🚨 U P D A T E D I N F O R M A T I O N🚨 Well, this is cool. Turns out you CAN use the new wireless CX-40+ and cX-78+ *wirelessly* with anything that uses a 9-pin connection, because it doesn't come with an adapter cable, but an adapter DONGLE that receives the wireless signal and convertes it to DB9. Neat!
@GenXGrownUp I think I'm going to get that cx-78+ but unless they get some of the stiffness out of the new cx-40 remake, I don't think I'll go with that ever.
I am more curious about what is compatible with the new 7800+. Are the controllers and games not working on the 2600+ going to work on the 7800? If they are going to work, then does that mean the 2600 will be getting an update or left behind. I feel like we are kinda being left out there until after it is released, and we spent our money on it. With the wireless controllers using a dongle & the new games all compatible with the 2600+, this just feels really odd. There are so many options Atari could have done, but do another retro console that is a copy of the 2600 "reskinned" as the 7800 seems just odd to me. Hopefully, we will get a better explanation the closer we get to the release. All that said though, dang it if Atari doesn't know how to peak my interest and make me want to buy something I probably already have and don't need.
It’s very simple ATARI is thinking all the kids who grew up in the late 70s early 80s all have disposable income now and are very nostalgic for the games they played as a kid.
I still have just over five hundred different Atari 2600 games along with a couple hundred doubles as i got my Atari in 1977 at seven years old and still collect all these years later but thank you so much for your video.Atari and star wars dominated my childhood.
@@zyenathalous So awesome to hear my friend but at this point in my life with bad health i would sell all of them for a grand and i have some rare ones all in there own individual plastic wrapping to keep them safe from the dust with the exception of the doubles that collect dust just like me.I still have some of the cassette games new in the box that i never open along with the games that have nudity in them.Take care friend.
@@richardsoult5678sorry to hear about your health, but i understand what you're saying. thanks for the reply and you take care as well. may God bless and keep you.
@@cubanref9670 yeah i got loads of them that i don't need anymore as i am to old to take care of them.I even have ones you never heard of but you might like the south park asses of fire game.
After enjoying the 2600+ so much, I was a breath away from getting another one for our rec room (the 2600+ is in the living room) so getting something a lil’ different with some updated bells and whistles works for me! 🕹️👾
I can get why certain people don't like this, but... for me? The 7800 was my first console ever. When I upgraded to the SNES and Genesis, I got rid of my childhood 7800 and the carts I had for it. I've been kicking myself ever since and wanting to get one again and try to hunt the carts I had as a kid down again. But this? This appeals to me because physically it looks like the same 7800 I had back then, with updated internals and connections. The original 7800 units floating around out there? They're living on borrowed time as the internals corrode over time. This increases the number of machines out there while at the same time, ensuring the new stock machines keep the OG carts around.
same here, i grew up to the 2600 but my very first initial console i got to own was the 7800, sadly the RF unit broke and i couldnt fix it for years, now i have it composite modded and i can play all my 7800 and 2600 games all over again, but this is actually ground breaking to see :) i'll more than likely get myself one :)
I own a Nintendo NES system and see used Atari games everywhere and I have been considering one of these two systems. I'm excited to try one of these two but I'm trying to figure out which one to get.
You dodged a bullet on the 2600, it's an emulator and doesn't play every cartridge. The ROMs might work, but the carts don't all work. Beware on the 7800, might do the same thing.
We now need an Intellivision+ and ColecoVision+. My first console was an Atari Pong machine my dad brought home around 78-79. I was 4-5 years old. Our first dedicated console was somewhere around 1980 and it was the 2600. I remember going to K-Mart as a kid and waiting in line to play at the Intellivision and Colecovision displays that they always had. That was the first "console war" and we were there.
The 2600 was easily the most popular system back in the day. Some kids in my school had Intellivision or Colecovision consoles, and even the Texas Instruments or Atari ST computers, but I don't remembering anyone owning an Atari 7800. The 7800 launched around the same time period of the "Great Videogame Crash" and so the Sega SMS and Nintendo NES just crushed it when they came out several months afterwards.
The Atari VCS came out in 1977, long before the Atari ST, which arrived in 1985. It had long since had it's day by that time. 'Home' computers, those few that existed when the VCS was released, were also many times more expensive than the VCS, and were initially aimed at a very different market. Atari released their excellent 400 and 800 home computers in 1979, but they were hugely expensive $550 and $999 respectively. At the same time, TI released the somewhat inferior Texas TI99/4, which cost $1,150.
I think the Atari 2600 reached it's pinnacle in 1984, when Pitfall 2 released. By this time the VCS probably had it's largest user base, and it cost nothing to play a new game on this system if you could trade among friends. But it wasn't until 1988 or so when I became first acquainted with someone owning an Atari ST. IIRC, by that time the Commodore 64 and VIC 20 were also gaining popularity and the prices of the Atari and Texas instruments computers decreased substantially. Same goes for the Coleco ADAM computer. Guess there was just too much hardware during that time period for the 7800 to compete with, and the rest is history.
I had a TI and my dad had an Apple II c when I was a kid. I would wake up early on saturday mornings and crank up the II c to play Pool of Radiance hoping it wouldnt wake everyone up with all the noise it would make.
Im buying the 7800+. I was an 80s kid with a 2600, but when I asked my parents for an NES in 1986, I instead received a 7800. I remember crying...but then I hooked it up and fell in love with the 7800. Great console! I so many good games. Count me in.
I grew up with the Atari with the brown Venetian Bars across it. I remember BBQs that while the parents talked, we all watched and played. The folks were all kinda chuffed about that as well, lmao.
As long as they’re updated versions of the classic Intellivision games, I’ll be all over it. If it’s just 40-50 year old games on newer hardware, it’d be pointless.
Yes!!! i would be in. I did skip the 2600 + so I might be into this, but I have an original 2600 and 7800 hooked up so nit sure. Love they are doing new physical cart releases. Great coverage John!
Exactly, that’s what I noticed too. I think the 7800+ is the beginning of what they’re planning to do going forward. As usual I’m excited to see what they do. They have more up their sleeves that we don’t even know yet.
I loved that feature too. At the time Toys-R-Us had 2609 games on the cheap. $4 if I remember right. So I was able to get a decent library of games. Things like River Raid, Combat, and Missle Command; are fun to this day.
I believe the primary reason for the 7800+ is nostalgia for those who had the system. I was a 2600 era kid. Just bought the 2600+ and it arrived last week. Works with all but a handful of cartridges I have. We were using an old 2600jr console and it gave up the ghost. The 2600+ is epic. I think its awesome having forward and reverse compatibility as well. Guess I need to go fire it up and play some Megamania now!
I think their primary reason struck out. If that’s what they wanted to accomplish, it would have been a better strategy to keep the 2600+ a 2600 console. I’m a 7800 guy, too, but since I already got a 2600+, they missed me entirely now with the 7800+.
@@SumDumGy It doesn't have to matter to you. This is a PUBLIC forum. I simply stated the obvious. You do realize the sun doesn't revolve around you, right?
Great job. I have the 2600+ and that is what I first had back in 1978, but I’m definitely buying the 7800+ for the wireless controller capability. Here’s a strange tidbit. Back in the early 90s, I walked into a Radio Shack. They were selling 7800 cartridges for $1.49 so I bought everything they had in the bin. I spent close to $100 at the time, but they sure have come in handy recently.
Nice score! I never saw 7800 game at Rat Shack. All mine came from Toys-R-Us. At the time they had 2600 games on the cheap. So I got a number of those too. I wish I still had my Atari carts.
