A 5200 Postmortem : Here are some details for clarification. 1. SNARCast pointed out the 5200 Gremlins did release for the C64. Not sure how I missed this, but I 100% had no clue. So it would be fair to call this a console exclusive but not a full-on exclusive. 2. About that Gremlins release date in 1986 ABlackFalcon asked about the Lucas Arts games released in 1986. Unfortunately, I don't have a definitive answer, and I looked into it quite a bit while making this video. From what I could find, there seemed to be a very limited release for both Rescue on Fractalus and Ballblazer in 1984. I've even seen an Atari Corp box dated 1984, which I found interesting but there are not many answers there. Looking at a cashed version of the developers' website ( web.archive.org/web/20030203125512/www.lucasarts.com/20th/history_1.htm ) They seem to agree with these dates, stating both games were released on the 5200 in '84. So it appears they were likely released right as the company changed hands, and a few did go out, but it's also possible they were only partially manufactured and shelved until 1986. There’s a ton of discussion about this, but I’ve hit a wall resource-wise. One other thing of note, there is strong evidence that Gremlins shipped in 1987 and not 1986, or at minimum, at the dead-end of 1986. For the video, I had two approach options for determining release years. 1, use printed material and copywrite dates. It's the method most 5200 enthusiasts go by. 2, Use internal documents. Neither meshes well with the other, but I chose number 1. Using number 2 concludes that Gremlins was released in 1987, never selling a single unit in 1986. So if Rescue on Fractalus and Ballblazer were released in 1986, then we know precisely how many were manufactured and sold. Rescue on Fractalus 1986-1990 11,217 Ballblazer 1986-1990 19,560 Gremlins 1987-1990 5,016 Personally, I feel Rescue on Fractalus & Ballblazer released in limited form during 1984, and I believe Gremlins shipped at the tail end of 1986. Ultimately, we just don’t know, but someone does, and the answer may yet finally manifest itself. -Jenovi
The Atari 5200 was amazing! As an owner of the console we were envied by all in our neighborhood who owned the 2600 or other platforms. Absolutely loved it!!
3 weeks ago I bought a totally refurbished beautiful original 4 port 5200 system/controllers along with 17 games at a store here in NYC. If you truly want to feel like its 1982 again, playing these games on the system is a blast! The design of this system combined with game play really give you an authentic feeling of what it was like in 1982. It's similar to driving a 1965 Mustang and listening to The Beatles on an AM radio. As for the controllers. If you get a refurbished original controller, you will be ok. In fact I much prefer the 5200 controller over the new Atari VCS classic controller any day as far as response time goes on 5200 games. The refurbished controller also worked great on games like Pac Man and Joust. I am 50 so I remember this era of video gaming very well. This machine (with all of its charming quirks) is a beautiful representation of the time period its from.
@@Jenovi I have the CD-I, now to fill the space between my 2600 and 7800 I might grab a 5200 since I saw there exist now al replacement controller. Another great video, but how is the 5200 more capable then the C64, since it´s based on the 8bit Homecomputer from Atari, most people seem to give the C64 a slight edge over the (3 years older) Atari System? Pardon me, I just love discussing technical details :)
At the very least, 5200 is an interesting console for its peripheral options. I think Dreamcast is similar in that sense, and I think the compromises made with modern game controllers are really evident when you consider how many types of older games play really poorly on modern controllers. This was especially true with Wii, which had so many games that simply didn't work as well with Nintendo's attempt at a motion controller that attempted to mimic aspects of more specialized hardware. Great video, by the way. You seemed kind of down on it on Twitter, so I don't know whether it just came together later on in editing or whether you were just being a bit too hard on yourself during the process, but I think it turned out well.
I’m probably one of the only people in my generation who loves experiencing the pre NES era of gaming. (I was born in 2003) Despite how young I am, Atari 2600 was one of the first consoles I played and those early experiences gave Atari a special place in my heart. I like experiencing different versions of arcade ports as even though they are inferior to the arcade versions, it is cool to see it in a different lens. Each recreation of an arcade game to inferior hardware, (Atari, Coleco, Intellivision, etc) has more personality than the perfect arcade version ports on modern consoles to me. It is more interesting to see the shortcomings and compromises to make it run on the Atari hardware in comparison to downloading and playing the game on Xbox One for example. But again I have weird tastes in games.
I agree, it's fun to see the differences and appreciate the hardware. I'm just surprised someone so young feels that way, but that's good. I'm way older ('87) and even I don't really delve into pre-NES.
I also enjoy experiencing that era of gaming (I'm 25 years old). Trying out the different versions of the popular arcade games can be fun; I like checking out the different versions of centipede and millipede for example.
@@roxynano Oh I didn't know it was on that system too. I haven't explored the intellivision yet but I hope you're having fun with it. I'm looking into getting a trak ball controller to play the atari 5200 version :).
I found a working 5200 while clearing out my grandparents' basement. I replaced the flex circuit in both controllers and had a whole 2 days before the start pause and reset buttons stopped pushing. I also have a track ball controller, but upon starting anything it just sends me running directly to the left or right side of the screen once I roll it. Loved the community behind controller repair (best 2 days of my life!), but I just wish there was more info about track ball controller repair too.
Excellent game choices! Also, it's good that you discussed the controller choices for the games, as that's a major part of getting the most out of this system. Whether it's a Trakball or a controller coupler for twinstick shooters, these aspects need to be taken into account when considering the system. The 5200 has many unique aspects of control, and the games you decided to show off really demonstrated that. Again- excellent work. This one's a gem!
I'm going to be taking this from a slightly offset angle, if only because being Australian means I've never used a 5200 in person (no PAL release of it), so my experience of what it's capable of is more via the 8-bit computer family. Two definite picks for me would be Star Raiders and Rescue on Fractalus. The former is something I feel would be *amazing* with the 5200's controller, particularly for the extra range of control analogue input offers. Whilst for Rescue on Fractalus, the same applies, but it's also got a killer atmosphere (in large part thanks to the colour palette of the Atari 8-bit & 5200 chipset), which I don't feel any other port matched. Am glad to see Dreadnaught Factor & Zone Ranger on the list - both are great shooters which deserve a bit more love than they get. I imagine Dreadnaught Factor would be amazing with the 5200's stick, and dual fire buttons (going between your bombs and shots is clunky on the 8-bit version).
Great video! I appreciated the info boxes indicating the game, platform and other details. Great stuff!! I missed out on the 5200 and it's great to see/hear it discussed by someone who has love and appreciation for it. Keep up the great work!
The 5200 was my first console and I'll always have love for the system. If not for those damned faulty controllers I'd still have one today. As for your list, you listed mostly games I didn't own as a kid. I would have included games such as Jungle Hunt, Pengo, and especially Pitfall 2. The 5200 version of Pitfall 2 includes an exclusive second quest with a whole different map that opens up once you complete the main game. Anyway, I really enjoyed the video and I hope you do lots more 5200 coverage in the near future!!
Excellent video. I'm a huge Atari 8 bit computer fan which is a very, very close relative to the 5200 hardware wise, so this video was right up my alley. Look forward to seeing more 5200 content from you.
Thanks Todd, I've thought about getting an Atari 8 bit computer and older PET for a while. Love that they essentially consoled the 8 bit computer platform.
Great job, Jenovi! AS I recall, with the Altirra emulator I was able to set up bot analog sticks on my 360 controller to work like the Space Dungeon coupler. This isn't easy to do with the Atari800 Emulator that is in Liberto.
