It’s just aesthetics and nostalgia - think of it as a $100 “figurine” of a 2600 with a $30 emulator thrown in for good measure. It’s pricey, but it doesn’t seem wildly unreasonable as a fun...
It’s just aesthetics and nostalgia - think of it as a $100 “figurine” of a 2600 with a $30 emulator thrown in for good measure. It’s pricey, but it doesn’t seem wildly unreasonable as a fun toy/gift for someone who remembers that era of gaming fondly. Admittedly the cartridge mechanic is presumably also an attempt to drive sales of these very overpriced games, but they aren’t mandatory and I can definitely see a few extra dollars worth of fun in being able to physically clunk in an old favourite game found on eBay.
That said, I’m not the target market and presumably neither are you - cheap software emulator or expensive FPGA hardware all the way as far as I’m concerned.
Holy hell! I had no idea such a bizarre thing existed. I mean, I guess spending $100 on a new collector's edition Atari game makes more sense than spending $10k on a digital picture of a monkey,...
Holy hell! I had no idea such a bizarre thing existed. I mean, I guess spending $100 on a new collector's edition Atari game makes more sense than spending $10k on a digital picture of a monkey, but it still seems pointless when you can pick up the OG version of most of these same games for a dollar or less at your local thrift store.
Inflation is a hell of a thing with video games though. It really puts things into context when I recall that my parents would spend $20-$30 on each of these games back in the 80's, which would correspond to around $60-$100 in today's money.
Agreed. Why even have a cartridge slot if they are just emulating? I’d buy it if it was hardware accurate. Or hell, id buy it if it was software emulation but had like 50+ games and was closer to...
Agreed. Why even have a cartridge slot if they are just emulating? I’d buy it if it was hardware accurate. Or hell, id buy it if it was software emulation but had like 50+ games and was closer to $50. This is just a weird compromise.
Some people like the physicality of using cartridges and consoles. I view it like buying music on vinyl. Digital music is more practical and higher quality, but there's something uniquely...
Some people like the physicality of using cartridges and consoles. I view it like buying music on vinyl. Digital music is more practical and higher quality, but there's something uniquely enjoyable about pulling a giant record out of a cardboard sleeve and plopping it down on a turntable.
This machine will play original 2600 and 7800 cartridges (and presumably modern flash cartridges). If the emulation quality is good enough, I could see it being a suitable replacement for the real thing for many enthusiasts. For me personally, the price is too high, and I have little interest in the early Atari library. But I gladly paid more than this for the Analogue Super NT back before MiSTer was a thing.
The analogue super NT is fpga based hardware emulation though… this 2600+ is software emulation on an ARM processor. So it’s more akin to a RetroN console.
The analogue super NT is fpga based hardware emulation though… this 2600+ is software emulation on an ARM processor. So it’s more akin to a RetroN console.
I'm of the opinion that software emulation is not inherently inferior to FPGA emulation, only more difficult (but not impossible) to make hardware accurate. Being based on an FGPA though certainly...
I'm of the opinion that software emulation is not inherently inferior to FPGA emulation, only more difficult (but not impossible) to make hardware accurate.
Being based on an FGPA though certainly contributed to the Analogue Super NT's higher price.
Well, the press release says this one is compatible with 2600 and 7800 and it comes with the official Atari name... Which means next to nothing at this point due to how many times it's been sold.
Well, the press release says this one is compatible with 2600 and 7800 and it comes with the official Atari name...
Which means next to nothing at this point due to how many times it's been sold.
COVID has my timeframes all messed up but I want to say I bought one of those Atari branded Flashback emulators for like $25 from Dollar General and it came with something like 30 or more games...
COVID has my timeframes all messed up but I want to say I bought one of those Atari branded Flashback emulators for like $25 from Dollar General and it came with something like 30 or more games like 7-8 years ago. And it came with a 2nd controller.
The $130 version (with 1 controller) from the link it just.. Who is this for? Is there a big enough fan population willing to pay $29.9 for "Mr. Run and Jump 2600"?
A working Atari 2600 with box and accessories will easily go for $100+ on eBay with usually only a handful of games at best. Plus with electronics that old something is bound to go wrong...
