Atari is Back! | Atari 2600+ Unboxing & Review

In this episode, we unbox and test out the Atari 2600+, an updated version of the classic system, and see if Atari is Truly Back.

For many gamers of a certain age, old farts like me, we started in the video game world with the Atari 2600. While other home consoles had been around for a few years before its release, the 2600 really elevated things to a different level. You didn't play video games, you played Atari. The terms had become ubiquitous, just like facial tissue and Kleenex. As time went on, however, the video game crash of 1983 did in this once great system.

As time has gone on, the Atari 2600 has found a very loyal following in the retro gaming scene. Atari, having changed hands several times since the early '80s, has seen a resurgence in recent years with systems such as the VCS. Their latest home console release, the 2600+, looks to take what everybody loved about the original Atari 2600, add some modern features to it, and release what they feel is the definitive version of the console.

The design team at Atari nailed the aesthetics of the 2600+. Absolutely nailed it. This has all the looks and feelings of the original, I'll be it about 20% smaller. The signature wood grain veneer on the face is here, and it still looks fantastic. One update has been made to the Atari logo on the face which now has an LED behind it to indicate when the system is powered on.

Perhaps the biggest improvement of the system is the addition of an HDMI port. This allows you to get clean, crisp images from the system to your modern flat-panel television. This is a welcome addition and something I was excited to see.

The system comes packed in with one CX40 controller, and a 10-in-1 multi-cartridge. The controller itself feels absolutely authentic, even though it is a bit stiff compared to what I remember from back in the '80s. The multicart includes an interesting mix of games. Instead of relying on an on-screen menu to load different titles, Atari opted to utilize dip switches on the back of the cartridge to indicate what game would load. Or a couple of times when I got confused about what switch position I needed to be in, but I eventually got it figured out.

Connecting everything up and getting it powered was super easy. I really appreciate the fact that Atari opted to go with USBC for power and not micro USB. I plugged in my HDMI cable, power cable, and controller, and inserted The included cartridge to get playing.

First and foremost, The Atari 2600 + does not play cartridges natively. Much like the Hyperkin Retron 77, the Atari 2600 + dumps the game from the cartridge into local onboard memory and that is what gets played. It should be less of an issue on a machine such as this compared to newer machines as these games could not save your progress. These ROM dumping sorts of systems can have issues when you try to save back to a cartridge.

Looking at the images on my TV I couldn't help but think man this thing looks crisp! Granted, the Atari 2600 graphics are pretty simplistic, but everything looked really really good. Much like the visuals, the audio is also something fairly basic, but everything seemed to be recreated accurately here. I have no complaints regarding pallets, audio quality, or anything along those lines.

Games compatibility was also excellent. In fact, there was a game that I tried to play on the Retron 77 that would not that now played successfully on the Atari 2600 +, that being Star Wars Return of the Jedi Death Star Battle. I could not get it to work no matter what on my Retron 77, but it fired right up here on the Atari 2600. That's great to see. I also love the fact that the Atari 2600 Plus is compatible with the Atari 7800 library of games. I don't have much experience with those, but the one in my possession, Galaga, played beautifully.

Why it RoX:
- Plays actual cartridges
- High games compatibility
- HDMI output
- USB-C for power
- Period Accurate joystick included
- Compatible with 2600 and 7800 cartridges
- That beautiful wood grain

What could be improved:
- I'd prefer to see it at $99
- Joystick a little stiff out of the box
- I just don't have the nostalgia for the 2600 that I do for a Nintendo systems

Should you buy one?
This is probably the best Atari 2600 clone I've ever tried, but that field is fairly small. I thought load times were decent, game compatibility was great, and the overall experience was fantastic. The visuals on a modern flat-panel TV were exactly what I expected, but granted the 2600 graphics were fairly simplistic. I don't know how much use this will get moving forward, but I'm glad to have it in my collection because now I truly have a viable option to play Atari 2600 games in HD.

#Atari #Atari2600 #VideoGames #PacMan