Awesome you did a 5200 video as its the latest system to grace me! Cant wait to check it out. The 5200 is really special to me, but i like it most for what makes it unique. What it does that the A800 doesnt. ANALOG and it's controller. I'll tell you how to make yours a caddilac for select games. My number 1 is Missile Command. Easy top 5 gaming experience of all time kinda thing.. and not with a trakball but with the original analog joystick. For maximum ease i highly recommend the rubber boot around the stick be torn or even removed. It's worth it. I was lucky mine was given to me that way to see the difference. Analog paddles and trakballs don't have centering so certain analog 5200 games really shouldn't either. You don't want something tugging on your controles at all for Breakout, Kaboom, Star Wars Arcade, Missile Command, Gorf.. the only way I'll play those is if I'm on a Wico with self centering switch turned off or a standard with a torn or removed boot. I recommend the standard because even with the boot gone it's not completely loose. You can also just make a tear on the center ring. Then it's even got some cushin on the edges. It's possibly my fav controller of all time as where my prestine 5200 with perfect boot I can barely stand. I also recommend the US model controller with sunken in triggers as the other later models triggers are fat rubber and awkwardly stick out in comparison and are less clicky. Ill explain for anyone reading why analog makes such a difference on these games. Other home system you have to push the curser at a single speed where you want it to go, but with 5200 Missile Command, Gorf, Breakout ect.. you simply just point and it's there, as fast as you can think. Just like a computer mouse but better! No other system is like that. Fast as the eye. Now it does depend how the game is programmed. Some like Centipede need the Trakball controller to unlock this feature, Centipede controls different in joystick mode and needs centering as where Missile Command leaves it at full range no matter the controller. The boot was put there to accommodate for games that need centering like Pacman and most of the library. But a Wico stick with actual spring loaded centering is so much better for those imo. What makes 5200 special to me are these non centering analog games. I couldn't have gotten the Gorf world record without my trusty torn boot controller. 5200 is really the big smooth caddillac it was meant to be, I was just lucky I was given one by my old neighbor last year. I wouldn't have experienced the magic otherwise. An analog thumbstick would work for Pole Position and River Raid, but wouldn't on the games I listed above. There are analog control games that need centering. So don't tear the boot unless you have a better backup. Then there are analog control games better without centering. "2nd place record in Kaboom!" And then there are digital control games that don't benefit from the 5200 analog whatsoever in any way, like Pacman, Popeye, and likely the majority of the 5200 library. People often get non analog controller options for these. But its the handful of gems that make it stand out to me 💎. The reason 5200 was different. Without those games people might just get the Atari 800. Same hardware and games but without 180 degree analog. Thx I just had to say all that because it's been a passion. Now I'll enjoy your video !
@@Jenovi thanks! Really enjoying the video! I found Missile Command at my local shop for pretty cheap. They actually have a small bit of 5200 games mixed with the 2600, some under 10 bucks. I knew I had to get that one. Glad u like it
I'm the luckiest on earth. I straight up found an Atari 5200 with a dozen games, 2 standard controllers, and 1 Wico controller, all in an old neighbors basement. When I showed interest they just staight gave it to me. They didn't know where it came from or even knew they had it but guessed it was given to them by a church friend back in the day but never used. Oldest thing i ever saw them have was Nintendo, so this had been put aside in an open dusty box for possibly decades. My eye just happened to hit it one day last year while in their basement, and they wanted nothing to do with it and were super nice. I had just purchased myself a 7800 a few months before and got real into Atari. Never thought I'd get one. Someone in the 5200 group said that 5200s have a way of finding their owners!
@@SuperNicktendo yea that's where I live. Chicagoland suburbs. 5200 games can still be found cheap at used game stores next to 2600. I've seen more 5200 games in the wild than 7800. It's the system itself and finding good working controllers, that's the where I got real lucky. The fire buttons and number pads needed cleaning, i wiped this black stuff off the flex circuit to get em going. But start button and joystick never failed, and the wico has never failed, so I was able to play right away in my case.
Great video! Space Dungeon and Robotron were absolute favorites on the Atari 5200. So many great arcade ports (everything from Kangaroo to Pengo to Jungle Hunt). The one drawback on this system was/is the size. Even the power supply was/is huge. As you said in the review, the track ball was well built. Playing Missile Command and Centipede on it was just amazing.
My first console. Loved the 5200. It was a matter of bad timing (1982-1983), but the system was pretty neat. The games were light-years ahead of the 2600 as far as graphics, etc. It really stood up to Arcade quality games.
It's great to see an appreciative Atari 5200 video rather than one that simply bashes it. As someone who grew up playing the 5200 with my cousins, I know very well that the software library is actually awesome and super-fun to play. We spent hours having a blast with Frogger, Defender, Mario Bros, and H.E.R.O. among others. However, I do have to disagree with you about the hardware -- even with my rosy nostalgia glasses on, honesty compels me to say the 5200 earns every iota of its bad press on that side of things. Between the gargantuan form factor and the worst-in-history controllers that were prone to every failure imaginable (if it wasn't the drifting analog stick, it was the buttons failing... including the Start button needed to even play the games), it's a very hard console to recommend to modern audiences for the simple reason that any un-doctored original hardware is almost guaranteed to be a "lemon" of some sort. And though the modern controllers you linked to solve many of those issues, each costs over $100 apiece and is prohibitively expensive for all but the most hardcore 5200 enthusiasts. Personally, I'd recommend modern gamers emulate or play these titles in an Atari collection title -- don't sleep on the 5200 versions, kids!
This is some really well done reporting. I subscribed. I hope you release more, there no reason (other than a poor algorithm thats never put this up in our sekective options) this video shouldn't have tons more views.
Good video. I like the 5200 quite a bit. I also agree about Space Dungeon, that game is absolutely exceptional! It has quickly become one of my favorite games of the '80s. However, on another note, you say Gremlins was the only 1986 release, but weren't the two Lucasfilm games -- Rescue on Fractalus and Ballblazer -- also 1986 releases, not only Gremlins?
Very good question, and I unfortunately don't have a definitive answer. Looking deep into this, there seems to be a very limited realized in 1984 for both games. I've even seen an Atari Corp box dated 1984, which I found interesting. Looking at a cashed version of the developers website, they seem to agree with that, stating both games released on the 5200 in '84. So it appears they were released right as the company changed hands and a few did go out, but it's also possible they were only partially manufactured and shelved until 1986. One other thing of note, there is strong evidence that Gremlins shipped in 1987 and not 1986. For the video, I had two approach. 1. use printed material copy write dates, it's the method most 5200 enthusiast go by. 2. Use internal documents. Neither mesh well with the other, but I chose number 1. Using number 2 leads to the conclusion that Gremlins released in 1987, never selling a single unit in 1986. web.archive.org/web/20030203125512/www.lucasarts.com/20th/history_1.htm
I still have my original 5200 from Christmas 82'. It sat for years until I got a newer analog controller. Now I can play most games again and along with track ball, just about all of them. There have been many 8 bit computer ports over to the 5200 like Laser Gates, Encounter, Satan's Hollow all great games. My favorite is Star Raiders for it, I mastered that game as a kid. I spent thousands of hours in Star Cruiser 7's cockpit! Lol But there is one game that is making a close second to me and it's a recent release. apparently it was completed but never released and was completed before it's arcade version wich was unusual back then. That is Blaster. Dude, you have to hook up your 5200 to a sound system and let the light and sound show blow you away!!! I still am impressed that this came out on a 5200 considering it's line scaling. Yes enemies and projectiles all are line drawn and scale, now mind with a fair amount of slow down, wich is understandable. But man that Pokey chip!! Love the sounds on that system,almost thunderous if hooked up to a sound system.
I gotta say, consoles like the 5200 are well before my time, but it's a time that I find very fascinating to learn about as far as video games go. If I ever find myself in possession of an Atari 5200, I know a lot of games I'd love to try, but it's really cool seeing some of these recommendations. There's still a lot that I've never heard of.
There's no name for this generation of systems, but I call it the Lost Generations. Folks seldom discuss them and history likes to skip over these systems between generations.
Man, another excellent video. Your channel is a treasure for people interested in retro hardware that was not as successful when it launched. Since I'm an old fart, I actually played the 5200 and the 7800. Hell, I even got to play a few Pong consoles. And I loved all my experiences with those systems. Did you own a home computer when you were a kid? I had a ZX Spectrum, but also had the chance to play on C64 and MSX computers, and have very fond memories of all of them.
I love this console. I had one back in the day. It could be challenging at times, but overall it wasn't as horrible as it's reputation. I used to rebuild the sticks. But now the 3d printed controllers is a good solution. Space Dungeon is the killer app, in my opinion.
Space Dungeon and Countermeasure were pretty unique and engaging games for the 1980s. There was also a nicely complex simulator of Space Shuttle missions from Activision. Great little games with limited hardware power.
Gyruss is an awesome game, the first I played it was on the C64, then I played it at the arcade, and now on my own arcade machine, I would love to have this on the atari 2600.
Qix was my favorite of these. Loved the sounds in it. I was never good at games growing up, but this one I totally got for some reason. The colors shown are wrong though... If you filled a zone quickly, it turned blue, and if you used the slow button it filled in orange.