@@jennoscura2381 must have been a company Radio Shack, hint, I worked there in the 80-90s, I was even a manager at the end in 95. The company stores only sold Radio Shack products. There were also franchise stores, here and there and they sold other stuff too.
About the 5200, the 7800 has enough pins in the cartridge slot so that you can create an adapter for the 5200 carts. But of course, then you need the firmware to detect the different format and dumo and run the correct emulator, that can be trick. I gave that suggestion to the representative of the comoany that built the plus consoles and he was really interested in the concept. So lets see.
I have Robotron for my 2600+ a great blast from the past, a d one of my favourite games, which I had to buy and ship from the US to the UK. One of my favourite games that I used to play at the arcade when I grew up in Canada.
I have a boxed 2600, a 5200 and two 7800's in storage. I have a few hundred 2600 games and about 30 7800 games, most of them still boxed. I really need to get them out and play them again.
HI Jon, thank you for the video. For me, I'm passing on the releases this round. I preordered the 2600+ day one. Getting it was a long drawn out near disaster. It came nearly two months late and while I do enjoy it, the entire situation put a bad taste in my mouth. This past "2nd" round, with the 7800 games and controllers, same thing, preordered everything day one, all three games, two 7800+ controllers and extensions etc. Items were shipped all over the place, shipped late, and some arrived damaged. One game order was cancelled and had to be ordered from a different source after waiting over a month after the game was released and most people received theirs. For me, I'm ok with the 2600+, and I own an original 7800, so ideally my bases are covered. I'm assuming those who passed on the 2600+, or for those who want the 7800 80s look will grab this. Normally I am an Atari collector and grab everything upon release, but not this time. Really im only interested in Berzerk and Frenzy this time, but I'm not preordering anything. Had they released a "5200+" that would have been different, and would have taken the chance on another preorder to get one.
My first video game was Pong!. I had the original Atari and that was crazy. The entire system could be ran as a very small virtual machine on any computer made after the 90's. If you have a cartridge for the original still great by this. If you have money just sitting around and this makes you happy buy this. We all need to put our feet down and and say enough is enough, this should all be free to emulate and move on.
I would bet an Intellivision+ would get added under the Atari+ banner. It would be a hard sell, but a 5200+ with new CX52+ controllers would be awesome.
An Intellivision+ will be a console that will have to be FPGA just to be able to be fully compatible with homebrew carts. Modern Intellivision homebrew carts have a security circuitry implemented which prevents ROM dumping. So current Atari+ platforms based on software emulation wont work.
@@jeremiahthomas8140 As long as they’re updated versions of the classic Intellivision games, I’ll be all over it. If it’s just 40-50 year old games on newer hardware, it’d be pointless.
Is it preloaded with 7800 Games or must we have a physical copy to use it? I have Zero 7800 Games and don’t see myself trying to find old copies to use this. Good video and Thank You.
I got the 2600+ because I did not have a woodgrain 2600 (my VCS is a 2600 Junior) and I was sold on the HDMI connectivity. I have a working 7800, and the wireless controllers are not enough incentive to double-dip. A 5200+ on the other hand, I'd almost certainly get. A 5200+ with 2 cartridge slots for 5200 games and 8-bit computer games - take my money.
@@SumDumGy Yes it is and you can stop spamming the comments telling everyone you don't want this. No one cares. Billions of people have not purchased the 2600+ so if they ever do buy something they now have choice. Get over it.
I gave up on this new Atari when I bought the Atari 2600 plus and loved it. To celebrate, I bought extra controllers and paddles, direct from Atari. I added a t-shirt and what they call a sweater, just to get shipping to be free and they sent me half of my stuff, but not the other half. When I proved that to them, they shipped out the stuff that was missing, but they counted it as a separate order and charged me 12 bucks for shipping. Now remember, I ordered frivolous stuff just to get the shipping to be free. The thing they call the sweater turned out to be a long sleeve T-shirt and there is nothing I can do to get Atari to refund my $12. I was even willing to accept a $12 credit at their site. They wouldn't do that, either. Ever since? They won't respond to my emails. So yeah, I'm done with whatever company is using the Atari name now. Because they're crooks.
You realize you repeated your story twice in one comment? I’m sorry this happened to you. How did they even charge you a second time? That isn’t legal unless you provided your card info to them again. If you did, that was a mistake.
@@SumDumGy I did not provide them my info twice. I paid through PayPal and they charged my PayPal a second time as a new order. The new order only had the items that never arrived - those items were not charged the second time. But, the full shipping charge on those items was charged. Re: My comment, is it fixed now? I got COVID for my first time Tuesday and when I wrote my comment my temperature was 104.8°, which is a pretty high fever, it's still hovering around 102. So when you told me that it kind of freaked me out and I'm so out of it with this fever and how sick I am that I'm not even sure exactly what you meant, but I tried to fix it. Let me know if it's better. I would say I feel like I'm in the middle of a fever dream, but this time I'm just in the middle of a really high fever.
@@SumDumGy The first half of the order I was charged for everything. They then sent out the stuff that never got here in a different order and didn't charge me, but they did charge me the $12 or $13 for shipping. Even though it was part of the same order that I had ordered enough for free shipping.
I started with Pong (Radio shack knockoff) then an Odyssey 2, then a 2600. I then got an Atari 800XL in 1984. I also had an NES as well as my 800XL. In the 90s I was using PC Clones, and I didn't go back to consoles untill the PSP and XBox 360.
Wow. I, too, started with Pong. I'll never forget that..Then it was a choice between the Atari 2600 and the Odyssey 2. The Odyssey looked so cool, so I chose it. I often wondered if I made the right choice. Unfortunately, I was never able to get the Atari after that. It was on to PC games after that. Now, there is an opportunity to close the gap.
@@Biggerbyte The Oddysey 2 was under a lot ofl litigation. M.C. Munckin was too much like PacMan and either Atari or Midway was suing them, so they had no future. Atari at least lasted into the mid 90s but by then i was using an IBM PC XT clone.
Would be cool if Atari could support their previous product that they continue to sell and release the firmware officially for the 2600+ for all of the people who bought that already. To include, not rely on the community to solve our own problems for their incomplete products. Valid criticism.
Having a dad that was heavily into electronics (even owning a tv repair shop in the 70s) and a brother that is 7 years older than me, i grew up with the Atari 2600 and later the 7800. I broke their Intellivision when i was 3 years old by putting an ice cube into where the cartridge went. My brother still hasnt forgiven me, and i am now 42. The last Atari my dad bought for the family was the Jaguar, which he got when stores were selling them for 40 bucks. He actually bought two of them. I still have the 7800 and at least one of the Jaguars. The last console i knew about them making was the VCS.
