Are we in the last years of Atari/NES collecting era?

[wongojack | 211]

On 1/24/2023 at 7:00 AM, mbd39 said:

Yes. Head over to AtariAge. Many who are passionate about collecting and playing Atari are on there. It's also the only place on the internet where you'll see people praise Atari while trashing Nintendo. One of many such threads: https://forums.atariage.com/topic/245652-how-come-a-lot-getting-into-retro-games-skip-atari/

 

I am all over that thread and @mbd39 just can't wrap his head around the idea that someone may have played a NES and not liked it.  I'm exaggerating of course because I love the NES, but there are some things about it that stand out that I also really do NOT like.

I don't seriously collect for any system, but I've been around Atari collectors for years now.  Most of the group who have plunked down big money for the VERY rare games (Red Sea Crossing, Video Life, Extra Terrestrials, Air Raid) have already gotten their copy and only pop up when one of those ultra rares or prototypes comes available.  They were all trading before the internet or just as the internet was getting going, and they have a different sense of how games should be valued.

For the older Atari collector who isn't into the big money titles, they've spent most of their life paying budget prices for Atari stuff and a little patience has almost always paid off for them.  As a result, you just don't see people who are serious about Atari doing these things as often.  

1) Posting about it online
2) Tracking value with online websites
3) Seeking outside help to value their collection

 

For me, I was very young for Atari and a tween for the NES which puts me right in the sweet spot to have nostalgia for both, but I will routinely say that I enjoy exploring the Atari library (specifically the 2600) more than the NES.  Why?  Well, you can read about it in that long thread that mdb shared, but the basics are that in 2023 the games are more accessible.  I discover new games all the time from the 2600 where I can simply pop it in, get my fix and get out.  If it turns out to be a really fun challenge, I can come back and try and improve.  Some examples of this for me recently are Music Machine and Tac Scan.  I didn't know about either of these games until recently, and now they fit nicely in my paddle-gaming routine.

By contrast, when I try to explore the NES library of games I didn't know, I just don't have the same experience.  Examples of NES games that I tried to play as an adult are Legacy of the Wizard and Journey to Silius.  After playing these games for an intro session, I can tell they are likely both great games, but I don't really want to devote the time required to improving at them.  There's too much to look up online or learn through repeated failure. 

Now this is all just generalizing.  I love the NES and its library, but to ignore the advantages of the 2600 is just silly.  There are great gaming experiences to have with Atari, and they generally are less expensive in terms of money and time spent.

Edit:  I got my AtariAge threads confused.  Check out this clickbaity thread for more laughs Nintendo Ruined Video Games - Page 6 - Classic Console Discussion - AtariAge Forums

Edited January 27, 2023 by wongojack

[Tanooki | 4,929]

You don't need an adventure to be fulfilled, you need a bite sized point run and done.

[dogbowl | 150]

On 1/23/2023 at 10:48 PM, Foochie776 said:

Does anyone besides @DefaultGencare about Atari anymore? I’ve got maybe 5 more games I want and that will put me at 10

 

I'm working on documenting CIB inserts with Atari games (in the same way people do for NES here) and let me tell you -- the NES is cakewalk when it comes to variants and paperwork.  There must be others still collecting pretty strongly as whenever I need to track down a particular title, theres numerous other bids sniping me

 

 

 

 

[Code Monkey | 2,005]

6 hours ago, dogbowl said:

I'm working on documenting CIB inserts with Atari games (in the same way people do for NES here) and let me tell you -- the NES is cakewalk when it comes to variants and paperwork.  There must be others still collecting pretty strongly as whenever I need to track down a particular title, theres numerous other bids sniping me

 

 

 

 

Please let me have access to anything you come up with. I'm doing the same.

 

[dogbowl | 150]

On 2/1/2023 at 6:48 PM, Code Monkey said:

Please let me have access to anything you come up with. I'm doing the same.

 

Happy too.

I've got a spreadsheet similar to the WATA's NES black box variants but for 2600 first party games (NTSC only).  I have similar list for some 3rd party publishers (imagic, activision, parker bros, etc) but those are not near as complex.

With each, I've tried to record which "box printing" would have included which inserts.

Edited February 3, 2023 by dogbowl

[Code Monkey | 2,005]

1 minute ago, dogbowl said:

Happy too.

I've got a spreadsheet similar to the WATA's NES black box variants but for 2600 first party games (NTSC only).  I have similar list for some 3rd party publishers (imagic, activision, parker bros, etc) but those are not near as complex.

How can I get it?

[Foochie776 | 1,051]

On 1/26/2023 at 6:43 AM, captmorgandrinker said:

If you're patient you can usually find those for under $100 during the summer months on ebay.

After not touching my 2600 stuff for over a decade I finally decided to start selling most of it off.  I'll still keep my full 7800 set (for now)

I’ve got a save search set up, just being patient