I really appreciate how this console unlike other obscure and failed ones it has packed in a lot of hidden gems that anyone was capable to enjoy at the time because of the controllers. I played all the library of this console via emulation and I swear I enjoyed all of those games despite of the broken analog/trackball emulation. I think 5200 it's a really must play console. It was a gem and still being one nowadays. Even more because of the unofficial and homebrew controllers which are amazing.
Still working on it. Production on these has slowed due to outside factors. The next two scripts are already wrote, just need to film/edit. They are in queue.
A long video but a good one at the same time. I was never attracted to this console but I understand the appeal. One Atari game that really interests me is Pitfall II. It's a very unique game that pushed the 2600 to its limits but yet I never see that cart in the wild. I'm a big fan of David Crane's body of work.
Shoot, I have Pitfall II for the 5200, solid work. Also would recommend the superior Montezuma's Revenge. The game was a million+ seller back in the day, and is essentially forgotten today. I think for many, the 5200 won't be appealing and I tried explaining that early in the video. Why beat around the bush trying to convince someone? It's essentially a system dedicated to a few genres. Imagine a console dedicated only to Sports and Puzzle games. No matter how solid the experience was, if you don't like that stuff, no minds will be changes. That's the deal here. Many thanks for stopping by and watching what must have been a boring video. 😅
The 5200 was my first console. I'm down to my last working controller out of the 4 I started with 😔 I have Gremlins. People are surprised by it when I show it
its pronounced GIRUSS not GUYRUSS 🙂@ 11:37 - i have all the games mentioned running on my Atgames Legends Ultimate stand up arcade machine (including the arcade versions too) runs great as the machine comes including proper trackball and spinners! I play them all on my steamdeck too which has dual analogue sticks
The 5200 joystick is a funny setup, there is both a digital and analog style of input programming, meaning one could make a D-pad controller for it Eg. see Gravis Gamepad. Been thinking maybe a DC like layout with both present could remedy the feel difference matter across it's library. Good news about the coupler is there are a lot of people selling 3D printed reproductions. Admittedly I've held off playing more because I'd rather use the Maker Matrix one, maybe he should just let people ship original cables to him since it's been a while since you could buy one. Heard a funny anecdote about Gremlins, the programming author got to talking about it in an interview long after and was surprised to here it came out. I sought out a copy because it's a must own for this platform imo. Yep TDF not the traditional shmup experience but it's not bad. Lol yeah I played far more Qix clones that the original, they should have added naked women. ;)
An atari 5200 youtuber I love it newly subscribed because I own an atari 5200 sadly controllers are no good. Would love to watch more on atari 5200 games
There was a box at a yard sale a few years back where they had 20 5200 games. I didn’t have any cash on me and by the time I got back they had sold it…still hurts to this day
I know the feeling. A coworker was supposed to sell me his 5200 and games for only $50, but he never came through with it before I was furloughed and he was fired.
:43 that's almost beyond belief! Yet, I can see a saturation happening over the course of 1983. Was that $100 million year for '83, or '84? I could see that for '84. I realize these are likely quoted from the Times. Arcades remained relevant longer in small towns in rural America, where home consoles hadn't quite reached saturation. My family didn't get 2600, even, 'til '86. I think by the next year, the arcade at the mall was a ghost town. Capcom Games popping up are an example of how the arcade consoles continued on - but less commonly in game rooms, unless they're deluxe.
The version of Montezuma's Revenge on the 5200 was the best one, if you had a good controller. I also like Hero, though it has an excellent version on the 7800 that is also good, and I spent so much time on Pitfall II and actually got to the end of the game!!!
The first time I played qix was on the c64, and now have it as an arcade game, I have atari 2600, 2600+and 7800, never really wanted a 5200, because in Australia they are way to expensive.
Space Dungeon makes Star of Providence (formerly Monolith on Steam) like a 100% clone haha. I wonder if the developers were aware of SD? Definitely a fun game.
The Commodore 64 and Atari 8 bit line of computers done many of these games (official licensed) as I know being a person that plays real hardware 8 bit computers. If it was on the Atari 5200 then most likely on a Atari 8 bit line of computers and possibly on the Commodore 64, early years of the commodore 64 had the software company Atari soft creating software for the computer.
I'm an oldie, but I've never heard of Space Dungeon. Never ceases to amaze me just how ahead of the curve Atari were back then. Dreadnaught Factor looks great too.
ColecoVision blows away the 5200. Despite the misinformation that the 5200 "out competed ColecoVision" the reality is Coleco sold 6X as many consoles. There's a reason the 5200 was a total dud. Check out Gaming History Source's "Let's compare" for games they have in common. ColecoVision win in everyone I've looked at: Jungle Hunt, Moon Patrol, Mr. Do!'s Castle, Congo Bongo, Galaxian, Gorf, Zaxxon, and so on. Even Atari knew it couldn't compete, and the 7800 was built to compete with Coleco.
I'd pick the 5200 any day over Colecovision. Not that the Colecovision is bad, but the 5200 has games that have amazing aspects of control (The Trakball is second to none and the controller coupler makes playing Robotron 2084 and Space Dungeon unparralleled for the time). And it offers a really nice version of Pac-Man. Wico made a very cool joystick for the system that could be tightened for digital control games or loosened for analog control games like Kaboom! or Missile Command. The Supersystem outshines anything else that was out in 1982 or 83.
@@wiredupretro Well, as long you understand, your opinion is in a rare, rare minority. The 5200 regularly appears on "Worst Of" lists, while ColecoVision is often on "Best Of" lists. Metal Jesus calls the 5200 the worst console of all time. Still, I don't outright dismiss the 5200 and would even understand if someone preferred it. However, claiming "it outshines anything else" shows a loss of all objectivity. You are living in a fanboy delusion. Sad.
I did turn down an opportunity to buy a Atari 5200, but it was so I could purchase a PS Vita at the same price of $150. Now knowing how much the demand for PS Vita had increased now, I feel that is the better choice. (Plus I experienced one of the most inspiring games that I ever played, Gravity Rush, on Vita.) Now it is a good time for me to get a 5200 since every other console getting way too expensive to collect for! (I already have a few complete in box 5200 games since I found them for less than $5 complete.) However I am curious on your thoughts on Ballblazer for the 5200. The 7800 version is my favorite 7800 game and knowing it is on 5200, it probably would be one of the first games I’ll acquire. Is it a good port or something to skip over from your experience?
Great question. It's essentially the same game. The 7800 used the same sound hardware as the 2600, but had the ability for carts to include an onboard Pokey chip. Ballblazer was developed for the 5200, so when ported to the 7800, it's one of only, I believe two games, to include this chip. It's near identical, but honestly a little better on the 7800. It's the main reason I left it off this list.
@@Jenovi I believe graphically it looks better on 7800 from the footage I’ve seen of the two games. It is good that they are both solid versions! (Unlike the Famicom version) I’ll keep an eye out for it then!
The 5200 did not offer enough of an upgrade from other Atari machines. Atari flooded themselves out of the market. To be honest though these games do look good for the time.
@@Jenovi From my perspective as a kid when we went to a store in the early 80s it was a pile of 2600 then 5600 and 7800. As a kid it just wasn't impressive until we saw Mario. We kinda ignored the Genesis until we saw the in store sonic demo. But hey, where I lived was small and far from any large city. Seeing them now they look fun.
Wow, Gremlins looks great for the 5200! I haven't played Qix but have played Taito's more improved follow up Volfied. I've noticed a lot of TH-camrs generally tend to dismiss or slag off pre-NES consoles as being only interesting to 50 year olds stuck in the past. I'm not a fan of those older consoles but why is there such a snobbishness and ageism rudeness towards this era of gaming? 🤔
Complicated, but I can fully understand. I mean, I'm not a fan of the 2600 or others from that era. Thing is, the 5200 isn't from that era in a technical sense, though it's often placed there (I discussed this in the Why Console Generations video). The 5200 really is something special IMO with the Vertex being the only like kind home gaming system. After that, it's 8-bit computers.
I didn't see much use for the 5200 back in the day. Most of it's games were just improved ports of games everyone who owned an Atari 2600 already had, and the joysticks were junky.
"Nothing else comes close to the 5200 and Vectrex." What a joke! ColecoVision was the superior console. Check out Gaming History Source's "Let's Compare" series for games they have in common. ColecoVision wins in everyone I've looked at: Jungle Hunt, Moon Patrol, Mr. Do!'s Castle, Congo Bongo, Buck Rogers, Galaxian, Gorf, Zaxxon, and so on. Even Atari knew it couldn't compete, and the 7800 was built to compete with Coleco.
