|
4-switch Model |
The second version of the 2600, it
has four chrome switches in the front of the unit. The two difficulty
switches are now found on the top/back of the unit. |
|
6-switch Model |
The original version of the 2600,
it has six chrome switches in the front of the unit. |
|
Actiplaque |
Mottling of labels that frequently
occurs with Activision games because of the particular glue/paper
combination. For an example of Actiplaque in action, click here. |
|
Bira Bira |
First God of Thrifting. A tiki doll found by one thrifter that
brought him luck. The doll was passed around, and idols were even
made from it. Enemy of Mr. Friendly. You might even find some pictures
of Bira Bira here.
|
|
Bit-Rot |
The degradation of the digital information
held on a chip. Generally only a problem with EPROMs, which were frequently
used for prototype cartridges. A good reason to archive cartridges
and other media. |
|
Boot Sale |
An informal marketplace where individuals
may sell their wares. This term is predominately used in the UK, where
a car's trunk is referred to as a 'boot'. It derives from individuals
selling items from the trunk, or 'boot', of their auto. |
|
Cart |
Short for cartridge. Some European
collectors also call them 'cards'. |
|
Console |
A generic term for a video game system. |
|
Darth Vader
Model |
What some people call the third revision
of the 2600, the 4-switch model with a black front instead of woodgrain. |
|
Digital
Press Guide |
A guide to collecting videogames that covers many systems. You
can learn more about the Digital Press Guide at www.digitpress.com.
|
|
Easter Egg |
An undocumented surprise hidden by
the programmer in the game. Often the programmer's name or initials.
Adventure contained the first Easter Egg. It's unusual these days
for games, on any platform, to ship without an Easter Egg (or several!)
of some kind. |
|
eBay |
World's premier Internet auction site,
with thousands of Atari
listings. Their website is located at www.ebay.com. |
|
Emulator |
A hardware or software device that
performs like something else; for example, a PC that emulates an Atari
2600 so it can run Atari 2600 games. |
|
FA |
For Auction. Used to preface message
board posts when the poster is auctioning an item. |
|
Famiclone |
Generic term for a Famicom/NES clone. |
|
Famicom |
Short for Family Computer, the original Japanese name
for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Released in Japan in 1983. |
|
FAQ |
Frequently Asked Questions. A file
that contains answers to the most commonly posed questions. |
|
Flea Market |
An informal marketplace where individuals
may sell their wares. Usually found in larger cities, a good source
for finding old videogame equipment. |
|
Flicker |
The tendency for many games to look
like the graphics are 'flickering'. This is due to hardware limitations
that only allow a certain amount of objects to be drawn on the screen
at the same time. One second of the screen will show 'x' object, the
next will show 'y'. When run quickly, both objects appear to be on
the screen at the same time, although they appear to 'flicker' as
the screens change back and forth. This is most notable on the Atari
2600, although it is certainly not the only console to suffer from
this ailment. Some game companies, notably Activision, banned their
2600 programmers from using this technique and they were forced to
develop other methods of displaying multiple objects without flicker. |
|
Frying |
A term coined by Russ Perry Jr. and
Dave Perry. "Frying" refers to drawing out strange effects in a game
system by rapidly switching the power on and off. One way to do this
is to attempt to set the power switch exactly between on and off.
While achieving this is rather impossible, the power will go on and
off in your attempts, frying your system. |
|
FS |
For Sale. Used to preface message board posts when the poster is
selling an item.
|
|
FT |
For Trade. Used to preface message
board posts when the poster is trading an item. |
|
Gatefold
Box |
A box style in which the front folds open like a book. Used for
the original 9 Atari games, original 9 Sears games, assorted other
2600 titles, and most Intellivision games.
|
|
Heavy Sixer |
The original six-switch Atari 2600.
It's heavier than later models and has six switches on the front. |
|
Jack Tramiel |
Bought Atari Inc.'s home computer and home video game divisions in 1984, and
the new company is called Atari Corporation. He immediately fired 1000 employees and appointed his son president.
He decided to shelve the 7800, and said the companies focus would be on computers. Many blame him for the demise
of Atari Inc. |
|
Lab Loaner |
A lab loaner is usually a finished
or near-finished version of a game. In the case of Atari, these often
came with black and white labels, and may be addressed to an Atari
employee for review. More formal than a typical prototype, but still
made for internal use only. For an example of a lab loaner for the
2600 from Atari, look here. |
|
Major Label
Variation |
A major label variation is one that
differs significantly from another label produced by the same company.
The longer-lived a classic gaming company, the more likely they are
to have one or more major label variations. Atari wins the honor in
this category, as the long life of the 2600 gave them ample opportunity
to create new label styles to keep the 2600 carts "fresh".
Using Atari as an example, they produced the following label styles:
Text
#, Text,
Picture,
Children's,
Silver,
and Red. |
|
Mattel |
Toy company that released the Intellivision in 1980. Mattel had a subsidiary
called MNetwork that produced games for rival systems such as the Atari 2600. |
|
Minor Label
Variation |
A minor label variation is a label
that is different in some significant way from another cartridge of
the same name within a Major Label Variation category (see above).
