One of the most iconic video games consoles, the Atari 2600 is returning as a handheld console and innovative plug and play TV joystick in time for Christmas 2017.

The 'Atari "Retro" Handheld' features the immortalised "wood" effect and includes 50 classic games built-in, including: Asteroids, Pong, Centipede, Missile Command, Breakout, Millipede and more.

In addition to featuring a 2.4" screen, it also includes A/V output (with HDMI adapter available) and super responsive buttons with a stylish analogue control stick.

The 'Atari "Retro" Plug and Play TV Joystick' features a progressive design, with the inclusion of an arcade style button on top of the controller and will connect to your TV with the included A/V cable (or HDMI with an available adapter). It will feature the same 50 built-in games as the handheld.

The range is officially licensed by Atari and is being developed by PQube, the leading distributor of retro gaming hardware in Europe.

CEO of PQube, David Pain quoted:
"We are delighted to be working with Atari on this amazing project. Having sold over a million retro gaming consoles, we have taken the extensive feedback from press, retail and the consumer to develop new range of hardware that is faithful to the Atari brand"

CEO of Atari, Frederik Chesnais quoted:
“We are thrilled to partner with PQube on the compact handheld and Plug and Play TV Joystick,” said Fred Chresnais, Chief Executive Officer, Atari. “Both products are packed with nostalgic and fun-filled games that will give our fans the opportunity to relive the golden age of videogames wherever they go.”

The "Atari 'Retro' Handheld console" will retail for just £34.99 and the "Atari 'Retro' TV Plug and Play Joystick" at just £24.99. It is available to pre-order now at Europe's Number One Retro Gaming Destination, FunstockRetro.co.uk

Full list of included games below:

1.3D Tic-Tac-Toe (31 in 1)
2.Adventure
3.Air-Sea Battle
4.Asteroids ®
5.Black Jack
6.Bowling
7.Breakout ®
8.Canyon Bomber ®
9.Casino
10.Centipede ®
11.Circus Atari ®
12.Crystal Castles ®
13.Demons to Diamonds ™
14.Desert Falcon ®
15.Dodge 'em
16.Double Dunk
17.Fun With Numbers
18.Golf
19.Gravitar ®
20.Haunted House ®
21.Home Run
22.Human Cannonball ™
23.Maze Craze
24.Millipede ®
25.Miniature Golf ®
26.Missile Command ®
27.Night Driver ™
28.Off the Wall
29.Pong - Video Olympics
30.Quadrun ™
31.Radar Lock ™
32.Realsports Football ®
33.Realsports Tennis ®
34.Realsports Volleyball ®
35.Sprintmaster
36.Star Raiders ®
37.Steeplechase
38.Stellar Track ™
39.Street Racer
40.Submarine Commander
41.Super Baseball
42.Super Breakout ®
43.Swordquest: Earthworld ™
44.Swordquest: Fireworld ™
45.Swordquest: Waterworld ™
46.Tempest ®
47.Video Checkers
48.Video Chess
49.Video Pinball
50.Yar's Revenge ®

Official Site

 

[VinsCool]

If I can run homebrew games on it, I'll buy it instantly.

 

[RustInPeace]

This is poppycock, where is the ET game? While I'm at it with this balderdash, where is E.T. Go Come?

 

[regnad]

I beg to differ.

I spent many many many hours of my childhood in front of one of those!

 

[VinsCool]

I beg to differ.

I want to get one of those someday.

 

[DarthDub]

I wonder if it'll be worth it as a collectors item?

 

[leon315]

Interesting, but where is E. T.?

How dare Atari forget one of cough " worst" COUGH... best atari game EVER??

 

[mightymuffy]

Is that the sound of a missed joke flying over your head?

