Oh my. 1977 was an interesting year. The Clash and The Sex Pistols were riding high, Jimmy Carter was sworn into office, Star Wars mania was sweeping the country.... and for $199, you could buy an Atari 2600 with two joysticks and the game "Combat."

$199 in 1977 was about $700 in today's dollars... and all we got was Combat? Seriously? But then, as the soon-to-be-classics started rolling out (Space Invaders, Missile Command, Asteroids, Adventures of Tron, Donkey Kong, Dig Dug, Slot Racers, PacMan), the Atari 2600 was all the rage. Even five years later with (slightly) better technology, the Atari 5200 couldn't come close to matching the popularity of the 2600.

These games were just great. They were simple, easy for kids to learn, and engrossing.

Best of all, there is not a single Atari 2600 game that involves driving to a bodega, picking up a couple of forty-ounce bottles of malt liquor, heading over to your dealer's house, blowing his head off and stealing his stash, having sex with some hookers, and then ramming an old rollerblading couple with your Camaro.

In other words, if I had to choose between Asteroids and Grand Theft Auto IV, I'd pick Asteroids and never look back.

This website has all kinds of old game consoles and hundreds of games for each. Check it out!