For me, I didn’t pick up the 2600+, so this is appealing to me. I still have my original 2600 boxed, and I never had a 7800. Given the same features, I’ll pick up the 7800 form. I’m just glad I didn’t waste my money on a new Atari VCS. 😂
I think the Atari 5200 is way more relevant than the 7800. In 1982 the 5200 was billed as the successor to the 2600. It garnerd a lot of media attention. It's when Atari was still going strong. The 5200 also had a true purpose, it was meant to compete to with the Colecovision. It was fair fight too. Both had something to prove. I was there and there was a lot of buzz around the 5200. We're talking the Golden Age of video games here. Atari cared more at this moment. Kids talked about the Atari 5200 and Colecovision in schools. They were the hot new consoles. In contrast to the lazy release of the 7800. When Atari was in the dumps. Atari actually cancelled the 7800 because of the game crash. They eventually released it because the NES was a big hit and Atari saw that video games were viable again. I don't think much love went into the 7800. It was Atari just trying to get a small piece of the Nintendo and Sega pie. Whenever anyone brought up the Atari 7800 in that time you'd get the same response. Is Atari still around? The 7800 is forgotten flop of a system that barely made a blip on the gaming radar. The 5200 has a more popular legacy. AVGN devoted an entire episode to the Atari 5200 for a reason. It's more well known for good or bad. We deserve an Atari 5200+
At first, I assumed the Atari+ platform was simply going to be used on products that, as they stated, will all work with each other - whether they be new consoles, games and controllers or classic ones - sort of an assurance to prospective buyers that the product they're interested in will work with the product they already have. That said, I would then also assume that the Atari+ branding will be limited to the 2600/2600+ and the 7800/7800+ which would effectively become its own platform separate from, say, the 400 Mini, which is not compatible with the 9-pin controllers or any of the carts they've been releasing lately. That would also mean that systems like the new handheld portable would probably not bear the "plus" logo either. Whatever the case, it's really been great to get all of these surprises from Atari lately and a blast to speculate on what might come next. Personally, I can't wait to find out!
Considering I started with the Atari 7800 before moving on to Nintendo and Sega when the 16-bit consoles came out, it's tempting to get one of these. I passed on the 2600+, the original really held no special memories for me, I don't think I ever played one besides maybe a few of its games on a 7800.
There is someting nostalgic and relaxing about back to basics. Simple, and not worrying about weeks and weeks of a learning curve, the fanciest graphics, game cheaters. Just using your quick hand/eye dexterity.
There were 69 5200 games and 59 7800 games. So the size of the library should not be a problem. The Atari 5200 has a lot of great Arcade (Frogger, Berzerk, Joust, Centipede, Moon Patrol etc.) ports that look and play much better than the 2600 versions. I think part of the issue as to why they may not have yet released a 5200+ is that a lot of the good games on the 5200 are from CBS Electronics and Parker Brothers. Atari may not have the licensing right to use those games?
Those are the native library sizes. The main difference being the 7800 also includes the 2600 library, whereas the 5200 doesn't. I'm particularly fond of the 5200 because it shares hardware and game quality with my beloved Atari 8-bit line, but it's not backward compatible.
The license for the games shouldn’t have any impact on whether or not they produce and release a console. It’s up to us to seek out the games we want to play on it. We just need a solid, updated platform in which to do so.
I'd not heard about this. I think it's fantastic. It makes sense as it's more authentic being able to play both. Also, that's fantastic with the controllers. Handheld next, maybe?
I have a 7800 and still do. It was my third console behind an NES and a master system. I had a job in high school and all my money went to gaming consoles. Even ended up getting a neo geo aes. Anyway loved the 7800.
I won’t lie, I was a little upset when I saw the 7800+ announced, mostly because there is still no official patch for the 2600+ (so buttons on the 7800 games are still reversed). It would be nice for them to fully support last year’s model before they offer up a new-and-improved one.
I think you're right, John. And for me, this whole notion of the Atari + platform is exciting. Definitely planning on getting the 7800+. And I'll probably also still get the 2600+, which I've been wanting to do since last year.
I think you are pretty much spot on. Like you I grew up with the 2600 but I didn't pick up a 2600+ because I still have my 2600 and 7800 consoles and really didn't see the need. I have a retron77 as well in case I do want to play on HDMI. That said the modern look does appeal to me more with the 7800+. So if I were to pick up a + this would probably be it. My guess is Atari will release an updated firmware to keep the 2 consoles in sync as much as possible but who knows.
I find the RetroN77 useless and regret buying it. It never played a large number of my carts. None of my text label carts and almost none of the first party games work on it at all.
One more group of people who this may be targeted at is Europeans. Apparently they bought more 7800s than 2600s. I hope Atari releases Intellivision and 5200 consoles. I'd buy them.
So, I'm 30 years old. I just got into collecting Atari systems. I do like the look of the 7800(+). I like the sleek black/metal look. Seeing how I own a Atari Jr. and recently picked up a Atari Games Pro, plus own a Colecovision with the Atari 2600 playing module. Along with the Colecovision Flashback. I will pick up the 7800+ eventually. Especially because it would be nice to have a modern cartridge system, even if it just uses emulation.
The 5200 was already covered (poorly) in the 400 Mini (as was the 800, 800XL and 130XE). Do you think the A+ opens the door for a full size 8-bit console with a full keyboard that covers ALL the classic consoles, or would that be a bad business move? I personally would like a full sized 8-bit with real cartridge slots (yes, right cart included for Monkey Wrench II), a full working keyboard and an SIO port for all my peripherals. Also, with the acquisition of Intellivision, do you think we'll see a modern Intellivision controller added to the A+ line?
I want a 5200+. What the 400 Mini “does” is irrelevant to me. I was excited about the company who was producing a legit updated 800XL out of Europe but I understand that got cancelled.
@@SumDumGy Sure you did! Everyone knows you want the 5200+ as you posted that comment over 50 times here. You're barking up the wrong tree. The 400 Mini is irrelevant to you? Oh good, I'll make a note of that.
I have to say I love my 2600+. I still fondly remember my first experiences with the original. But what I recall more was the games. Sure, I remember the look, and the feel of switching those toggles, but my nostaligia is really seeing old school Missile Command and even Atari Pac Man on the screen. I think it's because we hadn't really gotten into consoles yet and the focus was on the games themselves. The 2600 was just the thing you needed to play that Defender game at home. By the time the 7800 came along the Console Wars had begun and people got the 7800 not to play Pole Position II, but because that console was going to offer great games now and in the future. I don't even know that I can put it into words properly, but I'll bet there are a lot of people like me who did grow up with a 2600 and maybe even feel more nostalgia playing those early 2600 titles, but who have more of an emotional reaction to the 7800 console look itself.
A 5200+ with proper working 4 button numerical Analogue joysticks that also work on original hardware makes sooooooo much sense. It should also play the Atari 8-Bit computer lineup if Atari were to try to make this happen. I feel like a 5200+ was a huge, missed opportunity. The 7800+ is a reskin of the 2600+ with wireless controller support. Definitely just a mild yearly update.
I would definitely buy a 5200+. I also doubt a 5200+ would be able to play the 8 bit computer lineup, given the different sized cartridges & interfaces. Maybe at some point they could consider an XEGS+ that would play all 400/800 XL & XEGS carts?
It's just a variation of the 2600+ a way to get different people interested I'm actually surprised they didn't do a 5200 first but it might come eventually.
…and with that analogy, same as the car analogy, I only buy the new when the old is on its way out and actually in need of replacing. I don’t go buy the new model the next year, every year, “just because,” to keep along side.
@@SumDumGywhile my 7800 is still running I won't be buying one. Wondering if an XEGS could be next? Another company is supposedly bringing out a full blown 800XL that works with all the original peripherals, that may tempt me...
@@jonathanwhiteside6092 From what Jon here told me (he announced that 800XL project on his channel) that has apparently been scrapped. He could no longer find any details about it and I think he told me he was pushed to take down his announcement video. I wonder if Atari made legal threats. That’s sad, if true. I was really excited for that one and went so far as to buy about twenty games in preparation. I wanted to get a jump on it in case it drove up demand and price on the carts.
@@jonathanwhiteside6092 I wasn’t aware of that excitement, just my own. Killed about $200 in games of it’s lost forever, or if Atari doesn’t make it happen themselves. Please, someone do this!
Awesome. Yeah, I plan on buying one as well as a bunch of homebrew carts. There's a handful of really great homebrew games for the 7800. I'd really like to get Alien Brigade for this but the carts are ridiculously expensive. I really hope Atari re-releases that game at a reasonable price cause it's like $300 online. One of the best OG releases for this system. But yeah, I just love the look of the system, the European controller (as opposed to the joystick), and the homebrew scene for is great. Those are the reasons why I'll be buying it.
