Are you ready to party like it’s 1989? Because the Atari is back, baby!

For many of us older veteran gamers, Atari brings to mind our childhood. Atari consoles and games could be considered many people’s first introduction to gaming. Their games included arcade classics like Pac-Man, Asteroids, and Jumpman – now known as the original Donkey Kong. This titan of the 70’s and 80’s has long been sleeping, thought to be dead. Now, however, Atari and its consoles rise from the ashes in blazing glory, embracing their retro aesthetic and gamers’ nostalgia.

Same Look, Smaller Package

Nine months ago, Atari Interactive and PLAION released the Atari 2600+, a scaled-down recreation of the old Atari 2600. Not only could it play the old Atari games from 2600 and 7800 on modern TVs with HDMI and a widescreen mode, but Atari began producing new cartridges in case your collection didn’t survive the winter. It also charges off of USB-C, and uses a mere fraction of the power that the original did.

More recently, Atari Interactive and PLAION announced the release of the Atari 7600+. Like the 2600+, the 7600+ is a faithful recreation of the original console it is named for. It also has all of the same features, with added wireless controller compatibility. Included with every purchase of the console is wireless CX78+ Gamepad and a copy of Bently Bear’s Crystal Quest, a popular homebrew sequel to Crystal Castles.

Homebrewed to Perfection

One of the complaints about the Atari 2600+ when it first released was that it didn’t have any homebrew compatibility, since there was no SD card slot. Homebrew Atari games are essentially software or games made by hobbyists – essentially indie games just shared with the community. After Atari, Inc. fell during the Video Game Crash of 1983, homebrewed games were the only way fans could enjoy new content on their favorite consoles. They heard their fanbase, and have embraced these games by making new cartridges for them compatible with both systems.

Among these homebrew releases are Asteroids Deluxe, Bounty Bob Strikes Back which is a sequel for Miner 2049er, a new version of Berserk and a sequel to it called Frenzy, as well as Space Duel.  All of these, along with Bently Bear’s Crystal Quest, were developed by Robert DeCrescenzo. A professional programmer, DeCrescenzo is an avid fan of the original 7800. No Atari collection would be complete without his collaboration. 

As for 2600+, Atari Interactive has included an adaptation of Cavern of Mars by homebrew developer John W. Champeau; the Epyx Game Collection, which combines the best EPYX sports games into one cartridge; the M Network Collection, which contains four of the most popular Intellivision games; and the RealSports Collection, which has all of the RealSports games on one cartridge. 

Pre-Orders Available Now!

The Atari 7800+ and all of these games will be released globally in Winter of 2024. Currently, they are available for pre-order on the official Atari website. The console is priced at $129.99 (€119.99 / £99.99), less than half of a PS5 or Xbox Series X. Consider jumping into your childhood joy or sharing nostalgic memories with your family when the console comes out.