A working Atari 2600 with box and accessories will easily go for $100+ on eBay with usually only a handful of games at best. Plus with electronics that old something is bound to go wrong eventually, so you better hope it’s at least in good condition when you buy it.
That’s not to say I think this is a good bargain for the average person, but I do think I could see someone looking at the relative cost to rebuild their old setup and deciding to buy this instead.
I tend not to go too crazy for the latest retro gaming gadgets, but something about this one caught my eye, both because of its capabilities, and the bonkers fact that Atari is manufacturing brand...
I tend not to go too crazy for the latest retro gaming gadgets, but something about this one caught my eye, both because of its capabilities, and the bonkers fact that Atari is manufacturing brand new, cartridge-only Atari 2600s in 2023. It seems that the potential audience for something like this would be incredibly limited, and yet they brought it to market anyway. There's something about that I enjoy, though $130 seems like a pretty steep price, and I say that as someone sitting on a pile of 2600 games I'd like to play again.
This new one is emulator-based, so all the pros and cons including a compatibility list.
Ahhhh...there is going to be some cloud/shop/download component involved as well:
The emulation base with physical cartridges is the weirdest part to me. Who is this supposed to appeal to? If I want the compatability issues I'll just emulate it on my pc like everything else. I...
The emulation base with physical cartridges is the weirdest part to me. Who is this supposed to appeal to? If I want the compatability issues I'll just emulate it on my pc like everything else. I assumed the cartridges meant they were re-releasing actual hardware for the games.
I notice that the 10-in-1 cartridge includes Combat (a good choice, as it's one of the Atari classics). But the console comes with just one joystick. Are they saying that you have to buy a second...
I notice that the 10-in-1 cartridge includes Combat (a good choice, as it's one of the Atari classics). But the console comes with just one joystick. Are they saying that you have to buy a second joystick separately? Or are they suggesting that you can play Combat single-player? (Not in the original - it was exclusively a two-person game.)
People who are planning to get this or are at least interested, how often do you play games from this era? How much time do you spend with them? They are before my time, but seem like nothing fun...
People who are planning to get this or are at least interested, how often do you play games from this era? How much time do you spend with them? They are before my time, but seem like nothing fun other than novelty compared to NES games that have some feel and depth.
I don't play games from this era often, but I have a lot of cartridges and looking at the list, a lot of them are compatible. $130 would need to give me about 8 hours of entertainment value to be...
I don't play games from this era often, but I have a lot of cartridges and looking at the list, a lot of them are compatible. $130 would need to give me about 8 hours of entertainment value to be worth it in my opinion, and I would guess I would get more than that.
This is almost certainly aimed almost exactly at people like me. I have 30 or 40 cartridges in a box, I played a lot of Atari, I don't have a television that easily connects to my old Atari, I don't want to fiddle around setting up an emulator, and I have sufficient disposable income. I will likely purchase one at some point.
See this is an odd one for me... Not because I have nostalgia for hooking up the 2600, needing a screwdriver to hook the adapter to the TV, and then needing to unplug everything and put it back in...
See this is an odd one for me... Not because I have nostalgia for hooking up the 2600, needing a screwdriver to hook the adapter to the TV, and then needing to unplug everything and put it back in the closet because Dad didn't want those cables all over the place but because of the Activision Anthology on PS2.
The 80s tunes, behind the scenes tidbits, and the game selection. That one game gives me such a strong proclivity towards anything Atari... Then I remember I owned E.T...
I won't get this but I may find my old Activision Anthology disc and pop it in. It's a shame though because in a world where I dropped Analogue Super NT money to play Packy and Marlin in HD, I could see myself buying this...
But it's really just one of those Retron 5s for Atari. My smartwatch could probably emulate Atari flawlessly, why pay $130 so my copy of missile command can have a new storage spot?
For me, games I find worth coming back to don't start until the NES era. Everything before that strikes me as a novelty you'll get bored of after an hour.
For me, games I find worth coming back to don't start until the NES era. Everything before that strikes me as a novelty you'll get bored of after an hour.
That's your frame of reference speaking. A friend's dad came home with an early game-machine that he'd borrowed from a co-worker, to entertain the kids. We figuratively played the knobs off that...
