I hope they make a revision to the 2600+ to add the hardware improvements of the 7800+, and I think they could have been a bit less nostalgic to include Pause Start and Select buttons on the controller, it undermines the usefulness of a wireless controller if you still have to reach to the console to pause and start the game.
In defense of the 16:9 switch I’d like to go on record to say that I like to plug these devices into an HDMI to composite adapter to play them on a crt. The adapter squishes the HDMI signal horizontally to fit the crt screen. When it’s switched to 16:9 the games display at the correct aspect ratio. I find the switch to be an essential inclusion for this reason.
Burn me at the stake, but for many 2600 games I like to fill that monitor and immerse myself in the wide world of Atari. 😂 You haven’t lived until you play Beamrider in 16:9.
The Driving controller has to be one of the most under-utilized, underrated controllers they ever made. Got one with my h6r and bought Indy 500....magnifique. I plan to get the CX78+ Wireless after it comes out for my vintage 2600s. I have a hyperkin wireless for my NES and not having wires has been great.
Good to know that the Trackball will work on this! I like all the little improvements and ease of inserting cartridges. The wireless options of course are great.
Awesome video! As a gamer born in the 1990s, I will say that I love my Atari 2600+, but since the new Atari 7800+ is out. I'm very excited for the system and most of all, I'm excited for the future of Atari. It's one of the best gaming companies ever! :) Keep On Gaming! :)
Looks very promising and with continuing improvements, I would love to buy my old 7800 back with modern improvements. I still have some of my old Atari 2600 and 7800 games in storage. Thanks for the review Jon!😎👍
Imagine the Atari 7800+ selling more units than the original 7800? Because the 7800 now has a chance to redeem itself with the Atari 7800+ and with more new games.
@d.vaughn8990 We'll see it's only starting and it now has over a hundred games making the Atari 7800 more popular than it used to be with more new games still coming.
Great review Jon,. You deserve a great praise and today's Atari too. I am still undecided about buying the 7800+ , after buying the 2600+ just a year ago. The problem is convincing my wife!! 😅
The wireless CX78+ controller and excellent pack-in game cost $65 separately, which is half the price of the 7800+ console. So if you already wanted the controller and the game anyway (like I did), the 7800+ technically only costs $65. That's how I justified it. 😂
Top notch review, Jon! You did a great job covering all of the features and changes from the 2600+. I love the things that Atari is doing. I actually think this iteration of the company is better than the original. Both you and Atari don't get enough praise.
Great video as usual 👌 the 7800 releases in the UK on the 29th Nov. Was on the fence. Now I think I will purchase. Will sit nicely besides my new Speccy.
Finally it’s out! I’m glad the Atari 7800+ is a solid throwback console, even though I already own the Atari Game Station Pro for emulated Atari 2600 and 7800 games. I might get this console once I get homebrew Atari games, because I want to play cartridge games, but I do wish GameStop starts selling 7800 games, there’s an opportunity for brand new physical games!
I’m not a gamer these days, never was obsessed. However I wish we could have a modern revision of the Bally Arcade/Videocade then later editions called Astrocade. Or something along those lines. Originally came out in late 1977 for $300. It was vastly superior to the Atari VCS. My dad bought one the moment they were available. We had a Telstar or some Sears game console previously, forget exactly which or maybe both. I was only 3 when Pong came out. That console was black & white video only with Pong & bowling built in. But this full color Bally machine was mind-blowing especially compare to to the lowly Ataris my friends had. The controllers were gun handles with a trigger but no barrels, with a knob-like full range joy stick at top that also twisted like dial. It was gameplay and graphics that set this unit apart. Built in was a calculator, Checkmate, Gunfight, and if I recall correctly a mode just for scribbling art. It took cassette-like cartridges and also had one with a port to wire into a cassette player with a computer program on an actual cassette so it actually could be used as a rudimentary computer. Anyways the actual games were fantastic for the day. Unlike Atari’s football which looked like faded out blinking blurry space invaders Bally’s actually showed a realistic(for the late 70s/early 80s) field with discernible players and decent sound effects including crowd noise. Its games from arcades were pretty much the same, not so dumbed down. Wizard of War, Galaxion(or was it Galaga?), I forget most of the titles. Some legality/licensing issues plagued the manufacturer so titles at some point in the 80s were altered and/or game cartridges incomplete or let’s say unofficial. We had 40, maybe 50 carts eventually, plus several game consoles. My dad bought 3 more when production ended and he got a great deal. It was a high-end(sh) audio-video store in a Cleveland west side suburb that got him started back in the day. I think it still exists, just moved down a block or 2 at some point. Anyone else experience a Bally?
