15 replies to this topic

[Retro Rogue]

Just thought I'd post this up, these are from my E2M room at the 2011 Midwest Gaming Classic and show the '84 vs. '86 re-release boxes for anyone who hasn't seen both.

http://www.flickr.co...157627349939565


Not shown is the in between one, which is the '84 box with the sticker slapped on it to cover the mention of the keyboard expansion. These were sold from January '86 until they sold out sometime in the spring/early summer. At which point the new stock had been created in time for the big Fall push.

[gorfcadet]

Those pics really took me back! Thanks for sharing!

[Shawn Sr.]

The 1984 box looks so much nicer with it's playful use of the purples. I find to be WAY more visually pleasing than the 1986 re-release.

[Atari Joe]

How common is the 1986 style box without the little star shape mention of Pole Position II on the front? I hardly ever see those.

[Retro Rogue]

Atari Joe, on Sun Aug 21, 2011 4:23 AM, said:

How common is the 1986 style box without the little star shape mention of Pole Position II on the front? I hardly ever see those.

As far as I know those are standard. I haven't seen any without except for the UK release (with Asteroids built in, hence it doesn't need the Pole Position star).

[DracIsBack]

Atari Joe, on Sun Aug 21, 2011 4:23 AM, said:

How common is the 1986 style box without the little star shape mention of Pole Position II on the front? I hardly ever see those.

Those were the ones I always saw in Canada and the one my 7800 originally came in

[bennybingo]

I just got a boxed system with the star, but it is blue and says "game included". Currently I have the three variations (including the two pictured in the OP)...now I'm wondering if there are any other variations out there???

[Atari Joe]

DracIsBack, on Sun Aug 21, 2011 9:17 AM, said:

Atari Joe, on Sun Aug 21, 2011 4:23 AM, said:

How common is the 1986 style box without the little star shape mention of Pole Position II on the front? I hardly ever see those.

Those were the ones I always saw in Canada and the one my 7800 originally came in

I'd love to know the definitive story on those. I ordered an Atari 7800 directly from Atari on Borreagas Ave in 1993. THey had a deal for a brand new 7800 and 25 games for I think $249. They shipped it right to my house. It's a normal American NTSC 7800, came with two ProLines, AC, RF and Pole Position II, no game built in, it was the one with the blemish in the plastic where the expansion port used to be.

I never knew there was a different "1986-style" retail box until I started collecting more and found that every 86-style box (U.S.) I've ever seen ever since, has always had the Pole Position II star on the front of the box. Because mine was one of the last to come out of Atari I'm wondering if they were just stuffing them in whatever boxes they had left and what the story would be.

The only other version is one I think came from JCPenny's or some place where they head a deal on a 7800 and maybe six additional games bundled with it, it had a big tall sticker over the front of the box, over towards the right side, that had images of the game boxes and some jazzy text written in a late 80s font about it.

I just wonder what the deal is.

[carmel_andrews]

Sme interesting pics there wgungfu, who owns the Odyssey behind what looks like plastic shielding (and are all those other Odyssey's your's or someone else's)

Nice piccy of the back side of one of the XL models (looks like an 800 rather then a 600)

Shame the piccs are a bit on the dark side, perhaps next time you'll take a camera with a built in flash wgungu (or shed some light on what your taking a piccy of)

[AlvinKarpis]

Here is picture of me and my brother opening a brand new 7800 on X-mas 1986

Edited by AlvinKarpis, Tue Aug 30, 2011 3:25 PM.

[AlvinKarpis]

I forgot to add it came with Pole Position II

[trent]

carmel_andrews, on Sun Aug 28, 2011 3:50 AM, said:

Sme interesting pics there wgungfu, who owns the Odyssey behind what looks like plastic shielding (and are all those other Odyssey's your's or someone else's)

Nice piccy of the back side of one of the XL models (looks like an 800 rather then a 600)

Shame the piccs are a bit on the dark side, perhaps next time you'll take a camera with a built in flash wgungu (or shed some light on what your taking a piccy of)

And I think that is a framed copy of the Pac Man Fever album on the right...

[FujiSkunk]

Even in 1984 they were teasing people with Sky Fox, eh?

Edited by FujiSkunk, Tue Aug 30, 2011 3:41 PM.

[CRV]

FujiSkunk, on Tue Aug 30, 2011 3:40 PM, said:

Even in 1984 they were teasing people with Sky Fox, eh?

That's Rescue on Fractalus, isn't it (if I'm looking at the right thing)?

[FujiSkunk]

CRV, on Fri Sep 2, 2011 6:41 AM, said:

FujiSkunk, on Tue Aug 30, 2011 3:40 PM, said:

Even in 1984 they were teasing people with Sky Fox, eh?

That's Rescue on Fractalus, isn't it (if I'm looking at the right thing)?

You may be right.

Still a tease.

[Jibbajaba]

That's a great setup! Is that Now & Later container from the 80's? I need to get a Speak & Spell. That was one of my favorite toys when I was a kid. I even had the E.T. expansion pack.

I wish I could come to this event. I live way over in California, though.

Chris