Show us your 5200 collection!

[carmel_andrews]

well BIGHWM, i did see some, back in the day, but i did'nt buy one then as i thought Atari would always be with us in that form...shame it didn't work out that way

[Corby]

Well, i said to heck with it and i decided to dig my way through the mess to get to my 5200 games and hardware. I can't get to my system's box right now so all i have pictures of is my games and my system. Unfortunately, i don't have any boxed games but i plan on tackling that later on.

 

 

Playing a classic system, on a classic floor model tv!

 

I miss my old floor model, but never did play atari on one. it was always on small b+w tv. It was when i got a nes and snes is when i started using a floor model.

[VideoFever1982]

Well, i said to heck with it and i decided to dig my way through the mess to get to my 5200 games and hardware. I can't get to my system's box right now so all i have pictures of is my games and my system. Unfortunately, i don't have any boxed games but i plan on tackling that later on.

 

 

Playing a classic system, on a classic floor model tv!

 

I miss my old floor model, but never did play atari on one. it was always on small b+w tv. It was when i got a nes and snes is when i started using a floor model.

Thanks. I know what you mean. My parents almost always had a console tv and in 1992, they bought a 27" stereo Magnavox console. Very sharp cabinet. In 1998, they gave it to me and thats what i used my Playstation on till i got my 32" tv which i used everything on. I then gave the Magnavox to a friend of mine in exchange for some games. Now that i'm older and into collecting even more, I like certain tvs for certain things.

[VideoFever1982]

I have a better pic of that same st plus pics of my other sets as well to share with you guys who like vintage collecting. The one you see there with the 5200 hooked up is my newly acquired 1991 RCA 26" stereo console with s-video and other connections. Got it from an older couple in their 70's in mint condition. Not one scratch and even has the original remote. As with all my other sets as well, very clean with no wear. I just picked up a 1986 RCA Lyceum 27" stereo tv with original Digital Command Center remote. All good sets for playing my 7800, 5200, 2600, nes, snes, Turbo Duo, etc. Then my HD set for Playstation 2, x box, game cube, etc. The Sony with the glass front is an old 1984 RGB monitor i planned on using my Commodore 64 stuff on.

Edited December 22, 2008 by VideoFever1982

[VideoFever1982]

Forgot the RCA Lyceum:

Also keep in mind that these were all free. Either found and rescued or givin to me. This one was free as well but i made a 45 minute drive to get it.

[ziggystar]

I actually just picked up Meteorites CIB today, like new for $5 with several other games at a local game store.

 

Nice find! I rarely see any classic games, let alone 5200 carts around here.

Yeah, well they tend to look for cheap auctions where ever they can get bulks. Who knows if the boxes they had are from local deals or shipped from across the country. Some of the older games they just say screw it, don't research individual prices and instead count the games and average them to a sell price that'll turn a good profit. So They win until the cheap, crappy games are left and no one will pay the $x for them, which at the point drop to B2G1F at $1 each or something crazy to get rid of them.

 

The other weekend I went by an hole-in-the-wall auction place in a down-hill neighborhood and while walking through the stacks and lines of items there were some nice lots. Some boxes were stacked with old, CIB console and computer games. Saw a few boxes with old magazines (one full of hentai), computer parts, and so forth. I was really tempted to stick around, but had no cash and it was a work night. So places like that I wouldn't doubt they visit as I've seen many local game store owners at pawn shops, thrift stores, and flea markets before trying to buy up cheap merch before I could.

 

And to get back on topic, I plan to post a picture this afternoon after I've finished a class assignment and before I begin working on a term paper.

 

So I just took some quick pictures and attached.

 

 

 

Love that Laserdisk and that top loader NES!

[phaxda]

Very jealous of those TVs. Wish I had the room... someday I will get my console.

[Scream And Fly]

My new-in-box 4-port 5200

 

 

 

[VideoFever1982]

My new-in-box 4-port 5200

 

]

Now that's damn nice.

Edited December 23, 2008 by VideoFever1982

[PacManPlus]

Very nice!

 

Strange that it's a 4-port but it shows a 2-port on the box... I could see if it was the other way around

Edited December 23, 2008 by PacManPlus

[8bitbasslines]

Ripped from the 2600 forum, which was ripped from the Jaguar forum.

 

Here is my former 5200 collection. Sold 'em all when I moved to TX from NH.

 

Here is my set up

5200 is by far my favorite

My Gaming Spot

[iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin]

My new-in-box 4-port 5200

 

 

I die for pics like that......

[iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin]

My new-in-box 4-port 5200

 

 

I die for pics like that......

 

(double post but true)

Edited January 16, 2009 by iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin

[bohoki]

does your 5200 still have the protective plastic on the metal?

[VideoFever1982]

Ripped from the 2600 forum, which was ripped from the Jaguar forum.

 

Here is my former 5200 collection. Sold 'em all when I moved to TX from NH.

 

Here is my set up

5200 is by far my favorite

My Gaming Spot

Nice....What kind of monitor or tv is that?

