What is Atari 2600?
[[Image:Atari2600a.JPG|thumb|right|200px|The Atari 2600 (Video Computer System)]] The '''Atari 2600''' is a [[video game console]] released in the [[United States]] in October 1977. The Atari 2600 was originally called the Atari Video Computer System (or VCS). The Atari 2600 uses game cartridges which can be swapped in and out to change games, which was a new idea in video games at the time. Over 30 [[million]] Atari 2600 consoles were [[sell|sold]]. ==Name== While Atari designed their console, they [[code-name]]d it Stella. When released in 1977, they called it the Video Computer System (VCS for short). There was also a version that was sold at [[Sears]] called the Sears Video Arcade. It was not called the Atari 2600 until the [[Atari 5200]] released in 1982. The 2600 is called this because that is the part number the company used to tell the difference in versions. ==Launch== When the Atari 2600 came out, it usually came with two [[joystick]] controllers, a pair of paddle controllers, and a game cartridge. There were initially nine games available at launch, featuring ''Combat'' (packaged with the console), ''Air-Sea Battle'', ''Basic Math'', ''Blackjack'', ''Indy 500'', ''Star Ship'', ''Street Racer'', ''Surround'', and ''Video Olympics''. The 2600 originally sold for [[USD|$]]199. <gallery> File:Atari Paddle.JPG|Atari 2600 Paddle Controller File:Atari-2600-Joystick.jpg|Atari 2600 Joystick Controller File:Pac-man computer game for Atari 8-bit computers 1982.jpg|Pac-Man Game cartridge for atari 8-bit computers </gallery> ==Colors and graphics== The Atari 2600 uses different sets of colors depending on the television used with it: * In [[North America]], the [[NTSC]] format is used, which has 128 colors. * In many parts of [[Europe]], the [[PAL]] format is used, which has 104 colors. * A third format, called [[SECAM]], was used in [[France]]; it only has 8 colors: black, blue, pink, mauve, neon green, sea-foam, yellow and white. ==Games== When the Atari 2600 was released nine games were available. Those game