As much as I have a fondness for the woodgrain, Atari 2600 games for the most part fall just below what I would consider terribly engaging. There's a few exceptions, but I'm not sure my nostalgia extends this far.
this post was submitted on 25 Aug 2023
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It really does look cool. π But two things have me worried...
One, it's not an FPGA with "Atari hardware" inside (sorry, I don't fully understand these things...) which makes it less like the Analogue Pocket / Game Boy cartridges and more like an emulator.
Two, Atari has released the similar "Atari Flashback" console in recent history promising advanced features that turned out to be overpriced, half baked, and barely functional.
I hope that's not the case this time.
Last year they released the 50th anniversary edition flashback, which included 130 games, 2 joysticks, and 2 paddle controllers. It's currently selling for $70.
https://www.atgames.us/products/atari-flashback-gold-50th-anniversary-edition
I'm really struggling here... What is this 2600+ offering? Only 1 joystick controller and a measly 10 games. I guess the ability to play 2600 and 7800 cartridges? Are they going to re-print some? How much would those be?
For $30 you can get the Atari 50 collection for whatever console you have it Steam. 103 games, including 5200, 7200, Lynx, and Jaguar, plus tons of bonus content.
What could they possibly add to make this thing worth $130? This feels like something that should be $40-$50.
To answer one question, they've already released reprint cartridges in original-style packaging, and they have special edition versions of some games coming out with new features and bug fixes. You can go onto their website to check them out.
Company releases low volume collectors item to make a profit. How confusing? Just buy the game if you like it more.
While Analogue is very cool, itβs actually a really inefficient way to release a product and will never happen at scale.
A software emulator can be an excellent user experience.
I mean, does it need to happen at scale? How many people are clamoring to replay Atari games with real cartridges who haven't been satiated by the many previous releases at much cheaper price points? FPGA would at least make them stand out from those other attempts and might have gotten me to bite the bullet.
Analogue seems to do OK and has a much larger built-in audience (more nostalgia for NES era and newer). And their 16-bit consoles have been around the same price point as this.
This looks well-designed, but I think it's a misfire at the conception stage based on its (presumed) intended audience.
Atari wants higher profit margins, it wouldnβt be realistic in any capacity.
Also Analogue has had a hard time shipping any units. An FPGA is the wrong product for a large company making a simple product.
Not to mention projects like the analogue pocket were a huge undertaking of many talented and dedicated individuals with the goal of fufiling a dream product. This works for a small team but not so much for a large corporation who's only motivation is profit.
Fuck them for not even bothering to include two controllers in this purchase price. Those things are basic as can be; we're not talking dual-shock here. They had better be very cheap to buy.
Also, what's the point of including Combat if you've no ability to play against somebody?
Lawl my local game shop has like 40 copies of Combat for 1USD each
I preordered this. it's just a 7800 emulation box but the fact it accepts original cartridges and is authentic to the 2600 is cool. I think the price is fair, They're trying to make a profit and they will most likely reprint a large portion of the library to make more money, The idea of Atari re-releasing some rare 7800 games is pretty exciting and I hope they do it. Not a big fan of modern Atari but this is a good move and I hope they will give their computers the same treatment.
The other thing is that, in theory, there is a nice precedent being set here, and if other companies can follow suit, it's a great step towards preserving video game history
Every company but Nintendo, I do not trust Nintendo. I can imagine them going after people who make flashcarts like krizz and charging AAA prices for games like chrono trigger and earthbound just to cash in on the insane prices you see on eBay.
Haha, you're not wrong. Still, if they ever produced proper editions that could run original carts, I'd rather have that at a premium than not at all. Again, just for the preservation factor
So it only comes with one controller, it isn't actual hardware, it comes with ten games (pretty sure all the Atari Flash back games had more), and I'm pretty sure even people nostalgic for Atari games will admit they're too basic and archaic to bother with these days.
Eh.
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