@@Jenovi The 5200 regularly appears on "Worst Of" lists, while ColecoVision is often on "Best Of" lists. Still, I don't outright dismiss the 5200 and would even understand if someone preferred it. However, claiming "nothing comes close to it" shows a loss of all objectivity. You are living in a fanboy delusion. Sad.
@@jeremiahthomas8140 Dumb! Jeremiah is a traditional Jewish name as he's a major prophet of the Hebrew Bible. Should I make conclusions about you based on your name? Claiming the Atari 5200 version of Gyrus "remains the best home port available to this day" is way over-the-top. Multiple critics have panned the version. The Video Game Critic gives the 5200 port a D (he even did a second more careful review and his opinion of it only got worse). These same critics rate the ColecoVision version considerably higher. Even with objective evidence, I wouldn't make an outrageous claim ColecoVision's version is the best home port ever made. These legacy games mostly suck.
The 5200 was a total bomb when it came out. It often appears on lists of the worst console of all time. Personally, I think it gets a bad rap, but this video is fanboy nonsense. Plus, he gets his facts wrong. ColecoVision significantly outsold the 5200.
I found it strange that donkeykong & donkeykong jr did not made it to the atari 5200 but did made it to the atari 2600 & atari 7800,WHY?? But likely an homebrewer did converted those atari 400/800 versions of donkeykong & donleykong jr into atari 5200 by simply lining up those adress registers and memory lacotions to that of the atari 5200,since those systems are apart from those minor differences,the same😁
Coleco had the rights to Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Junior. Coleco released both on the 2600, but did want to release them on the main competition for their console. As far as the 7800 getting them, by that time Coleco was out of the video game business and Atari had secured the rights.
@@jeremiahthomas8140 wooow if atari eventually secureted the rights for donkeykong, then i wonder why they didn’t also ported donkeykong and donkeykong jr to the 5200 too, maybe it could,ve sell more atari 5200 systems as well😁
@@jeremiahthomas8140 yeah in 1988 the 5200 was already dead but atari just should have do it anyway just to discourage atari 5200 owners to buy a nes but also to keep the 5200 alive as possible,but Just imagine if atari released both donkeykong and DKjr for the 5200 and NOT for the 7800, then the 7800 may would,ve sold less and we may have complain about it now here🤣
Still my most favorite system of all time. From a game standpoint. Star Raiders, improved over the 400/800 version. Space Dungeon. Robotron. Joust. Defender. Vanguard. Qix. Miner 2049er. Mario Bros. Bounty Bob Strikes Back. Alright this list is getting too long. Frankly there’s just a few I didn’t like.
@@rockoorbe2002 which is unfortunate, cuz I think the 7800 was a much better console. It was a powerful sprite generating machine, and didn't suffer from sprite flicker, which was always a sore spot for me with the NES.
Interesting question. I'm not claiming this is 100% factual as I honestly don't know, but I've always understood it as the 5200 version was developed for the 5200 alone. A port was in the works for the Atari Computer line, but never finished. That was later discovered, and either dumped or finished and dumped. I did forget to mention a port to the C64, but I don't consider it a console.
The coleco vision has way better games than the 5200 as well as double the library. Both controllers suck but the coleco sucks less. As far as the first system to do twin sticks, almost all of the home ports of robotron 2084 in 1983 supported twin joysticks. The main issue with the 5200 was the reliability of the controllers and hardware, especially if you have one of the 4 port consoles that carries power to the system over the RF switch.
It's personal preference, and for me, the 5200 wins in the games department, though I like the ColecoVision. For Robotron 2084, the only home console port in 1983 was the 5200, then later the 7800. Everything else released in the 80's was for home computers. Anyways, the twin stick reference wasn't about "Twin Sticks", it was regarding twin analog sticks, and the 5200 was first to do so, something now common on all modern game system.
@@Jenovi I said "Home port" not "Home console port". In the 80s Home computers were easily half of the gaming market and were sold on the same shelves in the same stores as the "consoles" of the time. Robotron is much better with with digital on off style joysticks just like it had in the arcade. In addition, the 5200 was not the first console to have twin analog sticks. That distinction goes to the Magnavox Odyssey 2 released in 1978...
@@hi-fibyharris8461 Huh? I've had an O2 for decades. I don't recall any game designed around a single player experience using both controllers, but then again, I don't own every game. Most important though, the O2 100% has digital controllers.
@@Jenovi you are 100% wrong about that. The Odyssey 2 joysticks are sensitive to how far in a given direction they are moved, therefore making them analog. Play Smithereens once and you can observe it first hand...
@@hi-fibyharris8461 Yeah, I have it. Smithereens is 100% a digital game. You hold the joystick to determine how far your bolder will travel( a digital action). I even tossed it back in to make sure I wasn't mistaken.
Why is this Gyruss better than the nes version? 5200 definitely has worse graphics and its digital so not gaining anything with analog controller. What did I miss?
They are not the same game, that's the main deal. I also prefer the graphical style of the NES version. Most old timers during that era referred to Gyruss for the NES as Gyruss II or a Gyruss inspired Nintendified version. The NES version was easier and has bosses too, something that really changes the feeling of the game.
A 5200 Postmortem :
Here are some details for clarification.
1. SNARCast pointed out the 5200 Gremlins did release for the C64. Not sure how I missed this, but I 100% had no clue. So it would be fair to call this a console exclusive but not a full-on exclusive.
2. About that Gremlins release date in 1986
ABlackFalcon asked about the Lucas Arts games released in 1986. Unfortunately, I don't have a definitive answer, and I looked into it quite a bit while making this video. From what I could find, there seemed to be a very limited release for both Rescue on Fractalus and Ballblazer in 1984. I've even seen an Atari Corp box dated 1984, which I found interesting but there are not many answers there. Looking at a cashed version of the developers' website (
web.archive.org/web/20030203125512/www.lucasarts.com/20th/history_1.htm )
They seem to agree with these dates, stating both games were released on the 5200 in '84. So it appears they were likely released right as the company changed hands, and a few did go out, but it's also possible they were only partially manufactured and shelved until 1986. There’s a ton of discussion about this, but I’ve hit a wall resource-wise. One other thing of note, there is strong evidence that Gremlins shipped in 1987 and not 1986, or at minimum, at the dead-end of 1986. For the video, I had two approach options for determining release years. 1, use printed material and copywrite dates. It's the method most 5200 enthusiasts go by. 2, Use internal documents. Neither meshes well with the other, but I chose number 1. Using number 2 concludes that Gremlins was released in 1987, never selling a single unit in 1986.
So if Rescue on Fractalus and Ballblazer were released in 1986, then we know precisely how many were manufactured and sold.
Rescue on Fractalus 1986-1990
11,217
Ballblazer 1986-1990
19,560
Gremlins 1987-1990
5,016
Personally, I feel Rescue on Fractalus & Ballblazer released in limited form during 1984, and I believe Gremlins shipped at the tail end of 1986.
Ultimately, we just don’t know, but someone does, and the answer may yet finally manifest itself.
-Jenovi
Speaking of postmortem. Did Zadoc die?
He’s good, I think just mostly moved offline.
Colecovision blows it away even with its terrible original controllers. And it’s library and quality are PlayStation of the 80s
The Atari 5200 was amazing! As an owner of the console we were envied by all in our neighborhood who owned the 2600 or other platforms. Absolutely loved it!!
3 weeks ago I bought a totally refurbished beautiful original 4 port 5200 system/controllers along with 17 games at a store here in NYC. If you truly want to feel like its 1982 again, playing these games on the system is a blast! The design of this system combined with game play really give you an authentic feeling of what it was like in 1982. It's similar to driving a 1965 Mustang and listening to The Beatles on an AM radio.
As for the controllers. If you get a refurbished original controller, you will be ok. In fact I much prefer the 5200 controller over the new Atari VCS classic controller any day as far as response time goes on 5200 games. The refurbished controller also worked great on games like Pac Man and Joust.
I am 50 so I remember this era of video gaming very well. This machine (with all of its charming quirks) is a beautiful representation of the time period its from.
I've never really gotten into the 5200 but I can certainly appreciate some of these games. Great video as always!
What's up Yahel? When's your next video coming out?
@@jonbourgoin182 probably in a few weeks. Two will be out pretty close to each other actually
It's kind of like the CD-i....
@@Jenovi blasphemy!
@@Jenovi I have the CD-I, now to fill the space between my 2600 and 7800 I might grab a 5200 since I saw there exist now al replacement controller.
