Nice video. The Atari 7800 was released in a test run in the US in 1984, but then shelved until 1986 after the NES revived the industry, so it could have been on the market a full two years before its wide release, which was a lost opportunity. As you say, the biggest strength of the Atari 7800 was its ability to push lots of sprites without flicker. Its biggest weakness was that it used the same sound chip as the Atari 2600. The idea was most cartridges would have an onboard POKEY chip (the famous four channel sound/controller chip found in Atari 8-bit computers and the 5200). In reality, because of Atari's cost cutting measures at the time, only a couple of cartridges ever had an onboard POKEY. These same cost cutting measures also prohibited game (memory) sizes, so few games matched the complexity of the games on the competing systems at the time (NES and SMS). Definitely lost potential with the system.
Of course, I was always of the opinion that Atari should have simply kept going with the 5200, just released a version with different controllers. This would have also allowed them to not bother releasing the XEGS. Having a three console strategy (2600jr, 7800, and XEGS) against Nintendo's and Sega's one was not effective. Atari still sold millions of new systems post crash, though.
One of my favorite games for the system is Food Fight. The system's colors and sprite pushing ability were put to good use, and it's a game that's had few home translations. As you say, though, other games are quite good.
*************************** Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.
*************************** Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.
Nice video. The Atari 7800 was released in a test run in the US in 1984, but then shelved until 1986 after the NES revived the industry, so it could have been on the market a full two years before its wide release, which was a lost opportunity. As you say, the biggest strength of the Atari 7800 was its ability to push lots of sprites without flicker. Its biggest weakness was that it used the same sound chip as the Atari 2600. The idea was most cartridges would have an onboard POKEY chip (the famous four channel sound/controller chip found in Atari 8-bit computers and the 5200). In reality, because of Atari's cost cutting measures at the time, only a couple of cartridges ever had an onboard POKEY. These same cost cutting measures also prohibited game (memory) sizes, so few games matched the complexity of the games on the competing systems at the time (NES and SMS). Definitely lost potential with the system.
Of course, I was always of the opinion that Atari should have simply kept going with the 5200, just released a version with different controllers. This would have also allowed them to not bother releasing the XEGS. Having a three console strategy (2600jr, 7800, and XEGS) against Nintendo's and Sega's one was not effective. Atari still sold millions of new systems post crash, though.
One of my favorite games for the system is Food Fight. The system's colors and sprite pushing ability were put to good use, and it's a game that's had few home translations. As you say, though, other games are quite good.
***************************
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.
***************************
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.