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With
the VCS being the first breakout success in home videogames, there
was little precedent for developers and publishers to learn from,
which naturally led to lots of experimentation.
This experimentation
particularly applied to the add-ons, such as the limited release
Compumate from Spectravideo, which consisted of a flat membrane
keyboard, additional memory, and the ability to load and save from
cassette, turning the VCS into a simple computer system.
Some
peripherals, such as GameLine -- which featured an oversized
cartridge hooked into a phone line that allowed the user to download
games for short-term use from a subscription service -- are more for
show than actual use these days. Countless others such as the
Starplex Game-Selex -- an external expansion box that allowed instant
switchable access to multiple cartridges -- are still useful today.
What
also helped in this area was that the joystick ports on the VCS were
what many other companies used as standards on their systems -- for
instance, Commodore with many of its popular 8- and 16-bit computer
lines -- so manufacturers were able to develop to one specification.
In fact, although it usually wasn't practical to use single-button
joysticks on later systems such as Sega's Master System (SMS) or
Genesis, multi-button gamepads from those consoles often work fine on
the VCS as well.
A
wide range of interesting controllers were released for the VCS over
the years with varying degrees of usefulness, including the Starplex
Deluxe Video Game Controller, box back shown.
Besides
the standard joysticks, paddles, and other controllers already
mentioned, a few others are worth pointing out. Obscure releases such
as the Foot Craz from Exus, which was a foot mat with five colored
buttons that came packaged with Video
Jogger (1983) and Video
Reflex (1983), contrasted
with the more pedestrian options such as the Booster Grip from CBS
Electronics, which added extra fire buttons to a standard joystick (a
stock ColecoVision controller is also a suitable alternative).
Atari
released wireless controllers that looked similar to their standard
joysticks, just with thick antennas and much larger bases. Atari also
released different variations on their keypad controllers, which
supported overlays and were originally for use with titles such as
BASIC Programming
(1978) and Codebreaker
(1978), but were later restyled and repackaged for use as the Video
Touch Pad for Star Raiders
(1982) and as the Kid's Controller for educational games such as Big
Bird's Egg Catch (1983),
further demonstrating the system's amazing software range.
No
matter what happens with the Atari name in the future, with new
hardware, impressive new software releases, and a dedicated and
growing community of developers and enthusiasts, the next 30 years
for the VCS/2600 platform look to be just as interesting. There's no
doubt that Atari fans will continue to proudly proclaim "Yes!"
to the old marketing line, "Have you played Atari today?"
The Atari 2600 Jr.
Typical System Specifications
Release Year: 1977
Resolution: 192 x 160
On-Screen Colors: 16
Sound: 2 Channels, Mono
Media Format(s): Cartridge
Main Memory: 128 Bytes
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