Video Games

Hands-On: Atari Gamestation Go

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Pros
✔️Large screen, HDMI out, and range of context-sensitive control. Can optimize games for 4:3 or 16:9 optimization. Can load ROMs for many classic systems via microSD card

Cons
✖️Small selection of Atari 5200 and 7800 games. No button-mapping for user-added ROMs

Score: 9️⃣ (out of 10)

Once, the Flashback consoles provided just about the only way to relive the early days of Atari videogaming. Lately, however, in addition to a range of mini remakes like the Atari 7800+ (now available in a Pac Man edition) the market has been saturated with a range of products that provide retro experiences on the go. Most of these, though, have had smaller displays and have been sold with unlicensed game files.  Previous sanctioned Atari handhelds have included AtGames’ nearly decade-old Flashback Portable (with a 2.8″ display and bundled with up to 80 games) and My Arcade’s  Pocket Player Pro (with a 2.75″ display and bundled with 100 games).

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Retro Games goes full-size 32-bit with the A1200

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Retro Games, Ltd. has won fans for its miniature recreations of classic computers like the Commodore 64, Atari 400, and Amiga 500. But the usable keyboards on its larger recreations of the Commodore 64/VIC-20 and ZX Spectrum have provided a more authentic retro experience. Now, the company has revealed plans for a full-sized Amiga recreation, the A1200, complete with a numeric keypad, gamepad, and mouse. Preorders should begin in November, but the products aren’t expected to ship until next June.

Intellivision Sprint updates Atari’s rival with wireless controllers, HDMI and USB expansion

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When many of the game consoles (and a few of the computers) of yesteryear were being reintroduced as plug-and-play “mini” versions loaded up with a selection of games, AtGames took a break from repeated reintroductions of its Atari 2600 “Flashback” series to create homages to two of that console’s competitors, the Intellivision Flashback and ColecoVision,Flashback, both preloaded with 60 games (plus one bonus in a store-exclusive version).

Now that Atari has the rights to the Intellivision brand, hardware design and original game library, it’s creating a modern incarnation of the original Intellivision dubbed the Intellivision Sprint with a few improvements, which include wireless, rechargeable controllers and HDMI video. The product has been designed by Retro Games, which has earned high marks for both mini and full-size recreations of the Commodore 64 and other retro gaming platforms, and for its use of USB ports for adding additional games. Alas, as with Retro Games’ TheC64 and upcoming The1200, there’s no cartridge slot for playing the original physical games and homebrews. However, a USB connector will allow taking the digital selections far beyond the 45 games (for Intelivision’s 45th anniversary) that come included with the retro console.

Alas, there haven’t been any modern recreations of the ColecoVision on the horizon since the FGPA-based CollectorVision Phoenix, available only through eBay. The company has said it’s not planning another production run or sequel.

WowCube takes another turn with Rubik’s branding

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From its preorder campaign in 2022, the WOWCube was one of the most inventive electronic games we’d seen in a while. The straightforward: What if we took the dynamics of Rubik’s Cube and made each square a miniature touchscreen. (It’s a 2×2 vs. 3×3 grid because the latter proved prohibitively expensive.) The company lined up a couple of strong retro and casual game licenses in Space Invaders and Cut the Rope and threw in a few widgets to provide utility even when it was charging on its dock. Then came an extended gestation before the products shipped last year. Cubios used some of that time, though, to design a successor. The cube is back with a smoother motion, more durable build and displays, and a Rubik’s license, which the company says raised the bar in terms of the expected experience. The new version is expected to ship this holiday season.