Classic Video Game Systems

Video game systems have evolved a great deal over the years, that's for sure. Before there was the sophisticated PS4 or the Xbox, there was ColecoVision and Atari. While today's gaming consoles have great lifelike graphics, movie-like storylines, and realistic simulation capabilities, classic video game systems offer strategies that are subtle along with action and excitement. There are many game enthusiasts who would prefer to play Asteroids on Atari rather than Grand Theft Auto on PS3! Let's take a nostalgic look at some of the classic video game systems that many of us remember fondly from our childhood and teen years (and even adulthood!):

Atari 2600

The Atari 2600 was probably the most popular game system during the 70s and 80s. It had just 128 bytes of RAM, and it was originally made to play variations of the game Pong as well as action games that were simplistic in nature. But in 1980, Atari released Space Invaders, and the system took off in sales. The Atari 2600 has been called the most collectible video game system of all time, and a plethora of games (Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Kaboom!, etc.) for the system were enjoyed by many.

Intellivision

The Intellivision came out into the marketplace in 1980, and it was marketed as a more sophisticated version of Atari 2600. It had a 12-button keypad versus Atari 2600's one button and boasted a 16-direction control disc. Though it had technological advances, it didn't come close to Atari's arcade-like action. Only five games were released for Intellivision, but it did offer adapted versions of Burger Time and Pac-Man that were decent.

Microvision

In 1979, Microvision was a first in the world of programmable handheld games. It debuted ten years before Nintendo's Game Boy, and it was a cartridge-based system. The games were basically part of the unit itself, unlike console systems. It came packaged with Block Buster. Unfortunately, Microvision's cutting edge awesomeness failed to catch on with buyers. Only ten other games were released for the handheld game console.

ColecoVision

ColecoVision was released in the summer of 1982, and it gave the Atari 2600 a run for its money. At the time, Atari was all the rage, but Coleco came out with its game console that had stunning visual and audio effects as well as impressive and sophisticated graphics. Owners of the console could play another system's games on it due to expandability. Among the many great games were Tarzan, Fortune Builder, and a Cabbage Patch Kids game. ColecoVision set the bar high for high-quality video games.