This is what the VCS/2600 did so well, port arcade hits to a home console. More than any other competing console at the time, the Atari 2600 offered gamers the most arcade hits and consumers knew it. It was relatively easy to overlook the fact that the graphics were not superior to competing consoles when Atari had some arcade licenses on lockdown.
If you wanted to play Berzerk (with the exception of the Vectrex version) or Joust, you better own an Atari. Centipede, Dig Dug and Jungle Hunt (aka Jungle King in arcades)were more widely ported across competing consoles and home computers but the fact that they were also on the VCS/2600 meant that consumers were not likely to ditch their already owned console to buy a competitors since the games weren’t exclusive.
The 5 games in this post were unquestionable hits in the arcades. These are games many of us played either in the arcade as kids or on home consoles and computers in the 80’s because they were flagship titles. Berzerk for the 2600 is a good port with no digitized speech but no one really assumed that would be possible anyway. Centipede & Joust are fast paced and fun in spite of the lack of colors and details one might expect when playing these games. Dig Dug & Jungle Hunt are pretty faithful to the arcades considering the system limitations and are the best of the bunch in my opinion.
Currently in my collection:
Berzerk – game, manual B
Centipede – game, DC comic A-
Dig Dug – game, manual, box A
Joust – game, manual, box B+
Jungle Hunt – game, manual, box A-
Cartridge Corner 