The great thing about having an Atari 2600 was that everyone in my family enjoyed it...including adults. Therefore, they decided we should subrscribe to Atari Age Magazine. I guess they figured its insights would allow us to dominate the video game realm.
And AtariAge.Com has some of those very same issues I used to have. Including Issue #1.
Never has an electronic device brought so much joy and amazement. Instead of socializing at the local arcade, I could now sit alone in my living room and suck at video games without a crowd pointing and mocking. And it only cost about a hundred bucks.
It was a glorious spring day when my sister and I arrived home to find this baby hooked up to our console television. My mom was already sitting in front of the screen trying to master Pac Man. I believe there was no sleep in my househould for the next 48 hours.
Now, back in the day, we didn't have your fancy-dandy Wal-Marts or Targets. Nope. We had to trek on over to Service Merchandise or Sears to pick up any new games we wanted to challenge ourself with. Oh, and don't even think you could rent them. For the love of all, consumer VCR's were a few years away.
And let's face it. Atari games were masters of impressionism. This:
Equals this:
And, finally, I've got to admit one reason I hold the Atari 2600 at such a high place in my heart, is that it was almost the last time I was any good at video games. Now you know.
I am a nerd. No, not the kind that can do your homework. And not the kind forced into giving up my milk money. Instead, I'm the kind of nerd fascinated with bad horror movies, toys, and cartoons. I don't know squat about playing D&D, but I can tell you all about its Saturday morning cartoon. Forget X-Box. I'm talking about the Atari 2600. If my wife rolls her eyes at it, you'll find it here. This is the perfect place to nerd-out without the Alpha Betas or my wife kicking my butt. So won't you join me?