Another great video, but how is the 5200 more capable then the C64, since it´s based on the 8bit Homecomputer from Atari, most people seem to give the C64 a slight edge over the (3 years older) Atari System? Pardon me, I just love discussing technical details :)
At the very least, 5200 is an interesting console for its peripheral options. I think Dreamcast is similar in that sense, and I think the compromises made with modern game controllers are really evident when you consider how many types of older games play really poorly on modern controllers. This was especially true with Wii, which had so many games that simply didn't work as well with Nintendo's attempt at a motion controller that attempted to mimic aspects of more specialized hardware.
Great video, by the way. You seemed kind of down on it on Twitter, so I don't know whether it just came together later on in editing or whether you were just being a bit too hard on yourself during the process, but I think it turned out well.
I’m probably one of the only people in my generation who loves experiencing the pre NES era of gaming. (I was born in 2003)
Despite how young I am, Atari 2600 was one of the first consoles I played and those early experiences gave Atari a special place in my heart.
I like experiencing different versions of arcade ports as even though they are inferior to the arcade versions, it is cool to see it in a different lens.
Each recreation of an arcade game to inferior hardware, (Atari, Coleco, Intellivision, etc) has more personality than the perfect arcade version ports on modern consoles to me.
It is more interesting to see the shortcomings and compromises to make it run on the Atari hardware in comparison to downloading and playing the game on Xbox One for example.
But again I have weird tastes in games.
I agree, it's fun to see the differences and appreciate the hardware. I'm just surprised someone so young feels that way, but that's good. I'm way older ('87) and even I don't really delve into pre-NES.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons for the Intellivision.
I also enjoy experiencing that era of gaming (I'm 25 years old). Trying out the different versions of the popular arcade games can be fun; I like checking out the different versions of centipede and millipede for example.
@@CarlC9898 Well we are in the same boat!
I recently played Centipede on Intellivision and I'm surprisingly good at that version in particular.
@@roxynano Oh I didn't know it was on that system too. I haven't explored the intellivision yet but I hope you're having fun with it. I'm looking into getting a trak ball controller to play the atari 5200 version :).
I found a working 5200 while clearing out my grandparents' basement. I replaced the flex circuit in both controllers and had a whole 2 days before the start pause and reset buttons stopped pushing. I also have a track ball controller, but upon starting anything it just sends me running directly to the left or right side of the screen once I roll it. Loved the community behind controller repair (best 2 days of my life!), but I just wish there was more info about track ball controller repair too.
Excellent game choices! Also, it's good that you discussed the controller choices for the games, as that's a major part of getting the most out of this system. Whether it's a Trakball or a controller coupler for twinstick shooters, these aspects need to be taken into account when considering the system. The 5200 has many unique aspects of control, and the games you decided to show off really demonstrated that. Again- excellent work. This one's a gem!
I'm going to be taking this from a slightly offset angle, if only because being Australian means I've never used a 5200 in person (no PAL release of it), so my experience of what it's capable of is more via the 8-bit computer family.
Two definite picks for me would be Star Raiders and Rescue on Fractalus. The former is something I feel would be *amazing* with the 5200's controller, particularly for the extra range of control analogue input offers. Whilst for Rescue on Fractalus, the same applies, but it's also got a killer atmosphere (in large part thanks to the colour palette of the Atari 8-bit & 5200 chipset), which I don't feel any other port matched.
Am glad to see Dreadnaught Factor & Zone Ranger on the list - both are great shooters which deserve a bit more love than they get. I imagine Dreadnaught Factor would be amazing with the 5200's stick, and dual fire buttons (going between your bombs and shots is clunky on the 8-bit version).
Great video! I appreciated the info boxes indicating the game, platform and other details. Great stuff!! I missed out on the 5200 and it's great to see/hear it discussed by someone who has love and appreciation for it. Keep up the great work!
Thanks for checking this out. It certainly is a system with a limited fan base and due to the system's age, it's often misunderstood.
The 5200 was my first console and I'll always have love for the system. If not for those damned faulty controllers I'd still have one today. As for your list, you listed mostly games I didn't own as a kid. I would have included games such as Jungle Hunt, Pengo, and especially Pitfall 2. The 5200 version of Pitfall 2 includes an exclusive second quest with a whole different map that opens up once you complete the main game. Anyway, I really enjoyed the video and I hope you do lots more 5200 coverage in the near future!!
Man, Gyryss' soundtrack is amazing! I'll always love Toccata & Fugue remixes :D
Very solid!
Excellent video. I'm a huge Atari 8 bit computer fan which is a very, very close relative to the 5200 hardware wise, so this video was right up my alley. Look forward to seeing more 5200 content from you.
Thanks Todd, I've thought about getting an Atari 8 bit computer and older PET for a while. Love that they essentially consoled the 8 bit computer platform.
@@Jenovi The Atari 8 bit computer library is absolutely massive with tons of retail and home brew games.
Great job, Jenovi! AS I recall, with the Altirra emulator I was able to set up bot analog sticks on my 360 controller to work like the Space Dungeon coupler. This isn't easy to do with the Atari800 Emulator that is in Liberto.
Gremlins wasn't an Atari 5200 exclusive. The game also came out on the C64 via the AtariSoft label.
Oh man, how did I miss that? 🤦♂️
Awesome you did a 5200 video as its the latest system to grace me! Cant wait to check it out.
The 5200 is really special to me, but i like it most for what makes it unique. What it does that the A800 doesnt. ANALOG and it's controller. I'll tell you how to make yours a caddilac for select games.
My number 1 is Missile Command. Easy top 5 gaming experience of all time kinda thing.. and not with a trakball but with the original analog joystick.
For maximum ease i highly recommend the rubber boot around the stick be torn or even removed. It's worth it. I was lucky mine was given to me that way to see the difference.
Analog paddles and trakballs don't have centering so certain analog 5200 games really shouldn't either. You don't want something tugging on your controles at all for Breakout, Kaboom, Star Wars Arcade, Missile Command, Gorf.. the only way I'll play those is if I'm on a Wico with self centering switch turned off or a standard with a torn or removed boot.
I recommend the standard because even with the boot gone it's not completely loose. You can also just make a tear on the center ring. Then it's even got some cushin on the edges. It's possibly my fav controller of all time as where my prestine 5200 with perfect boot I can barely stand.
I also recommend the US model controller with sunken in triggers as the other later models triggers are fat rubber and awkwardly stick out in comparison and are less clicky.
Ill explain for anyone reading why analog makes such a difference on these games. Other home system you have to push the curser at a single speed where you want it to go, but with 5200 Missile Command, Gorf, Breakout ect.. you simply just point and it's there, as fast as you can think. Just like a computer mouse but better!
No other system is like that. Fast as the eye.
Now it does depend how the game is programmed. Some like Centipede need the Trakball controller to unlock this feature, Centipede controls different in joystick mode and needs centering as where Missile Command leaves it at full range no matter the controller.
The boot was put there to accommodate for games that need centering like Pacman and most of the library. But a Wico stick with actual spring loaded centering is so much better for those imo.
What makes 5200 special to me are these non centering analog games. I couldn't have gotten the Gorf world record without my trusty torn boot controller.
5200 is really the big smooth caddillac it was meant to be, I was just lucky I was given one by my old neighbor last year. I wouldn't have experienced the magic otherwise.
An analog thumbstick would work for Pole Position and River Raid, but wouldn't on the games I listed above.
There are analog control games that need centering. So don't tear the boot unless you have a better backup.
Then there are analog control games better without centering. "2nd place record in Kaboom!"
And then there are digital control games that don't benefit from the 5200 analog whatsoever in any way, like Pacman, Popeye, and likely the majority of the 5200 library. People often get non analog controller options for these.
But its the handful of gems that make it stand out to me 💎. The reason 5200 was different. Without those games people might just get the Atari 800. Same hardware and games but without 180 degree analog.
Thx I just had to say all that because it's been a passion. Now I'll enjoy your video !
Enjoyed this comment, and yeah Missile Command is amazing and almost certainly a top ten on the system for me.
@@Jenovi thanks! Really enjoying the video! I found Missile Command at my local shop for pretty cheap. They actually have a small bit of 5200 games mixed with the 2600, some under 10 bucks. I knew I had to get that one. Glad u like it
Nice video . I have been considering a 5200 but the cost has just jumped beyond what I'm willing to pay.
That's the unfortunate situation with gaming in general. Thanks for stopping by.
