Atari 2600

The Atari 2600 — 1977

Atari gave the living room what the Odyssey only hinted at: a joystick, colorful cartridges, and games people argued about after dinner. In its woodgrain four-switch finish, the 2600 went from must-have to legend.

Sports were its superstars. Home Run Derby is the bat-and-ball waiting game — the fastball comes, you swing when it's over the plate, and perfect timing puts it into the stands. Ice Hockey is the slippery one: a puck with a mind of its own, goal mouths at both ends, and nobody to blame but your thumbs. Bowling rounds out the family: aim it, charge it, and let the pins scatter.