That's your frame of reference speaking.
A friend's dad came home with an early game-machine that he'd borrowed from a co-worker, to entertain the kids.
We figuratively played the knobs off that PONG console for days, and mourned its eventual return to the owner.
I see it as an investment for keeping history alive. Atari 2600 or NES was my first console, even I was born in 90s. I wouldn't really play them every day. But having something like this if I have...
I see it as an investment for keeping history alive. Atari 2600 or NES was my first console, even I was born in 90s. I wouldn't really play them every day. But having something like this if I have kids ever, would be fun to showcase to them how things have evolved.
You're not wrong - I grew up on NES, but there are a few games from the 2600 that seem like they could hold up - Kaboom, Phoenix, Pitfall. Some you'd want to play longer than others. That said...
You're not wrong - I grew up on NES, but there are a few games from the 2600 that seem like they could hold up - Kaboom, Phoenix, Pitfall. Some you'd want to play longer than others.
That said this product makes no sense. They present it like an Analogue product, but it's just software emulation with a cartridge slot. If the shell is the same size as the 2600 then the PCB inside would be hilariously small. Show me a 1/3 size 2600 with a cartridge slot, an FPGA and HDMI and I'll give you $130 for it all day long.
My theory is that everyone can step back one generation. I was born in 84 and mostly missed the NES, only occasionally playing it at friends houses. The SNES was the first console I owned. I love...
My theory is that everyone can step back one generation. I was born in 84 and mostly missed the NES, only occasionally playing it at friends houses. The SNES was the first console I owned.
I love SNES games, but also feel like the NES has a lot of charm. There's tons of NES games I enjoy. Go any further back and there's just not that much there for me.
Hmm I’m kind of the opposite. NES was my first. I actually got an snes a few years after my n64. I love n64 still but snes is my favorite era. NES is pretty much only enjoyable for nostalgia.
Hmm I’m kind of the opposite. NES was my first. I actually got an snes a few years after my n64. I love n64 still but snes is my favorite era. NES is pretty much only enjoyable for nostalgia.
They really should've teamed up with Analogue to make a FPGA Atari system that plays 2600, 5200 and 7800 games. In fact, given Atari's shoddy track record in the past two decades, and the fact...
They really should've teamed up with Analogue to make a FPGA Atari system that plays 2600, 5200 and 7800 games.
In fact, given Atari's shoddy track record in the past two decades, and the fact that they're a greedy corporation wearing the skin of a once-beloved American gaming giant, I'm surprised they didn't subcontract this to AtGames...
The store page lists a few international retailers now. You might be in luck if you live in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, Benelux, or Slovenia. Not...
The store page lists a few international retailers now. You might be in luck if you live in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, Benelux, or Slovenia.
Not sure why they don't have any options for any other country. I can't say I'm even very interested in this but I'm definitely pretty annoyed that Canada isn't on that list...
I would love for Atari to build something relevant and stop relying on remakes and rehashes. I was excited for the VCS but so far they seemed to have pushed that console under the rug and pretend...
I would love for Atari to build something relevant and stop relying on remakes and rehashes. I was excited for the VCS but so far they seemed to have pushed that console under the rug and pretend it doesn't exist. I feel like there's a big opportunity in the market right now for SFF gaming devices.
The drawbacks of the Xbox Series S hardware are finally starting to rear it's ugly head, and if someone can put out an affordable console that has slightly better specs for the same price, and plays most PC games in 1440p 60fps or 1080p 120fps (remember we're talking about consoles on a TV) it would be a major hit.
If it’s just emulation, I don’t really get the point. You can get a much cheaper version that can run even 7800 games perfectly well.
It’s just aesthetics and nostalgia - think of it as a $100 “figurine” of a 2600 with a $30 emulator thrown in for good measure. It’s pricey, but it doesn’t seem wildly unreasonable as a fun toy/gift for someone who remembers that era of gaming fondly. Admittedly the cartridge mechanic is presumably also an attempt to drive sales of these very overpriced games, but they aren’t mandatory and I can definitely see a few extra dollars worth of fun in being able to physically clunk in an old favourite game found on eBay.
