I’ve owned my fair share of video game systems over the years, starting with Atari. I’ve also owned various systems from Nintendo, Sega, Sony and Microsoft. Some of them I owned for years, while others were for a shorter period of time. Each of them were enjoyable in their own way. However, I do have my favorites. My favorite video game system of all time is the Atari.
Graphics
Yes, I know that the graphics were not good at all and the games were primitive, but there was something about that initial video game system. Even now with the better graphics and more complex game play, I find myself craving the old Atari games. Some of these games come on the newer systems, but they just aren’t the same.
Ease of Use
One of the things I love the most about the Atari is its ease of use. I loved the fact that all you needed was to move the joystick and if you needed to fire, you pushed the red button. That’s all there was too it. The more gaming systems come out, the more buttons there are to deal with. In some cases, game play has gotten more complicated than it’s worth. For me, it is just too frustrating when I can’t make any progress on a game. I don’t want to speed through it, but I don’t want to feel stuck either.
Favorite Games
The simplistic games of the Atari system were still fun, despite their simplicity. “Pong” wasn’t really a favorite of mine. I loved “Pac-Man,” though. Other games that I enjoyed included “Pitfall,” “Asteroids” and “Cops and Robbers.” I also loved “Q-bert.” Many of these games have made appearances on the newer systems. I remember buying “Pitfall” for the original PlayStation. However, I found myself entering the cheat codes to play the original version more often than I played the new version.
Even though I still enjoy gaming today and own some of the more recent systems, I miss the Atari. I miss the days where I could successfully play a game without spending days, weeks or even months on it. Sometimes, I just want something that is easy and simple, just like the old days.