I'm the luckiest on earth.
I straight up found an Atari 5200 with a dozen games, 2 standard controllers, and 1 Wico controller, all in an old neighbors basement. When I showed interest they just staight gave it to me. They didn't know where it came from or even knew they had it but guessed it was given to them by a church friend back in the day but never used. Oldest thing i ever saw them have was Nintendo, so this had been put aside in an open dusty box for possibly decades. My eye just happened to hit it one day last year while in their basement, and they wanted nothing to do with it and were super nice.
I had just purchased myself a 7800 a few months before and got real into Atari. Never thought I'd get one. Someone in the 5200 group said that 5200s have a way of finding their owners!
@@Lightblue2222 Yeah Chicago is kind of a wasteland for retro video game deals. I do have the MiSTer so that can tide me over until I find a deal.
@@SuperNicktendo yea that's where I live. Chicagoland suburbs. 5200 games can still be found cheap at used game stores next to 2600. I've seen more 5200 games in the wild than 7800.
It's the system itself and finding good working controllers, that's the where I got real lucky.
The fire buttons and number pads needed cleaning, i wiped this black stuff off the flex circuit to get em going. But start button and joystick never failed, and the wico has never failed, so I was able to play right away in my case.
Great video! Space Dungeon and Robotron were absolute favorites on the Atari 5200. So many great arcade ports (everything from Kangaroo to Pengo to Jungle Hunt). The one drawback on this system was/is the size. Even the power supply was/is huge. As you said in the review, the track ball was well built. Playing Missile Command and Centipede on it was just amazing.
My first console. Loved the 5200. It was a matter of bad timing (1982-1983), but the system was pretty neat. The games were light-years ahead of the 2600 as far as graphics, etc. It really stood up to Arcade quality games.
It's great to see an appreciative Atari 5200 video rather than one that simply bashes it. As someone who grew up playing the 5200 with my cousins, I know very well that the software library is actually awesome and super-fun to play. We spent hours having a blast with Frogger, Defender, Mario Bros, and H.E.R.O. among others.
However, I do have to disagree with you about the hardware -- even with my rosy nostalgia glasses on, honesty compels me to say the 5200 earns every iota of its bad press on that side of things. Between the gargantuan form factor and the worst-in-history controllers that were prone to every failure imaginable (if it wasn't the drifting analog stick, it was the buttons failing... including the Start button needed to even play the games), it's a very hard console to recommend to modern audiences for the simple reason that any un-doctored original hardware is almost guaranteed to be a "lemon" of some sort. And though the modern controllers you linked to solve many of those issues, each costs over $100 apiece and is prohibitively expensive for all but the most hardcore 5200 enthusiasts. Personally, I'd recommend modern gamers emulate or play these titles in an Atari collection title -- don't sleep on the 5200 versions, kids!
The consoles are extremely reliable. Controllers must be refurbished, but they can be had reasonably.
This is some really well done reporting. I subscribed. I hope you release more, there no reason (other than a poor algorithm thats never put this up in our sekective options) this video shouldn't have tons more views.
Good video. I like the 5200 quite a bit. I also agree about Space Dungeon, that game is absolutely exceptional! It has quickly become one of my favorite games of the '80s. However, on another note, you say Gremlins was the only 1986 release, but weren't the two Lucasfilm games -- Rescue on Fractalus and Ballblazer -- also 1986 releases, not only Gremlins?
Very good question, and I unfortunately don't have a definitive answer. Looking deep into this, there seems to be a very limited realized in 1984 for both games. I've even seen an Atari Corp box dated 1984, which I found interesting. Looking at a cashed version of the developers website, they seem to agree with that, stating both games released on the 5200 in '84. So it appears they were released right as the company changed hands and a few did go out, but it's also possible they were only partially manufactured and shelved until 1986. One other thing of note, there is strong evidence that Gremlins shipped in 1987 and not 1986. For the video, I had two approach. 1. use printed material copy write dates, it's the method most 5200 enthusiast go by. 2. Use internal documents. Neither mesh well with the other, but I chose number 1. Using number 2 leads to the conclusion that Gremlins released in 1987, never selling a single unit in 1986. web.archive.org/web/20030203125512/www.lucasarts.com/20th/history_1.htm
I still have my original 5200 from Christmas 82'. It sat for years until I got a newer analog controller. Now I can play most games again and along with track ball, just about all of them. There have been many 8 bit computer ports over to the 5200 like Laser Gates, Encounter, Satan's Hollow all great games. My favorite is Star Raiders for it, I mastered that game as a kid. I spent thousands of hours in Star Cruiser 7's cockpit! Lol But there is one game that is making a close second to me and it's a recent release. apparently it was completed but never released and was completed before it's arcade version wich was unusual back then. That is Blaster. Dude, you have to hook up your 5200 to a sound system and let the light and sound show blow you away!!! I still am impressed that this came out on a 5200 considering it's line scaling. Yes enemies and projectiles all are line drawn and scale, now mind with a fair amount of slow down, wich is understandable. But man that Pokey chip!! Love the sounds on that system,almost thunderous if hooked up to a sound system.
Blaster is an intense experience- amazing game :)
I gotta say, consoles like the 5200 are well before my time, but it's a time that I find very fascinating to learn about as far as video games go. If I ever find myself in possession of an Atari 5200, I know a lot of games I'd love to try, but it's really cool seeing some of these recommendations. There's still a lot that I've never heard of.
There's no name for this generation of systems, but I call it the Lost Generations. Folks seldom discuss them and history likes to skip over these systems between generations.
Excellent video. I still own an original 5200. Have lots of great Games with working controllers.
Man, another excellent video. Your channel is a treasure for people interested in retro hardware that was not as successful when it launched. Since I'm an old fart, I actually played the 5200 and the 7800. Hell, I even got to play a few Pong consoles. And I loved all my experiences with those systems. Did you own a home computer when you were a kid? I had a ZX Spectrum, but also had the chance to play on C64 and MSX computers, and have very fond memories of all of them.
Great video, definitely inspires me to get out my 5200 and hook it up again soon.
Like the Vectrex and 5200 you say? Mark from CGR would approve.
One of the first console libraries I went after. Despite how big and clunky the system is, I still love it.
I love this console. I had one back in the day. It could be challenging at times, but overall it wasn't as horrible as it's reputation.
I used to rebuild the sticks. But now the 3d printed controllers is a good solution. Space Dungeon is the killer app, in my opinion.
Excelent take on an interesting console I knew nothing about. Thanks for sharing.
Space Dungeon and Countermeasure were pretty unique and engaging games for the 1980s. There was also a nicely complex simulator of Space Shuttle missions from Activision. Great little games with limited hardware power.
My favorite controller is the ET Alien Trafficking Finger Bang controller. Great video man, seriously awesome 👌
Thanks amigo. Appreciate it.
Gyruss is an awesome game, the first I played it was on the C64, then I played it at the arcade, and now on my own arcade machine, I would love to have this on the atari 2600.
Qix was my favorite of these. Loved the sounds in it.
I was never good at games growing up, but this one I totally got for some reason.
The colors shown are wrong though... If you filled a zone quickly, it turned blue, and if you used the slow button it filled in orange.
The 5200 has incorrect colors?
@@Jenovi It's been a long time, but yeah.
I'm positive the colors were blue and orange on my old 5200.
I really appreciate how this console unlike other obscure and failed ones it has packed in a lot of hidden gems that anyone was capable to enjoy at the time because of the controllers. I played all the library of this console via emulation and I swear I enjoyed all of those games despite of the broken analog/trackball emulation.
I think 5200 it's a really must play console. It was a gem and still being one nowadays. Even more because of the unofficial and homebrew controllers which are amazing.
Support is getting better for this one, and that's a plus, because it has a ton to offer.
Good episode, guy. Whatever happened to the 32X buyer's guide series though?
Still working on it. Production on these has slowed due to outside factors. The next two scripts are already wrote, just need to film/edit. They are in queue.
A long video but a good one at the same time. I was never attracted to this console but I understand the appeal.
One Atari game that really interests me is Pitfall II. It's a very unique game that pushed the 2600 to its limits but yet I never see that cart in the wild. I'm a big fan of David Crane's body of work.