That said, I’m not the target market and presumably neither are you - cheap software emulator or expensive FPGA hardware all the way as far as I’m concerned.
Holy hell! I had no idea such a bizarre thing existed. I mean, I guess spending $100 on a new collector's edition Atari game makes more sense than spending $10k on a digital picture of a monkey, but it still seems pointless when you can pick up the OG version of most of these same games for a dollar or less at your local thrift store.
Inflation is a hell of a thing with video games though. It really puts things into context when I recall that my parents would spend $20-$30 on each of these games back in the 80's, which would correspond to around $60-$100 in today's money.
Agreed. Why even have a cartridge slot if they are just emulating? I’d buy it if it was hardware accurate. Or hell, id buy it if it was software emulation but had like 50+ games and was closer to $50. This is just a weird compromise.
Some people like the physicality of using cartridges and consoles. I view it like buying music on vinyl. Digital music is more practical and higher quality, but there's something uniquely enjoyable about pulling a giant record out of a cardboard sleeve and plopping it down on a turntable.
This machine will play original 2600 and 7800 cartridges (and presumably modern flash cartridges). If the emulation quality is good enough, I could see it being a suitable replacement for the real thing for many enthusiasts. For me personally, the price is too high, and I have little interest in the early Atari library. But I gladly paid more than this for the Analogue Super NT back before MiSTer was a thing.
The analogue super NT is fpga based hardware emulation though… this 2600+ is software emulation on an ARM processor. So it’s more akin to a RetroN console.
I'm of the opinion that software emulation is not inherently inferior to FPGA emulation, only more difficult (but not impossible) to make hardware accurate.
Being based on an FGPA though certainly contributed to the Analogue Super NT's higher price.
You can stick in your original cartridges
Well, the press release says this one is compatible with 2600 and 7800 and it comes with the official Atari name...
Which means next to nothing at this point due to how many times it's been sold.
COVID has my timeframes all messed up but I want to say I bought one of those Atari branded Flashback emulators for like $25 from Dollar General and it came with something like 30 or more games like 7-8 years ago. And it came with a 2nd controller.
The $130 version (with 1 controller) from the link it just.. Who is this for? Is there a big enough fan population willing to pay $29.9 for "Mr. Run and Jump 2600"?
A working Atari 2600 with box and accessories will easily go for $100+ on eBay with usually only a handful of games at best. Plus with electronics that old something is bound to go wrong eventually, so you better hope it’s at least in good condition when you buy it.
That’s not to say I think this is a good bargain for the average person, but I do think I could see someone looking at the relative cost to rebuild their old setup and deciding to buy this instead.
I tend not to go too crazy for the latest retro gaming gadgets, but something about this one caught my eye, both because of its capabilities, and the bonkers fact that Atari is manufacturing brand new, cartridge-only Atari 2600s in 2023. It seems that the potential audience for something like this would be incredibly limited, and yet they brought it to market anyway. There's something about that I enjoy, though $130 seems like a pretty steep price, and I say that as someone sitting on a pile of 2600 games I'd like to play again.
This new one is emulator-based, so all the pros and cons including a compatibility list.
Ahhhh...there is going to be some cloud/shop/download component involved as well:
The emulation base with physical cartridges is the weirdest part to me. Who is this supposed to appeal to? If I want the compatability issues I'll just emulate it on my pc like everything else. I assumed the cartridges meant they were re-releasing actual hardware for the games.
I notice that the 10-in-1 cartridge includes Combat (a good choice, as it's one of the Atari classics). But the console comes with just one joystick. Are they saying that you have to buy a second joystick separately? Or are they suggesting that you can play Combat single-player? (Not in the original - it was exclusively a two-person game.)
You can buy another for $25, and paddle controllers, and other games too:
https://atari.com/collections/atari-2600-plus
People who are planning to get this or are at least interested, how often do you play games from this era? How much time do you spend with them? They are before my time, but seem like nothing fun other than novelty compared to NES games that have some feel and depth.
I don't play games from this era often, but I have a lot of cartridges and looking at the list, a lot of them are compatible. $130 would need to give me about 8 hours of entertainment value to be worth it in my opinion, and I would guess I would get more than that.
