Three consoles look to (re)find Atari

From the early 70’s to the late 80’s, Atari was one of the biggest names in the video game market. The company created by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney is famous for its origins pong, and also distinguished itself in the home console market with the release of the Atari 2600, 5200 and 7800 but also the Lynx (the first portable console with a color LCD display, all the same) and the Jaguar, a monumental flop. For the eldest, who remembers the good times spent together Centipedefrom Moon Lander or from Missile Commandor those looking to discover this (more or less) glorious page in video game history, the manufacturer Dreamgear has launched three game consoles completely dedicated to Atari.

The first is in the form of an arcade cabinet, similar to the SNK Neo Geo Mini. Two buttons, one stick, probably won’t take much longer for most of the games available. On the other hand, purists could be disappointed not to find the sensationalist known Missile Command which is played with a ball to move the cursor on the screen.

While the Atari Micro Player is based on the same architecture as other Micro Player console models, it can run on four 4 AA batteries or be connected to the mains via a USB-C cable. A headphone jack is also available for enjoying great chip-tune melodies so the eighties.

More discreet (and therefore perhaps less interesting), Atari Pocket Player should carry the same games as Micro Player in a slightly more nomadic format.

It’s also powered by 4 AA batteries, but the USB-C connection doesn’t seem planned, unlike the headphone jack.

Finally, the Atari Gamestation Plus is more mysterious. If we rely on different visuals, we understand that it must be connected to the television. On the other hand, we don’t know much about the catalog of available games, and we don’t know if it’s possible to add to it by downloading it for example. The console interface itself is limited to two buttons: one to turn on the device, the other to access the home screen. The controllers are very similar to the joysticks of the Atari 2600 console, except that they have three action buttons (including two on the handle) instead of one and three navigation buttons. We saw a USB-C socket on the front of the Gamestation Plus, presumably for connecting a controller, but the latter should also work wirelessly. Will the manufacturer provide other peripherals such as a slider pong or ball from Missile Command pushing the similarities to the original machine a bit further? Nothing less certain, but it’s a good idea.

If nostalgia threads tend to vibrate among the most seasoned of gamers, the success of the new console will likely be much more limited to the new generation. Although they laid the foundation for today’s video games, the gameplay often the humble Atari titles at the time quickly became boring. It’s hard to stand against competition from other mini consoles when they can rely on hits still playable Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog, Ridge Racer Type 4 or Garou: Wolf Mark.

At this time we do not know the exact price of the Atari Gamesstation Plus, Atari Micro Player or Atari Pocket Player. However, for the last two, admission is around 45€.