Shoot, I have Pitfall II for the 5200, solid work. Also would recommend the superior Montezuma's Revenge. The game was a million+ seller back in the day, and is essentially forgotten today. I think for many, the 5200 won't be appealing and I tried explaining that early in the video. Why beat around the bush trying to convince someone? It's essentially a system dedicated to a few genres. Imagine a console dedicated only to Sports and Puzzle games. No matter how solid the experience was, if you don't like that stuff, no minds will be changes. That's the deal here. Many thanks for stopping by and watching what must have been a boring video. 😅
@@Jenovi Not boring at all. Cheers.
These atari games look fantastic in the video and gyruss looks pretty cool!
The 5200 was my first console. I'm down to my last working controller out of the 4 I started with 😔 I have Gremlins. People are surprised by it when I show it
its pronounced GIRUSS not GUYRUSS 🙂@ 11:37 - i have all the games mentioned running on my Atgames Legends Ultimate stand up arcade machine (including the arcade versions too) runs great as the machine comes including proper trackball and spinners! I play them all on my steamdeck too which has dual analogue sticks
Gyruss, or Gryuss?? Have I been saying it wrong for 40 years??? 🤯
You know, I haven’t a clue. 😂
I think it's gyruss like gyroscope
He needs to google the pronunciation of gyroscope. It's very close. Gyruss = jai·rus
Love your videos. Keep it up dude.
Thanks Gab S.
The 5200 joystick is a funny setup, there is both a digital and analog style of input programming, meaning one could make a D-pad controller for it Eg. see Gravis Gamepad. Been thinking maybe a DC like layout with both present could remedy the feel difference matter across it's library.
Good news about the coupler is there are a lot of people selling 3D printed reproductions. Admittedly I've held off playing more because I'd rather use the Maker Matrix one, maybe he should just let people ship original cables to him since it's been a while since you could buy one.
Heard a funny anecdote about Gremlins, the programming author got to talking about it in an interview long after and was surprised to here it came out. I sought out a copy because it's a must own for this platform imo.
Yep TDF not the traditional shmup experience but it's not bad. Lol yeah I played far more Qix clones that the original, they should have added naked women. ;)
An atari 5200 youtuber I love it newly subscribed because I own an atari 5200 sadly controllers are no good. Would love to watch more on atari 5200 games
There was a box at a yard sale a few years back where they had 20 5200 games. I didn’t have any cash on me and by the time I got back they had sold it…still hurts to this day
Brutal!
I know the feeling. A coworker was supposed to sell me his 5200 and games for only $50, but he never came through with it before I was furloughed and he was fired.
i had qix on the 5200 as a kid. it’s one of the best ports on any platform
Gyruss is actually a mix of Tempest and Galaga. I only wish it worked with a paddle-type or spinner controller.
:43 that's almost beyond belief! Yet, I can see a saturation happening over the course of 1983. Was that $100 million year for '83, or '84? I could see that for '84. I realize these are likely quoted from the Times.
Arcades remained relevant longer in small towns in rural America, where home consoles hadn't quite reached saturation.
My family didn't get 2600, even, 'til '86. I think by the next year, the arcade at the mall was a ghost town. Capcom Games popping up are an example of how the arcade consoles continued on - but less commonly in game rooms, unless they're deluxe.
Gryuss and Street Fighter II share a creator. That's cool!!!
Very good choice of games I would have to add Beamrider and Buck Rogers Planet of Zoom
The 5200 has a lot of 2600 games that are graphically improved like PItfall, Frogger, Pengo, Defender, etc.
Atari 800/XL/5200 Gyruss is a superb port of the arcade game.
I made it to Earth. Once.
The 7800 version of Robotron also supports dual-sticks.
Excellent Video!!!
Mine is the 4 port but with the fix that allows it full compatibility to make it compatible with my VCS adaptor.
This is great man. Ive never played 5200
It’s essentially the Amico, not reimagined.
The version of Montezuma's Revenge on the 5200 was the best one, if you had a good controller. I also like Hero, though it has an excellent version on the 7800 that is also good, and I spent so much time on Pitfall II and actually got to the end of the game!!!
You should totally do a video on the Atari 7800, but if you don't want to, you should totally recommend a good video about it.
I’m certainly considering it.
The first time I played qix was on the c64, and now have it as an arcade game, I have atari 2600, 2600+and 7800, never really wanted a 5200, because in Australia they are way to expensive.
I also liked the Atari 5200 Kangaroo, Pengo, Joust, and Ms. Pac-Man.
Bezerk is great on the atari 2600 and now with speech on the plus
Space Dungeon makes Star of Providence (formerly Monolith on Steam) like a 100% clone haha. I wonder if the developers were aware of SD? Definitely a fun game.
The Commodore 64 and Atari 8 bit line of computers done many of these games (official licensed) as I know being a person that plays real hardware 8 bit computers. If it was on the Atari 5200 then most likely on a Atari 8 bit line of computers and possibly on the Commodore 64, early years of the commodore 64 had the software company Atari soft creating software for the computer.
I'm an oldie, but I've never heard of Space Dungeon. Never ceases to amaze me just how ahead of the curve Atari were back then. Dreadnaught Factor looks great too.
You consider the 5200 a better Pre-NES system than the ColecoVision?
Personally? Yeah. I would rank the forgotten generation systems 1. Vectrex 2. 5200 3. ColecoVision
ColecoVision blows away the 5200. Despite the misinformation that the 5200 "out competed ColecoVision" the reality is Coleco sold 6X as many consoles. There's a reason the 5200 was a total dud. Check out Gaming History Source's "Let's compare" for games they have in common. ColecoVision win in everyone I've looked at: Jungle Hunt, Moon Patrol, Mr. Do!'s Castle, Congo Bongo, Galaxian, Gorf, Zaxxon, and so on. Even Atari knew it couldn't compete, and the 7800 was built to compete with Coleco.
I'd pick the 5200 any day over Colecovision. Not that the Colecovision is bad, but the 5200 has games that have amazing aspects of control (The Trakball is second to none and the controller coupler makes playing Robotron 2084 and Space Dungeon unparralleled for the time). And it offers a really nice version of Pac-Man. Wico made a very cool joystick for the system that could be tightened for digital control games or loosened for analog control games like Kaboom! or Missile Command. The Supersystem outshines anything else that was out in 1982 or 83.
@@wiredupretro Well, as long you understand, your opinion is in a rare, rare minority. The 5200 regularly appears on "Worst Of" lists, while ColecoVision is often on "Best Of" lists. Metal Jesus calls the 5200 the worst console of all time. Still, I don't outright dismiss the 5200 and would even understand if someone preferred it. However, claiming "it outshines anything else" shows a loss of all objectivity. You are living in a fanboy delusion. Sad.
I did turn down an opportunity to buy a Atari 5200, but it was so I could purchase a PS Vita at the same price of $150.
Now knowing how much the demand for PS Vita had increased now, I feel that is the better choice. (Plus I experienced one of the most inspiring games that I ever played, Gravity Rush, on Vita.)
Now it is a good time for me to get a 5200 since every other console getting way too expensive to collect for! (I already have a few complete in box 5200 games since I found them for less than $5 complete.)
However I am curious on your thoughts on Ballblazer for the 5200. The 7800 version is my favorite 7800 game and knowing it is on 5200, it probably would be one of the first games I’ll acquire.
Is it a good port or something to skip over from your experience?
Great question. It's essentially the same game. The 7800 used the same sound hardware as the 2600, but had the ability for carts to include an onboard Pokey chip. Ballblazer was developed for the 5200, so when ported to the 7800, it's one of only, I believe two games, to include this chip. It's near identical, but honestly a little better on the 7800. It's the main reason I left it off this list.
@@Jenovi I believe graphically it looks better on 7800 from the footage I’ve seen of the two games.
It is good that they are both solid versions! (Unlike the Famicom version) I’ll keep an eye out for it then!
I found the Atari 400/800 had a Great version of Robotron 2084
The 5200 did not offer enough of an upgrade from other Atari machines. Atari flooded themselves out of the market. To be honest though these games do look good for the time.
I don't think that's quite what happened, and the 5200 was a massive step up. The flooding was done after the fact.
@@Jenovi From my perspective as a kid when we went to a store in the early 80s it was a pile of 2600 then 5600 and 7800. As a kid it just wasn't impressive until we saw Mario. We kinda ignored the Genesis until we saw the in store sonic demo. But hey, where I lived was small and far from any large city. Seeing them now they look fun.
Didn't the Atari 2600 have trackball controllers first? The system also had multiple single player games requiring both joysticks prior to the 5200.
