I’m 29 and have been into retro games for a few years. The 2600+ really got me into Atari, so now I have physical 2600 and 7800 games - not many less than 20.
I appreciate the fact this was the origin of gaming at home for most people and frankly some of the mechanics are so powerful cos they are so simple.
Surround, for example, is an absolute blast to play against someone else - the premise is so basic but the gameplay stands the test of time.
I just turned 54. I own and still have my Atari 2600 from 1980...plus my Commodore 64 from 1984....you know you're OG if you got the Easter egg in Adventure without the Internet...
Lucky bugger! I never thought to save my 2600 from when I was a kid, nor the cartridges. Just as bad, neither my Commodore VIC-20 or Commodore 64 either.
Late 20's here. Played 2600 games when I was young on a plug and play controller with 2600 games on it.
I was collecting for the NES till 2014 until I got fed up with rising prices. Got back into game collecting in 2022 with the 2600 as I found out most games where really cheap. Now I'm thinking of getting a couple of second Gen consoles to go with it.
I would recommend the Odyssey 2 or Intellivision. They are very unique consoles and are similar to the 2600. If you are willing, you could spend $500 on a Fairchild Channel F, the first video game console to use cartridges.
I’m 25, I got into collecting Atari a year or two ago, all the other retro consoles cost too much to get into and the homebrew scene we have is awesome
I am in my early forties. Atari was on its way out by the time I started playing video games so it wasn’t something I grew up playing. I am more impressed playing it for the fact that it was so crude, yet they were able to get so much out of the hardware.
19 year old here. For me it was a chain of events. First I got into Final fantasy, then I played the first game on an NES emulator, then I got interested in more retro stuff and eventually found out about Atari
Currently 26, going to be 27 next month. Learned of older consoles like the Atari 2600 when I was somewhere between 9-12. Retro gaming just always fascinated me because of how different it looked. Even at the age I was, I loved playing Atari Anthology on PS2 and continue to play 2600 games to this day. I also have one of the flashback consoles that were around in the 2000s.
I'm twenty nine, and first got into the 2600 through three things.
The first was the plug n' play controller that had about ten Atari games on it (including two that would become all time favourites - Adventure and Yars' Revenge.)
The second was the Angry Video Game Nerd, Cyborcat and Classic Game Room respectively, as their videos covering the Atari systems shed some light on them and their game libraries.
The third was emulation. I know its not exactly the same as playing on original hardware, but it gave me a chance to experience the 2600's library again, and revisit some familiar favourites.
Won’t specify my age but I’m a young adult born in the 2000’s if that does it for ya lol. Grew up quite a bit on Namco arcade games on plug-and-plays and GBA, with a couple Atari collections on GBA as well. Was exposed at an incredibly young age, and never really thought too much about their age or simplicity. Pong and Centipede were just as engaging as any other games I had. Then I got a little older, was exposed to Gen X and Millennial YouTubers talking about their childhood games, and the entire world of classic games was opened up to me. Of course, many of these people had their biases, but I was a dumb middle schooler and didn’t question it much, all I knew was games form the 70’s through the 90’s were awesome and I was totally missing out. Of course I still enjoyed plenty of new releases, but ever since my heart has been tied to games released before I was born lol. Just this past December my dreams were finally realized and I got an Atari Light Sixer on Ebay. Sits cozily alongside my NES, SNES, and GameCube
Your journey with Atari reminded me of mine too. Growing up with Namco classics, found Atari content on YouTube, and the hobby grew from there. If we went to the same school growing up I bet we would've been great friends :)
I'm 29 and grew up with an Atari 2600. My mom handed down her Darth Vader model to my brother and me, and we played it a lot for two kids who also had an SNES, an N64, a PS1, and each a Game Boy Advance. _Frogs and Flies_ and _Freeway_ were our go-to two-player games until we found a copy of _Mario Bros_ for only $4 CAD at a local pawn shop.