This is interesting Jon. I was a 2600 aficionado growing up. Then it was the Commodore 64 I never played the 7800 and didn’t know anyone who owned one, but I like where Atari is going.
Great video. I never got the chance to get the 2600+, but I did plan on getting one. Now, w/the 7800+ being released. I will get the 7800+ instead, because of the modern sleek look. Moreover, should have the latest firmware. Also, the wireless game pad.
How cool would it be to hang out at Jon's place on a Saturday afternoon, as long as your homework was done and were back home before the street lights came on! (his mum probably has pretty good snacks too)
I'm in on this one. Passed on the 2600+. I just hooked up my composite modded 7800 to my retrotink and didn't like how it looks. Then 2 days later this dropped, so it felt right. I also think the pack in game is a great rival to SMB on NES and would have been a cool matchup if it released back then. My 1st Atari was the 5200 and I was hoping the 8bit mini was going to be my champion (it's so close!). I have lots of great controller options for the 5200 but an official Atari redo would be cool someday.
Here's an interesting bit of trivia. About 5 years before the first Atari came out there was the Commodore Vic 20. It was a computer that we could program but there was no memory and no monitor. In order to you that you would have to screw this coaxial connector to the back of your TV. If you wanted to have memory for your programs that you write, you had to get something like a cassette tape drive which I had or a floppy disk drive that a few of my friends had. It would take about 45 minutes to save a program that you wrote, even if it was a very simple program. To load the program so that you could use it it would take another 45 minutes to load. There was a manual that came with the vic-20 that had the programs for a lot of the Atari games that came out 5 years later. Domino's games included pac-man, missile command, space invaders, and pong. The game pong was actually programmed in 1958. One of my friends had multiple tvs. So we would all meet at his house and each of us would why are vic-20 to a tv. Then we would all write the program for a video game. And then we would play the game. When we wanted to play a different game we just traded with one of our friends. We would save the program on our floppy disk drive. However, it only took 20 minutes to write the program but 45 minutes to load the program. Loading them up from a safe. One of my friends became a programmer at NASA. I seriously miss the 70s.
I always remember 7800 games being dirt cheap, you could even find sealed games for next to nothing, but recently it looks like 7800 games are shooting up in value
It’s interesting that that they are going for the PAL version of the Atari 7800 in terms of the colour strip/design for the 7800+. You may not be aware, but the original PAL Atari 7800 had a built in game (Asteroids 7800) - so if you booted the console without a cartridge it would automatically load Asteroids. It would have been cool if they added this feature to the 7800+
🚨 U P D A T E D I N F O R M A T I O N🚨
Well, this is cool. Turns out you CAN use the new wireless CX-40+ and cX-78+ *wirelessly* with anything that uses a 9-pin connection, because it doesn't come with an adapter cable, but an adapter DONGLE that receives the wireless signal and convertes it to DB9. Neat!
@GenXGrownUp I think I'm going to get that cx-78+ but unless they get some of the stiffness out of the new cx-40 remake, I don't think I'll go with that ever.
I am more curious about what is compatible with the new 7800+. Are the controllers and games not working on the 2600+ going to work on the 7800? If they are going to work, then does that mean the 2600 will be getting an update or left behind. I feel like we are kinda being left out there until after it is released, and we spent our money on it. With the wireless controllers using a dongle & the new games all compatible with the 2600+, this just feels really odd. There are so many options Atari could have done, but do another retro console that is a copy of the 2600 "reskinned" as the 7800 seems just odd to me. Hopefully, we will get a better explanation the closer we get to the release. All that said though, dang it if Atari doesn't know how to peak my interest and make me want to buy something I probably already have and don't need.
I think that’s a great move.
Might be....but not so much for us that just got our 2600+ late last year
And the wireless can work on mine and also 7800 controllers
I hope it works with the GameStation Pro.
It’s very simple ATARI is thinking all the kids who grew up in the late 70s early 80s all have disposable income now and are very nostalgic for the games they played as a kid.
This is Def Not for everyone!
I don't have any disposable income. Thanks to the Harris-Biden regime.
Yeah, but those games sucked….
@@scotthughes7440a lot of those games are awesome, and still are better than 90% of the crap out now.
I still have mine and all the games. It still works 😊
All the rich kids had 5200’s the rest of us kids had the 2600’s. Except we didn’t even call them 2600’s. They were just “Ataris” back then.
#FACTS
5200 was like the luxury cars (Range Rovers, BMW, Ferraris) of consoles. Very expensive to buy, very expensive to fix, always breaking down.
2600 was better than the 5200
The HDMI out and wireless remote combo is perfect.
My large 2600 cartridge collection will work perfectly
I still have just over five hundred different Atari 2600 games along with a couple hundred doubles as i got my Atari in 1977 at seven years old and still collect all these years later but thank you so much for your video.Atari and star wars dominated my childhood.
same age, same boat...but i've only got about 280 Atari 2600 games. :)
@@zyenathalous So awesome to hear my friend but at this point in my life with bad health i would sell all of them for a grand and i have some rare ones all in there own individual plastic wrapping to keep them safe from the dust with the exception of the doubles that collect dust just like me.I still have some of the cassette games new in the box that i never open along with the games that have nudity in them.Take care friend.
@@richardsoult5678sorry to hear about your health, but i understand what you're saying. thanks for the reply and you take care as well. may God bless and keep you.
Ayo you flipping some cartridges my man??😂
@@cubanref9670 yeah i got loads of them that i don't need anymore as i am to old to take care of them.I even have ones you never heard of but you might like the south park asses of fire game.
After enjoying the 2600+ so much, I was a breath away from getting another one for our rec room (the 2600+ is in the living room) so getting something a lil’ different with some updated bells and whistles works for me! 🕹️👾
I HATE Atari 7800+
I HATE NES Classic Edition
I HATE SNES Classic Edition
I HATE Re-Release Games
Did you get ALL of the carts to work? My favorite games like Pitfall 2 and Robot Tank won't work at all.
@@BrianJNelson It works with the update. I hope the 7800+ comes with the update.
I have not looked into this console, as I just really found out about it. Does it put out 16:9 HD from the hdmi? Or just a 4:3 aspect ratio?
In the 80's, we had 2600 and it was a blast. Then when 7800 came out, we had to get it. No regrets.
I can get why certain people don't like this, but... for me? The 7800 was my first console ever. When I upgraded to the SNES and Genesis, I got rid of my childhood 7800 and the carts I had for it. I've been kicking myself ever since and wanting to get one again and try to hunt the carts I had as a kid down again. But this? This appeals to me because physically it looks like the same 7800 I had back then, with updated internals and connections. The original 7800 units floating around out there? They're living on borrowed time as the internals corrode over time. This increases the number of machines out there while at the same time, ensuring the new stock machines keep the OG carts around.
same here, i grew up to the 2600 but my very first initial console i got to own was the 7800, sadly the RF unit broke and i couldnt fix it for years, now i have it composite modded and i can play all my 7800 and 2600 games all over again, but this is actually ground breaking to see :) i'll more than likely get myself one :)
I own a Nintendo NES system and see used Atari games everywhere and I have been considering one of these two systems.
I'm excited to try one of these two but I'm trying to figure out which one to get.
I'll bet seeing the release of this new 7800+ probably invoked all sorts of eurphoric childhood memories for you!
The 7800 was my first console, too. This 7800+ doesn’t appeal to me at all because it’s redundant and doesn’t look exactly like it.
