Atari 5200 commercial (1982) 

I love Atari! To me, this is better than XBOX and Playstation. I will always love Defender, Space Invaders, Pacman, Ms. Pacman, Joust, Pole Position, and Missile Command. This game console is Eternal. August 30, 2021, Monday.

As a proud owner of a 5200 unit since my 17th birthday (I took delivery on May 19, 1983, I was born in 1966), and a thing about the stock controllers (model no. CX52), good players like myself (I was back then, not so much now but I'll get back at it again!) eventually adapted to the analog, non-centering X/Y-based joystick and keypad combination. The trak-ball was awesome and made games like Missile Command, Crystal Castles, and Centipede even more enjoyable, although the keypad, start/pause/reset and fire buttons on the stock controllers did have a tendency of wearing down because the carbon contacts on the flex circuits which operated the keypad and fire buttons wore out, but wait!...... Best Electronics can put new life into those controllers as they have GOLD-PLATED flex circuits and buttons with TACTILE response feature available for them right here: www.best-electronics-ca.com/5200.htm that and also the 5200 has even more titles now than when it first came out, thanks to those folks who put out homebrews, prototype reproductions and also more gear and games for our 5200 units, especially AtariAge, AtariMax, and also Good Deal Games' Homebrew Heaven among others!!! I own almost 100 games for my 5200, the only original release from 1982-84 I don't have is Bounty Bob Strikes Back, and If it find it I will get it!!! Wico also offered a 5200 analog joystick WITH switchable self-centering and leaf-switch-operated (the same as arcade) fire button and even a touchtone phone-quality keypad which is so awesome to operate, in fact I always wanted to have a dream Star Trek-like setup, especially for games like Star Raiders, where one person would be commander calling all the shots, one other person would operate the joystick while another one dialed everything in on the keypad (shields, attack computer, hyperwarp, etc.) About 5 years ago, AtariAge even made Redemption 5200 units out of donated cartridge shells, that used the 5200 keypad (or Wico equivalent) along with either a 2600, 7800, or PC-compatible controller (they made separate models, one for each) for even more versatility, and if you can find it there was also the Masterplay 5200 interface, which allowed 2600 sticks (and 5200 keypad) to be used on the 5200 as well. For more info go to www.AtariAge.com.

This system could’ve been great but it had two major cons 1. The concept of upgrading your console didn’t exist back then people basically thought once you have a console you would have that console until it dies basically like a household appliance 2. The most well known one: THE CONTROLLER Atari did such a bad job in engineering them the joystick and the quick oxidation of the contact points

What were they thinking? Atari 2600 better.

"Dead fish floppo joysticks" - Ed Kunkel

With a controller not so advanced it won't play Arcade. (0:10)

Wow video games have really changed over the years back then these were the real graphics

I remember wanting one of these things in the worst way back in 83. The commercials made the games look more awesome than the ones on the 2600.

The worst pile of garbage game console ever made.