This is almost certainly aimed almost exactly at people like me. I have 30 or 40 cartridges in a box, I played a lot of Atari, I don't have a television that easily connects to my old Atari, I don't want to fiddle around setting up an emulator, and I have sufficient disposable income. I will likely purchase one at some point.
See this is an odd one for me... Not because I have nostalgia for hooking up the 2600, needing a screwdriver to hook the adapter to the TV, and then needing to unplug everything and put it back in the closet because Dad didn't want those cables all over the place but because of the Activision Anthology on PS2.
The 80s tunes, behind the scenes tidbits, and the game selection. That one game gives me such a strong proclivity towards anything Atari... Then I remember I owned E.T...
I won't get this but I may find my old Activision Anthology disc and pop it in. It's a shame though because in a world where I dropped Analogue Super NT money to play Packy and Marlin in HD, I could see myself buying this...
But it's really just one of those Retron 5s for Atari. My smartwatch could probably emulate Atari flawlessly, why pay $130 so my copy of missile command can have a new storage spot?
For me, games I find worth coming back to don't start until the NES era. Everything before that strikes me as a novelty you'll get bored of after an hour.
That's your frame of reference speaking.
A friend's dad came home with an early game-machine that he'd borrowed from a co-worker, to entertain the kids.
We figuratively played the knobs off that PONG console for days, and mourned its eventual return to the owner.
Well good for you. I was born in '87 and Atari unfortunately doesn't pass the bar of "long term enjoyment" for me.
I see it as an investment for keeping history alive. Atari 2600 or NES was my first console, even I was born in 90s. I wouldn't really play them every day. But having something like this if I have kids ever, would be fun to showcase to them how things have evolved.
You're not wrong - I grew up on NES, but there are a few games from the 2600 that seem like they could hold up - Kaboom, Phoenix, Pitfall. Some you'd want to play longer than others.
That said this product makes no sense. They present it like an Analogue product, but it's just software emulation with a cartridge slot. If the shell is the same size as the 2600 then the PCB inside would be hilariously small. Show me a 1/3 size 2600 with a cartridge slot, an FPGA and HDMI and I'll give you $130 for it all day long.
My theory is that everyone can step back one generation. I was born in 84 and mostly missed the NES, only occasionally playing it at friends houses. The SNES was the first console I owned.
I love SNES games, but also feel like the NES has a lot of charm. There's tons of NES games I enjoy. Go any further back and there's just not that much there for me.
Hmm I’m kind of the opposite. NES was my first. I actually got an snes a few years after my n64. I love n64 still but snes is my favorite era. NES is pretty much only enjoyable for nostalgia.
They really should've teamed up with Analogue to make a FPGA Atari system that plays 2600, 5200 and 7800 games.
In fact, given Atari's shoddy track record in the past two decades, and the fact that they're a greedy corporation wearing the skin of a once-beloved American gaming giant, I'm surprised they didn't subcontract this to AtGames...
Bah, humbug.
I still have bunch of cartridges from those times, I kinda wanna get it so they can be played.
The store page lists a few international retailers now. You might be in luck if you live in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, Benelux, or Slovenia.
Not sure why they don't have any options for any other country. I can't say I'm even very interested in this but I'm definitely pretty annoyed that Canada isn't on that list...
I'm suprised there's demand for something like this. Is there?
If there isn't, Atari will just rent another backhoe in the desert.
That's a deep cut.
That's what backhoes are for.
For those who don’t know
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27187609.amp
Odds are that they make their money back just from the YouTubers buying it for reviews and the 'game shelf' in the background.
I would love for Atari to build something relevant and stop relying on remakes and rehashes. I was excited for the VCS but so far they seemed to have pushed that console under the rug and pretend it doesn't exist. I feel like there's a big opportunity in the market right now for SFF gaming devices.
The drawbacks of the Xbox Series S hardware are finally starting to rear it's ugly head, and if someone can put out an affordable console that has slightly better specs for the same price, and plays most PC games in 1440p 60fps or 1080p 120fps (remember we're talking about consoles on a TV) it would be a major hit.
I came here looking for comments about the controllers breaking after a day if use and was disappointed.