Official Atari 400 Mini & Joystick - HDMI Output - Includes 25 Games

I am a large fan of Retro Games Mini (and Maxi) series of emulators. I am playing with retro emulators for over 25 years. My main driver is a Pi 400 with RetroPie, soon to be updated to a Pi 500. What I like about the Retro Games series is that it is a no-BS retro-gaming platform which you can quickly connect for the kids (or your party guests) and then put it away. I also very much like the nostalgia. While I like the small form factor, I definitely miss the keyboard, although the emulator has a virtual keyboard. A Pi keyboard works well with it.So, for whom is this product? If you had a home computer in the 80s, or knew friends who had one, this definitely wakes up nostalgia. If you enjoy the simplicity of 8-bit gaming, this emulator and the C64 Mini both are a good purchase for you. Adding games is easy: Format a 32GB (or smaller) USB thump drive with FAT32 and load games on it.What I do not like about it: You cannot add games to the carousel. While you can add games via USB card, you load them via a file system, and there is a limit to how many files each directory can carry. You end up with a messy file system. There is no way to add artwork to titles. The included joystick looks authentic, and the additional bottoms are clever, the playability of the joystick is limited. You may just use an Xbox controller instead. (It needs to be cabled via USB, there is no BT support). A small but annoying thing is the USB-C power-in port that does not support PD. For all of you guys who standardized on PD charging, it is not going to work. You need a USB-C to USB-A charging cable with an old dumb-charger, such as the old 5W iPhone cube-charger. (Cable is however included).I want to quickly talk about a misconception that many purchases of this product have: Atari came out with three 8-bit game consoles: The classic 2600 (also called the VCS), the 5200, and the 7800. After Atari started to develop the 5200, they pivoted into the home computer market. Though two different business units, the Atari 400 and all of its derivatives (which are primarily differentiated by their amount of RAM, number of joysticks ports, and their keyboards), and the 5200 game console are very similar machines. The 2600 is a more primitive machine, while the 7800 is the last iteration of the 8-bit consoles. This emulator is not compatible with 2600 or 7800 titles. It does play 5200 titles, which are somewhat limited in numbers because of the short duration of that console, but there is a huge catalogue of 2600 ports, ports from other console, and unique developments for the 400/800 platform. If you want to play 2600 titles you need a 2600 emulator or a 7800 emulator that plays most 2600 titles.

There aren't too many ways to play the Atari computer and 5200 games. This is a great way in.Pros: The system is small and very cute. Would be great to display but also very useful.Cons: The system as is works great. When you plug in the USB for extra games, that's where things get a little interesting. The system options (400, 800, 5200, 800xl, etc) revert to 800 every time I pick a game. Why? Another con - the controller is extremely stiff. I ended up plugging in an xbox controller and things improved immediately.It's quirky but it looks great and it's fun. Recommended for hardcore retro game fans.

Great Emulator. Came with some great games. More "Cartridges", Game Roms, can be added with a USB. I was able to program in BASIC and Assembly languages. Both fun and educational

(Way) back in the day I owned an Atari 800 computer which became my first real introduction into the world of home computing. I spent ages with that computer, playing games, learning to program, running a BBS, and more. It was great, nostalgic fun. When I learned about the 400 Mini I knew instantly that I wanted to dive back into the world of Atari. I've spent the last few weeks with the Mini, putting it through its paces, playing its games, loading new applications, and even dusting off my Atari BASIC programming skills. I was pleasantly surprised how well the Mini performed. You will hear complaints about the included joystick. I, however, find it delightful and ingenious. Look, back in the day we all abused our Atari joysticks as Bounty Bob fell off a platform and ruined our game. With the Mini's updated controller, simply take the care not to apply 400 lbs of force in any direction and you'll see that it works exceptionally well and is true to the original joystick. But if the joystick really isn't your cup of team, some generic gamepads will also function with the Mini.The ability to customize any loaded program, save your progress in up to four instances for every game/program, rewind game play, and more add tremendous value to this package and shows that it's far more than just another emulator. It also does an admirable job of loading old Atari 8-bit ROMs and allows you to select which 'computer' the ROM should run on (e.g. Atari 800, XL, XE, etc.) thus ensuring increased compatibility. And it looks great, too! It's a faithful reproduction of the famed Atari 400 computer in mini-form. It is a little pricey but I found it well worth the money.If you're an old-school Atari fan, you won't be disappointed.Have you played Atari today?

I LOVE The 400 Mini! I was one of the original supports of the Atari VCS on Indiegogo as I had an Atari 400 back when I was a kid, and I really wanted to relive those games on the updated VCS that was released a few years ago. Unfortunately the 8 bit games that the Atari 400/800 computers ran weren't included with the new VCS and there wasn't an easy way to run them on the VCS. But this little gem is designed to play all the 8 bit Atari games from the past. The 25 games that it comes with are great (some I had with my original Atari 400 and really enjoyed, like Asteroids, Lee, and Berserk). But the best part of this product is the ability to load your own Atari 8-bit games on a USB thumb drive that you attach to the back of this unit (which I was able to do by following the instructions on the manufacturer's website). The controller that comes with it is good, but sometimes I hit the buttons along the top ring by accident, so not sure if that was the wisest placement of them. I think Retro Games did a great job with this product overall, and it should provide for many hours of fun for anyone that enjoys 8-bit gaming. The only thing you will need that isn't included is a USB power adapter. Any 5-volt, 1 amp USB charger should do the trick (like those used for charging phones, or to power home video security cams like Wyze cams).