Great video as I wait for mine. At least we know now what Bentley Bear did with all those crystals he collected. Nice video! Love to see more on 3rd party homebrew compatibility.
Ok you convinced me to upgrade. And by that, I mean by demonstrating that the driving controller works and I can once again play Indy 500, I am all in! I have incredibly fond memories of my cousin and me playing Indy 500 for hours back in the day. We wore those driving controllers out. I cant wait to call him and convince him to fly in for Christmas just to play Indy 500 again. Also, If I remember right, the paddle/driver controllers didn't work or did not work correctly back in the day on original 7800 hardware. I did not have a 7800 back then, but I seem to remember that being the case. Maybe you can look into that on a future video.
Stellar review, Jon. Can’t wait until mine arrives. Psyched to play Casey’s Gold on it soon. Another Kitchen masterpiece. Well done Atari. And, keep it up, David/Garry/Dan (Audacity)!
I've been playing a bit of Casey's Gold (just the first five levels or so), and it very well may be my favorite of the Audacity releases - and I REALLY liked Circus Convoy.
How did you get the VIP Bundle? Why couldn't they sell this to the public? I would have paid more for that. I've pre-ordered mine as soon as they announced it😢 not fair
I wish they were available to the general public, too. Don't be too sore, though - special presentation packages for press & media is a very common thing for the vast majority of products both in and out of gaming. Helps to build hype.
Well, that's like seeing your grandma bake a pie for the county fair and whining "why can't you bake one every day grandma?"😂 Making about a dozen VIP bundles is a lot different than churning out thousands for the public. That's just how manufacturing works! I'm hoping you're mostly joking, because you certainly don't sound like an "adult" GenXer!!😂
Looking forward to this one Jon! I hope you test some PAL cartridges (many of those don’t work on the 2600+) and some homebrew carts (also lots of issues on the 2600+).
I have far more nostalgia for the 2600 than for the 7800, which is why I can't bring myself to buy the 7800+ despite the incremental improvements in hardware.
I'm probably going to buy this. I have two original 7800 units but it would be nice have something new with modern wiring and controllers. I'm hoping, I'm praying that something like this is done for the 5200. Atari 5200 +......PLEASE!
Nice review. I'm happy to see Driving Controller support for Indy 500, of which you have some skills, Jon. I thought the keyboard controllers were supported in this.
I understand the keypad controls do work, but Star Raiders pad (which I always thought was internally identical) is still not right. I didn't do new tests on those myself, unfortunately, due to time constraints. On the Indy 500 front, any skills I have are thanks to a delightfully misspent youth!
It's hard to believe this is the way it was back in the day for video games. I have a series X and PS5, and I don't think I could be interested again in these old games. But thanks for the blast from the past.
Thanks for watching. There's more to it than just the game, and if you're interested, I did an editorial on this very subject: th-cam.com/video/5sL5tAfefXI/w-d-xo.html
Funny , I was just cleaning my basement and I found mine 7800, plus my Atari 2600 my Nintendo ps1,ps2,ps3. With all the games lol. Have to hook them up and try them out.
I ordered the 7800+ on the 3rd of December. Still hasn't shipped! Can't wait for it to get here! Now I just need to find a copy of Donkey Kong for the 7800.
Nice review. And having serial number 48 is pretty neat too! That paddle improvement over the 2600+ with Super Breakout is significant. I bought SB for my 2600+, but was really disappointed to find the jitter so prominent, so I don't play it. And though I do play Kaboom! on my 2600+, I saw a video on AtariAge where there is paddle jitter improvement on the 7800+ with that game as well. I'm still deciding whether to do so, but that paddle improvement moves me more toward getting a 7800+. I never had a 7800 as a kid, but nearly 40 years later, maybe it's time.
I'm in a similar boat. I never owned the 7800 during its run, but only got one (and a semi-busted one at that) much later in life. Still, I'm finding myself really liking the 7800+.
One thing I would love to see - if possible - is a redesigned CX-78 and CX-78+ joypad with Pause, Select, and Reset buttons on the controllers with the buttons mapped to their respective pins on the motherboard
Thanks Jon. This video convinced me to get the 7800+ even though I have the 2600+. On another note, will you be at CES this year? I’m going and would enjoy a retro came chat over a cup of coffee if you have the time.
