In 1979 I was aware of the Atari vcs but it was expensive at £140 and with the disappointment with the Videomaster Star Chess I was reluctant to get another game system but some time around 1980 with cash in my pocket I got one.
Wow it was good and the setup was just like those that came before, plug in the mains lead and the output into the aerial socket of the TV via a supplied adapter so as not to affect your TV picture when watching broadcast programmes, retune an unused channel, plug in the controllers and away you go!
Changing cartridge was super easy, switch off , take out the old and in with the new and switch on, the system came complete and ready to use, and included a second set of controllers for race-type games.
The progress of game gadgets rapidly left the earlier ‘Pong’ type games far behind, gone were the days of a game system with 6 built in game, there were loads of games available in the form of cartridges that just plugged in, and each cartridge had between 10 and 50 variations.
For a long time I only had the “Combat” cartridge that came free with the system but I did play it to death, I do remember playing Space Invaders, Asteroids but other that that I remember what other cartridges I had.
I don’t know what happed to it but I wish I still had it.