Advantages: Some Brilliant games
Disadvantages: Old technology now

...The Atari Jaguar was the world's first 64-bit home console video game system, which came onto the market nearer the end of 1993. It was a console released before the 32 bit Playstation, the 32 bit Saturn, and the 64bit Nintendo 64, was it’s head start an advantage?, certainly not…... In the past everyone involved in gaming knew that the more ‘bits’ a certain console had the better it was going to be, well I certainly did anyway. I suppose back in the early nineties games were more process orientated not graphically rendered, perhaps this is the way some of our modern mediocre games should have been. We has seen the 16 bit Nes and Master system, their next generation replacements, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and the Mega Drive. We had seen that the next generation consoles were better because... Read review

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Advantages: fun, catchy, great riffs
Disadvantages: not a vast fan-base

...Blink 182, Good Charlotte, Sum 41, Yellowcard, Simple Plan, Mest etc ……. a line of Green Day wannabes growing longer with every intake of breath. Yet, other than Good Charlotte, there is only one band that have earned the god given right to be spoken of in the same sentence as Green Day. That band hit the scene with the release of their album ‘Blue Skies, Broken Hearts ….. Next 12 Exits’ in 1999 through Kung Fu Records. That album, however infectious, was nothing compared to the success they would see with the follow up album ‘So Long, Astoria’ (and no that’s not in reference to the London gig venue). Released in 2003 through Sony Music, ‘So Long Astoria’ came full to the brim with great lyrics and hooks so infectious that you wouldn’t want anything else. Oh ….. And the name of the band ………… The Ataris. Hailing from San Diego... Read review

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Advantages: it was the best
Disadvantages: it was outdated too soon!

...Did you own an Atari??? Were they not ahead of their time? Superb games you could play on them in the early 80's such as Space invaders, Defender, frogger and everyone had tanks for it. Superb games if I do say so. I remember it was covered in nasty laminate wood look material. Made it look at home in the late 70's!!!! It was a technology stolen by all the later consoles with the cartridge type games!!! Simply slot them in and off you go!!! It simply out shone my first computer which was a Vic 20!!! It was however no match for the Spectrum.... Read review

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Advantages: Nostalgia!
Disadvantages: Very, very basic and not very playable!

...Do you remember when games like Space Invaders, Asteroids, Breakout and Pong were the cutting edge of technology? Well, this new game from Jakks Pacific will take you back to those heady days! The original Atari console came out around 1980, with its distinctive wood veneer finish fitting in nicely with the décor of the time. The games were available in cartridges, costing around £40 each. Bearing in mind the cost of inflation, this is quite a staggering amount. Now, Jakks Pacific have made a new version of the Atari console, which retails at just £24.99 from most toyshops and department stores, and contains 10 of the most popular games. There are no cartridges required, and not even a big, bulky console, wood veneered or otherwise. This ‘console’ consists solely of a replica of the original Atari joystick, a stubby stick... Read review

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Advantages: old school games on a decent console
Disadvantages: short on game titles

...... Read review

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Advantages: Nostalgia, some truly great gameplay, cheap
Disadvantages: Graphics, sound

...Firstly a confession, I have the Atari VCS (Video Computer System) with the nasty wood veneer finish and not the Atari 2600 with the nasty plastic trim, but the 2600 was essentially an update of the VCS - all the controllers and games are interchangeable - so I feel justified in reviewing it here. My first Atari VCS was shared between myself and my brother when they were all the rage in the early 1980's. We'd had to sell the ZX81 (with 16kB RAM pack) to make way for it. The VCS was easily the most popular console around at the time; in fact I'd be hard pushed to name a contemporary (Intellivision?). Early games like Breakout (bouncing a ball against bricks to make them disappear) and Space Invaders could be played using a paddle controller with a knob for left and right and a fire button, but the controller that everyone identifies... Read review

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Advantages: Fond memories, cheap, very reliable
Disadvantages: None

...I recently visited eBay and discovered the chance to buy back my youth. How? In the form of an Atari 2600, I picked one up on eBay for about £20, which isn't bad for a console which is fast becoming an antique. Receiving it the post was like my Christmas aged 7 all over again, it really did bring back tonnes of memories. Anyway the old boy hasn't lost any of it's charm. The games on it have amazingly addictive gameplay as you remember. The graphics and sound are obviously very basic as it's from 1978 or so. In no way does the gameplay suffer though, they are so tricky. You may have thought that the only reason you weren't very good at computer games back then was because you were young. Well you were totally wrong! Some of the games are impossible. For example, I was playing Crystal Castles and must have lasted a whole 4 levels... Read review

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Advantages: Cheap, classy, classic.
Disadvantages: Poor graphics.

...I recently visited eBay and discovered the chance to buy back my youth. How? In the form of an Atari 2600, I picked one up on eBay for about £20, which isn't bad for a console which is fast becoming an antique. Receiving it the post was like my Christmas aged 7 all over again, it really did bring back tonnes of memories. Anyway the old boy hasn't lost any of it's charm. The games on it have amazingly addictive gameplay as you remember. The graphics and sound are obviously very basic as it's from 1978 or so. In no way does the gameplay suffer though, they are so tricky. You may have thought that the only reason you weren't very good at computer games back then was because you were young. Well you were totally wrong! Some of the games are impossible. For example, I was playing Crystal Castles and must have lasted a whole 4 levels... Read review

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Advantages: New 3D engine. Great set of 3D camera controls.
Disadvantages: Steep learning curve. A few bugs.

...RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 (RT3) is the latest installment of Atari's popular theme park simulation. I was astounded by RT3`s great new 3D engine. This is quite simply one of the prettiest looking games ive ever played The day to night transitions are awe inspiring and it's even possible to create custom fireworks displays. Furthermore, the designers have done a amazing job with the mouse driven camera system and you can slide zoom and tilt your viewpoint with ease. (Just bear in mind that you'll need a mouse wheel to fully appreciate the simplicity of the controls.) Despite all of this detail and splendour the game always ran lightning fast. Like its predecessors the meat of RT3 revolves around the tricky business of building and managing a theme park. Apart from the many construction options which include everything from food... Read review

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Advantages: It doesn't matter because the songs are good
Disadvantages: Many of the songs sound similar

...All this stuff about Ciao not getting back to you when you suggest a new product is clearly wrong - they do, both of the times I've suggested new products anyway. Relevance? I just got an email from our friends at ciao saying they've added this album to their product lists. Good for me...and all you in fact. Some of you may know who the Ataris are, if you watch Scuzz and P-Rock you'll probably know "In This Diary" so you'll be aware how good they can be. For those who don't, they are a four piece punk/emo band from Santa Barbara, California, who have been around a while, but this is by far their best album yet. For the record: The Ataris are: Kris Roe - vocals, guitar, moog, mellotron Mike Davenport - base John Collura - guitar, backing vocals Chris Knapp - drums All songs on album written by The Ataris except track 10 "The... Read review

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