The Greatest Gaming System of ALL TIME

[bwester]

I finally tracked down a 1982 Texas Instruments TI-99/4A Computer Console. It is the exact same as my very first computer I had when I was a kid. Housed in a brushed steel case and churning out a whopping 5 mhz, it is complete with the speech synthesizer (a first in computer history), TI Basic (my very first computer language), and some of the greatest games ever played on any machine: Parsec, Alpiner, Hunt the Wumpus, The Attack and TI Invaders. When this baby comes in, I'll be glued to the tv for quite some time.

 

[gore42]

Yes! I learned on the same computer when I was a kid... no disk drive, only a tape recorder to go with the cartridges. I liked Hund the Wumpus, but I had the most fun with an RPG called "Tunnels of Doom". Seemed really cool when I was 9 years old. My sister destroyed most of our early computer equipment during temper tantrums while playing games like TI Invaders.

- Matt

 

[Park Bear]

you guys are old...

unfortunately so am I...I have one in my parents attic

 

[bwester]

I still have my original tape recorder. It was the only piece that survived a massive lightning storm we had.

 

[couscous74]

I still have my original tape recorder..

Is that the same as a record player? oke:

 

[TADD]

My friend had a Caleco Vision Computer that was so way cooler than my Sears knock off Atari.....

 

[Heather]

We had a Trash 80.
I remember my uncle got in a huge arguement w/ my dad cause he sent me a bunch of bootleg tapes to play and since they were pirated, my dad would never let me play them. However, I was a compuserve addict when it came to Adventure. I remember my really big breakthrough in the game "feed bird to snake". Wow!! Those were the days, huh?

Incidentally, there's a simulator out there that has all the old games available but for playing on your mac or pc. I am trying to remember the name. I will find out....

 

[Park Bear]

My friend had a Caleco Vision Computer that was so way cooler than my Sears knock off Atari.....

I had both of these too (my dad liked electronic toys).....I think we still have the Sears Atari thing somewhere in parents house. The Caleco thing I left at a friends house and never got it back.

 

[littlefrog]

Bah. We had an original 'Pong' system. Now that was cool.

 

[Heather]

Ooh, we had pong too. I must say I think the wii sports suite is a bit more enjoyable!

The emulator I was trying to think of is MAME and while supposedly it is easy to find online and use, it is harder to find the games.

 

[bwester]

emulator shmemulator!! I want the real thing!!!

 

[Heather]

emulator shmemulator!! I want the real thing!!!

You're welcome.

 

[NYEric]

I never used a home gaming system. I played Missile command and Asteroids at the college arcade. I have an Xbox unopened at home, 4 months after I bought it they came out w/ the 360. [I was such a sucker!]

 

[bwester]

Update

Oh yeah.... its in and its badass. I'm gonna be playin parsec and alpiner all weekend.

 

[IdahoOrchid]

Is that the same as a record player? oke:

Oh, no, no, no. You are thinking of 8 track, silly. I still see them in garage sales once in a while.

 

[Jason Fischer]

My first game system was a Bally Basic... you could buy games for it, and you could actually program games in basic language and I remember it would take 2 to 3 hours to program a game, then as soon as you turn the power off.. poof.. it's gone, no memory cards back in those days! I must have been 8 or 9 years old!

My gaming days are slowly dying off, but I'm going to pick up a Nintendo Wii pretty soon, they are quite amusing!