Although very few people remember it today, the name Atari was synonymous with video games. Little by little, and after changing hands several times, the brand became known again to modern gamers, thanks to releases like the Atari 400.
Atari’s strategy is obviously focused on nostalgia, with devices that mimic the design of the original systems and run the same games; but it is also committed to the future, as demonstrated by this week’s presentation of the Atari 7800 Plus
As the name suggests, the Atari 7800 Plus is an improved version of the Atari 7800 originally released in 1986; is a sequel released almost 40 years later, taking advantage of current technology to reduce the size of the device and offer new technologies such as an HDMI connection for our TV or monitor.
What’s really interesting is that this reduction in size does not result in any loss of functionality. The Atari 7800 Plus is capable of run Atari 2600 and Atari 7800 games on original cartridges or third parties; In other words, if you had a collection that was gathering dust, this could be the perfect opportunity to enjoy these classic games again on modern, easy-to-use hardware. Also thanks to new components, games can be run in the original 4:3 format or expanded to the format of modern televisions.
Perhaps most surprisingly, this allowed Atari back to game publishing, with new cartridges that will be released alongside the console. Each new game is basically a remake of an Atari classic, or a sequel that imagines what the game would have looked like if it had been released alongside the original console. There will also be cartridges that will collect various games based on genre, such as sports or action. All new games will come with a box and printed manual, just like the old games.
These games can be enjoyed with the new wireless controllers also announced by Atari; are Improved recreations of the original Atari 2600 and Atari 7800 controllersand they can be used both with the console with the wireless connection and with our computer with a USB-C adapter. This adapter can even be used if we still have the original controls after so many decades.
The Atari 7800 Plus will be available this winter for $129.99; new games will cost $29.99 each and controllers will cost $34.99 each.
