The Atari Geek

ATARI SYSTEMS

Atari Game & Computer Systems

Atari, Inc. was founded by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney in 1972. Its first major product was Pong, released in 1972, the first successful coin-operated video game. While Atari continued to develop new arcade...
Read more

17 Dec 2020

Atari 2600 (1977)

Atari 2600 (1977)

Author: The Atari Geek  /  Categories: Systems, 2600  /  Rate this article:
5.0

The Atari 2600, originally branded as the Atari Video Computer System or Atari VCS for short until November 1982, is a home video game console from Atari, Inc. Released on September 11, 1977, it is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and games stored on ROM cartridges (a format first used with the Fairchild Channel F in 1976) instead of dedicated hardware with games physically built into the unit. The 2600 was bundled with two joystick controllers, a conjoined pair of paddle controllers, and a game cartridge: initially Combat and later Pac-Man.

 

The system found its killer game with its version of Taito's Space Invaders in 1980 and became widely successful, leading to the creation of Activision and other third-party game developers as well as competition from home console manufacturers Mattel and Coleco. By the end of its primary lifecycle in 1983–84, games for the 2600 were using more than four times the ROM of the launch titles with significantly more advanced visuals and gameplay than the system was designed for, such as Pitfall! and its scrolling sequel Pitfall II: Lost Caverns.

Print

Number of views (477)      Comments (0)

Tags: Atari 2600 Atari

 


Atari 2600 Stella Emulator - Setup Your PC Mouse as a Paddle. Atari 2600 Stella Emulator - Setup Your PC Mouse as a Paddle.
Atari 2600 ET is a great game. And now it's 'fixed'! Atari 2600 ET is a great game. And now it's 'fixed'!
Atari ST GDOS - NVDI vs SPeedo vs GPlus Speed Tests Atari ST GDOS - NVDI vs SPeedo vs GPlus Speed Tests
Atari ST Steem Emulator - Connecting and Using a MIDI Device in 2023 Atari ST Steem Emulator - Connecting and Using a MIDI Device in 2023
Atari 2600 - Stella Emulator - Save Individual Game Configurations Atari 2600 - Stella Emulator - Save Individual Game Configurations
Atari 8-bit Emulator - Altirra - Drop Disk Image Files Directly to... Atari 8-bit Emulator - Altirra - Drop Disk Image Files Directly to...
Atari ST - An Introduction to GDOS and Fonts. Part 1 Atari ST - An Introduction to GDOS and Fonts. Part 1
Atari ST - Long (11 Character) Directory Names Atari ST - Long (11 Character) Directory Names
Atari ST - STeem Emulator - Drop Files Directly From File Explorer Atari ST - STeem Emulator - Drop Files Directly From File Explorer
Atari ST - Adding, Customizing Desktop Icons on Your GEM Desktop Atari ST - Adding, Customizing Desktop Icons on Your GEM Desktop

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.