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4,440 machines: 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Manufacturers | Top 100 Videogames | Visit The International Arcade Museum for 13297 coin-operated listings. |
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4,440 machines: 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Manufacturers | Top 100 Videogames | Visit The International Arcade Museum for 13297 coin-operated listings. |
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Manufacturer:
Atari Year: 1979 Class: Wide Release Genre: Sports Type: Videogame Sub: Monitor:
Number of Simultaneous Players: 4 Maximum number of Players: 4 Gameplay: Either Control Panel Layout: Multiple Player Sound: Amplified Mono (one channel) |
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Atari Football DescriptionAn American football game where the player characters are represented as X's and O's on a monochrome screen. Players select either offensive or defensive plays and then control one of the characters on each team by rolling a trackball. Two versions were released; one for two players and another for two or four players.Know anything more about this game? Cabinet InformationPlayers stand at opposing ends of the cabinet and text messages appear, oriented for each player. Additionally, information is displayed vertically down the side of the monitor.With regards to the four-player cabinet, the control panel on each side of the machine contains two Trak-balls and a button. The right-hand Trak-ball on each side is the quarterback -- the other is the receiver. Cheats, Tricks and BugsWear a pair of gloves to minimize blisters. For maximum speed, use two hands to spin the Trak-ball when running.In some two-player models built in late 1978 and early 1979, there was a bug that would allow the QB to throw a pass after crossing the line of scrimmage, then going back behind it. When the QB crossed scrimmage, all the defending X players would leave their receivers open as they pursued the run, making long completions easy. Game IntroductionThis can be one of the most physically challenging games that was ever manufactured. Since the speed of each player depends on how fast the trac-ball is spun, your shoulders must be strong and your hands must be tough. Painfully sore palms and pinched fingers have rendered the hands of unseasoned players useless for days.The two-player game requires one person to play offense and one to play defense. The four-player game requires two people on offense -- a Quarterback and wide receiver -- and two on defense as tackles. The four-player game is infinitely more challenging than the two-player. Plays are chosen by the play select button, and the same button is used by the offense to pass the ball to a receiver. The Quarterback is often heard yelling 'I pushed it' immediately before getting sacked. Game PlayThe offensive characters are the O's and the defensive characters are the X's. Select a play with the trackball and press the button. Roll the trackball in the direction you would like to travel. Rolling the control faster will move your X or O faster. Pass the ball by pressing the button. Tackles are made by simply touching the character with the ball.The four-player game has an additional offensve play: Punt/Field Goal. Use the button to kick the ball. MiscellaneousThe "Kick" defense was very effective against the pass, often resulting in Quarterback sacks.VAPS Arcade CensusGAMES OWNED, WANTED, or FOR SALE BY MEMBERS OF THE VIDEO ARCADE PRESERVATION SOCIETYVery Common - There are 52 known instances of Atari Football owned by one of our 900 members. Of these, 50 of them are original dedicated machines, and 2 of them are only circuit boards which a collector could put into a generic case if desired. Wanted - Very Popular - There are 12 VAPS members currently looking for Atari Football. For Sale - There are 5 VAPS members with Atari Football machines for sale. VAPS members are totally independent of VAPS and the International Arcade Museum, and we are unable to recommend, endorce, or guarantee any person or company selling games or game parts. Rarity is NOT necessarily an indication of value. Some common games show up as very rare here because collectors don't want them (they are common because arcade operators might be sitting on tons of them in warehouses), while some fairly scarce games are grabbed by collectors every time they show up. Additionally, some games made in the last 5 years are still making money for operators and are thus not yet affordable to the typical collector. For a clue to value, compare how many people have this game vs. how many people want this game and then click on the eBay links to help determine an accurate price range. TechnicalIt's a good idea to replace the shafts in the Trak-balls if they are the originals.TriviaThis was the first game to use a trac-ball as the controller. Chances are that you will be more worn our after playing this game than after playing an actual game of football!eBay ListingsClick here to automatically search eBay's Arcade, Jukebox, and Pinball categories for the Atari Football Videogame machine and items related to it.Click here to automatically search eBay's Arcade, Jukebox, and Pinball categories for machines and parts made by Atari. Alternatively, check out the IAM/KLOV custom report of the hottest coin-op machines on eBay, powered by Ace.com (updated throughoutthe day).
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