I don't think @VitaType was calling me out. I asked "what is innovative about it" to ridicule the claim, and @VitaType just took it a step further by ridiculing the market in general

No, you'll notice it was just a poor attempt to add the 'urined' joke rather than anything else...I've had it on standby for a while and this was the half-chance I saw to use it... didn't even read the subject to be honest: nobody fukkin laughed at it anyway either
Unless the urined joke consequently flew over both your heads as well, in which case I feel a bit better!

 

[Pleng]

Bugger.

Yea, totally missed that!

 

[Dr.Hacknik]

I do like the Wood Aesthetics of the System. Also, if it's (supposedly) running Atari 2600 hardware; I wonder what the battery life would be? Would it be better than the Switch :3

 

[bennyman123abc]

So, all this hype for a new console from Atari has been over a Atari 2600 ripoff officially licensed by Atari? Well, I guess I've seen everything now.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

So, all this hype for a new console from Atari has been over a Atari 2600 ripoff officially licensed by Atari? Well, I guess I've seen everything now.

Nope, that's a full fledged console. This is just another random "flashback" handheld.

 

[netovsk]

My first console was an Atari 2600.

It was bad even back then.

Every game felt like a complete waste of time.

 

[DarthDub]

My first console was an Atari 2600.

It was bad even back then.

Every game felt like a complete waste of time.

Adventure was the best game ever. The ducks that would chase you and kill you.

 

[Deleted User]

Pure trash.
For that price, I can get a RPi and make my own Plug'n'Play crap for just $30.

 

[DarthDub]

Pure trash.
For that price, I can get a RPi and make my own Plug'n'Play crap for just $30.

10 bucks more and you can get a PSTV on exploitable firmware.

 

[Reyn_the_Insane]

I will not buy this. There's no ET or Pac-man.

 

[tbb043]

No E.T. and no Pacman. This is trash.

Licensing costs. Atari doesn't own either of those franchises.

Pqube looks too much like Pube for my taste.

ut if you are going to make something like this I think it would be cool if you created an online leaderboard

Just what a retro P&P needs, online connection...

 

[JellyPerson]

It was a joke. The Atari versions of both those games suck. Hard.

 

[Subtle Demise]

Why does everyone love the 2600 so much? Maybe I don't understand because I never grew up playing one. My first console was the 7800 and I Ioved it. It gets neglected so much, even with things like homebrew emulators. I think if you put a bunch of 7800 games on one of these plug n play things, people would enjoy it. Now the thing has the same sound chip as the 2600, but it had superior arcade ports, like Food Fight, Dig Dug, Donkey Kong, Centipede, among others.

 

[MENTALDOMINANCE]

Well until they wise up and put actual REAL analog controls on it, all the paddle games are pointless.
REAL analog control = Potentiometer type rotating circular controller, like the original PADDELS & DRIVING controllers.
Using a lame analog joystick to play paddle games does NOT count!
You know what would be cool? If they made the joystick's stick rotate, like Ikari Warriors arcade, but was analog
instead of just a few digital clicks. Include that and have real paddle control, then it would be kinda cool.
I really do not understand the popularity of these lame, inferior "mini retro" consoles that have become all the rage lately.
"Oh hey look! We stuck another ancient emulator that's probably existed for decades on some crap hardware with crap controls,
stuck it in a pretty case and yet.... People still flock to it!"

I don't understand how any of the "Classic collection" game collection packs sell either.
I mean, who in this day and age is not aware that you can download hundreds of emulators for free and grab the entire library
of whatever system you're interested in? Plus multiple emulators exist for every popular system so you have tons of choices
that no commercial collection or retro mini consoles have. There's just zero reason to pay for this crap, yet every year they
do it and every year it's profitable.

Subtle Demise: Yeah, the 7800's audio sucks. Initially, Atari wanted devs to include POKEY chips in their carts, like how
PITFALL II did on the 2600, for enhanced audio. But no one did of course. Man they made some dumb moves!
They ruled the video game world but then, just like Commodore, dwindled it away by making stupid decision after stupid decision.