Atari, now owned by Infogrames, has decided to release a version of the venerable Atari 2600 console with joysticks that look and apparently play exactly like the original. This new console looks like a scaled-down version of the original one, but doesn’t need a cartridge slot, because today, only a small chip is needed to store multiple games in the little box. And it does! 40 games, including Pitfall, Centipeded, Asteroids, and Missile Command.
I’m thrilled. Now I don’t have to go looking for a real one from eBay that I have to buy tons of cartrdiges for, and this one comes brand new for about $30. Sure, you could get MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) for your PC and play lots of games, but the legality of that is definitely up in the air, and plus, this console gives you the full feel of the original, *and* it plugs into your TV just like in the old days.