[Cobra Kai]

That new-in-box 4 port is sweet.

 

It's been a long time since I took pics, maybe I will this weekend.

[VideoFever1982]

What i don't get is his system is a 4 port but on the box, it shows a 2 port and just says Supersystem on it. Mine is the wider box and says Advanced Video Entertainment System on the front.

[8bitbasslines]

Ripped from the 2600 forum, which was ripped from the Jaguar forum.

 

Here is my former 5200 collection. Sold 'em all when I moved to TX from NH.

 

Here is my set up

5200 is by far my favorite

My Gaming Spot

Nice....What kind of monitor or tv is that?

 

It's a Toshiba FST Blackstripe

It is starting to have some problems

It is a great tv for gaming though

I kept it so long because it has 3 inputs for tv video two on the back

and one in the front and on the front it has audio and video out

Which is great for me because I make music and sample a lot off my tv

One of the things I use to justify buying games and stuff for my old systems

is the plans to sample old games

This also validates spending the whole day playing atari or colecovision

not to mention when I get the snyth carts for both

 

Anyway

with the Play station I get some weird line on the top of the tv

Like bad v hold

but the v hold knob does not fix it

I am thinking its that section of inputs

because the gamecube looks perfect

Could also be bad wires

My nes needs new wires

If this tv starts to go I think it is worth fixing

I want to mod those speakers on the shelf above the tv and use them for sound

Yes the tv has output for speakers

It was a great tv for its day

It even has a port for hooking up a cpu

I wonder if I could use that port to hook up my atari 1040st or 520

Thanks for the props

Who in NY wants to have a 5200 party ?

[VideoFever1982]

It's a Toshiba FST Blackstripe

It is starting to have some problems

It is a great tv for gaming though

I kept it so long because it has 3 inputs for tv video two on the back

and one in the front and on the front it has audio and video out

Which is great for me because I make music and sample a lot off my tv

One of the things I use to justify buying games and stuff for my old systems

is the plans to sample old games

This also validates spending the whole day playing atari or colecovision

not to mention when I get the snyth carts for both

 

Anyway

with the Play station I get some weird line on the top of the tv

Like bad v hold

but the v hold knob does not fix it

I am thinking its that section of inputs

because the gamecube looks perfect

Could also be bad wires

My nes needs new wires

If this tv starts to go I think it is worth fixing

I want to mod those speakers on the shelf above the tv and use them for sound

Yes the tv has output for speakers

It was a great tv for its day

It even has a port for hooking up a cpu

I wonder if I could use that port to hook up my atari 1040st or 520

Thanks for the props

Who in NY wants to have a 5200 party ?

Sweet. 20" right? Is it from 83?

Edited January 17, 2009 by VideoFever1982

[8bitbasslines]

It's a Toshiba FST Blackstripe

It is starting to have some problems

It is a great tv for gaming though

I kept it so long because it has 3 inputs for tv video two on the back

and one in the front and on the front it has audio and video out

Which is great for me because I make music and sample a lot off my tv

One of the things I use to justify buying games and stuff for my old systems

is the plans to sample old games

This also validates spending the whole day playing atari or colecovision

not to mention when I get the snyth carts for both

 

Anyway

with the Play station I get some weird line on the top of the tv

Like bad v hold

but the v hold knob does not fix it

I am thinking its that section of inputs

because the gamecube looks perfect

Could also be bad wires

My nes needs new wires

If this tv starts to go I think it is worth fixing

I want to mod those speakers on the shelf above the tv and use them for sound

Yes the tv has output for speakers

It was a great tv for its day

It even has a port for hooking up a cpu

I wonder if I could use that port to hook up my atari 1040st or 520

Thanks for the props

Who in NY wants to have a 5200 party ?

Sweet. 20" right? Is it from 83?

 

I think its a 20"

and I do think its from 83

Here is a revised pic

with all my systems controllers displayed

I can not wait to get sega genesis controllers for my coleco

cause the games are unplayable with the coleco controller

Q bert in particular !

 

[mellis]

Very nice!

 

Strange that it's a 4-port but it shows a 2-port on the box... I could see if it was the other way around

 

The original 5200 box was the wide one.

 

In 1985-86, the Tramiels started blowing out old video game stock they inherited from Warner. In doing so, they had all three game systems in stores at one point: the 2600 Jr., the 5200, and the 7800. However, when they started dumping the 5200, they redesigned the box so that it was much smaller than the original (to keep shipping and logistics costs down).

 

The redesigned 5200 packaging differed in a few key ways:

1) The pack-in cart did not come in its own box

2) The controllers were shipped in the 5200's controller storage area, instead of separately

3) The pack-in cart was Super Breakout (as it had originally been) instead of Pac Man

 

What's interesting is that most of the 5200 systems they shipped this way were four-port models with the automatic switch box. This suggests that when Atari decided to move to the 2-port model in 1983, they must have still had a stock of 4-port models which they suspended shipping. Presumably, they did this because the 4 port models were incompatible with the 2600 adapter, and consequently, the planned Slam Pam adapter would have likely been incompatible too. By minimizing the number of 4-port models on the market, I think Warner Atari envisioned a smoother upgrade path to the 7800. 2600 users would simply replace their console with a 7800, while 5200 users would buy a Slam Pam. Of course, your 5200 had to be Slam Pam compatible for that to work, and that meant a 2-port unit was required.