@@SumDumGy
I never had an Atari and seeing the over priced systems in my area I'd take a chance on a new one so I can play the old games.
I'll be buying one. Did not get the 2600 one.
I'm pro 5200, Jaguar, Lynx.. . Bring em!
5200+!
I HATE Atari 7800+
I HATE NES Classic Edition
I HATE SNES Classic Edition
I HATE Re-Release Games
@@SumDumGy NO!
You dodged a bullet on the 2600, it's an emulator and doesn't play every cartridge.
The ROMs might work, but the carts don't all work. Beware on the 7800, might do the same thing.
We now need an Intellivision+ and ColecoVision+. My first console was an Atari Pong machine my dad brought home around 78-79. I was 4-5 years old. Our first dedicated console was somewhere around 1980 and it was the 2600. I remember going to K-Mart as a kid and waiting in line to play at the Intellivision and Colecovision displays that they always had. That was the first "console war" and we were there.
Heh. 😁 ua-cam.com/video/yx8Vsvh7EMo/v-deo.html
The 2600 was easily the most popular system back in the day. Some kids in my school had Intellivision or Colecovision consoles, and even the Texas Instruments or Atari ST computers, but I don't remembering anyone owning an Atari 7800. The 7800 launched around the same time period of the "Great Videogame Crash" and so the Sega SMS and Nintendo NES just crushed it when they came out several months afterwards.
The Atari VCS came out in 1977, long before the Atari ST, which arrived in 1985. It had long since had it's day by that time. 'Home' computers, those few that existed when the VCS was released, were also many times more expensive than the VCS, and were initially aimed at a very different market. Atari released their excellent 400 and 800 home computers in 1979, but they were hugely expensive $550 and $999 respectively. At the same time, TI released the somewhat inferior Texas TI99/4, which cost $1,150.
I think the Atari 2600 reached it's pinnacle in 1984, when Pitfall 2 released. By this time the VCS probably had it's largest user base, and it cost nothing to play a new game on this system if you could trade among friends. But it wasn't until 1988 or so when I became first acquainted with someone owning an Atari ST. IIRC, by that time the Commodore 64 and VIC 20 were also gaining popularity and the prices of the Atari and Texas instruments computers decreased substantially. Same goes for the Coleco ADAM computer. Guess there was just too much hardware during that time period for the 7800 to compete with, and the rest is history.
@@cliftonortat513Exactly, we went from the 2600 to the Commodore 64 then the 64/128. Then jumped to the Genesis (skipped the NES and Master System).
I had a TI and my dad had an Apple II c when I was a kid. I would wake up early on saturday mornings and crank up the II c to play Pool of Radiance hoping it wouldnt wake everyone up with all the noise it would make.
It lacked third party support
I like how Atari is releasing there old consoles again it give people a opportunity to play old games on new tv
Sí…fly
The irony.. Chances are if you were playing an Atari in the 80s you were playing on a new tv
Im buying the 7800+. I was an 80s kid with a 2600, but when I asked my parents for an NES in 1986, I instead received a 7800. I remember crying...but then I hooked it up and fell in love with the 7800. Great console! I so many good games. Count me in.
@@Extigy7 Joust for 7800 was so killer.
@@drmgiverdrmgiver5335 Loved 7800 Joust. Food Fight was my #1.
How many friends ya lose?
Damn I had the nes. . And fell in love with that. nes was the newest system at the time.
@@theotisduncanjr9779 Had 7800, SMS, and NES. The 7800 and SMS saw the most play.
Thank you for mentioning the 5200+! :)
You bet!
Id definitely buy one! IVE LOVED ATARI AND STILL DO!
I've been loving Atari's current string of platforms!
I grew up with the Atari with the brown Venetian Bars across it. I remember BBQs that while the parents talked, we all watched and played. The folks were all kinda chuffed about that as well, lmao.
My first Atari was the 5200.
Same here
Mine was Pong😂
I am preordering one. The 7800 was my first system, and I loved it. Pretty excited for this, personally.
🤞for an Intellivision+ ‼️
As long as they’re updated versions of the classic Intellivision games, I’ll be all over it. If it’s just 40-50 year old games on newer hardware, it’d be pointless.
🤞 for a 5200+
Jaguar+! 64-bits of 90s extreme! Except it’s not 64 bits but who cares!!! Jaguar!!!
Yes!!! i would be in. I did skip the 2600 + so I might be into this, but I have an original 2600 and 7800 hooked up so nit sure. Love they are doing new physical cart releases. Great coverage John!
I was Atari 2600 fan never got a 7800
I’m all for it! Bring it on!
Let's hope for a track ball + more 7800 carts!
Wrong. It's "cartridges"
@@thermaldetinatorsonly8857 sure
That was my first counsel. Loved it
Exactly, that’s what I noticed too. I think the 7800+ is the beginning of what they’re planning to do going forward. As usual I’m excited to see what they do. They have more up their sleeves that we don’t even know yet.
I HATE Atari 7800+
I HATE NES Classic Edition
I HATE SNES Classic Edition
I HATE Re-Release Games
i remember i got the 7800 for christmas 1988 i loved it because it played alot the 2600 games
I loved that feature too. At the time Toys-R-Us had 2609 games on the cheap. $4 if I remember right. So I was able to get a decent library of games. Things like River Raid, Combat, and Missle Command; are fun to this day.
@@jennoscura2381 those are good games i also liked jungle hunt kangaroo and cosmic ark i liked playing alot
I can’t wait to get his unit. I didn’t get around to the 2600+ but this time will be different
I HATE Atari 7800+
I HATE NES Classic Edition
I HATE SNES Classic Edition
I HATE Re-Release Games
A Colecovision+ like this would be awesome.
I believe the primary reason for the 7800+ is nostalgia for those who had the system. I was a 2600 era kid. Just bought the 2600+ and it arrived last week. Works with all but a handful of cartridges I have. We were using an old 2600jr console and it gave up the ghost. The 2600+ is epic. I think its awesome having forward and reverse compatibility as well.
Guess I need to go fire it up and play some Megamania now!
I think their primary reason struck out. If that’s what they wanted to accomplish, it would have been a better strategy to keep the 2600+ a 2600 console. I’m a 7800 guy, too, but since I already got a 2600+, they missed me entirely now with the 7800+.
I HATE Atari 7800+
I HATE NES Classic Edition
I HATE SNES Classic Edition
I HATE Re-Release Games
@@SumDumGy Hopefully Atari doesn't go out of business with the loss of your purchase. btw, your reasoning makes no sense.
@@isohaven758 What makes sense to you doesn’t matter to me on any level whatsoever.
@@SumDumGy It doesn't have to matter to you. This is a PUBLIC forum. I simply stated the obvious. You do realize the sun doesn't revolve around you, right?
Great job.
I have the 2600+ and that is what I first had back in 1978, but I’m definitely buying the 7800+ for the wireless controller capability.
Here’s a strange tidbit. Back in the early 90s, I walked into a Radio Shack. They were selling 7800 cartridges for $1.49 so I bought everything they had in the bin. I spent close to $100 at the time, but they sure have come in handy recently.
Nice score! I never saw 7800 game at Rat Shack. All mine came from Toys-R-Us. At the time they had 2600 games on the cheap. So I got a number of those too. I wish I still had my Atari carts.
@@jennoscura2381 must have been a company Radio Shack, hint, I worked there in the 80-90s, I was even a manager at the end in 95. The company stores only sold Radio Shack products. There were also franchise stores, here and there and they sold other stuff too.
The Atari 7800 being relaunched for its 40th 🎂 🥳 🎉 Birthday
OMG this makes me feel old i remember getting that 7800 the year it came out to replace my 2600.