@13:32 - Hey! Nice timing to nail the swirl in mid-air. That's a bonus Yar for you! There's nothing wrong with having a brief run through of Gingerbread Kong. It's good practice before playing the arcade version. I've been doing it since downloading the ROM files for the latter. Speaking of which, do you know how I can load the missing sound files and how to load them onto my Micro SD card?
@@GenXGrownUp I am referring to ROM files loaded onto a Micro SD card and plugged into the Atari GSP. I downloaded the ROM files for some arcade games. Most of them all of their respective sound features, but some are missing from Donkey Kong and I get no sound whatsoever while playing the arcade versions of either Berzerk or Frenzy. I've watched your videos on adding ROM files and you don't appear to encounter any issues regarding the sound files for any of the games I've mentioned. Any assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
@@FischerFan Ah, so you're asking about troubleshooting an entirely different device - not the 7800+. I explain how/where to place the sample files in my upgrade video: th-cam.com/video/Cn_BocjMaq4/w-d-xo.html
@@GenXGrownUp Yes, and thanks. I have referred back to that video link and presume that the MAME 0.37b5 zipped file includes the reference set and that it must be transferred to the SD card under the games directory. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Great question. For a select few 2600 games, this would be a non-starter. The "pause" button serves as a momentary color/BW switch I've read, though I've never tried it personally. I take this to mean that if you pause/unpause in Starmaster, you'd be on the Galactic Map. If the game requires a latching color/BW, then it's a no-go. Unless, of course, I've missed something.
Damn, this is so tempting. I always loved the look of the Atari 7800 and own one. Anway... another great review! The look of the Atari 7800 games was always fantastic too. It's really fun to have all these wonderful consoles & computers from our youth back with modern conveniences. I just gotta figure out where to store them all.
Now I don't know which one to get. The 2600 is the one that is more aesthetically pleasing but that new hardware is so tempting. Hopefully it will be easy to update the software (and I know where to go to learn how to do that 😁)
Here's something to know. I understand that not only with the software improvements be coming to the 2600+, but they'll be selling a kit to upgrad the hardware to match the 7800+. Of course, that's another added cost, but if it works the way I understand, it would make the two nearly identical.
Great review! I really enjoyed the trak ball video you did a while back and would love to see what options exist for getting a used (or new if any exist) trak ball that would work with the 5200+.
WHAT!! no built in Asteroids?. Sacked. Love the detail to the original. Didn't know the driver paddles was different to the tennis paddles. Maybe do a quick video on the differences? Please. UK
It would surely be nice, but of the original games, I think only Indy 500 utilizes them. So limited audience and return on the R&D investment for Atari, so maybe not likely.
Thanks, Jon. I have been very eager to see more about this. Have you tried any older cartridges yet to test compatibility? I would love this as a better alternative to playing my old 2600 carts and start a 7800 collection of cartridges as well.
Thanks, Tim. I'm limited to testing with what I have since it requires the physical media. I did a small sampling, but is there something in particular you're curious about?
@ I remeber there being a short list on the 2600+ of cartridges that were incompatible at launch. I would like to see if there is a similar list here. I would be curious how the Ram Plus games like Omega Race works. And do peripherals like the bonus handle work? I did hear you say the star raiders pad does not. I know you said you don’t have the Omega Race handle previously in a video.
Unfortunately, I don't own any PAL carts for testing, so that will have to be left up to collectors and our European friends. I've seen reports of great strides since the 2600+'s initial firmware, but nothing I can personally vouch for.
Something that drove me crazy back in the day and yes right up to present, if we step back for a moment and think how many systems came out over the years and when you got your console game library going and before you knew it, a NEW console was coming and many would purchase it with excitement and we know its all about making $$$ instead of focusing on quality games and they were already working on a new system! You had two choices! Get the newest system or continue to buy new games for the console you already had! Think about how many great games came out for the system you already had and never even began to experience because you were wrapped up in the newest system! This still happens but I believe less and less now. The point I'm making here is so many great fantastic games for the console you already owned you completely missed because we were on to the next latest and greatest system!
