[10/16/2015] The Atari 2600

     Before becoming a teenager, I could care less about really old games. The only thing that I knew was that there was a console before the Nintendo Entertainment System, something called an Atari or something like that. I was perfectly content with playing my favorite computer or Nintendo Wii games, with the occasional visiting of my Game Boy or Nintendo 64 games, the consoles that my brother and I grew up with.

     When I became heavily invested in the Internet, I discovered a wealth of information on video games and their history, more specifically, the gem that is the Atari 2600. I'm not entirely sure what got me hooked on the subject, maybe it was the primitive graphics, timeless sound effects, or perhaps just the sheer age of the console, almost 30 years old! The games were interesting in that they only lasted several minutes with the only goal, usually, to get the highest score, a premise that has become very rare outside of an arcade. I just knew that, after watching some people play Atari 2600 games online, I wanted one for myself.

     Thankfully, I seemed to gain my interest in old games just as the majority of the world seemed to do so as well: online video game emulation was becoming more widespread, more Internet websites and channels were becoming dedicated to old games, GameStop was beginning to sell retro games, and a new store, called Player 1 Video Games, a store that specialized in retro gaming, opened up near where I live. I took it upon myself to get myself an Atari 2600, along with some games that I had become familiar with.

     Of course, setting up this console from 1977 onto a new flat-screen television set was no easy feat, and even when it was hooked up properly, the television rarely perfectly captured what an Atari 2600 game is supposed to look like: for some reason only one dominant color was shown, and it cycled between those colors whenever I reset the console. Aside from these oddities, I really had fun playing the few games I bought for the system: Asteroids, Missile Command, Space Invaders,  Combat, and Yars' Revenge. As easy as it is to play these games online, or on a more advanced system with updated presentation, there's nothing like playing with that blocky, stiff, one-buttoned joystick.

     My love for retro games is one of the many reasons I went on to enter Video Game Design class at Friendswood High School. It always puts a grin on my face when the old TV is pulled out with an Atari 2600 hooked up and ready to play, I am always anxious to play it first. I hope to come across more gems as I scour the realm of 2nd generation gaming.