For instance, Pole Position for the 2600 can be found in three different
Silver
label variations, one where the end label is spelled correctly and
then two misspellings as Ploe
Position and Pole
Posit'n. |
|
Mr. Friendly |
Second God of Thrifting. Evolved as a competitor to Bira Bira for
those whom Bira Bira brought bad luck.
|
|
Multi-Cart |
A cartridge with multiple games on
it. Not to be confused with a standard cartridge with many game variations,
a multi-cart is often an unlicensed software product that contains
completely separate games compiled onto one cartridge. |
|
Mystery Cart |
A cart from which the label has fallen off, the only way to tell what it is is to buy it, plug it in and play it. Of course, the cart will most likely be common. |
|
Nolan Bushnell |
Atari founder, eventually sold the company to Time Warner. Went on to found Chuck E. Cheese, Axlon, and other companies. |
|
NTSC |
National Television Standards Committee.
This is the television standard used in North America and Japan. Any
standard of cartridge will play in any system, the problem lies with
the TV. With most newer TV's, PAL games will cause the NTSC screen
to roll. Some older TV's do not have this problem, or if you have
a vertical/horizontal hold you can adjust it to the correct frequency.
There will also be some color variances if you play a PAL game on
an NTSC system and vice versa. |
|
PAL |
Phase Alternating Lines. This is the
television standard used by most Western European and Latin countries.
With most newer TV's, NTSC games will cause the PAL screen to roll.
Some older TV's do not have this problem, or if you have a vertical/horizontal
hold you can adjust it to the correct frequency. There will also be
some color variances if you play an NTSC game on a PAL system and
vice versa. |
|
Prototype |
A pre-production version of a piece
of hardware or software. In some cases prototypes were never released,
in other cases it is simply an unfinished version of a product later
released. |
|
Rarity Value |
Determination of how rare a game is
in relationship to other games. 1 is the most common, 10 is the rarest.
For more information, look here.
|
|
Reef Store
Dream |
Generic term for a videogame collector's
dream in which he/she finds a fantasy store filled with prototypes,
rare games, and other unusual items. Experienced by hard-core collectors.
No kidding. Derived from one of the first descriptions of such a dream
in which the dreamer visited a store simply called 'Reef Store'. |
|
r.g.v.c. |
rec.games.video.classic. Primary newsgroup for discussing all classic
video games, including the Atari 2600.
|
|
ROM |
Read Only Memory. For the purpose
of classic gaming, this usually refers to a binary image of a game
cartridge that is played through an emulator. |
|
Sega Master System |
Sega's first videogame console, the 8-bit Sega Master System
was a direct competitor to the NES and Atari 7800. Technically the system was quite good, but could
never compete with Nintendo's licenses and marketing. Was replaced by the Sega Genesis. |
|
SECAM |
Sèquentiel Coleur Á Mèmoire (Sequential
Color and Memory). This is the television standard for France, Poland,
and some other Eastern European countries. For the purposes of classic
video games, this may be considered the same as PAL, as PAL games
will work on SECAM TV's, and there were no games specifically written
to a SECAM standard. |
|
Sprite |
A small graphic image on the computer
screen that can be moved around independently with a mouse or with
keyboard commands. Examples are the ordinary cursor in its many forms,
and the characters in video games. For more information, look here. |
|
Stella |
The in-house name for the Atari VCS while it was in development.
Named after a bicycle
owned by one of the Atari 2600's creators, Joe
Decuir. Stella
is also the name of an Atari 2600 emulator that has been ported
to just about every modern-day operating system.
|
|
SumGuy |
Name for a person fictional or real,
usually referenced by a flea market vendor or a classic game collector.
(Flea Market Dealer) "I had a big box of cartridges, but 'SumGuy'
just bought them all". (Collector) "I stopped by the thrift store
but they didn't have any games. 'SumGuy' must have beaten me to them". |
|
Third Party |
A company that produces software for
a system that is not its own. For example, Activision making games
for the Atari 2600. |
|
Thrift Store |
Predominately found in the US, thrift
stores sell used merchandise donated to them. Usually they are associated
with some sort of charity, religious or otherwise. A good source for
finding old videogame equipment. |
|
Vaporware |
Hardware or software that was never
released and is now gone or perhaps never even existed. Not to be
confused with a prototype (which is an existing object), vaporware
is non-existent. That's not to say the vaporware doesn't exist somewhere
in unreleased form, it's just that no one has yet gotten their hands
on it. |
|
VCS |
Video Computer System. The original
name for the Atari 2600, changed after the introduction of the 5200. |
|
VGR |
Video Game Review (Craig Pell). Developed the first classic videogame
rarity guide, although it is long since abandoned and out of date.
|
|
Woodgrain |
What some people call the woodgrain
version of the 2600. Sometimes referred to as a 'woody'. |
|
YMEI |
Yet More Ebay Insanity. A term used
by some in r.g.v.c. to describe eBay auctions where bidding is excessive,
the seller is asking an exorbitant amount of money, or some other
extreme situation. |