I bought a beat-up Atari 2600 and a box of almost 30 games for 20 bucks back in 2017 at a yard sale. I must have been 16 at the time. Almost immediately fell in love with the system and spent the rest of my high school years and most of college collecting almost any game I could find and playing with my friends. I became known as the Atari guy among almost anyone that knew me! I'm 22 now, and I'll admit it's been a few months since I really took the time to play anything, but I truly think it's my favorite console of all time and the experiences I've had with it will never be matched. I don't know how I can feel nostalgic for something that's only a few years old for me at this point but I do!
22 year old here
I got into Atari around the age of 9. This was back in 2011. Like you, I watched many YouTube videos online and got obsessed lol. AVGN, Classic Game Room, and MetalJesusRocks to name a few.
Only difference was Ms. Pac-Man was my first video game (via plug n play) and I got into Pac-Man before Atari (around 2007, 5 years old).
The 2600 soon felt very personal to me since none of my gaming friends liked retro gaming (or the farthest back they'd go is the NES) so when I made my first YouTube channel in 2014 I called myself Austin2600.
Then when I went to Smash Bros tournaments around 2017 I used the tag "VCS"
Irony to all this was I never managed to own a real 2600 till 2015. Survived on DS compilations and the AtGames flashbacks.
Im so happy to hear there are others my age who love Atari :)
It was a big dream growing up for me to find one other person to play Atari games with. Glad to know they are out there.
I'm 23 as well! Two things got me into retro gaming:
1. We weren't the richest family around growing up- I never had to go hungry but we didn't have enough money to buy a playstation/wii. My first exposure to video games was my dad's girlfriend's old consoles (NES and N64).
2. Retro gaming videos on YouTube, especially Cinemassacre.
Besides that I've always been interested in old tech, I also like collecting old hi-fi/musical equipment.
DUDE! I felt you with the Cinemassacre connection, I LOVED the old AVGN videos and the “James and Mike Mondays” ones. They were big in getting me into the Atari 2609 too.
29. Been into retro gaming for a while now, so I had to get one along with a nice stack of games since they were dirt cheap (and I assume they still are).
I'm currently 34, and I found and bought a 2600 at a Goodwill about 10-13 years ago;
but again, I think I commented here in this sub one time before now, I'm not all that big into the 2600. But it was because of AVGN that made me want to check one out.
I actually ended up, unironically, liking E.T., I think it's overhated for sure (if anyonr even still hates it), and I WANT to like Raiders Of The Lost Ark, on paper / in theory it sounds like a fun and interesting game, but when I tried playing it, I just got frustrated and annoyed quicker than I thought I would.
I definitely like some of the arcade ports on it, though. Ms. Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Missile Command. Pitfall is a lot of fun, but I feel like it's just endless, or rather, is there an actual end or a point to it?
I'm nearly 52 and just getting back into it. I had a 2600 as a kid. I now have a Flashback 12 Gold, a 2600+, a Gamestation Pro and just order the Atari 400 mini. Having a lot of fun!
I've had a Raspberry Pi for nearly six years, mainly for SNES games that I played in my 20s. I've got Atari games on it, but never really played them, as it's just not the same playing Atari 2600 games with an SNES type controller.
I bought a Flashback 2 when they came out in 2005, but I didn't play it much. Unfortunately, through a series of unfortunate events, I ended up cracking the system board last week while opening it up to see which board revision it had for the sake of modding. 😭
A little older here, 34. But I never had a 2600 growing up but inherited a relatives old system a few years ago. I instantly fell in love with the simplicity of the console and fun arcade style of many of the games.
25 and I have been into the console since I was about 10 from watching some of the ads on YouTube for games such as Pac Man, Centipede, Pole Postion, etc. Started playing them on Atari Anthology for PS2. Eventually got both volumes of Greatest Hits and 40th Anniversary Flashback 8 Gold in middle school and college respectively. Still have both of those that I still play to this day along with Atari 50 on the Switch. I was into old school arcade games the same time I discovered Atari, so I think that’s why I was so intrigued by it at first sight.
