We’re surprised that we haven’t heard much news of new plug ‘n play or mini consoles lined-up for the lucrative Christmas period. Then again, SEGA and Nintendo seemed to have stepped back from this market, and the Evercade has managed to generate its own loyal user base over the years.
Atari is still willing to throw their hat into the ring though. Developed in conjunction with PLAION, the Atari 2600+ – out November 17th for £99.99 – is a “faithful recreation” of the 1980’s original, with modern features such as HDMI, screen resolution options, and a USB power connection.
It also comes with a faithful replica of the original CX40+ Joystick.
It appears to be aimed at hardcore Atari fans who still have cartridges laying around, as it’s backward compatible with 2600 and 7800 carts. And rather than being loaded with a bunch of classics, in a similar manner to a mini console, it’s merely packaged with a 10-in-1 cartridge.
Here’s the pack-in game list: Adventure, Combat, Dodge ‘Em, Haunted House, Maze Craze, Missile Command, Realsports Volleyball, Surround, Video Pinball, and Yars’ Revenge.
Berzerk Enhanced Edition and Mr. Run and Jump will also be available at launch for £24.99 each. A CX-30 Paddle Controller (£29.99) will launch alongside the console too, packaged with a 4-in-1 multi-cart that includes Breakout, Canyon Bomber, Night Driver, and Video Olympics.
Our initial thoughts are that while it seems worthwhile for Atari fans with collection of cartridges, those without will likely grow bored of the pack-in games quickly. If you aren’t happy paying £24.99 for new carts, your only option is to scour the likes of eBay – not exactly an enticing proposition for those who simply want an instant nostalgia hit.