The Atari 2600 is commonly hailed as the ultimate classic gaming console. Its mere mention warms even the coldest soul. People just seem to love what, today, looks so primitive. But in its heyday, the Atari 2600 provided many a person with hours of 8-bit entertainment.
The 2600 had the longest lifespan of any console to date. Even as Atari released game consoles that were supposed to replace the 2600, the 2600 stood fast. Something about the console just kept drawing people in.
The legacy of the 2600 continues up to today. Many collectors and gamers alike still enjoy playing an Atari 2600 game every once in a while. Unfortunately, the system and games have become commodities, sometimes costing a good amount of money to own, making them impractical for someone just wanting to play off and on.
Luckily, there is a great Atari emulator available called Stella as well as many ROMs out there that you can download, meaning you can play the 2600 on your computer without spending a dime!