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Speaker 1: This is the Atari 2,600 plus a smaller updated version of the original Atari 2,600 home console. It connects to modern TVs through HDMI, making it easy to play game cartridges, old and new. If you’re a fan of retro games, you’ll definitely be interested in this.
Speaker 1: The original Atari 2,600 came out back in 1977 with many [00:00:30] games that everyone’s heard of, Pac-Man, space, invaders, asteroids, just to name a few. Now, almost 50 years later, we have an updated version of that exact console with some small but worthwhile improvements. Here I have the original console and a handful of original games. I ordered this recently on eBay when I started working on this video. You can literally see the years of dirt and dust that this thing collected while stored in some random person’s garage. Probably getting this console to connect with a TV these days is very difficult. [00:01:00] I was lucky enough that one of my coworkers found this old CRT stored under a desk for who knows how long. Even then, hooking this up to that old TV sucked. I needed to purchase a tiny adapter online so that the RCA video cable would be able to screw into the coaxial port. And even with all that, the image still looks grainy and kind of bad, but at least I can play Pac-Man,
Speaker 1: There’s a pretty low chance you have a CRT lying around somewhere and who can blame you? These things take up a lot of space and are really heavy. [00:01:30] This is where the 2,600 plus comes in. It features HDMI support so that you can use modern high def TVs to play these classic games. It’s the exact same physical design down to the iconic wood grain, but measures 20% smaller. The original 2,600 weighs 4.6 pounds and sits 3.5 inches tall, 13.6 inches wide and just over nine inches deep. The 2,600 plus weighs 1.3 pounds and sits 2.8 inches tall, 10.6 [00:02:00] inches wide and seven inches deep.
Speaker 1: This smaller size makes the device much easier to fit on a shelf or entertainment center and puts it in a similar category to the Nintendo and Super Nintendo Classic consoles that came out a while ago. Unfortunately, it is about twice as large as those devices. It would’ve been nice to see the 2,600 plus get even smaller. Considering how light this device is, I can’t imagine there’s a ton of internal tech in here. One reason for the larger size may actually be because of one of my favorite features. Unlike the classic branded [00:02:30] consoles, this one doesn’t have games stored directly on the hardware. It still requires cartridges. Atari is producing some new cartridges for the system such as Mr. Run and Jump and Berserk like I have here. In fact, they actually did some work on Berserk, for example. There’s now a bizarre voice sample that plays every time you change screens.
Speaker 1: Your purchase will also include this 10 in one game cartridge, so you’ll have games to play right out of the box. This card has four switches on the back, and by setting them to different heights, you change which game [00:03:00] is playable When plugged in. For example, if you want to play adventure, you have to leave all four switches in the up position. But if you want to play missile command, you need to set switches one and three down. Oddly enough, some of these games don’t have single player modes like maze craze or combat, and you only get one controller. So some of the games are not fun by yourself. All the games come in these nice looking sleeves if you wanted to display them on a shelf or something. The best part, however, is that the 2,600 plus can play original Atari carts as well.
Speaker 1: It features the exact same cartridge [00:03:30] slot found on the original console and can read those same games. Even though Atari is releasing new copies of some of these classic games. Although the prices are super high, if you already have a collection or find some cheap games at a secondhand store, which isn’t hard to do, you can play them more easily than before. In addition, the 2,600 plus can also run Atari 7,800 games on it, giving you access to a larger library of titles. Atari says this console can run 99% of the two platforms titles [00:04:00] and has a list online for you to check. Similarly, the 2,600 plus uses the exact same controllers as before, and just like the games, you can use the old hardware on this new device, even though there’s only one CX 40 plus joystick controller bundled in the box. If you have an old one lying around, you can now play multiplayer meaning instead of solving mazes in maze craze alone while the other character sits there motionless, you can race each other through the maze as intended.
Speaker 1: It’s really great to see Atari making new [00:04:30] joysticks since controller hardware doesn’t often last terribly long. Even modern game console controllers tend to break down. Just imagine what almost 50 years can do. They’re also selling the CX 30 plus paddle controller bundle for $40. This comes with a four-in-one game card and two paddle controllers. One of the included games is breakout, a personal favorite of mine. The paddle controllers are notorious for losing traction over the years and becoming loose, so it’s great to see these getting manufactured again. The 2,600 plus features all the same ports [00:05:00] you’d expect with some updates to things like video out and power like the original. On the front you’ll find switches for power TV type game, select and reset, and the cartridge slot. The back has the same two controller ports and difficulty switches. New to the 2,600 plus are the HDMI port the USBC port for power and a switch to change the visuals between four by three and 16 by nine.
Speaker 1: I personally kept it set to four by three when playing since stretching the game into screen just looked bad. The console comes with A-U-S-B-C [00:05:30] cable for power, but doesn’t include a power brick to plug it into the wall. Lastly, the logo on the front now lights up when powered on. One thing that you’ll quickly notice is that just like in the seventies, these controllers are not wireless. This does add to the nostalgia factor, and we saw this with the Nintendo Classic consoles as well, but personally, I don’t want to sit only a few feet from my huge tv. The controller cables are a bit longer than the original ones, but not by enough to make a difference. With all the and physical games I’ve mentioned, you’re pretty quickly going to have [00:06:00] a big mess on your hands just like the old days nostalgia. So while the 2,600 plus is a more modern step for the system, it’s definitely still rooted in the past.
Speaker 1: The 2,600 plus is out now and retails for $130. It comes with one joystick controller and the 10 in one game cartridge Overall, what I like about the Atari 2,600 plus is that you no longer have to mod your original console to work with modern TVs, so these carts are much easier to enjoy. I also like how you can use your original collection of games [00:06:30] and controls with the new hardware. Support for 7,800 games is also nice to see, and I love that Atari is manufacturing these new controllers that are notorious for breaking down. What I don’t like is that the console is still pretty large considering how empty it feels inside, and I wish these controller cables were much longer or even wireless if you’re a fan of these classic games but didn’t have an easy way to play them, the 2,600 plus helps solve that. Not having to rely on an old bulky CRT means these games look sharper and are more accessible than before. [00:07:00] And if you’re new to Atari, this is a great way to experience some of gaming’s history, especially since picking up old carts from a used game store is very inexpensive. But what do you think? Isn’t Atari something you played in the past and still have nostalgia for? Let me know in the comments and thanks for watching.
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