Atari 2600 enters Strong National Museum of Play's Hall of Fame

We know that the Atari 2600 doesn't really need more accolades, but it's always nice to see the system get propers from the man upstairs. In this particular case, the man upstairs happens to be the Strong National Museum of Play's Toy Hall of Fame (that's a mouthful). To date, the museum has only added 38 toys to its list, so Atari's old pixel pusher joins the ranks of luminaries such as G.I. Joe, Barbie, the Slinky, Hula Hoops, and the Kite. In addition to being the newest entry, the console also has the distinction of being the most recently invented toy in the Hall of Fame, though we understand that claim was nearly edged out by Silly Putty. Congratulations, 2600, you've come a long way.

[Via Next Generation]

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 9:40AM]

That sounds like someplace Batman would go to fight some deranged toy-criminal.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 9:50AM]

Ah nostalgia! Loved that system to bits ..literally!

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 10:26AM]

literally, huh? So you had sex with your 2600? Well that faux wood grain is pretty sexy...

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 10:06AM]

I'm sure I'm not the only one who still has a working 2600 and loads of cartridges...those things were built tough! The only problem is the joysticks wearing out. Glad to see it in the spotlight yet again, hooray for 4K games! :D

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 10:07AM]

There are very few things in life which bring me back to my childhood with such fondness.

On the other hand... Damn you, Atari, for making me a geek!

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 10:14AM]

Man I was actually hoping this was an announcement of a product that look like a 2600 but had all the games on 1 cartridge...

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 11:50AM]

What took them so long???

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 11:09AM]

Strong has had a whole Atari display since before they converted to Museum of Play a few years ago... great place, if you're ever in Rochester.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 13th 2007 11:23AM]

I wasted my childhood on that machine. I could have been outside preparing for a career in baseball, but no -- I was playing video games. And, now I read Engadget as a result. How sad.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 11:56AM]

THIS ITEM IS NOT BACKWARDS-COMPATIBLE WITH ATARI 2600.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 1:24PM]

Ah, the days when two controllers were included in every box.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 9:58PM]

Not only 2 controllers but also 2 paddle controllers. It seemed like everyone I know had one of these systems when I was a kid, and I never got one. It wasn't until the Atari 5200 came out that I got that system for Christmas.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 1:57PM]

After so many years I hooked my 2600 up recently. It still works well. Gotta love that.

[stridermt2k Posted Nov 12th 2007 2:34PM]

Oh yeah, good times!

"Adventure" with the secret stuff and the Easter Egg.

Curving my shots in "Tank Battle" or "Combat" or whatever it was called so no one wanted to play with me anymore.

-and that time I ran it from a 9-volt battery briefly, wondering how cool it would be to have some sort of portable version I could just...carry around with me.

Sigh.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 2:40PM]

@strider_mt2k:

You can have Ben Heck make you a custom 2600 Portable: http://benheck.com/11-02-2007/an-atari-portable-remember-those

Regarding the Easter Egg in the "Adventure" game...that was the first commercial video game Easter Egg. And a great story!

[Ellianth Posted Nov 12th 2007 3:17PM]

does this museum have model of the human sex organs? I'm sure that men and women have all played with themsleves since the dawning of time. Not to mention it's really quite fun. Not that i play with myself or anything. I just read that it was fun in a magazine once. Honest!!

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 3:51PM]

??

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 12th 2007 8:57PM]

I think I'll stick with my cardboard box, thank you very much.