Machine Memories: AVCS

On 02/03/2023 at 09:49 AM by KnightDriver

The Atari Video Comupter System, as it was first called (and thereafter the Atari 2600), was a system my dad bought, Christmas 1978. I was 11.

avcs

It was probably the "light sixer", the second version of the system made with lighter matterials than the 1977 launch "heavy sixer". It came with both stick and paddle controllers. The paddle controllers were used for games like Night Driver and Breakout. Combat was the pack-in game.

My friends and I put a lot of time into sports games such as: Bowling, Tennis, Golf and Ice Hockey, but I have the fondest memories for solo games like: Night Driver, Super Breakout, Star Raiders, Kaboom! and Stampede.

I played games on this system until the video game crash of '83 and then forgot about it until much later. I wasn't even consciously aware of the crash, but I was in the midst of high school in '83 and probably just had other things to do like sports, music and bicycling.

TV Time: Commercial with Pete Rose and Don Knotts!

Cary Woodham

02/05/2023 at 07:36 AM

I never had a 2600 as a kid. My first 'console' was an Apple ][+ PC and I was pretty happy with that. Especially considering the games on it were more like the arcade counterparts than the ones on the 2600. My first real game console was the Atari 5200 I got for Christmas one year. That was a total surprise, I didn't even ask for it.

As a kid, I was unaware of the video game crash, too. But that's probably why I got an Atari 5200 because my mom probably found it really cheap at the time. All I knew was I was able to get a lot of cheap games for it. On that Atari 50 collection, there's a video where one of the guys said most people were probably unaware of the crash either at the time, just people in the business knew about it.

KnightDriver

02/06/2023 at 01:59 PM

I could've stocked up on a lot of cheap Atari stuff after '83 but it clean left my mind after my parents got an Apple IIc.

I can't wait to get that Atari 50 collection.

Super Step Contributing Writer

02/10/2023 at 12:36 PM

Wish I could see the ads but my work computer seems to be blocking them or not recognizing the file types.

02/11/2023 at 11:00 AM

Looks like your network admin blocked some things at work. I remember learning some of those security tricks in computer school a few years ago.

02/16/2023 at 12:17 PM

In the computer lab, yes. On my office computer, no, it would appear.

02/17/2023 at 10:44 AM

Strange. I've just linked them from youtube. I think they are all iFrame?

PixlBit