The Atari 2600+ is designed to look and feel like the 4-switch
Atari 2600, which launched in 1980. This modern version also
plays Atari 7800 games, has a wide screen mode, easily connects
to a modern TV, and includes a 10-in-1 game cartridge of classic
Atari titles. The included CX40+ Joystick Controller has been
recreated with the same size and layout as the original 2600
Joystick Controller, so you can relive the gameplay experiences
from the beginning of home console video gaming. Games Included:
• Combat® • Dodge 'Em™ • Haunted House® • Maze Craze™ • Missile
Command® • Realsports® Volleyball • Surround™ • Video Pinball™ •
Yars' Revenge®
Review: A miniaturized classic with modern features... definitely
for the Atari/Retro Fans - Whilst the original Atari 2600 was
slightly before my time, I’ve always been curious of the earliest
home games that were released during late 70s and the 80s.. So I
tried the Atari Flashback series and the fantastic Atari 50
collection (available on Switch, PS5 and Xbox). Whilst the
flashback series are decent 'mini' consoles, their devices were
not true to the original hardware in many regards, and none had
the ability to accept original cartridges. That’s why I was so
excited to hear that Atari, as it is in its current form, was to
release the Atari 2600 plus, a console that is as close to an
original Atari machine as you can get without buying an original
and all that entails. The machine itself is 80 percent the size
of the original device and comes as the four switched version.
The build seems pretty good and the switches seem high quality.
There is a HDMI port for connection to TV (I really appreciate
this, since it makes it so easy to hook up to modern TVs and the
HDMI cable is provided in the box). Power is provided via a USB C
port, and a cable (USB A to USB C) is provided in the box too,
though note that you need to provide your own USB power adapter.
Also in the box is a single joystick (CX-40) that connects via an
original DB9 connector (and as far as I know, original
accessories from the original are compatible). The joystick seems
really good, if a bit stiff... but I don't think these joysticks
were ever the most comfortable input devices. Expect sore hands
after a few hours of gaming. A 10 in 1 game cartridge is provided
in the box and contains a few Atari classics. Choosing each game
is a matter of setting the DIP switches on the back of the cart
as per the instruction on the cart label. Of these games, I felt
Missile command was currently my favourite. It is a pity they
don't have pitfall, asteroids, space invaders or the infamous ET
on this cart. Same as the original consoles, there is a cartridge
port on top that you insert the cartridge into (either the new
carts released by Atari, or original carts). Once the cartridge
is inserted and the unit switched on you’re presented with an
Atari boot screen and after 10 or 15 seconds your game is booted
up and ready to play. A nice touch is the lit up Atari logo on
the front of the device! As far as I can tell, without owning
original hardware… the games run as original console and play as
expected. I think some reviews online have suggested some slight
input lag (I believe with the paddles), but I haven't had any
issues with the paddles myself. My own opinion is that there is a
very, very slight amount of latency, without doing any
complicated latency tests, but nothing to stop you enjoying and
playing the games. Input with the joystick is perfect. According
to the Atari website this console uses emulation to play games. I
guess this system dumps the ROM from the games cartridge onto the
internal memory for the emulation software to run it, hence the
slight delay at boot up. Since this is emulation and not original
hardware, there may be some games that don’t run and Atari have
posted a games compatibility list on their website. Whilst the
build quality and function are superb, I must warn that many of
the games from the 70s and 80s have not aged well. If you know
what you’re getting into and are an Atari fan, I think you will
love it. Otherwise, I think many will play with this an hour or
two and put it away. This really is a system for people who
already have a collection of Atari games cartridges, or for those
who are very much into early Atari or passionate retro
collectors. Further Updates: I’ve also purchased the paddles now
and my first impressions are excellent. You get two paddles in
the pack and a 4 game cartridge. The paddles are of very high
quality and the mechanism is really nice and smooth and with just
the right amount of resistance for precision during games. The
single button also gives good feedback too. The games are pretty
good, especially breakout, canyon bomber and video Olympics.
Night driver is ok… it’s got interesting graphics but I found it
hard to control. All in all the paddles are a great deal
considering what you get in the box. In addition, I bought an
extra Joystick and the Mr Run and Jump game. The separate
joystick is as per the Joystick included with the 2600 plus
console. As such is also stiff, and from what I know, this is how
it was at the time of the original 2600. The fire button is nice,
with good feedback. I have to say, I think I like the looser
joysticks that came with the Flashback series of mini
consoles...they feel a bit more comfortable to use for long
gaming sessions. But still, this joystick has fantastic build
quality and it does the job well. The new Mr Run and Jump game
looks superb considering its simplicity. I will update this
review once I have time to give it a play through.
Review: Fantastic piece of hardware but you have to clean your
cartridges first! - If you have a stack of old 2600 and 7800
cartridges lying around and your original hardware has bitten the
dust, this is an essential piece of kit. The tactile experience
of putting the carts in really adds to the nostalgia, and the
joysticks are a glorious replica of those un-ergonomic chunks of
hard plastic Atari gave us back in the 70's. It's only really
going to appeal to the generation wanting to relive their game
playing youth or videogame archaeologists, but it's target
audience will love it. IMPORTANT: There are a lot of customer
reviews here that complain that their 2600+ won't load all their
games. Over the years the cartridge contacts often build up a
layer of dirt. Arm yourself with a box of cotton buds and some
Isopropyl/lighter fluid (there are plenty of video guides are out
there) and they'll clean up really nicely. I got plenty of games
to load that originally refused to. Obviously there are some
games that will fail after after a few decades, but I only found
2 out of around 180 that just wouldn't work after repeatedly
cleaning. There are some issues with PAL games when using the
firmware that comes out of the box (displaying incorrect colours
or having sprites missing), but the beta update is available
through the Atari age forums which fixes them. This should be
officially available once it's gone through some more testing.
The developers are also available on the forum to answer queries
or talk about future features. Atari are currently re-releasing
some classic 2600 & 7800 carts along with some new ones. This is
definitely a product that Atari hasn't pushed out on the shelves
and forgotten about.