About the 5200, the 7800 has enough pins in the cartridge slot so that you can create an adapter for the 5200 carts. But of course, then you need the firmware to detect the different format and dumo and run the correct emulator, that can be trick. I gave that suggestion to the representative of the comoany that built the plus consoles and he was really interested in the concept. So lets see.
I’d rather have a 5200+ than an adapter.
@@SumDumGy Bummer for you!
I WANT IT!
Its gonna sit next to my OG 7800 from Christmas '89!!
Super Glad I didnt finally try and find a 2600+ Refurb!
My first console was a 5200. My favorite console from Atari, however is the 7800
I'm hoping, unlike the 2600+, that the 7800+ is fully compatible with flash carts such as 7800 Game Drive & Harmony.
I love it and love the look. I only wish I had a copy of Robotron 7800 to play on it
I have Robotron for my 2600+ a great blast from the past, a d one of my favourite games, which I had to buy and ship from the US to the UK. One of my favourite games that I used to play at the arcade when I grew up in Canada.
Robotron for the 7800 actually isn't super expensive on eBay.
I have a boxed 2600, a 5200 and two 7800's in storage. I have a few hundred 2600 games and about 30 7800 games, most of them still boxed. I really need to get them out and play them again.
Get them out & play them, it will be a blast from the past!
HI Jon, thank you for the video. For me, I'm passing on the releases this round. I preordered the 2600+ day one. Getting it was a long drawn out near disaster. It came nearly two months late and while I do enjoy it, the entire situation put a bad taste in my mouth. This past "2nd" round, with the 7800 games and controllers, same thing, preordered everything day one, all three games, two 7800+ controllers and extensions etc. Items were shipped all over the place, shipped late, and some arrived damaged. One game order was cancelled and had to be ordered from a different source after waiting over a month after the game was released and most people received theirs. For me, I'm ok with the 2600+, and I own an original 7800, so ideally my bases are covered. I'm assuming those who passed on the 2600+, or for those who want the 7800 80s look will grab this. Normally I am an Atari collector and grab everything upon release, but not this time. Really im only interested in Berzerk and Frenzy this time, but I'm not preordering anything. Had they released a "5200+" that would have been different, and would have taken the chance on another preorder to get one.
I'm ready for THE SPECTRUM . just pre ordered mine.
My first video game was Pong!. I had the original Atari and that was crazy. The entire system could be ran as a very small virtual machine on any computer made after the 90's. If you have a cartridge for the original still great by this. If you have money just sitting around and this makes you happy buy this. We all need to put our feet down and and say enough is enough, this should all be free to emulate and move on.
Sam here. I’m 53. Play on !!!!
Great Explanation Jon!🤘🏻👍🏻🇺🇲
I would bet an Intellivision+ would get added under the Atari+ banner. It would be a hard sell, but a 5200+ with new CX52+ controllers would be awesome.
An Intellivision+ will be a console that will have to be FPGA just to be able to be fully compatible with homebrew carts. Modern Intellivision homebrew carts have a security circuitry implemented which prevents ROM dumping. So current Atari+ platforms based on software emulation wont work.
I will absolutely buy an intellivision plus
@@jeremiahthomas8140 As long as they’re updated versions of the classic Intellivision games, I’ll be all over it. If it’s just 40-50 year old games on newer hardware, it’d be pointless.
I’d be all over a 5200+.
@@rossydv People said the same about the 2600+ ... and yet here we are.
I also had the intellivision and the colecovision consoles. I loved all of these consoles. They each had their quirks and their pros and cons.
Is it preloaded with 7800 Games or must we have a physical copy to use it? I have Zero 7800 Games and don’t see myself trying to find old copies to use this. Good video and Thank You.
I got the 2600+ because I did not have a woodgrain 2600 (my VCS is a 2600 Junior) and I was sold on the HDMI connectivity. I have a working 7800, and the wireless controllers are not enough incentive to double-dip. A 5200+ on the other hand, I'd almost certainly get. A 5200+ with 2 cartridge slots for 5200 games and 8-bit computer games - take my money.
Its for people that want and love that look and feel.
Is it? I do but I don’t want it because it’s redundant.
@@SumDumGy Yes it is and you can stop spamming the comments telling everyone you don't want this. No one cares. Billions of people have not purchased the 2600+ so if they ever do buy something they now have choice. Get over it.
I was going to ask video similar to this. You gave me even more food for thought. Always appreciate your channel and perspective.
Great minds think alike. 🧠
I gave up on this new Atari when I bought the Atari 2600 plus and loved it. To celebrate, I bought extra controllers and paddles, direct from Atari. I added a t-shirt and what they call a sweater, just to get shipping to be free and they sent me half of my stuff, but not the other half. When I proved that to them, they shipped out the stuff that was missing, but they counted it as a separate order and charged me 12 bucks for shipping. Now remember, I ordered frivolous stuff just to get the shipping to be free. The thing they call the sweater turned out to be a long sleeve T-shirt and there is nothing I can do to get Atari to refund my $12. I was even willing to accept a $12 credit at their site. They wouldn't do that, either. Ever since? They won't respond to my emails. So yeah, I'm done with whatever company is using the Atari name now. Because they're crooks.
You realize you repeated your story twice in one comment?
I’m sorry this happened to you. How did they even charge you a second time? That isn’t legal unless you provided your card info to them again. If you did, that was a mistake.
@@SumDumGy I did not provide them my info twice. I paid through PayPal and they charged my PayPal a second time as a new order. The new order only had the items that never arrived - those items were not charged the second time. But, the full shipping charge on those items was charged. Re: My comment, is it fixed now? I got COVID for my first time Tuesday and when I wrote my comment my temperature was 104.8°, which is a pretty high fever, it's still hovering around 102. So when you told me that it kind of freaked me out and I'm so out of it with this fever and how sick I am that I'm not even sure exactly what you meant, but I tried to fix it. Let me know if it's better. I would say I feel like I'm in the middle of a fever dream, but this time I'm just in the middle of a really high fever.
I HATE Atari 7800+
I HATE NES Classic Edition
I HATE SNES Classic Edition
I HATE Re-Release Games
@@alexsandell8260 When you got the first half of the order were charged for the entire order or only the products you received?
@@SumDumGy The first half of the order I was charged for everything. They then sent out the stuff that never got here in a different order and didn't charge me, but they did charge me the $12 or $13 for shipping. Even though it was part of the same order that I had ordered enough for free shipping.
I started with Pong (Radio shack knockoff) then an Odyssey 2, then a 2600. I then got an Atari 800XL in 1984. I also had an NES as well as my 800XL. In the 90s I was using PC Clones, and I didn't go back to consoles untill the PSP and XBox 360.
Wow. I, too, started with Pong. I'll never forget that..Then it was a choice between the Atari 2600 and the Odyssey 2. The Odyssey looked so cool, so I chose it. I often wondered if I made the right choice. Unfortunately, I was never able to get the Atari after that. It was on to PC games after that. Now, there is an opportunity to close the gap.
@@Biggerbyte The Oddysey 2 was under a lot ofl litigation. M.C. Munckin was too much like PacMan and either Atari or Midway was suing them, so they had no future. Atari at least lasted into the mid 90s but by then i was using an IBM PC XT clone.
I would get the 5200 if they make a trackball
Didn't know about the 2600+, so this is cool! I'll be picking one of these up
Would be cool if Atari could support their previous product that they continue to sell and release the firmware officially for the 2600+ for all of the people who bought that already. To include, not rely on the community to solve our own problems for their incomplete products. Valid criticism.
