Tags: Atari

Todd Rogers’ infamous world record 5.51 second run in the Atari 2600 game Dragster has been revoked after it was proven to be an impossible feat. Literally impossible without cheating thanks to analysis of the game software. Twin Galaxies’ decision to invalidate the record from 1982 marks the end of what was until recently the longest held official video game record. Polygon has a comprehensive breakdown of the years-long drama that lead to the decision. It’s a stunning reversal for the world of old-school video game competition, because Rogers held multiple high scores including, but not limited to, Barnstorming, Wabbit, and Centipede, all of which were disputed and stricken from the record due to the evidence of his deceptions.

The new official record time for Dragster is 5.57 seconds, which is held by four people and represents the minimum time allowed by the software. Time to get practicing on Dragster if you want to join the scoreboard!

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The site may not have much on it, but here’s the first complete image of the Ataribox. First teased in early June, the Ataribox will come in two editions, the retro-inspired faux wood-faced one above, and one with a more modern silver and red front. The only specifications mentioned by Atari are “an array of new ports” including HDMI, four USB ports, and an SD card slot. While they haven’t released any game information, the company noted that savvy gamers may have figured out what’s up.

As you can guess, those ports suggest modern internal specs. It also means that while we will be delivering classic gaming content, we will also be delivering current gaming content.

Atari states that they have months of “milestones, challenges and decision points” prior to launch. So why announce anything when they don’t have much nailed down for public release? One could guess that they aspire to end up as an eBay hot-seller like some other retro consoles.

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