Among the oldest gamers, the first video game emotions were not known with the NES, Master System and other Game Boy, but rather with a certain Atari console. The company founded in the early 1970s is indeed considered a pioneer of video games and arcades, and is notably at the origin of the emblematic Pong. Only then, after the Lynx consoles and the Jaguar, Atari quickly ceased all activity, and fell into oblivion until 2013, Atara SA then attempting a recovery campaign.
Atari back (again), with three new gaming machines
On the video game side, players have been able to enjoy certain compilations of Atari games on competing consoles, and recently, the company announced with great fanfare its return, with the Atari VCS. A console that is both retro and modern, with a resolutely obscure concept and a crazy price, which was launched (and stopped) in general indifference. Never mind, Atari has decided to join forces with MyArcade to launch soon, not one new machine, but three!
Indeed, in the course of the year 2023, we should be able to get our hands on the GameStation Plus, a small living room console, compatible with two Atari-style joysticks, which should carry a selection of games from the good old days. Unlike the Atari VCS, this new machine should not offer any online or multimedia functionality, and will simply revive memories in certain memories.
© Atari/dreamGear/LLC
Alongside the GameStation Plus, Atari is also going to market a small portable console (above), called Pocket Player, which will celebrate the brand’s 50th anniversary. A small nomadic GameBoy Advance-style console, which will also include a small “best of” Atari games.
© Atari/dreamGear/LLC
Finally, the most Atari fans will also be able to set their sights on a very small arcade terminal, Neo Geo Mini style. Enough to rediscover the joys of the arcade, in a miniaturized version, with a very small screen, a directional stick and two game buttons. Again, the machine will carry a small selection of games “made in Atari“.
It remains to be seen now when, and above all at what price, these new Atari consoles will be launched. Obviously, the manufacturer wants to surf the fashion for “mini consoles”, as Nintendo has done, but also SEGA, which has already launched two miniature versions of its Mega Drive and its Mega Drive 2. However, even he initiative is similar, due to their more (too?) old side, Atari games do not titillate the same nostalgic fiber as NES, Super Nintendo, Mega Drive games…
