My parents' attic..

[level42]

Visited my parents last sunday and I had the ultimate desire to go look for my Atari 2600 and maybe some more stuff.....

Now, my parents attic is very tidy (something I didn't inherit from my dad..... ) BUT there's a number of boxes with my old stuff there.

We did have to remove some stuff but then I opened a large box. There were all kinds of things in there: old vinyl, a scrapbook about trains (I wanted to become a traindriver when I was a kid, I'm happy I am not one now though....I could never handle at least one person per year diving in front of me.....), a book with drawings etc. from 1973-1974 (I was 6/7), a bag with electronics parts with actually some usefull TTL IC's and also a couple of 2600 carts, a load of KIJK magazines (more about that later), Robbedoes comic magazines (Spirou for the French-speaking) an old Agfa Box camera, an old Agfa Clack camera, a Beretta camera, and even the Russian-built Quartz double-8 movie camera with which my dad filmed my very first moving images (jeez, these things are worth some money: http://cgi.ebay.com/RUSSIAN-MOVIE-VAMERA-double-8-QUARTZ-M-12-5mm-1-9-LENS-/200440211711)

Also some HO model train parts and cars (Hema=Lima) and locomotives which my son totally loved.

Didn't find my 2600 yet though....but there were plenty more boxes.

Soooooo I hear you guys say: SO WHAT....well apart from a nice trip through memory-lane it also offered some nice (arcade) videogame related stuff.

The KIJK (=LOOK) magazine was THE source for popular scientific articles for the youth in those days (the magazine still exists: http://www.kijk.nl ). There was no National Geographic or Discovery channel those days.....

The range of years go from 1976 to 1985. I didn't have a subscription but I bought loose issues once in a while if I find it interesting enough.

Some articles are funny because they are so overtook by history. Some others are actually very nice to read seeing how much they are right on the spot. For example there is an article about GPS satellites, how it works etc. and there's even a picture of a VERY old car-nav system from Ford. The article concludes however that the use of the system would still mainly be for the military mostly.....date of this article: 1983

Another nice article is about the Hummer from 1983 as well. No one realized it would become so popular due to the 1990 Gulf war then...

And another tells about the F16 fighter that is supposedly to wear out very quickly. Funny because they are still operational today in the Dutch airforce and many others...

Anyway still unrelated I hear you say....BUT I found some very nice ads for videogames that I'm scanning now...

[level42]

Here we go: Gorf game cartridge by CBS. The console is obviously a Colecovision but the game ad is for the Atari and Intellivision version.


Translation:

It's frightfully silent on earth. Thee alien Gorfs are preparing for their final, all devastating attack. Only you can stop them. By destroying the enemy flagship. Time is running out. Robots, laser-ships and torpedothrowers come into view. Nobody things you've got a chance. But isn't just that the challenge ?
CBS Electronics has more of these sensational games:
Carnival, Wizard of Wor, Donkey Kong.
Famous from the arcades.
Famed because of their quality
Available for the Atari and Intellivision system.

Logo: CBS Electronics "At home in the future".


Quality ? Donkey Kong ? On the Atari 2600 ? HA !  

[Etienne MacGyver]

Sometimes its great to find all those old things that parents keep 

[level42]

Next one: Vectrex !



Translation:

They can't keep their hands of it in the US and now in The Netherlands too. The Vectrex Portable Game Computer.
A unique, portable videogame with it's own screen, directly derived from the popular arcade machines. So with "bright graphics", zooming in, zooming out, 360 degr. turnable joystick etc.
And the game Mine Storm already programmed into it. The games are one by one hits in motherland America. There are 19 game cartridges now and the choice is growing almost by the day.
Take a seat behind a Vectrex at your local Vectrex dealer. But do tell at home where you are.

Large text:
Vectrex portable game computer.
He who plays it, is lost.

[level42]

Last best of course ATARI !

This is a two page add and "strangely" in the same issue that had the Vectrex add on the backside.




Translation:
Large text: Atari If you think you're going to win, you're lost. (Funny, sounds like the Vectrex slogan )

It seems simple. But playing Atari stays a challenge. So it's no wonder that the Atari games have become so famous.
You see, we made the Atari games hard. 'Cause you know: the sweetest victory is the hardest one.
Usually Atari will beat you. But sometimes....with lightning fast skills and a strong focus you can beat Atari. But stay alert.

ATARI WANTS TO WIN FROM YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN.

The coupon is for registering your machine with the Dutch Atari Club.

[level42]

And last but not least, a special gem for our handheld fans:



I deliberately also kept in the Roco ad because I think it shows a bit an "old" and a "new" hobby for those days....


Translation:

CAVEMAN. A cast-iron computergame from the stone age.

A very long time ago people lived in caves. Cavemen, we call them. Now that was a dangerous time. Like try go steal an egg from a dinosaur. Everytime you come near he starts to roar and fight. A dangerous mission.

TOMY Electronics
Tomy Electronics are easy to take along. You can play with them everywhere because they work on batteries and they also have a power adapter connection !
In addition you get a 12 month guarantee on the electronic games from TOMY.

Go have a look at your toystore !


End of translation.


Sure. People and dinosaurs lived together. Yes. Definitly. Of course.......

Makes me think of one of my favorite Atari 8-bit games:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8q9IMTnQ9w

[Ronald Reagan]

I like the GORF add very much, it looks a bit like Star Wars

[atarimania]

Atari 2600 !!! The Queen of consoles !!!!

2600 + Vectrex: Choice of experts (my 2 favourites consoles)  .

Very nice ads, can I add them to atarimania ? (http://www.atarimania.com/list_ads_atari-2600-vcs-___2.html)

[Belike]

Cool stuff, huge thanks for sharing!
Quest For Tires is one of my favourites, I have the C64 version, it rules!

[Q*ris]

Thanks so much for taking the time to share that "slice of youth" with us.
Please post again when you visit the magic attic again!

[level42]

Atari 2600 !!! The Queen of consoles !!!!

2600 + Vectrex: Choice of experts (my 2 favourites consoles)  .

Very nice ads, can I add them to atarimania ? (http://www.atarimania.com/list_ads_atari-2600-vcs-___2.html)

By all means ! Please indicate Level42 as the source

Wow great site by the way, how did I miss it until now ?!?!!?

[atarimania]

Thanks

I'll add them tomorrow, with "Credits" 

[ckong]

Atari 2600 !!! The Queen of consoles !!!!

2600 + Vectrex: Choice of experts (my 2 favourites consoles)  .

Very nice ads, can I add them to atarimania ? (http://www.atarimania.com/list_ads_atari-2600-vcs-___2.html)

By all means ! Please indicate Level42 as the source

Wow great site by the way, how did I miss it until now ?!?!!?

Indeed, great site. I wonder why didn't we know about it.

Edit. Strange, I can't view them in a proper way in Firefox when I click on the pics. They blow up, but are only partial visible. And I get the same result in IE.

[Blanka]

Hah, cool, I have that Caveman game. Are all the ads in KIJK? I had it too as a kid, wonder if they are still at my parents attic.

[gyruss]

That are some really great ads! Thanks for posting! BTW how is the translation going??