Now that the miniature game console trend has already covered most of the big devices from Nintendo, Sega, and Sony, we're starting to move into more niche areas. The Atari 400 Mini is not a re-release of the company's most famous gaming console (namely the 2600). And it's not full of household names. But that's also part of the fun of this game. This little gadget is a cute and playful way to explore a very specific and formative niche in video game history.
Like its contemporaries, the 400 Mini is a scaled down version of the original. So it's a little beige plastic box in very 1970s shades with a purely decorative keyboard and cartridge slot. I can really see how retro this thing looks. The included HDMI cord and power cord are also beige. There are 5 USB ports (4 on the front and 1 on the back), an HDMI port, and his USB-C port for power. There's a single functional power button on the back with a small red light to indicate it's on. It also comes with one classic Atari joystick, with a USB plug and a few extra buttons sneakily added, including shoulder buttons and a clickable circle around the actual stick.
This is a plug-and-play device, so setup is very easy. There is no internet connection and the visual settings are very standard. There are two options. 4:3 mode displays the game in its original aspect ratio, while “Pixel Perfect” mode renders pixels as squares. There is also an option to add virtual scanlines to mimic the experience of playing on a CRT display. Other than that, there's nothing special. Scroll through the game alphabetically and have console-level save slots, so you can pause and save your progress at any time while playing. Everything works well enough, but it took me a while to learn how to navigate the menus using the large joystick.
The more important part is the game itself. The 400 Mini comes with 25 games spanning Atari's 8-bit era.This includes the expected title such as asteroid and centipedeand even some slightly more obscure releases like nautical-themed shooters. wavy navy and hover bobber, a game in which Jeff Minter mows his lawn with a stolen lawnmower. The emulation is stable and I was surprised at how well some of these games run.I've never played crystal castles It used to be a platformer where a bear tries to escape through a series of magical mazes, but I ended up playing with my 8-year-old daughter for hours while moving the joystick back and forth.Also a space sim Star Raiders II Even after all these years, it's still incredibly thrilling and I'm so glad I discovered it. air balla fantasy maze where you play as a bouncing bubble.
This is a well-curated list and I found basically everything except for the very simple ones. basketball — still playable by modern standards. This collection does a great job of covering the features of this hardware. And unlike most similar mini consoles, the 400 Mini has room for expansion. Various USB ports allow you to connect different joysticks and keyboards, as well as a flash drive to sideload games. This opens up a lot of possibilities, especially considering how robust Atari's homebrew scene is.
The ability to expand the device is also important, as there is a surprising amount of competition for the 400 Mini. Nowadays, finding a way to play Atari games is not that difficult. Last year, the company released a reissue of the 2600 that can refurbish old cartridges. Atari 50 Not only does the collection have a huge list of games, but it also adds historical context in the form of an interactive documentary. With that in mind, a $119 mini-console might be a tough sell.But the combination of bookshelf-worthy design and its flexibility may push you over the edge – as long as you have a desire to read something. star raiders.
