OK - so now you have Stella running and can play old Atari 2600 games on your computer if you feel so inclined - that's pretty cool. But if you are like me using the keyboard for the games doesn't quite get it done - you need something a little more authentic. Well the Stelladaptor allows you to plug authentic Atari joysticks, paddles, or driving controllers into your PC's USB port and then use it to play your Atari games just like a real Atari 2600! It also works in MAME so you can use your Atari paddle or joystick to play arcade games too - perfect for spinner games like Tempest or Breakout and one-button joystick games like Galaga or Donkey Kong.
You can order it HERE from the AtariAge website for $39.95. If you need the USB cable included it is an extra $5. I bought two of them for the game cab at home and they work perfectly. Also, if you're new to AtariAge check out their website - it is pretty cool if you are an Atari fan.
Yesterday on a whim I played a little Megamania - one of my favorite Atari 2600 games back in the day. It is very similar to an old arcade shooter favorite of mine called Astro Blaster. The commercial above may have exaggerated the thrill factor ever so slightly - but it was still fun to play for a while for some old-school retro action. Even better, the Atari games that really still shine in my opinion are the 2-player head-to-head games. You can still get some great competitive gameplay on with a couple of beers and some hotly contested rounds of Video Olympics, Combat, Slot Racers, Maze Craze, Football, Baseball, etc.
So what if you feel like trying out some old Atari games but don't have a 2600 lying around anymore and are too cheap of a bastard to buy one off of eBay? Just boot up the excellent Atari 2600 emulator "Stella" and you are good to go. Not quite as good as the real thing - but damn close. It has emulated pretty much every game I've ever tried on it perfectly. So now the the next time you hear that old commercial jingle "Have you played Atari today?" you can hold your head up high and answer proudly but conditionally - "YES!! sort of..."
1. Click HEREto download the installation file for the latest version of Stella (v 3.1.2). Run the Stella installation file and follow the prompts to install. The developers created a good online user's manual if you want to check that out HERE, or you can continue on to my quick and dirty instructions below to get going ASAP.
2. Click HERE to download a zipped batch of Atari 2600 ROMs. Not all of them by any stretch but a good selection of 240 games. Extract the zip file of ROMs into a folder somewhere called "Atari 2600 ROMs" - or whatever. It will make it easier for the emulator to find them if you save the folder in your root C:\ directory.
3. Run Stella.
4. Click the 'Options' button at the bottom.
5. Click the 'Config Files' button, then click the 'Rom Path' button to browse for your ROMs folder. The directory browsing is a little clunky and defaults to the C:\ root directory on your computer which is why I recommended you put it there to find it easily. If it is somewhere else just click your way to wherever you saved it. Double-click your Atari ROMs folder to enter it and then click the "Choose" button to set that as your ROMs folder. You can adjust a lot of other options too if you like but I won't go into all that here.
6. Now select 'Exit Menu' - all your available Atari 2600 ROMs should now show up in your menu. Double Click one of the games and you see the intro screen for the game like you just put in the cartridge and turned on the power. After that here are the basic controls you need to know:
F1: [Select switch] F2: [Reset switch] F12: Saves a snapshot of the game you are currently playing so a picture shows in the menu Directional keys: Player 1 directional joystick movement Left Ctrl or Space: Player 1 fire Esc: Exits from the game back to the menu Y,H,G,J,F: Up, Down, Left, Right, and Fire for Player 2 (You can change these to other keys).
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