 

I actually bought two 5200s (which I still own). The first was purchased in 1983, and it was a 2-port model that came in the huge box. In 1985, I purchased another 5200 in the smaller box. Why? Well, I figured that for $50 (that's what the one in the small box cost), I got two more controllers (can't have too many of those), a new game (Super Breakout was new to me, at least, as my other unit shipped with Pac Man), and I had access to spare parts (including a replacement power supply, if needed).

 

Upon returning from the store, I was quite surprised to discover that my new unit was actually a 4-port with the automatic switch box. These days, the automatic switch box is often derided, but I adored it. In 1985, it was a real novelty to be able to switch from the TV to the game system simply by hitting the power button on the 5200. The automatic switch box also yielded a far superior picture to the image delivered by my mechanical switch RF switch. Suffice it to say, that to this day, my favorite 5200 is my shiny 4-port model that came in the small box.

[8bitbasslines]

Very nice!

 

Strange that it's a 4-port but it shows a 2-port on the box... I could see if it was the other way around

 

The original 5200 box was the wide one.

 

In 1985-86, the Tramiels started blowing out old video game stock they inherited from Warner. In doing so, they had all three game systems in stores at one point: the 2600 Jr., the 5200, and the 7800. However, when they started dumping the 5200, they redesigned the box so that it was much smaller than the original (to keep shipping and logistics costs down).

 

The redesigned 5200 packaging differed in a few key ways:

1) The pack-in cart did not come in its own box

2) The controllers were shipped in the 5200's controller storage area, instead of separately

3) The pack-in cart was Super Breakout (as it had originally been) instead of Pac Man

 

What's interesting is that most of the 5200 systems they shipped this way were four-port models with the automatic switch box. This suggests that when Atari decided to move to the 2-port model in 1983, they must have still had a stock of 4-port models which they suspended shipping. Presumably, they did this because the 4 port models were incompatible with the 2600 adapter, and consequently, the planned Slam Pam adapter would have likely been incompatible too. By minimizing the number of 4-port models on the market, I think Warner Atari envisioned a smoother upgrade path to the 7800. 2600 users would simply replace their console with a 7800, while 5200 users would buy a Slam Pam. Of course, your 5200 had to be Slam Pam compatible for that to work, and that meant a 2-port unit was required.

 

I actually bought two 5200s (which I still own). The first was purchased in 1983, and it was a 2-port model that came in the huge box. In 1985, I purchased another 5200 in the smaller box. Why? Well, I figured that for $50 (that's what the one in the small box cost), I got two more controllers (can't have too many of those), a new game (Super Breakout was new to me, at least, as my other unit shipped with Pac Man), and I had access to spare parts (including a replacement power supply, if needed).

 

Upon returning from the store, I was quite surprised to discover that my new unit was actually a 4-port with the automatic switch box. These days, the automatic switch box is often derided, but I adored it. In 1985, it was a real novelty to be able to switch from the TV to the game system simply by hitting the power button on the 5200. The automatic switch box also yielded a far superior picture to the image delivered by my mechanical switch RF switch. Suffice it to say, that to this day, my favorite 5200 is my shiny 4-port model that came in the small box.

 

I like my 4 port too

The only thing that sucks

is that I really want to use the vcs adapter

and you can not use it on the 4 port

there is a mod that can be done but it seems way to advanced for me

anyone want to take a stab at doing it to my second 4 port 5200?

I really wanna play the synthcart and bombjack on my 5200

[eightbit]

These days, the automatic switch box is often derided, but I adored it. In 1985, it was a real novelty to be able to switch from the TV to the game system simply by hitting the power button on the 5200. The automatic switch box also yielded a far superior picture to the image delivered by my mechanical switch RF switch. Suffice it to say, that to this day, my favorite 5200 is my shiny 4-port model that came in the small box.

 

I really have to agree here. I never understood why people hated the auto switch box. Because you had to hook it up differently? Come on now...

 

Ok, maybe it sparks if you plug the console cable in while power is running to it, but that is half the fun!

 

Seriously tho, the box does allow the display on the system to be MUCH clearer than the standard rf switchbox. It nearly looks like composite on my TV!

 

 

As for using the 2600 adapter, I also have a four port model, but it is a "fixed" release version. Atari started fixing the four port models to be compatible with the Atari 2600 adapter and you can decipher this by looking at the serial number. If you have one in which the serial number begins with an asterisk (*) you know you have the ultimate model....the one that can play Pitfall (this game is not compatible with the 2-port model) AND you can use the 2600 adapter (4-port models without the "fix" can't use it)

 

So, look for the "star"