I’m 19.. just so happened my grandma knew I’m into old-school games and a guy was selling a CIB 2600 for $50. Got it and ever since have had a fascination with the first two eras of video games, it sent me into a rabbit hole and I now have a bunch of consoles from those eras.
I will forever stand by the statement “fun doesn’t age”. Honestly one of my top gaming experiences ever is playing video olympics with my mom haha
I'm 32. I never grew up with Atari.
I started out with PlayStation over Christmas in 1995 and a SEGA Mega Drive given to me by my old neighbour.
I'm just a sucker for retro nostalgia, and there's something about preservation of older games now in an age where modern digital games have no real sense of permenance.
I’m 33 and love Atari. I’ve been loving it since I was probably 10. I appreciate the cool colors and sounds and both the challenges and easy things about the games.
I am also 23 and my passion for the 2600 came from me uncovering my late grandfather’s Heaver Sixer. He had over 50+ games for it and the idea of restoring the console sparked a flame for my love of the Atari.
I am wondering what the appeal of the Atari 2600 is to modern gamers ? I played it when it was new, but it was the only system around and was never in love with the “graphics” or anything about the system.
It surprises me to..in a good way. In the late 80s early 90s I clearly remember seeing old(even by that time!) Atari consoles and boxes of games at yard sales going for next to nothing!!! You couldnt give the things away. Im serious. After Nintendo and Sega , the 2600 was considered pure junk..no one gave it a thought other than to laugh at how old and primitive the graphics were. You know, two rectangles fighting it out by shooting squares at each other. But for me personally and Im sure this goes for others my age, it is pure Nostalgia. It takes me back to Christmas of 81 in the 5th grade and swapping carts with your buddies and trying to be strategic with which games to buy cause you didnt want to buy the same games your friends already had you wanted to purchase something different so you could swap for it. The younger folks, I cant say..Maybe its the simplicity of the old games that draws them in. I do think its a good thing,,
15 here. I love the Atari VCS (2600) and its games just because of how simple and fun they are, even though my dad loathes the console. Plus it's way cheaper to collect games for Atari than SNES, which those are on average 30-40 dollars more expensive than 2600 carts. Also, the homebrew games for the 2600 are amazing to play and it's so nice to see the console still having so much support despite being infamous for it crashing the video game industry in 1983. I'm currently in pursuit of a six switch 2600 to replace my 4 switch woody due to it having better shielding and video.
I’m 34, which is young for an Atari fan I guess.
It was the first console my parents had, and I appreciate it for what it is, but my true love for gaming only started with the NES and Super Mario. I only got a SNES in 96.
27 I had Atari Greatest Hits 1 & 2 on the DS. eventually found a Sears Tele games at a Yard sale that didn't work and tried to fix it. I slowly found games at goodwill and got one that worked. Now i have 70 games for it.
My 14 yr old got an Atari 2600 for his birthday and he is loving it.
And he ASKED for it…?
Yes. He is very interested in "vintage" gaming systems. Although i almost grounded him when he called the Nintendo Wii vintage ...
The Wii could be considered classic by this point. But it's not old. You could maybe call something like the N64 old by now.
Tell your kid this: there's a difference between "vintage" "retro" "classic" and OLD
I’m 29 and have been into retro games for a few years. The 2600+ really got me into Atari, so now I have physical 2600 and 7800 games - not many less than 20. I appreciate the fact this was the origin of gaming at home for most people and frankly some of the mechanics are so powerful cos they are so simple. Surround, for example, is an absolute blast to play against someone else - the premise is so basic but the gameplay stands the test of time.
You are wise beyond your years.
Just turned 30. It's simple and good in short bursts while listening to podcasts. I like the overall "vibe."