Yeah but you could say that for a lot of products. For video games, the improvements were coming so fast that it was impossible to avoid. And I'd rather it happened the way it did than to artificially hold back improvements
@@shawncarter7188 Yes, but when I hit colceovision I stayed until I add a awesome library still enjoy the heck out of it! Why? Because there were many good games where as my buddy just had a few and getting the next missing out on many great games.
@shawncarter7188 Nothing wrong with improvements which many times they neglected those improvements by rushing a game out thinking $$ when they could of simply improved the game. Pac vs Ms pacman for one of many. By the time they started tapping a consoles full capabilities they were already onto another system. I had no problem with making things better but many great games never got played and over looked and enjoyed by simply moving from one console to the next.
@quantumfx2677 true... consequences of a quickly advancing tech in my opinion... and. Nothing is keeping us from enjoying, appreciating, and learning from all of it. I think it was a good time and the competition gave us some good stuff.
Nice review!! Tempted to get this since I skipped the 2600+ and the 7800+ does look like a better choice between the two of them (and is more appealing to me visually). Game on all!!~ 🕹🎮✌️
Thanks for your Video here showing off your VIP 7800+ Console. For It helped me figure out what is possibly wrong with my Standard 7800+. Which seems to be the Firmware. For I just received my Standard 7800+ Console. Out of the Box is has Firmware 2.0. It seems that those who received the VIP 7800+ Consoles got theirs with Firmware 2.0.1. What's the difference? Well, 3 of my 2600 Games won't work. Pitfall 2, Smurf, and Mountain King. Which were the same Games that did not work at first on my 2600+ before the Firmware was update on that 2600+. So, for me those 3 Games do work on my Firmware Updated 2600+, but not yet on my 7800+ with the 2.0 Firmware. I am assuming this is the Issue. If so, I am Hoping they will release the Latest Firmware Update for the 7800+ to the General Public soon. Anyone else have these issues?
Hi Jon, thanks for the great review. I got my 7800+ on the weekend but the reset button broke within 30 minutes of using it!! Such a huge disappointment, thankfully, it will be easy to return with Amazon
I’m 58 and have never had a game console fail so quickly, I hope the unit I had is the only one with this problem 😢Another quirk is the pack in game, Bentley Bears Crystal Quest won’t load on my 2600 plus. The one positive thing I can say is the 7800 plus I had would load Activision carts that wouldn’t load up on my 2600 plus no matter how much I cleaned them.
@@christopherbanas7235 It's very early in the life of the 7800+ so too early to know if this kind of failure is a widespread problem or an anomalous manufacturing defect. As for BBCQ on the 2600+, if you're still on the stock firmware, you'll need to update it to at least the latest official release for compatibility with lots of newer game carts. th-cam.com/video/Q9MssXYUDqI/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for the review, waiting for my preorder, but I feel Atari could have taken this Atari+ platform further and include some SaveKey or AtariVox type of functionality. Ability to persist high scores etc. would have been a great addition. Further to this, online leaderboards would have been awesome as well, and maybe even some online events/challenges to drive player engagement. Perhaps it is something already in the plans.
Only a question. The kit you reviewed here is the normal kit or a special press kit??? I'm asking for knowing if Crystal Quest will come boxed inside or we (the non-press customers) will find it only with the nude cart inside the whole console box. Thank you for the info!
I'm not certain. I haven't yet received a retail box, so I'd only be guessing, but I have heard others mention that the BBCQ included comes with both a box and slip cover. Sorry I didn't have a definitive answer for you.
listening in the background .. so the dongle is USB and DB9? ... how does that work ... rewind ... So was the 7800 8 bit or 16 ... John Handcock said some of the same things ... what is Yamaha Sound? This might be worth a look over the 2600 .. any word on the VIP kit for anyone?
14:54 👈 It "works" but not in the way we need. From what I've read, there's a software challenge with using two different controller types simultaneously, so a joystick and a Star Raiders pad together is a no-go, and required for Star Raiders.
Another channel that missed the special options did mention the load times taking quite long. I didn't see any load times addressed here. How are they on the 7800+ versus the 2600+?
That's a good question. I didn't do any A/B testing, but I didn't notice the load times being substantially different from what I'm now accustomed to with the 2600+, so I didn't mention it.