Having a dad that was heavily into electronics (even owning a tv repair shop in the 70s) and a brother that is 7 years older than me, i grew up with the Atari 2600 and later the 7800. I broke their Intellivision when i was 3 years old by putting an ice cube into where the cartridge went. My brother still hasnt forgiven me, and i am now 42. The last Atari my dad bought for the family was the Jaguar, which he got when stores were selling them for 40 bucks. He actually bought two of them. I still have the 7800 and at least one of the Jaguars. The last console i knew about them making was the VCS.
For me, I didn’t pick up the 2600+, so this is appealing to me. I still have my original 2600 boxed, and I never had a 7800. Given the same features, I’ll pick up the 7800 form.
I’m just glad I didn’t waste my money on a new Atari VCS. 😂
This is awesome. The 7800 was my first console and I still have all the cartridges.
I think the Atari 5200 is way more relevant than the 7800. In 1982 the 5200 was billed as the successor to the 2600. It garnerd a lot of media attention. It's when Atari was still going strong. The 5200 also had a true purpose, it was meant to compete to with the Colecovision. It was fair fight too. Both had something to prove. I was there and there was a lot of buzz around the 5200. We're talking the Golden Age of video games here. Atari cared more at this moment. Kids talked about the Atari 5200 and Colecovision in schools. They were the hot new consoles.
In contrast to the lazy release of the 7800. When Atari was in the dumps. Atari actually cancelled the 7800 because of the game crash. They eventually released it because the NES was a big hit and Atari saw that video games were viable again. I don't think much love went into the 7800. It was Atari just trying to get a small piece of the Nintendo and Sega pie. Whenever anyone brought up the Atari 7800 in that time you'd get the same response. Is Atari still around? The 7800 is forgotten flop of a system that barely made a blip on the gaming radar. The 5200 has a more popular legacy. AVGN devoted an entire episode to the Atari 5200 for a reason. It's more well known for good or bad. We deserve an Atari 5200+
At first, I assumed the Atari+ platform was simply going to be used on products that, as they stated, will all work with each other - whether they be new consoles, games and controllers or classic ones - sort of an assurance to prospective buyers that the product they're interested in will work with the product they already have. That said, I would then also assume that the Atari+ branding will be limited to the 2600/2600+ and the 7800/7800+ which would effectively become its own platform separate from, say, the 400 Mini, which is not compatible with the 9-pin controllers or any of the carts they've been releasing lately. That would also mean that systems like the new handheld portable would probably not bear the "plus" logo either. Whatever the case, it's really been great to get all of these surprises from Atari lately and a blast to speculate on what might come next. Personally, I can't wait to find out!
I'm personally holding out for the 5200+, just sayin.
Considering I started with the Atari 7800 before moving on to Nintendo and Sega when the 16-bit consoles came out, it's tempting to get one of these. I passed on the 2600+, the original really held no special memories for me, I don't think I ever played one besides maybe a few of its games on a 7800.
There is someting nostalgic and relaxing about back to basics. Simple, and not worrying about weeks and weeks of a learning curve, the fanciest graphics, game cheaters. Just using your quick hand/eye dexterity.
👆 This.
5200+ all day, every day!
Very cool John! I had thought about what the + platform means.
There were 69 5200 games and 59 7800 games. So the size of the library should not be a problem. The Atari 5200 has a lot of great Arcade (Frogger, Berzerk, Joust, Centipede, Moon Patrol etc.) ports that look and play much better than the 2600 versions. I think part of the issue as to why they may not have yet released a 5200+ is that a lot of the good games on the 5200 are from CBS Electronics and Parker Brothers. Atari may not have the licensing right to use those games?
Those are the native library sizes. The main difference being the 7800 also includes the 2600 library, whereas the 5200 doesn't. I'm particularly fond of the 5200 because it shares hardware and game quality with my beloved Atari 8-bit line, but it's not backward compatible.
The license for the games shouldn’t have any impact on whether or not they produce and release a console. It’s up to us to seek out the games we want to play on it. We just need a solid, updated platform in which to do so.
@@SumDumGy WRONG! It's the main impact of any console with content. Also, these consoles don't work the way you think they work.
I'd not heard about this. I think it's fantastic. It makes sense as it's more authentic being able to play both. Also, that's fantastic with the controllers. Handheld next, maybe?
We definitely need a 5200+ that plays 5200 carts.
The issue is, that some of the 5200 games are hard to find and are expensive.
Good video we subbed 🎉🎉🎉
Awesome! Thank you!
I didn't get a 2600+ , so for me I'll pick this one up. Now we need some kind of an adapter for playing 5200 games.
We need a 5200+. That would be better.
@@SumDumGy NO!
I have a 7800 and still do. It was my third console behind an NES and a master system. I had a job in high school and all my money went to gaming consoles. Even ended up getting a neo geo aes. Anyway loved the 7800.
If Atari doesn’t want to do a 5200 plus maybe they can just make new 5200 controllers that look like the original but are self centering.
That would be something, at least.
@@SumDumGy Friggen brilliant...
You’re diplomatic, Jon. This is shovelware.
I don't agree, but I respect your opinion. Thanks for watching.
I won’t lie, I was a little upset when I saw the 7800+ announced, mostly because there is still no official patch for the 2600+ (so buttons on the 7800 games are still reversed). It would be nice for them to fully support last year’s model before they offer up a new-and-improved one.
I think you're right, John. And for me, this whole notion of the Atari + platform is exciting.
Definitely planning on getting the 7800+. And I'll probably also still get the 2600+, which I've been wanting to do since last year.
What's with all the "I missed out on buying the 2600+"??? It's available on Amazon, right now.
👌
I think you are pretty much spot on. Like you I grew up with the 2600 but I didn't pick up a 2600+ because I still have my 2600 and 7800 consoles and really didn't see the need. I have a retron77 as well in case I do want to play on HDMI. That said the modern look does appeal to me more with the 7800+. So if I were to pick up a + this would probably be it. My guess is Atari will release an updated firmware to keep the 2 consoles in sync as much as possible but who knows.
I find the RetroN77 useless and regret buying it. It never played a large number of my carts. None of my text label carts and almost none of the first party games work on it at all.
@@SumDumGy I love the retron77. You must be using it wrong.
One more group of people who this may be targeted at is Europeans. Apparently they bought more 7800s than 2600s. I hope Atari releases Intellivision and 5200 consoles. I'd buy them.
Europeans did get the superior controller with the 7800 whereas it was withheld from us.
From everything I’ve read, Atari was especially beloved in the U.K. - all the way to the end of the Atari Corp. days.
And yet Atari doesn’t ship any of their products to Europe. Go figure. 🤷♂️
@@SumDumGy Yeah and?
So, I'm 30 years old. I just got into collecting Atari systems. I do like the look of the 7800(+). I like the sleek black/metal look.
Seeing how I own a Atari Jr. and recently picked up a Atari Games Pro, plus own a Colecovision with the Atari 2600 playing module. Along with the Colecovision Flashback.
I will pick up the 7800+ eventually.
Especially because it would be nice to have a modern cartridge system, even if it just uses emulation.
The 5200 was already covered (poorly) in the 400 Mini (as was the 800, 800XL and 130XE). Do you think the A+ opens the door for a full size 8-bit console with a full keyboard that covers ALL the classic consoles, or would that be a bad business move? I personally would like a full sized 8-bit with real cartridge slots (yes, right cart included for Monkey Wrench II), a full working keyboard and an SIO port for all my peripherals. Also, with the acquisition of Intellivision, do you think we'll see a modern Intellivision controller added to the A+ line?
I forgot the 400 mini plays 5200 games.
