There was a time decades ago when one name dominated the video game industry. It was during a time before terms like “console wars” and “PC master race” had any meaning. Before Xbox and Playstation. Before disks and downloads. The name of industry dominance? Atari. We live in a different time now, and the once venerable Atari, following a breakup and sale of the company in the 1980s, no longer exists in the way it once did.
However, Retro Games Ltd., a company that specialises in resurrecting retro hardware and software for the modern era, is keeping the legacy of Atari alive and accessible. Retro Games has just announced a new retro-modern console, available at the end of March: THE400 Mini, a reimagining of the Atari 400.
THE400 Mini is a mini-console, just half the size of the original, with 25 pre-installed classic 8-bit games from the original era of Atari dominance. The console comes with THECXSTICK included – a recreation of the classic Atari CX-40 joystick – and a HDMI slot offering SD 720p output at 50 or 60 Hz.
Other modern adaptations include five USB ports enabling users to connect their own keyboards and controllers and the option to play other Atari games via a USB stick (legally obtained of course, as Retro Games reminded viewers in their announcement video below!). Additionally, THE400 Mini features save and rewind functions for those extra challenging games.
Retro Games has sought to maintain the look and feel of gaming history in their iteration of THE400 Mini. They affirm that THE400 Mini “has been lovingly crafted using modern technology, from the hard-to-match colours of the original machine to the authentic textures of the plastic casing and membrane keyboard, no compromise was made relative to the iconic 1970s look and feel of the original Atari 400.”
Available on 28 March 2024, it is available for pre-order now at £99.99 exclusively on the Amazon UK and Amazon US storefront. While it might appear a bit kitschy to some, for others – die hard fans of retro games, modern gamers interested in the history of this hobby we share, or someone looking for a hit of nostalgia – THE400 Mini might not be such a bad idea.
Ryan grew up a geek, with one of his earliest memories being crowding round a computer in the late 90s with his two brothers, watching his Dad play Command & Conquer on a Windows 95 desktop. Exciting new tech, movies, video games, and motorcycles (and a dash of the outdoors) are the way to his heart.
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