The Atari 2600 wasn't the first home video game console (that honor goes to the Magnavox Odyssey), but the 2600 initially defined (and later, nearly killed) the entire market for video games at home. A runaway success on a nearly unparalleled scale (30,000,000+ units sold) despite being somewhat underwhelming technically, the 2600 was home to some of the best early video games (such as Pitfall, Missile Command and Super Breakout) along with some all-time stinkers (a notoriously-underwhelming port of Pac-Man, the borderline-unplayable E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, some unauthorized 'adults-only' titles). The 2600 eventually supported over 500(!) commercially-released games, the sheer overwhelming quantity of which (not to mention wildly-varying quality of which) eventually lead to The Great Video Game Crash of 1983, which nearly killed the fledgling industry outright. Despite all this drama, the 2600 remains one of the most fun consoles of all time, and is a popular attraction at Retro Roadshow events.
After the runaway success of their Video Computer System (aka 2600), Atari struggled to recapture that magic. The Atari 7800 ProSystem brought new levels of graphical horsepower and an all-new joystick design, while maintaining backwards compatibility with the vast library of 2600 games. The library of games specifically designed for the 7800 is tiny compared to the 2600's, but many of these games are truly excellent, with impressive visuals and fun gameplay. Despite all this, the 7800 was virtually obliterated by more successful competitors including the Sega Master System and Nintendo Entertainment System, leaving the 7800 a frequently-forgotten member of this generation of consoles.
Released in 1993, the Jaguar was Atari's final home console. Atari famously used some "marketing math" to claim that the Jaguar was the world's first 64-bit console in an era when their main rivals were offering 16 or 32-bit systems. Unfortunately for Atari, their plea for gamers to "do the math" was mostly unsuccessful, and the Jaguar soon faded into obscurity. However, the Jaguar did offer a small number of fun, innovative games, and The Retro Roadshow is delighted to give modern gamers a rare opportunity to experience this fascinating misfire.