Atari hardware extravaganza! Yes, the early 80s were a strange time for Atari VCS hardware, when you could play Atari games on competitor hardware! 2nd Gen game consoles never in video game history could you play a console's games on so many different hardware systems adapters that allowed you to play Atari VCS games on other consoles, outright clone consoles, and Atari even got into the game with it's alternate branding and console redesigns. 2nd gen game consoles: when console exclusive games were no longer exclusive!

In this video on 2nd Gen game consoles, you'll learn all the details of these hardware variations of clones, consoles, and adapters, and also the legal fights behind the scenes that made it possible including a debunking a big misconception in the retro game community was the Atari VCS hardware built on offtheshelf parts, paving the way for all of these clone & adapter knockoffs? Finally, the truth can be told.

Yes, the history of Atari VCS clone hardware of course includes Atari's variations the Heavy Sixer, the Light Sixer, the 4Switch, and The Vader but it's so much more than that. Atari made a version of the 2600 to be rebranded as the Sears Video Arcade, and when the ColecoVision Expansion Module hit the scene, it spawned a wave of Atari console clones and adapters. The Intellivision System Changer wasn't far behind, and Atari came out with their own adapter for the Atari 5200 console. Coleco came out with their own complete clone console with the Coleco Gemini.

And even more Atari VCS hardware variations started from Atari themselves, first with the redesigned Sears Video Arcade II (in actuality, a relabeled Atari 2800 sold in the Japanese market), and after the great video game crash released their first official redesign of the console with the Atari Jr., a small budget priced bit of Atari nostalgia. And it was soon followed by yet another console that could play Atari 2600 video games the Atari 7800! Never in the history of video game consoles has there been so many different consoles, designs, clones, and adapters that all played the same games.

And the story doesn't end there this video for your review covers even MORE Atari clones and adapters that never came to market including two adapters to play Atari games on your Commodore Vic20 computer! And there's also the infamous vaporware of the Ultravision!

Music: End theme: We Will Overcome by Chosen Robot
Background music: Overdrive & Instant Crush by Corbyn Kites

Sources:

Special thanks to Dan Boris, and to the collaboration of Kieren, The Laird:
The Laird's Lair: https://tinyurl.com/34e5h88f

YouTuber Videos:
Abort, Retry, Fail: https://tinyurl.com/7vezszp8
Adam Koralik: https://tinyurl.com/nzbctph6
Atari Leaf: https://tinyurl.com/ncw38x3s
Gamester81: https://tinyurl.com/hkc49kdu
GAMETIMEwithKyle: https://tinyurl.com/y9zm98ez
Replay Retro: https://tinyurl.com/mv3tem69
Gaming Historian: https://tinyurl.com/22r45pvd
Additional YouTubers: ArcadeUSA, Retro Games Fan, Cinemassacre/AVGN, World of Longplays (Yushira)

Magazines:
Electronic Fun with Computer & Video Games, Electronic Games, Video Games, Powerplay, Sears Wishbook, Cyborg Gazette, MicroTimes, Retro Games Fan, Compute, TV Gamer, Leisure Time Electronics, Blip

Websites:
Atari Museum, Atari Age (users Dutchman 2000 and Bill Loguidice, Andrud), Atari Compendium, Atari Historical Society, ColecoVisionBoxArt.com, MadPlanetsGameroom.blogspot, Thrillist.com, Video Game Gazette, Dot Eaters, dfarq.homeip.net, Video Game Kraken,

Wikipedia, Wiki Commons, Evan Amon, Michael C. Battilana and Colanto IT srl (Jay Miner pic https://tinyurl.com/9nm9swfw), Avon Fox theliberator.net,

Books:
Atari, Inc. Business is Fun (Vendel/Goldberg), Phoenix (Hermann), The Ultimate History of Video Games (Kent),

Other:
New York Times, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Beaver County Times, Madison WI State Journal

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:13 ColecoVision's Expansion Module Breaks Game Exclusivity!
2:27 Atari VCS Hardware Variations Heavy/Light Sixer, 4switch, & The Vader
3:25 Sears Video Arcade a Partner, Not a Competitor
5:39 Atari vs. Coleco 2nd Gen Gaming's Biggest Misconception
12:02 The Atari Clone: Coleco Gemini
14.43 Cloning the Clone: Columbia House Home Video Arcade
15:45 Intellivision Gets Into the Clone Game w/the System Changer
17:50 Another Atari 2600 Adapter but from Atari! (Atari 5200)
19:57 Adapter Twist Atari's Planned ColecoVision Adapter!
20:52 Stepping Out of Atari's Shadow Sears Video Arcade II
22:04 Atari's 1st Official Redesign the Atari Jr.
23:51 Yet Another VCS Compatible Console the Atari 7800
26:09 Atari VCS Adapter Vaporware: Atari on the Commodore Vic20
28:14 Atari VCS Clone Console Vaporware Secrets of the Ultravision

Did I miss a source? Or get anything wrong? Let me know in the comments below so I can issue corrections and/or updates as needed.

#Atari #AtariVCS #Atari2600 #ColecoVision