2 Warps to Neptune

Here’s the deal. About a year ago I bought an Atari 7800 on eBay. I played it. It was awesome. Now it has to go.

Instead of selling it, I want to give some other nerds a chance to play it. First up is Lefty Limbo. He already has the package, in fact, and confirms that it’s in fine fighting form.

If you want a crack at this thing too, here are the Relay Eligibility Requirements:

1. You must live in the Continental U.S.
2. You must provide your full name and mailing address.
3. When it’s time to ‘relay’ the Atari, you must agree to (a) pack the system, games, and accessories very securely, and (b) pay postage. (You do not have to pay postage until it’s your turn to relay the Atari.)
4. You must maintain a public forum of some sort (blog, website, etc.) at which you’re willing to share your experience in the relay. After all, it’s something of a social experiment as well as a chance to play some of the greatest games ever designed. (If you don’t have a blog, etc., we probably can arrange something in the way of a guest post.)
5. Don’t be a jerk. We’re on the honor system here, and if I’m willing to share this Atari, you should be willing to (a) treat it with respect, (b) not jack it, and (c) be extremely cool with all the other relay participants. Please don’t give me another reason to be cynical about the human species.
6. You must email me at 2warpstoneptune@gmail.com and tell me who you are and why you want a crack at a video game system that is nearly 30 years old.

That’s it. I’ll decide in what order the relay participants get the system, and we’ll all determine how long each person gets to keep it depending on how many nerds are interested.

As I said, this thing is old. It works fine now, but I understand it could crap out at any time. If it happens, it happens. I don’t expect to play it again, and there’s a chance you won’t get to play it at all.

What You Get

The Atari 7800 ProSystem was originally released in 1984, shelved when the company was sold, then re-released in 1986. The 7800 didn’t have a very large game catalog, but the cool thing is that it plays all Atari 2600 games.

Here’s a complete list of what relay participants will receive, barring breakdowns/mishaps:

• Atari 7800 ProSystem with original power supply and instructions
• Connector cable with HDMI adapter (very easily hooks up to your HDTV)
• 2 original 7800 controllers
• 1 Quick Shot controller
• Centipede for the 7800 (loose)
• Dark Chambers (Gauntlet prototype) for the 7800 with original box and instructions
• Dig Dug for the 7800 (loose)
• Donkey Kong Jr. for the 7800 with original box and instructions
• Galaga for the 7800 (loose)
• Joust for the 7800 (loose)
• Ms. Pac-Man for the 7800 with original box and instructions
• Pole Position II for the 7800 (loose)
• Robotron: 2084 for the 7800 (loose)
• Xevious for the 7800 (loose)
• Burger Time for the 2600 (loose)
• Tron Deadly Discs (rare) for the 2600 (loose)

Spread the word.