Atari Flashback Family Time

Happy New Year!!!

Those of us who grew up in the 1980s have fond memories of first generation video game consoles such as the classic Atari 2600.

These gaming consoles lacked the slick graphics and adrennaline pumping game scenarios as modern video games, but they were fun to play and provided our families with hours of fun.

And therein lies the big difference between today's modern video games and those classics such as Asteroids or Breakout. The Atari 2600 console games were easy enough to play that virtually anyone could pick up a controller and share in the fun.

Hours of practice and exceptional coordination were not prerequisites for the Atari 2600.

Since most households at that time had only one or two TVs, playing the video game was a family activity. The days of the gaming pro were still a generation away. At that time, games were simply a fun activity for everyone.

Proof of this is shown in the continued popularity of those old Atari games. This morning my eight year old daughter found my wife's Atari Flashback console. We hooked it up and in less than ten minutes we were having a serious Breakout battle.

A little while later her teenage sister and cousin showed up, and within a few minutes they began trying to beat the eight year old at Breakout and Air-Sea Battle. They eventually eclipsed her in Breakout, but two hours later she is still the undisputed Air-Sea Battle champion.

With a modern gaming console, this type of family interraction would be rare. The games require too much practice and knowledge to become proficient. Young children have no hope of mastering these games, and adults just don't have enough time.

Since classic consoles such as the Atari Flashback cost less than a single game for a modern console, buying a classic gaming console will provide hours of fun without putting much of a dent in your pocketbook.

While I would never argue that the Atari 2600 is a better console than an Xbox or PlayStation 3, I believe that the older games are a better family activity than any modern game.

Give one a try. Your family will be glad that you did.