#### Back to index | # Info for a5200

#### Atari 5200 SuperSystem

Usage/Known Issues:
Keyboard input is a little difficult, using a joystick or mouse is recommended.
Most games are playable. See a5200.crc for a fairly exhaustive compatibility list.

History and Trivia:
The Atari 5200 was introduced in 1982, and was actually designed to be a competitor to the
Intellivision, before ColecoVision entered the market. Developed under the name of "Pam"
(Atari, at the time, typically named projects after well-endowed female employees), Atari
considered releasing it with that moniker; PAM in this case an acronym for "Personal Arcade
Machine".
The 5200 shared much of the architecture of the Atari 400/800 computers, but featured a
different cartridge connector and completely different controllers. Non-centering analogue
joysticks which offered a full 360 degrees of mobility, were both innovative and unreliable.
Other controller features included a keypad, and a ahead-of-it's-time pause button.
The Atari 5200 suffered from it's initial incompatibility with the VCS/2600 (an adapter was
later released) and fierce competition from Coleco. When Warner Communications sold Atari
Corp. to the Tramiels in 1984, they quickly removed it from the market.

created on Tue Jan 01 12:56:01 2002