Testament to my age lies in my nostalgic memories of the Atari 2600 Gaming System. Hitting the market in 1977, the Atari 2600 was one of the earliest video game systems to make it on the scene, marking a period in time where children began to explore some of the vast luxuries of indoor entertainment. Consisting of a relatively large (by today's standards) plastic and wooden console, a pair of stark joysticks, a pair of adjoining circular "paddles", and a complimentary game cartridge, this video game system became a staple in many households.
I have recently had the distinct pleasure of getting my hands on one of those coveted red-buttoned joysticks--- and it was as if time had stopped. I popped in a "Pac Man" cartridge into the console (Wow, did I just say "console" again?) and suddenly the gates to Nostalgia Heaven were open unto me. After a few hours of uninterrupted bliss, I acquired both a sore thumb, and the realization that the Atari 2600 (and all its accoutrement) is the best gaming system ever. In fact, I'd rather own one of these than any PS2, PS3, game box, cube or any other souped-up variety.
SIMPLICITY
Suffice it to say, the Atari 2600 is one of the simplest game systems ever made. Not many "bells and whistles" were added to this little piece of equipment. But for some reason, the simplicity of its functionality is what makes it so fantastic. In perusing the video game section of my neighborhood Toys-R-Us, I came to the conclusion that video games these days are incredibly complicated.
Pick your average $60 PS3 game and more than likely it will be accompanied by an inch-thick manual and an elaborate set of instructions. I am not too proud to admit how incredibly impressive programming is on these new games. Slide in the disc and your television screen fills with the most realistic-looking graphics one has ever seen. The realism is definitely one of the technology's biggest selling points. But I personally don't feel like acquiring a degree in order to ascertain the logistics of "getting to the next level." Thus, there is something to be said for the Atari 2600's sheer minimalism.
Take for instance, the most popular Atari 2600 confection, "Pac-Man." This game, comprised of a series of dashes and blocks dispersed throughout an "intricate" maze is one of the simplest games ever developed. But anyone accustomed to playing will tell you that there is a mind-numbing meditative quality in steering a chomping semicircle around a screen over and over again. As an adolescent, I played for hours, stopping only for dinner or bedtime. Truly, the beauty in all of the Atari 2600 attractions is in its sublime minimalist qualities.
GAME VARIETY
Don't let anyone tell you that today's gaming systems are better because of the variety of subject matter depicted in them. This statement would be false. Take a stroll through your local technology/ gaming store and you'll realize that these games fit into either of two categories: fighting or sports.
Surprisingly, software developers have found a myriad of ways to exploit those two subjects. Some games have extremely graphic sexual content; most of them simply contain extreme violence. I am under the distinct impression that had Atari 2600 game developers included intense and bloody sequences in their programming, parents everywhere would have been outraged. But for some reason, these images are quite acceptable today. As a matter of fact, gamers these days don't take a disc seriously if there isn't some measure of "realism" included in the game.
What I loved about the Atari 2600 especially, was the wide variety of cartridges available for play. Novelties like Superman, Asteroids, Pitfall, Frogger, and Donkey Kong used the fantasy world to encourage creativity. Kids used their brains to imagine what these mystical worlds really looked like, even though their television screens only depicted a few basic shapes and expanses of blank space.. But in today's gaming world, the emphasis is focused squarely on how realistic the hero's AK-47 looks to its "virtual trigger puller."
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