The Video Game Project
A Closer Look At The Prototypes That Became Your Favourite Games!
UNRELEASED ATARI CX2500 HARDWARE
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Although it looks like a larger and perhaps earlier version of the Atari CX-2000 "VAL" all-in-one system designed by Steve Mayer and Gregg Squires at the WCI Atari New York lab, the Atari CX2500 was actually a Sunnyvale response to the CX-2000. It was to show that a design could be done, just like the NY/WCI LAB CX-2000 but using an off the shelf Atari 2600A motherboard in a much more robust case design.
The system contains all the basic features and functionality of a standard Atari 2600 Video Computer System. The 4 switches are: Power, B&W/Color, Select, and Reset. On the back of the unit are two joystick ports, difficulty switches, channel select and power input. The joysticks are the exact same mechanical units as those that were planned to be used in the unreleased Atari 2700 "RC Stella". They are 8 position joysticks with 270 degree paddles. The long red strips behind each joystick controller are firing buttons.
Much like the grey version / model, an Atari 2600A motherboard is inside the outer shell. It is also a very early prototype as the controllers are mock-ups and have no contact switches or connecting cables going to the Atari 2600A motherboard, which also has not been modified!