What were they thinking?!?!

Keep this stuff up man this is what being a KZfaqr is all about. Improving slowly is part of the fun!

You just embraced the GOOD AVGN from way back then. Loved it.

That thing had some pretty decent games for the time, but that god damn box was terrifying😧

There are controller adapters for the 5200 that allow you to plug in a 9 pin controller. The games are pretty good. They are like 2600 games but with slightly better graphics.

I have that exact same shirt. Cool vid man

Want to know what's even more absurd? The Atari 5200 launched at around $269 around November 1982 while the Colecovison (it's direct competitor) launched at around $179 around August of 1982 ... almost a $100 difference. On top of the Colecovision being almost $100 cheaper, the Colecovision came with the better pack-in game (Donkey Kong on Colecovision is so much better than Super Breakout on Atari 5200) and the better controller (Colecovision controllers in general actually work) and Colecovision had better looking graphics in general (there is a lot of debate as to which console was more powerful when it came to graphics. Regardless of specs, there are a lot more Colecovision games that look so much better than Atari 5200 games). Also, It didn't help the Atari 5200 that the Colecovision had it's legally dubious Atari 2600 cartridge adapter released for it several months before Atari themselves did one of their own for the Atari 5200. In other words: The Atari 5200 was so freaking screwed. If the crash hadn't happened, Colecovison would have stepped into first place eventually and crushed the Atari 5200 pretty hard due to all the things I mentioned.

I used my 2600 regularly up until around 1984, at which point I was using my ZX Spectrum more often. The 5200 wasn't even on the radars of any shops, same with the 7800, as by then, the Spectrum and C64 had taken hold. Games on tape were so much cheaper than carts, and some people would... tape-to-tape, but never me, of course. Honest, guv. And who came up with those power cord and controller situations? You need a degree in science for the former, and a self-centered joystick for the latter.

i am actually a fan of the Atari 5200

I enjoy playing centipede with the track ball controller. Or robotron with the dual controller setup. Killing the centipede on the lower part of the screen in one motion (and pressing the fire button one time) with the trackball has to be one of the coolest thing I've done on a home console.

i have an idea about this "scott problem". basically, you have to start lifting weights. you can stay into video games, and having seventeen ataris, but you're gonna eat whey powder and lift weights. once you are jacked, no one will think you look like scott. then begins phase 2: finding and intimidating scott

I didn't know your girl was disappointed. Sorry bro. LOL

Just played a 5200 for the first time last week and loved it. The controllers felt great but I get major issues that most have but cheap rebuild kits are out there. Need to play dreadnaught and robotron with dual sticks.

i know that line from the sampsons 3:04

If you can’t stand the graphics of an Atari 2600, get a colecovision!! Best system of the early 80s imo