AT Games Announces New Retro Consoles Including Portables!

Retro console creator AT Games has announced new releases set for 2017 to build on their already popular designs. While some of the releases are updated and upscaled versions of existing retro consoles, AT Games have also announced details about handheld consoles.

Who are AT Games?

AT Games are a company who are specifically releasing retro consoles with inbuilt games. Similar to the Nintendo Classic Edition, the idea is to allow older gamers the opportunity to revisit their early gaming years without all of the problems that came with older systems.

I am all over releases like this. Just to give you an idea here are a list of genuine consoles I own; Atari ST, Amiga 500, Amiga 600, Spectrum ZX, SNES, NES, Commodore 64 and Acorn Electron. While this might sound like a gaming dream, trust me, getting these to all run can be a nightmare. Particularly the older cassette or floppy disk drive systems. This does not even begin to take into consideration the mess of wires behind my television which looks like a telephone exchange from the 1950’s.

Therefore, anything that makes retro gaming easier is alright by me!

What are AT Games releasing?

We can expect 2 updated releases and 2 brand new releases from the company. The updated releases include a follow-up to their successful Atari 2600 console and also to the Genesis/Megadrive. The updates included full HD support and in addition an SD card slot so that you can add your own games. Being an owner of AT Games’ original Genesis retro console, I can confirm that HD graphics would be nice. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 might have looked awesome on a 14″ TV, but on a 40″ the lack of any up-scaling made it look garbage.

The inclusion of the HD version of the 2600 console is a bit baffling. Presumably, those pixels must look especially crisp. In addition to the standard Atari version, there is also an ‘Activision’ version incorporating some of their more popular titles. With the inclusion of the SD card, it also appears that AT Games might have learnt something from the hacking that occurred on the NES Classic. Rather than wanting people to tinker with the software, it seems they would prefer you to just have the option to do it anyway. I can not deny some interest this would spark in the modding community actually making some games.  So, summing them up, they’re updated, more functional versions of the additional consoles with support for adding any games you wanted that were not included.

These are not new, I already own one.

I suspect, like myself, your initial reaction might be this. However, what is scheduled for release is newer, upgraded versions. If we are 1.0, then 1.1 is coming.

While the updated Genesis isn’t likely to have me lamenting my ‘old’ version too badly, the Atari version is tempting. The Atari 2600 is not particularly well-known in Europe, mostly being popular as an American console. However, UK gamers would be familiar with a lot of the catalogue as we did eventually receive them as ports for our Acorn Electrons, Commodores or Spectrums.

The updated Genesis release is set to include at least 80 games including some of the most popular in the lineup.  Sonic, Shinobi etc. will all feature here. In addition to the incorporation of HD graphics output/up-scaling and SD card compatibility, it is a significant improvement on the original which was released last year. Lets be honest here, so many people would want to give Sonic 2 a blast (processing?!) again.

What about the portable versions?

I love these! I think AT games might have landed onto a great idea here. If like me, the handheld versions are what have grabbed your attention, a more in-depth look at these releases can be found below.

For the Atari Handheld version – Click here to be linked to the article!

For the Sega Handheld version – Click here to be linked to the article!

Are these worth buying?

I’d say so, just as long as you don’t own the ‘older versions’ already. As above, I already have the Genesis version and the upgrades, while nice and certainly a big improvement, do not compel me to buy it again. The Atari on the other hand, scheduled for release in September, might just get on my Birthday list. I just love everything about it. The classic design, the controller ports are spot on, the controllers themselves. I guess that mess behind my TV isn’t going to get better any time soon.