15 Facts About Atari 5200

1.

Atari 5200 SuperSystem or simply Atari 5200 is a home video game console introduced in 1982 by Atari, Inc as a higher-end complement for the popular Atari Video Computer System.

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2.

The Atari 5200's controllers have an analog joystick and a numeric keypad along with start, pause, and reset buttons.

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3.

The 360-degree non-centering joystick was touted as offering more control than the eight-way Atari 5200 CX40 joystick of the 2600, but was a focal point for criticism.

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4.

On May 21, 1984, during a press conference at which the Atari 7800 was introduced, company executives revealed that the 5200 had been discontinued after just two years on the market.

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5.

Atari 5200's management decided to enter this market, and the technology was repackaged into the Atari 5200 400 and 800.

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6.

Atari 5200 later decided to re-enter the games market with a design that closely matched their original 1978 specifications.

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7.

The Atari 5200 featured a new style of controller with an analog joystick, numeric keypad, two fire buttons on each side of the controller and game function keys for Start, Pause, and Reset.

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8.

The Atari 5200 featured the innovation of the first automatic TV switchbox, allowing it to automatically switch from regular TV viewing to the game system signal when the system was activated.

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9.

Atari 5200 Inc released the Pro-Line Trak-Ball controller for the system, which was used primarily for gaming titles such as Centipede and Missile Command.

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10.

In 1987, Atari Corporation released the XE Game System console, which is a repackaged 65XE with a detachable keyboard that can run home computer titles directly, unlike the 5200.

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11.

Anderson wrote in 1984 that Atari 5200 could have released a console compatible with computer software in 1981.

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12.

Atari 5200 did not fare well commercially compared to its predecessor, the Atari 2600.

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13.

Many of the Atari 5200's games appeared simply as updated versions of 2600 titles, which failed to excite consumers.

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14.

Atari 5200 received much criticism for the "sloppy" design of its non-centering analog controllers.

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15.

Atari 5200 criticized the joystick's imprecise control but said that "it is at least as good as many other controllers", and wondered why Super Breakout was the pack-in game when it did not use the 5200's improved graphics.

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