What killed the 5200 was it wasnt backwards complatible with the 2600
I love the controller it was sexy as hell
Wow, Gremlins looks great for the 5200! I haven't played Qix but have played Taito's more improved follow up Volfied.
I've noticed a lot of TH-camrs generally tend to dismiss or slag off pre-NES consoles as being only interesting to 50 year olds stuck in the past. I'm not a fan of those older consoles but why is there such a snobbishness and ageism rudeness towards this era of gaming? 🤔
Complicated, but I can fully understand. I mean, I'm not a fan of the 2600 or others from that era. Thing is, the 5200 isn't from that era in a technical sense, though it's often placed there (I discussed this in the Why Console Generations video). The 5200 really is something special IMO with the Vertex being the only like kind home gaming system. After that, it's 8-bit computers.
@@Jenovi It takes someone who's willing to keep an open mind to experiencing and appreciating games they didn't grow up with.
Still the only place to play Space dungeon
I didn't see much use for the 5200 back in the day. Most of it's games were just improved ports of games everyone who owned an Atari 2600 already had, and the joysticks were junky.
"Nothing else comes close to the 5200 and Vectrex." What a joke! ColecoVision was the superior console. Check out Gaming History Source's "Let's Compare" series for games they have in common. ColecoVision wins in everyone I've looked at: Jungle Hunt, Moon Patrol, Mr. Do!'s Castle, Congo Bongo, Buck Rogers, Galaxian, Gorf, Zaxxon, and so on. Even Atari knew it couldn't compete, and the 7800 was built to compete with Coleco.
😂 good one.
@@Jenovi The 5200 regularly appears on "Worst Of" lists, while ColecoVision is often on "Best Of" lists. Still, I don't outright dismiss the 5200 and would even understand if someone preferred it. However, claiming "nothing comes close to it" shows a loss of all objectivity. You are living in a fanboy delusion. Sad.
@@colecovisionlives3139 Somebody named ColecoVision Lives! is accusing somebody else of being a fanboy! Go find a mirror dude.
@@jeremiahthomas8140 Dumb! Jeremiah is a traditional Jewish name as he's a major prophet of the Hebrew Bible. Should I make conclusions about you based on your name? Claiming the Atari 5200 version of Gyrus "remains the best home port available to this day" is way over-the-top. Multiple critics have panned the version. The Video Game Critic gives the 5200 port a D (he even did a second more careful review and his opinion of it only got worse). These same critics rate the ColecoVision version considerably higher. Even with objective evidence, I wouldn't make an outrageous claim ColecoVision's version is the best home port ever made. These legacy games mostly suck.
ooh 24 mins, nice!
Hope you enjoy. 🤠
Staring at my Atari 400!
I had an Atari 800, the 5200 just seemed like a castrated 800 to me. I had Gremlins on the 800, I'm not sure it was exclusive to the 5200?
Who is that on your shirt?
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
@@Jenovi that's what I thought 👍🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦❤️❤️
That was the worst controller ever made.
Growing up my dad bought us the real centipede arcade game so any old console version will never match up..
That shirt will age like milk.
Can't say I'm impressed by the 5200 but it's an interesting topic. Atari never appealed to me much.
The 5200 was a total bomb when it came out. It often appears on lists of the worst console of all time. Personally, I think it gets a bad rap, but this video is fanboy nonsense. Plus, he gets his facts wrong. ColecoVision significantly outsold the 5200.
I found it strange that donkeykong & donkeykong jr did not made it to the atari 5200 but did made it to the atari 2600 & atari 7800,WHY??
But likely an homebrewer did converted those atari 400/800 versions of donkeykong & donleykong jr into atari 5200 by simply lining up those adress registers and memory lacotions to that of the atari 5200,since those systems are apart from those minor differences,the same😁
Coleco had the rights to Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Junior. Coleco released both on the 2600, but did want to release them on the main competition for their console. As far as the 7800 getting them, by that time Coleco was out of the video game business and Atari had secured the rights.
@@jeremiahthomas8140 wooow if atari eventually secureted the rights for donkeykong, then i wonder why they didn’t also ported donkeykong and donkeykong jr to the 5200 too, maybe it could,ve sell more atari 5200 systems as well😁
@@johneygd By the time Atari had the rights, the 5200 was no longer being sold at retail.
@@jeremiahthomas8140 yeah in 1988 the 5200 was already dead but atari just should have do it anyway just to discourage atari 5200 owners to buy a nes but also to keep the 5200 alive as possible,but
Just imagine if atari released both donkeykong and DKjr for the 5200 and NOT for the 7800, then the 7800 may would,ve sold less and we may have complain about it now here🤣
Frankly the 5200 is almost completely replaced by the Atari xl/xe computer.
Still my most favorite system of all time. From a game standpoint. Star Raiders, improved over the 400/800 version. Space Dungeon. Robotron. Joust. Defender. Vanguard. Qix. Miner 2049er. Mario Bros. Bounty Bob Strikes Back. Alright this list is getting too long. Frankly there’s just a few I didn’t like.
Star Raiders is the best game on the Atari 5200 and the Atari 2600. I will die on this hill....
The 7800 was hardly outdated in 1986.
It wasn't but it was getting its ass kicked by the NES
@@rockoorbe2002 which is unfortunate, cuz I think the 7800 was a much better console. It was a powerful sprite generating machine, and didn't suffer from sprite flicker, which was always a sore spot for me with the NES.
Atari Berzerk: The Golden Age.
Ports . Dreamcast ..BOOM
Who's on your shirt?
Surprised no Popeye here
Ive had em all ..every console
didn't Gremlins come out on the 400/800 originally ?
(different colour scheme but same game)
def. better than the 2600 game
Interesting question. I'm not claiming this is 100% factual as I honestly don't know, but I've always understood it as the 5200 version was developed for the 5200 alone. A port was in the works for the Atari Computer line, but never finished. That was later discovered, and either dumped or finished and dumped. I did forget to mention a port to the C64, but I don't consider it a console.
This centipede is even better than the 7800 one huh?
Yes.
Better VS
5200: Visuals, Game Field Size, TrakBall support, sound, closer to the arcade.
7800: 2 player support.
GY - RUSS.... like gy-roscope
The coleco vision has way better games than the 5200 as well as double the library. Both controllers suck but the coleco sucks less. As far as the first system to do twin sticks, almost all of the home ports of robotron 2084 in 1983 supported twin joysticks. The main issue with the 5200 was the reliability of the controllers and hardware, especially if you have one of the 4 port consoles that carries power to the system over the RF switch.
It's personal preference, and for me, the 5200 wins in the games department, though I like the ColecoVision. For Robotron 2084, the only home console port in 1983 was the 5200, then later the 7800. Everything else released in the 80's was for home computers. Anyways, the twin stick reference wasn't about "Twin Sticks", it was regarding twin analog sticks, and the 5200 was first to do so, something now common on all modern game system.
@@Jenovi I said "Home port" not "Home console port". In the 80s Home computers were easily half of the gaming market and were sold on the same shelves in the same stores as the "consoles" of the time. Robotron is much better with with digital on off style joysticks just like it had in the arcade. In addition, the 5200 was not the first console to have twin analog sticks. That distinction goes to the Magnavox Odyssey 2 released in 1978...
@@hi-fibyharris8461 Huh? I've had an O2 for decades. I don't recall any game designed around a single player experience using both controllers, but then again, I don't own every game. Most important though, the O2 100% has digital controllers.
@@Jenovi you are 100% wrong about that. The Odyssey 2 joysticks are sensitive to how far in a given direction they are moved, therefore making them analog. Play Smithereens once and you can observe it first hand...
@@hi-fibyharris8461 Yeah, I have it. Smithereens is 100% a digital game. You hold the joystick to determine how far your bolder will travel( a digital action). I even tossed it back in to make sure I wasn't mistaken.
Why is this Gyruss better than the nes version? 5200 definitely has worse graphics and its digital so not gaining anything with analog controller. What did I miss?
They are not the same game, that's the main deal. I also prefer the graphical style of the NES version. Most old timers during that era referred to Gyruss for the NES as Gyruss II or a Gyruss inspired Nintendified version. The NES version was easier and has bosses too, something that really changes the feeling of the game.
Atari and Sega should compete nowadays, not Xbox and Playstation 🥲 Nintendo could stay 🤣
The controller was the worst ever made, and would break easily, just get the Atari 400 or 800.
Laughable! The 5200 did NOT "out compete the ColecoVision." The 5200 was a total bomb in the market. Get your facts straight!