Game System Review: Atari 7800 ProSystem

So my compulsive eBay watching has finally payed off! Thats right, I have my very own Atari 7800 Pro System. As most of my faithful readers know, the Atari 2600 is probably my favorite platform, and with good reason. Its cheap, fun, simple and has an abundance of titles that can be found almost everywhere for a bargain. The 7800 may just knock the 2600 off its high horse.

The 7800 was originally supposed to replace the Atari 5200 and was slated to be released in 1984, but that was shelved due to a combination of factors such as the video game crash of 1984 and the Atari company being sold the same year. That could have been the end of this story, but it wasn't.

With the release of the NES in 1985, video games were back with a vengeance and the new owners of Atari thought it would be a good idea to re-release the 7800, which they did in January of 1986. There were several problems with the 7800, none of them being the system's fault. Competing against the Sega Master System and the hugely successful Nintendo NES proved extremely difficult. Nintendo had exclusivity agreements with it's software developers so the titles produced for NES wouldn't be appearing for the 7800. There were also a number of canceled peripherals for the system, including a High Score Cartridge and a planned connection to laserdisc players. These broken promises led to a lack of confidence in Atari. The company also didn't give the system much financial backing, especially when compared to the advertising the Nintendo juggernaut roled out. This led to slow sales and eventual cancelation. Very few game titles were developed for the system.

The Atari 7800 ProSystem is not without it's redeeming qualities though. Like I said before, most of the problems with the 7800 was poor advertising and poor timing. Most 7800 owners will agree that it's biggest selling feature is nearly full backward compatibility with the Atari 2600, meaning those with an extensive library of 2600 games could play them on their new machine. There were several very good titles developed for the 7800, but less than 100 titles total and none of them enjoyed the fame and notoriety of many of the NES titles being released at the same time.

For the vintage gamer the Atari 7800 Pro System has a certain allure to it. It's rarity compared to the 2600 (3.7 million sold versus more than 30 million Atari 2600's), its sleek almost futuristic design, it's front control ports and push buttons all make it more desirable than the 2600. Another huge bonus is the 7800 is about a decade newer than the 2600. This means the electronics in it are a decade newer and less prone to failure. All these factors are reflected in the price these units can fetch. The 2600 can easily be found at your local vintage video game store for $40 and online for between $20 and $50. The rarer 7800 can go for anywhere from $50 to $150 and actually, I haven't seen one locally in several months. The prices are very dependent on functionality, bundled games, controls, etc. I got my 7800 on eBay for $33 including shipping. This low price means I didn't get any games and only one controller. This was fine by me since the 7800 can play all my 2600 games as well as the eight 7800 games I picked up along the way. The 7800 also accepts the paddles and joysticks I already had for my 2600.

The games developed for the 7800 are GREAT! They are fairly easy to find for a reasonable price, have great graphics and just enhance the entire Atari experience. I recommend Choplifter, F-18, Donkey Kong Junior and Pole Position II. (ALL games I will be reviewing by the way)

If you are familiar with the 2600, picking up the 7800 will be a breeze. The controllers are a bit hard to get used to, and i actually prefer using the 2600 controllers, but to each his own. Other than that, there really isn't much difference between the systems. If you are reading this while looking at the two systems and wondering which one to buy, go for the 7800. The backward compatibility with the 2600 combined with the (admittedly small) library of 7800 games and the sexy sleekness of the unit itself just make it a better buy. It will look great on your shelf next to your NES and Sega Genesis.


ON A DIFFERENT NOTE: Don’t forget to vote for your favorite game system on the poll located on the top of the column on the right! A lot of people have voted for the SNES, which is probably my least favorite vintage system and I really don’t think it did much to further the video game industry, but one man’s trash is another’s treasure. Anyway, VOTE! PLEASE VOTE!