of colors depending on the television used with it:

InNorth America,theNTSCformat is used, which has 128 colors.
In many parts ofEurope,thePALformat is used, which has 104 colors.
A third format, calledSECAM,was used inFrance;it only has 8 colors: black, blue, pink, mauve, neon green, sea-foam, yellow and white.

Games

When the Atari 2600 was released nine games were available. Those games wereCombat(which came with the console),Air-Sea Battle,Basic Math,Blackjack,Indy 500,Star Ship,Street Racer,Surround,andVideo Olympics.Later more games came out, includingPac-Man,Missile CommandandSpace Invaders.The best-selling Atari 2600 game wasPac-Man,which sold 7 million copies. The last games made available for the console in North America by Atari were 4 titles released in March 1991, these titles include.

Ikari Warriors
Motorodeo
Sentinel
Xenophobe

Combat

Combatwas chosen to be included in the box with the Atari 2600. It contained 27 games in one cartridge. Each game involved tanks, bi-planes, or jets.

A photograph of an orchestra on a dimly lit stage. Above the group is a projection screen with a black, white, and green image of pixel art. The pixel art is of an oval object wearing headphones with eyes and four tentacles. Below the pixel art is the phrase "Video Games Live". — Apixelatedalien graphic used at the concert eventVideo Games Live

Space Invaders

Space Invadersbegan as an intensely popular Japanesearcade game.In 1980 a version of the game was released for the Atari 2600. The pixelated aliens from this game are still used as a popular symbol for video games today.

Pac-Man

Pac-Manbegan as an arcade game developed byNamco.In 1982 a version was released for the Atari 2600. It sold the most copies of any game released for the Atari 2600 (7 million copies). Despite this, the game was not popular with critics and consumers, because of the major differences in gameplay between the 2600 version and the arcade version.

SeeList of Atari 2600 Gamesfor a bigger list of games.

Third-party game development

In 1980 the Atari 2600 was at the middle of an important development in video games, the beginning of third-party developers for console video games. In 1980 a group of four dissatisfied Atari employees founded the companyActivision,who then released four games:Dragster,Fishing Derby,Checkers,andBo xing.This was an important moment in video game history as now every video game console on the market depends on some third-party game support.

Atari emulators

Today those who want to play the games designed for the 2600 do not have to try to find the original console and cartridge as many of the games have been recreated in video gameemulators.One such emulator, Stella, will function on most anyoperating system.After downloading this emulator users can download games from other websites and use this program to play them.

Atari Junior

In 1986, a cheaper version of the Atari 2600 was released. Some people called this the Atari 2600 Junior. It was smaller than the original version. This system cost $50.

Atari 2600+

in 2023, the current company with rights to theAtari home consolebrand released the Atari 2600+, a new console that uses emulators to play 2600 andAtari 7800video-games on current day HD Televisions.^[1]

References

↑"Atari 2600+ - Official Atari Video Game Consoles".Atari®.Retrieved2024-06-21.

[1] "Atari 2600+ - Official Atari Video Game Consoles".Atari®.Retrieved2024-06-21.

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