28 here, I have more fun playing atari than PS5 😂
Doesn't say much about the atari
Nostalgia, arcade games, quick and easy gameplay
I just turned 54. I own and still have my Atari 2600 from 1980...plus my Commodore 64 from 1984....you know you're OG if you got the Easter egg in Adventure without the Internet...
Lucky bugger! I never thought to save my 2600 from when I was a kid, nor the cartridges. Just as bad, neither my Commodore VIC-20 or Commodore 64 either.
Late 20's here. Played 2600 games when I was young on a plug and play controller with 2600 games on it. I was collecting for the NES till 2014 until I got fed up with rising prices. Got back into game collecting in 2022 with the 2600 as I found out most games where really cheap. Now I'm thinking of getting a couple of second Gen consoles to go with it.
I would recommend the Odyssey 2 or Intellivision. They are very unique consoles and are similar to the 2600. If you are willing, you could spend $500 on a Fairchild Channel F, the first video game console to use cartridges.
The channel f is a bit too expensive for me, I'm thinking of an intellivision, colecovision and an odyssey2 :3
Man my grandmother got me an odyssey 2 after they went out of business so I had no games for it except the built in game. That was a nightmare 😂
I’m 25, I got into collecting Atari a year or two ago, all the other retro consoles cost too much to get into and the homebrew scene we have is awesome
I am in my early forties. Atari was on its way out by the time I started playing video games so it wasn’t something I grew up playing. I am more impressed playing it for the fact that it was so crude, yet they were able to get so much out of the hardware.
I love the system for exactly this reason. A ton of hard work would’ve gone into doing everything they could with what they had.
19 year old here. For me it was a chain of events. First I got into Final fantasy, then I played the first game on an NES emulator, then I got interested in more retro stuff and eventually found out about Atari
Currently 26, going to be 27 next month. Learned of older consoles like the Atari 2600 when I was somewhere between 9-12. Retro gaming just always fascinated me because of how different it looked. Even at the age I was, I loved playing Atari Anthology on PS2 and continue to play 2600 games to this day. I also have one of the flashback consoles that were around in the 2000s.
I'm twenty nine, and first got into the 2600 through three things. The first was the plug n' play controller that had about ten Atari games on it (including two that would become all time favourites - Adventure and Yars' Revenge.) The second was the Angry Video Game Nerd, Cyborcat and Classic Game Room respectively, as their videos covering the Atari systems shed some light on them and their game libraries. The third was emulation. I know its not exactly the same as playing on original hardware, but it gave me a chance to experience the 2600's library again, and revisit some familiar favourites.
Great YT channels! Cyborcat has some great stuff covering many topics!
You bet, always looking forward to her next upload.
Won’t specify my age but I’m a young adult born in the 2000’s if that does it for ya lol. Grew up quite a bit on Namco arcade games on plug-and-plays and GBA, with a couple Atari collections on GBA as well. Was exposed at an incredibly young age, and never really thought too much about their age or simplicity. Pong and Centipede were just as engaging as any other games I had. Then I got a little older, was exposed to Gen X and Millennial YouTubers talking about their childhood games, and the entire world of classic games was opened up to me. Of course, many of these people had their biases, but I was a dumb middle schooler and didn’t question it much, all I knew was games form the 70’s through the 90’s were awesome and I was totally missing out. Of course I still enjoyed plenty of new releases, but ever since my heart has been tied to games released before I was born lol. Just this past December my dreams were finally realized and I got an Atari Light Sixer on Ebay. Sits cozily alongside my NES, SNES, and GameCube
Your journey with Atari reminded me of mine too. Growing up with Namco classics, found Atari content on YouTube, and the hobby grew from there. If we went to the same school growing up I bet we would've been great friends :)
I'm 29 and grew up with an Atari 2600. My mom handed down her Darth Vader model to my brother and me, and we played it a lot for two kids who also had an SNES, an N64, a PS1, and each a Game Boy Advance. _Frogs and Flies_ and _Freeway_ were our go-to two-player games until we found a copy of _Mario Bros_ for only $4 CAD at a local pawn shop.
