Official Atari 400 Mini & Joystick - HDMI Output - Includes 25 Games

I am a large fan of Retro Games Mini (and Maxi) series of emulators. I am playing with retro emulators for over 25 years. My main driver is a Pi 400 with RetroPie, soon to be updated to a Pi 500. What I like about the Retro Games series is that it is a no-BS retro-gaming platform which you can quickly connect for the kids (or your party guests) and then put it away. I also very much like the nostalgia. While I like the small form factor, I definitely miss the keyboard, although the emulator has a virtual keyboard. A Pi keyboard works well with it.So, for whom is this product? If you had a home computer in the 80s, or knew friends who had one, this definitely wakes up nostalgia. If you enjoy the simplicity of 8-bit gaming, this emulator and the C64 Mini both are a good purchase for you. Adding games is easy: Format a 32GB (or smaller) USB thump drive with FAT32 and load games on it.What I do not like about it: You cannot add games to the carousel. While you can add games via USB card, you load them via a file system, and there is a limit to how many files each directory can carry. You end up with a messy file system. There is no way to add artwork to titles. The included joystick looks authentic, and the additional bottoms are clever, the playability of the joystick is limited. You may just use an Xbox controller instead. (It needs to be cabled via USB, there is no BT support). A small but annoying thing is the USB-C power-in port that does not support PD. For all of you guys who standardized on PD charging, it is not going to work. You need a USB-C to USB-A charging cable with an old dumb-charger, such as the old 5W iPhone cube-charger. (Cable is however included).I want to quickly talk about a misconception that many purchases of this product have: Atari came out with three 8-bit game consoles: The classic 2600 (also called the VCS), the 5200, and the 7800. After Atari started to develop the 5200, they pivoted into the home computer market. Though two different business units, the Atari 400 and all of its derivatives (which are primarily differentiated by their amount of RAM, number of joysticks ports, and their keyboards), and the 5200 game console are very similar machines. The 2600 is a more primitive machine, while the 7800 is the last iteration of the 8-bit consoles. This emulator is not compatible with 2600 or 7800 titles. It does play 5200 titles, which are somewhat limited in numbers because of the short duration of that console, but there is a huge catalogue of 2600 ports, ports from other console, and unique developments for the 400/800 platform. If you want to play 2600 titles you need a 2600 emulator or a 7800 emulator that plays most 2600 titles.

There aren't too many ways to play the Atari computer and 5200 games. This is a great way in.Pros: The system is small and very cute. Would be great to display but also very useful.Cons: The system as is works great. When you plug in the USB for extra games, that's where things get a little interesting. The system options (400, 800, 5200, 800xl, etc) revert to 800 every time I pick a game. Why? Another con - the controller is extremely stiff. I ended up plugging in an xbox controller and things improved immediately.It's quirky but it looks great and it's fun. Recommended for hardcore retro game fans.

The media could not be loaded. Excellent system. i’m still giving it five stars even though the controller stinks kinda. It controls ok, but it is easy to hit the ring, and reset the game you worked so hard at. It can be remedied by using a cheap snes usb pad, and just using the one button once you start.If you sail the bloody seas there are many roms available, matey.This thing is a blast once you do that!I bought it used on Amazon, it came like new, but Amazon ruined the nice box, by placing the shipping label right on it. The whole experience was shoddy. I like to collect the retrogames ltd systems, and the box is part of that.

(Way) back in the day I owned an Atari 800 computer which became my first real introduction into the world of home computing. I spent ages with that computer, playing games, learning to program, running a BBS, and more. It was great, nostalgic fun. When I learned about the 400 Mini I knew instantly that I wanted to dive back into the world of Atari. I've spent the last few weeks with the Mini, putting it through its paces, playing its games, loading new applications, and even dusting off my Atari BASIC programming skills. I was pleasantly surprised how well the Mini performed. You will hear complaints about the included joystick. I, however, find it delightful and ingenious. Look, back in the day we all abused our Atari joysticks as Bounty Bob fell off a platform and ruined our game. With the Mini's updated controller, simply take the care not to apply 400 lbs of force in any direction and you'll see that it works exceptionally well and is true to the original joystick. But if the joystick really isn't your cup of team, some generic gamepads will also function with the Mini.The ability to customize any loaded program, save your progress in up to four instances for every game/program, rewind game play, and more add tremendous value to this package and shows that it's far more than just another emulator. It also does an admirable job of loading old Atari 8-bit ROMs and allows you to select which 'computer' the ROM should run on (e.g. Atari 800, XL, XE, etc.) thus ensuring increased compatibility. And it looks great, too! It's a faithful reproduction of the famed Atari 400 computer in mini-form. It is a little pricey but I found it well worth the money.If you're an old-school Atari fan, you won't be disappointed.Have you played Atari today?

Many years ago I owned the Atari 800 and it was one of my favorite computers. Unfortunately I no longer own it. This little brother to the 800 is a great way to play the games that I used to play. It's a great way to relive the past.