Happy 30th Birthday Atari!

[Flack]

That's right, the first 2600 units rolled off the assembly line in October of 1977, delighting both children and kids at heart with games like Pitfall and Pole Position, and helping distract the nation after the untimely death of the King, the tragic crash of Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane, and Pele's retirement.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/01/happy-30th-birthday-atari-2600/

[cyberfluxor]

Ahhh, makes me feel young. Apparently today kids go into game stores and call N64 old school, that makes me feel old. :roll:

[Gentlegamer]

I think I'll play some Atari today!

[Darth Sensei]

God am I old.

[otoko]

Hmm now I wish I was home to plug my 2600 in and get my game on.

[Gentlegamer]

By the way, the Atari VCS and I are the same age. My 30th birthday is tomorrow, October 2.

[otoko]

Sign of.. being born to game... I guess?

[diskoboy]

I think I'll play me some Yar's Revenge to celebrate...

[7th lutz]

I am almost a year younger then the 2600 is. I was born in the year Space invaders was first released in the Arcade.

The 2600 was the first game console I had great memories of playing unlike the Intellivision 2.

I bought the 2600 jr with my dad back in 1988. I remembered getting many 2600 games through flee markets, gifts or games on clearence. One of my most memorable ones was my parents giving me Jr. Pac-man for my 10th birthday.

My only regret was my younger brother and I gave the 2600 jr. to my younger brother's friend at the time.

Happy Birthday to 30 years of greatness of a great home game console.

[InsaneDavid]

And don't forget, it's been Atari week over at Retro Thing (http://www.retrothing.com/).

[tom]

Respect to the Atari VCS 2600

[Barbarianoutkast85]

Three cheers for the Atari; HIP HIP HOORAH, HIP HIP HOORAH, HIP HIP HOORAH.
Happy Birthday Atari, here's to another thiry years of entertainment!

[Dreamcast]

Happy birthday! your huge pixels are still in our hearts.

[otaku]

happy birthday!

[Moo Cow]

By the way, the Atari VCS and I are the same age. My 30th birthday is tomorrow, October 2.

My Mom's birthday too!

[Tron 2.0]

Happy Birthday to the atari of old not today ones though.

[NEOFREAK9189]

happy birthday Atari 2600 I do no have 8bit atari I have atari jaguar today play some atari jaguar

[jjessop]

The first 2600's rolled off the line long before October 1977, more like pilot production in June/July and full production in August is what I recall.

Jerry




That's right, the first 2600 units rolled off the assembly line in October of 1977, delighting both children and kids at heart with games like Pitfall and Pole Position, and helping distract the nation after the untimely death of the King, the tragic crash of Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane, and Pele's retirement.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/01/happy-30th-birthday-atari-2600/

[alec006]

Well might as well,the old commercial where all the people are going crazy over Atari games is alittle crappy in quality,so on a old VHS tape i found a copy of the commercial and uploaded it to Youtube in much better quality than whats been on the internet for ages,enjoy,happy 30 years Atari, "Have You Played Atari Today?"

Link to the commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP4eeWzJJXk

[Pantechnicon]

Happy birthday to my 1st and still best game console. You'll never be "too old" for me.

[animesuperj]

I remember playing the 2600 when I was about 2 or 3 for hours upon hours. I was born in 1984, but my parents got one within the first couple years the 2600 was released. I like to think I just got into gaming before everything went "new school" after the crash. I still love playing Megamania for hours, I LOVE that game. Happy birthday Atari!! I think I'm going to go play some for a bit now ^__^

[ubersaurus]

Jenn over at 1up did a blog about this as well:

http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8415952&publicUserId=5450684

[InsaneDavid]

Jenn over at 1up did a blog about this as well:

http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8415952&publicUserId=5450684

I wish people knew what a heavy sixer really was.

[Lady Jaye]

Otoko, please change your avatar to a non-flashing one.

[ubersaurus]

I wish people knew what a heavy sixer really was.

Conceivably, it's a 6 switch that's heavier than a standard atari unit. I'm more impressed that there's a retrogamer on the staff of any major gaming news outlet.

[InsaneDavid]

Conceivably, it's a 6 switch that's heavier than a standard atari unit. I'm more impressed that there's a retrogamer on the staff of any major gaming news outlet.

That has rounded upright corners on the front as opposed to angled ones like in the picture. Agreed though.

[Aswald]

It's sad, to consider what happened to Atari, especially if you happen to be my age or older.

This was the once-invincible Atari. This was the Atari that actually had the cunning to invent "Kee Games," in order to get their games into normally-closed areas. This was the Atari that managed to get video games into Greece.

This was the Atari that gave us the Atari VCS. That came up with such games as Tank Pong, Invisible Tank, 3 Fighters vs. Bomber...on one cartridge! That gave us Tempest, Battlezone, and so many other classics.

Then- E.T. Pac-Man (2600). Then, the Tramiels (GRRRRRRRR!).

[kainemaxwell]

Wow, I'm as old as Atari! Unlike them, my name hasn't been abused and thrown in the mud though.

[Kaine32]

Wow, I'm as old as Atari! Unlike them, my name hasn't been abused and thrown in the mud though.

actually kaine in a couple years you take a shine to mud wrestling with heavyset black women

don't worry it's just a transitional phase, i got bored with it after a couple years

[kainemaxwell]

actually kaine in a couple years you take a shine to mud wrestling with heavyset black women

don't worry it's just a transitional phase, i got bored with it after a couple years

Go screw yourself troll.