Retro Atari 2600 commercial is a thing of beauty

by Blake Snow { Jan 16th 2007 at 9:25PM }

Our apologies if you've already seen this classic Atari 2600 commercial, Have You Played Atari Today. If so, it's worth another watch based on excitement level alone. After seeing this, I've become a spitting tornado of excitement. And who says non-gamers and old folk don't like playing games as this advert indicates? Right. Nintendo. But what do they know. Atari was pimping Blue Ocean strategy exaggerated motion controls since way back in the day. You look...

See also: Have You Played Atari Today [excellent German version]

[Thanks, Jonah]

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jonah Falcon @ Jan 16th 2007 9:34PM

I love the way they're pimping that dreadful version of Pac-Man... which I *loved*. I was so easy back then...

Raz 4 life @ Jan 16th 2007 9:55PM

I like how they hid the horrible ghost flicker on Pac-Man. Vi-de-o Com-pu-ter Sys-tem!

Dookie too Smelly @ Jan 16th 2007 9:58PM

boooooooo old games

Ivan @ Jan 16th 2007 10:27PM

That's how everything started for me... i was 5 years old
when my father went back from a trip and opened his big suitcase. I don't remember if i could read ATARI, but i remember i really enjoyed Summer and Witer games, Ice Hockey, Pitfall and Boxing. That was my first multiplayer session ever :)

http://www.videogamecritic.net/images/2600/boxing.png

Bughunt @ Jan 18th 2007 6:25PM

Oh yeah, those were the day's. Did anyone ever figure out those Earth, Water and Fire quest games? Or Raiders of the Lost Ark for that matter :p

Jonah Falcon @ Jan 16th 2007 10:38PM

"Vi-de-o Com-pu-ter Sys-tem!"

The Atari 2600 was known as the Atari VCS during that time.

Steve @ Jan 16th 2007 10:41PM

I was in second grade when I got an Atari in 1982 and I remember being very underwhelmed with the graphical ability of the system. Even in its day, I recognized that the system was playing watered down versions of the arcade games. Don't get me wrong, I loved owning the system (I even liked ET), but I always knew the games were cheap knockoffs of the real thing in the arcades.

Steve @ Jan 16th 2007 10:44PM

FYI: There's an episode of Three's Company from the Furley years where Jack and Janet are playing Atari football. It's a funny scene because they obviously had a lamp inside the TV prop because there was light pouring out of the TV set unto them. It looks funny as hell... it's like they're being bathed in radiation.. maybe old TV sets really could make you go blind!

Roger T. @ Jan 17th 2007 7:18AM

I dont know. I kinda want to buy an Atari now. Those people seemed like they enjoyed it a lot. I want to have fun, damn it. I want to have fun too!

Gavin @ Jan 17th 2007 2:20AM

I used the logo section of that for the video I made for Little Brother's tribute song to the 2600.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8LbtuabMuY

Yay, me!

dvdguy @ Jan 17th 2007 8:28AM

Wow Joystiq this is ZOMG SO OLD LOLERZ!

;-)

Jonah Falcon @ Jan 17th 2007 8:22AM

"I dont know. I kinda want to buy an Atari now. Those people seemed like they enjoyed it a lot. I want to have fun, damn it. I want to have fun too!"

http://www.amazon.com/Atari-26519-Flashback-2-0/dp/B00093DHIK/sr=8-2/qid=1169040004/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-2567150-4009442?ie=UTF8&s=videogames

MJ @ Jan 17th 2007 9:30AM

The German commercial is horrible, especially the way they talk. No one talks like that, not even back then... and wtf is wrong with the kid's face.

Joe Siegler @ Jan 17th 2007 10:11AM

Wil, if you liked that, you must read this article.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,128295-page,2-c,gameconsoles/article.html

Dan @ Jan 17th 2007 4:42PM

I just got a refurbished Atari 2600 for Christmas with Space Invaders, Defender, Pac-man, Asteroids, Combat, and a dozen or so other games. I hadn't played Atari since 81 or 82, but I still think it is a blast! Two great sites for getting old Atari stuff are Atari-garage.com and Atari2600.com. My second generation 2600, complete with the woodgrain sticker, came from Atari-garage and it works great.