I want a 5200+. What the 400 Mini “does” is irrelevant to me. I was excited about the company who was producing a legit updated 800XL out of Europe but I understand that got cancelled.
@@SumDumGy I also want a 5200+. I collect these because I think they're cool.
@@greenmachine5487 I get that. I ran out of room to keep collecting for that purpose.
@@SumDumGy Sure you did! Everyone knows you want the 5200+ as you posted that comment over 50 times here. You're barking up the wrong tree. The 400 Mini is irrelevant to you? Oh good, I'll make a note of that.
I have to say I love my 2600+. I still fondly remember my first experiences with the original. But what I recall more was the games. Sure, I remember the look, and the feel of switching those toggles, but my nostaligia is really seeing old school Missile Command and even Atari Pac Man on the screen. I think it's because we hadn't really gotten into consoles yet and the focus was on the games themselves. The 2600 was just the thing you needed to play that Defender game at home. By the time the 7800 came along the Console Wars had begun and people got the 7800 not to play Pole Position II, but because that console was going to offer great games now and in the future. I don't even know that I can put it into words properly, but I'll bet there are a lot of people like me who did grow up with a 2600 and maybe even feel more nostalgia playing those early 2600 titles, but who have more of an emotional reaction to the 7800 console look itself.
If they make a 5200+ they better shrink the thing big time and have sticks that would survive a nuclear blast.
A 5200+ with proper working 4 button numerical Analogue joysticks that also work on original hardware makes sooooooo much sense. It should also play the Atari 8-Bit computer lineup if Atari were to try to make this happen.
I feel like a 5200+ was a huge, missed opportunity.
The 7800+ is a reskin of the 2600+ with wireless controller support. Definitely just a mild yearly update.
I would definitely buy a 5200+. I also doubt a 5200+ would be able to play the 8 bit computer lineup, given the different sized cartridges & interfaces. Maybe at some point they could consider an XEGS+ that would play all 400/800 XL & XEGS carts?
If you’re asking who it’s for?? It’s for you nerd 🖤
It's just a variation of the 2600+ a way to get different people interested I'm actually surprised they didn't do a 5200 first but it might come eventually.
My dad bought me atari 7800 first system in 1986 so i can play 7800 he can play 2600
3:33 "cell phone ppl" I died
Like the cellphone analogy, good call.
…and with that analogy, same as the car analogy, I only buy the new when the old is on its way out and actually in need of replacing. I don’t go buy the new model the next year, every year, “just because,” to keep along side.
@@SumDumGywhile my 7800 is still running I won't be buying one. Wondering if an XEGS could be next? Another company is supposedly bringing out a full blown 800XL that works with all the original peripherals, that may tempt me...
@@jonathanwhiteside6092 From what Jon here told me (he announced that 800XL project on his channel) that has apparently been scrapped. He could no longer find any details about it and I think he told me he was pushed to take down his announcement video. I wonder if Atari made legal threats. That’s sad, if true.
I was really excited for that one and went so far as to buy about twenty games in preparation. I wanted to get a jump on it in case it drove up demand and price on the carts.
@@SumDumGy yeah, there was a lot of excitement around it then silence, shame if it's really been killed off.
@@jonathanwhiteside6092 I wasn’t aware of that excitement, just my own. Killed about $200 in games of it’s lost forever, or if Atari doesn’t make it happen themselves.
Please, someone do this!
I think it's kind of odd at how little they added over the previous console. I think it would have had more appeal if they went with the 5200 instead
I was disappointed that Pitfall 2 is not playable on Atari 2600+ and no scanline filter setting.
Pitfall 2 is working now under the beta firmware.
Don't forget Atari is going to support these Plus consoles with New Cartridges, so a bigger console base makes sense!
Yeah, they're obviously building this out into a whole eco-system. Interesting times.
@@jeromesppd1383 can you elaborate?
It’s not a bigger console base. It’s the same base with different shells, all accomdating the same games.
@@SumDumGy Getting more people interested with alternate designs is literally a bigger base. Learn when to Sssshhhhh....
Awesome. Yeah, I plan on buying one as well as a bunch of homebrew carts. There's a handful of really great homebrew games for the 7800. I'd really like to get Alien Brigade for this but the carts are ridiculously expensive. I really hope Atari re-releases that game at a reasonable price cause it's like $300 online. One of the best OG releases for this system. But yeah, I just love the look of the system, the European controller (as opposed to the joystick), and the homebrew scene for is great. Those are the reasons why I'll be buying it.
What were they thinking indeed. I’m buying one. Glad they were thinking what they were thinking.
This is interesting Jon.
I was a 2600 aficionado growing up. Then it was the Commodore 64 I never played the 7800 and didn’t know anyone who owned one, but I like where Atari is going.
They are re-releasing the 7800? Count me in! I always wanted one of those!
It’s a wait and see for me. How are you felling fam? I was so happy when I got an email from New Wave Toys asking to support you…
Thats very kind of you. Thank you. 🥰
Great video. I never got the chance to get the 2600+, but I did plan on getting one. Now, w/the 7800+ being released. I will get the 7800+ instead, because of the modern sleek look. Moreover, should have the latest firmware. Also, the wireless game pad.
How cool would it be to hang out at Jon's place on a Saturday afternoon, as long as your homework was done and were back home before the street lights came on! (his mum probably has pretty good snacks too)
Oh, living in the South? We had the best snacks!
@@GenXGrownUp Sydney. But, it's now in my bucket list!
My first was an Atari 800 with a cassette drive. My favorite game was called Getaway. Just took a while to load up.
I am looking forward to the 7800 Tazmania game from Stern. I loved it.
I'm in on this one. Passed on the 2600+. I just hooked up my composite modded 7800 to my retrotink and didn't like how it looks. Then 2 days later this dropped, so it felt right. I also think the pack in game is a great rival to SMB on NES and would have been a cool matchup if it released back then. My 1st Atari was the 5200 and I was hoping the 8bit mini was going to be my champion (it's so close!). I have lots of great controller options for the 5200 but an official Atari redo would be cool someday.
Here's an interesting bit of trivia. About 5 years before the first Atari came out there was the Commodore Vic 20. It was a computer that we could program but there was no memory and no monitor. In order to you that you would have to screw this coaxial connector to the back of your TV. If you wanted to have memory for your programs that you write, you had to get something like a cassette tape drive which I had or a floppy disk drive that a few of my friends had. It would take about 45 minutes to save a program that you wrote, even if it was a very simple program. To load the program so that you could use it it would take another 45 minutes to load.
There was a manual that came with the vic-20 that had the programs for a lot of the Atari games that came out 5 years later. Domino's games included pac-man, missile command, space invaders, and pong. The game pong was actually programmed in 1958.
One of my friends had multiple tvs. So we would all meet at his house and each of us would why are vic-20 to a tv. Then we would all write the program for a video game. And then we would play the game. When we wanted to play a different game we just traded with one of our friends. We would save the program on our floppy disk drive. However, it only took 20 minutes to write the program but 45 minutes to load the program. Loading them up from a safe.
One of my friends became a programmer at NASA.
I seriously miss the 70s.
Great memories. The VIC-20 did have 5k of memory. What it lacked (like most computers of the day) was any internal storage.
I always remember 7800 games being dirt cheap, you could even find sealed games for next to nothing, but recently it looks like 7800 games are shooting up in value
It’s interesting that that they are going for the PAL version of the Atari 7800 in terms of the colour strip/design for the 7800+. You may not be aware, but the original PAL Atari 7800 had a built in game (Asteroids 7800) - so if you booted the console without a cartridge it would automatically load Asteroids. It would have been cool if they added this feature to the 7800+