I'm kind of a nerd for the TI-99/4A. I really dig the hardware, and I'm not alone here. There's an enthusiastic user group that nerds out about the eccentric TI hardware regularly.
Hardware If you are considering one, I advise you get the "A" model. The Original TI-99/4 had a funky keyboard; the TI-99/4A had a much improved keyboard. I like the tactile feel of the big game cartridges sliding into the front-loading cartridge slot. I dig the weight of the machine. It's hefty with lots of metal parts.
The hardware is a bit of a rabbit hole. In addition to the main computer itself, there are endless peripherals and expansions including video modulators, cassette decks, and floppy drives. There are even modern expansions to load things like USB ports and IDE hard drives.
Software As for the software, there are a FEW really good titles. I would say that it's a much smaller library than the Atari 8-bit line, but a better quality library overall. Chisholm trail adds a bit of strategy to berserk-style shooting. Wumpus is cool. Parsec is a pretty neat horizontal shoot 'em up. Tunnels of Doom is a first person dungeon crawler. Moon Mine is a first person tank shooter. Space Bandits is an action game set on a isometric play field. Demon attack is vertical shoot 'em up in the style of Space Invaders, but with larger, more detailed sprites. Munch-Man is a Pac-Man clone with a neat pseudo~3D isometric angled maze. A-Maze-ing is a classic time waster, and a good way of trying something new in the maze genre that Pac-Man started. Speaking of which, there was also a legit port of Pac-Man that looks good, but plays a little slow. Donkey-Kong and Q*Bert are also featured on the TI-99/4A, and they look great - almost NES quality.
TI-99/4A has long been emulated. If you want to try some of the software before buying, everything you need is just a cursory google search away.
Thanks for all the information man! I need another console/computer like I need a hole in my head but I'm thinking about it anyway...
fastbilly1 wrote:Tried both on three different tvs, same issues. TVs showed every other console fine.
Can you describe how you connect your 2600 to your television?
Have: Sega Genesis, SNES, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Atari 800XL, PC, N3DS XL, Wii U, GBA, Xbox One, Switch
Any reason to own an original 2600 wood grain or jr model if I already own a 7800? I mean my buddy says it should be showcased regardless. People notice that than the 7800
mas wrote:Any reason to own an original 2600 wood grain or jr model if I already own a 7800? I mean my buddy says it should be showcased regardless. People notice that than the 7800
The 7800 and 2600jr cart slot are snug even for original 1st party 2600 carts. The 2600 wood grains cart slot better built and solid. Of course not Zif slot, but still a lot smoother swapping game carts.
Now if you really want to showcase, get a 5200 and the 2600 adapter. I went nuts when the 5200 came out and have most of the accessories and games.