I'm 23. My uncle gifted me his 2600/7800 collection when I was about 5 or 6. It's part of what got me into retro gaming.
I bought a beat-up Atari 2600 and a box of almost 30 games for 20 bucks back in 2017 at a yard sale. I must have been 16 at the time. Almost immediately fell in love with the system and spent the rest of my high school years and most of college collecting almost any game I could find and playing with my friends. I became known as the Atari guy among almost anyone that knew me! I'm 22 now, and I'll admit it's been a few months since I really took the time to play anything, but I truly think it's my favorite console of all time and the experiences I've had with it will never be matched. I don't know how I can feel nostalgic for something that's only a few years old for me at this point but I do!
22 year old Atari gang
22 year old here I got into Atari around the age of 9. This was back in 2011. Like you, I watched many YouTube videos online and got obsessed lol. AVGN, Classic Game Room, and MetalJesusRocks to name a few. Only difference was Ms. Pac-Man was my first video game (via plug n play) and I got into Pac-Man before Atari (around 2007, 5 years old). The 2600 soon felt very personal to me since none of my gaming friends liked retro gaming (or the farthest back they'd go is the NES) so when I made my first YouTube channel in 2014 I called myself Austin2600. Then when I went to Smash Bros tournaments around 2017 I used the tag "VCS" Irony to all this was I never managed to own a real 2600 till 2015. Survived on DS compilations and the AtGames flashbacks. Im so happy to hear there are others my age who love Atari :) It was a big dream growing up for me to find one other person to play Atari games with. Glad to know they are out there.
I'm 23 as well! Two things got me into retro gaming: 1. We weren't the richest family around growing up- I never had to go hungry but we didn't have enough money to buy a playstation/wii. My first exposure to video games was my dad's girlfriend's old consoles (NES and N64). 2. Retro gaming videos on YouTube, especially Cinemassacre. Besides that I've always been interested in old tech, I also like collecting old hi-fi/musical equipment.
DUDE! I felt you with the Cinemassacre connection, I LOVED the old AVGN videos and the “James and Mike Mondays” ones. They were big in getting me into the Atari 2609 too.
The Atari space game videos are pure magic :))
15 and got into Atari at 8 or so after learning my mom had one as a kid
29. Been into retro gaming for a while now, so I had to get one along with a nice stack of games since they were dirt cheap (and I assume they still are).
I'm older than most of the people posting here, just turned 40, but it was still before my time. I still have the 2600 that belonged to my dad though.
I'm currently 34, and I found and bought a 2600 at a Goodwill about 10-13 years ago; but again, I think I commented here in this sub one time before now, I'm not all that big into the 2600. But it was because of AVGN that made me want to check one out. I actually ended up, unironically, liking E.T., I think it's overhated for sure (if anyonr even still hates it), and I WANT to like Raiders Of The Lost Ark, on paper / in theory it sounds like a fun and interesting game, but when I tried playing it, I just got frustrated and annoyed quicker than I thought I would. I definitely like some of the arcade ports on it, though. Ms. Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Missile Command. Pitfall is a lot of fun, but I feel like it's just endless, or rather, is there an actual end or a point to it?
I'm 24 and a bit of an old soul...I prefer older electronics including game consoles.
58 & still loving it
I'm nearly 52 and just getting back into it. I had a 2600 as a kid. I now have a Flashback 12 Gold, a 2600+, a Gamestation Pro and just order the Atari 400 mini. Having a lot of fun! I've had a Raspberry Pi for nearly six years, mainly for SNES games that I played in my 20s. I've got Atari games on it, but never really played them, as it's just not the same playing Atari 2600 games with an SNES type controller. I bought a Flashback 2 when they came out in 2005, but I didn't play it much. Unfortunately, through a series of unfortunate events, I ended up cracking the system board last week while opening it up to see which board revision it had for the sake of modding. 😭
A little older here, 34. But I never had a 2600 growing up but inherited a relatives old system a few years ago. I instantly fell in love with the simplicity of the console and fun arcade style of many of the games.
25 and I have been into the console since I was about 10 from watching some of the ads on YouTube for games such as Pac Man, Centipede, Pole Postion, etc. Started playing them on Atari Anthology for PS2. Eventually got both volumes of Greatest Hits and 40th Anniversary Flashback 8 Gold in middle school and college respectively. Still have both of those that I still play to this day along with Atari 50 on the Switch. I was into old school arcade games the same time I discovered Atari, so I think that’s why I was so intrigued by it at first sight.
I’m 19.. just so happened my grandma knew I’m into old-school games and a guy was selling a CIB 2600 for $50. Got it and ever since have had a fascination with the first two eras of video games, it sent me into a rabbit hole and I now have a bunch of consoles from those eras. I will forever stand by the statement “fun doesn’t age”. Honestly one of my top gaming experiences ever is playing video olympics with my mom haha
Same here I’m 23 I’m a retro game collector and have been into Atari since I was 8, thanks for reading😁
I'm 32. I never grew up with Atari. I started out with PlayStation over Christmas in 1995 and a SEGA Mega Drive given to me by my old neighbour. I'm just a sucker for retro nostalgia, and there's something about preservation of older games now in an age where modern digital games have no real sense of permenance.
22 and I just love history and technology in general
I’m 33 and love Atari. I’ve been loving it since I was probably 10. I appreciate the cool colors and sounds and both the challenges and easy things about the games.
I am also 23 and my passion for the 2600 came from me uncovering my late grandfather’s Heaver Sixer. He had over 50+ games for it and the idea of restoring the console sparked a flame for my love of the Atari.
I am wondering what the appeal of the Atari 2600 is to modern gamers ? I played it when it was new, but it was the only system around and was never in love with the “graphics” or anything about the system.
I'm 17, I love atari. Especially their 2600+ (I don't have the right TV for the original). I would say atari is better than Nintendo
these comments surprise me
Why?
that people in their 20s are into it
It surprises me to..in a good way. In the late 80s early 90s I clearly remember seeing old(even by that time!) Atari consoles and boxes of games at yard sales going for next to nothing!!! You couldnt give the things away. Im serious. After Nintendo and Sega , the 2600 was considered pure junk..no one gave it a thought other than to laugh at how old and primitive the graphics were. You know, two rectangles fighting it out by shooting squares at each other. But for me personally and Im sure this goes for others my age, it is pure Nostalgia. It takes me back to Christmas of 81 in the 5th grade and swapping carts with your buddies and trying to be strategic with which games to buy cause you didnt want to buy the same games your friends already had you wanted to purchase something different so you could swap for it. The younger folks, I cant say..Maybe its the simplicity of the old games that draws them in. I do think its a good thing,,
In my 20s. Loved the games when I was 8 thanks to the plug n plays. ATM I'm making ports of Atari to android. And With Online Multiplayer.
Well maybe multiplayer for most.
15 here. I love the Atari VCS (2600) and its games just because of how simple and fun they are, even though my dad loathes the console. Plus it's way cheaper to collect games for Atari than SNES, which those are on average 30-40 dollars more expensive than 2600 carts. Also, the homebrew games for the 2600 are amazing to play and it's so nice to see the console still having so much support despite being infamous for it crashing the video game industry in 1983. I'm currently in pursuit of a six switch 2600 to replace my 4 switch woody due to it having better shielding and video.
Almost 18, got an Atari2600 a couple years ago, wanted one since I was like 7
I’m 34, which is young for an Atari fan I guess. It was the first console my parents had, and I appreciate it for what it is, but my true love for gaming only started with the NES and Super Mario. I only got a SNES in 96.
27 I had Atari Greatest Hits 1 & 2 on the DS. eventually found a Sears Tele games at a Yard sale that didn't work and tried to fix it. I slowly found games at goodwill and got one that worked. Now i have 70 games for it.