Will this play the mega charts and new home brews ? Can you download mame and roms to it like the new vcs and 400 can ? Isnt there a new Atari 800xl coming out soon ? European company I thought was making in one ? Thanks for your content :)
Hi, thanks for watching. I'm afraid I don't know what "mega charts" are, so I can't answer there, but many homebrews (like the Audacity ones I show in the review) are working, though many bank-switching games from Champ do not yet. The Plus consoles certainly don't play any sort of MAME ROMs and are focused on playing physical cartridges. The RM800XL is apparently still on the way, but news on it is hard to come by.
Thanks … sorry I meant the Multi-Cart… like from Atarimax . I know the 5200 one wouldn’t fit but maybe there is a 2600/7800 sized one out there now ? We really need one that does both carts and rom downloads . A True “Super System” …Come on Atari you can do it ! :) I just came across the evercade and getting my Atari version today … Bounty Bob in a handheld is a long time dream come true !! Hopefully it plays well , it was probably the hardest game ever on the 5200 with that joystick . I have the Atari 50 switch version but the warp codes don’t work on that … hopefully the evercade will let you use the warp codes .
As a Gen-Xer that had a Heavy Sixer 2600, and the 4 port 5200 (and trackball controller), I never had the 7800.... but you know what? I think the 7800+ is something that NEEDS to be alongside my Atari GSP.
Ice racing on indy 500. My dad would get so tickled, he couldn't drive at all. Forever memories.
I love those types of memories. Thanks for sharing!
I hope they make a revision to the 2600+ to add the hardware improvements of the 7800+, and I think they could have been a bit less nostalgic to include Pause Start and Select buttons on the controller, it undermines the usefulness of a wireless controller if you still have to reach to the console to pause and start the game.
Atari 7800 was my first system in 1981, I was 3 years old. That thing was crazy futuristic back then I couldn’t believe my eyeballs.
In defense of the 16:9 switch I’d like to go on record to say that I like to plug these devices into an HDMI to composite adapter to play them on a crt. The adapter squishes the HDMI signal horizontally to fit the crt screen. When it’s switched to 16:9 the games display at the correct aspect ratio. I find the switch to be an essential inclusion for this reason.
Ah, I hadn't considered that use case. I wholeheartedly approve! 😜 As long as the end result is the intended aspect ratio, I'm onboard.
Yes it could be useful using old CRT screens
Burn me at the stake, but for many 2600 games I like to fill that monitor and immerse myself in the wide world of Atari. 😂 You haven’t lived until you play Beamrider in 16:9.
I wouldn't dare burn you, @@RipVanXer. Instead, you get the Giles Corey treatment for your wicked ways! 😜
@@GenXGrownUpmore stones!
The Driving controller has to be one of the most under-utilized, underrated controllers they ever made. Got one with my h6r and bought Indy 500....magnifique.
I plan to get the CX78+ Wireless after it comes out for my vintage 2600s. I have a hyperkin wireless for my NES and not having wires has been great.
Is h6r internet slang I don't know? It looks like an alternate spelling of "whore" to me, and that cant be right, can it?
Driving controller is a great bonus for 7800+, but the trackball controller works only for 2600+ or 7800 + , or both ?
Just imagine if they put out a proper 7800 version of Atari Sprint for use with the driving controller.
Good to know that the Trackball will work on this! I like all the little improvements and ease of inserting cartridges. The wireless options of course are great.
Awesome video! As a gamer born in the 1990s, I will say that I love my Atari 2600+, but since the new Atari 7800+ is out. I'm very excited for the system and most of all, I'm excited for the future of Atari. It's one of the best gaming companies ever! :) Keep On Gaming! :)
I knew I could count on your review to be the best. I cant believe they added filters. Atari has been listening! Great job, Jon!
Atari has been absolutely killing it, and I'm so glad I'm alive to see it!
Absolute amazing job on the review! I cant wait to get mine.
I appreciate you watching. I hope you get lots of joy out of you 7800+! 😁
Looks very promising and with continuing improvements, I would love to buy my old 7800 back with modern improvements. I still have some of my old Atari 2600 and 7800 games in storage. Thanks for the review Jon!😎👍
Imagine the Atari 7800+ selling more units than the original 7800? Because the 7800 now has a chance to redeem itself with the Atari 7800+ and with more new games.
So excited by this prospect, hopefully it inspires more people to jump into the game dev scene too, Atari wants to publish your games people!!
@@MylesSmith-q4y underrated post. That would be awesome
@SevenlivesDesigns I haven't forgotten the Atari 2600 it too is an All Time Legend
From what I’ve read, bitd, Atari sold 3.8 million 7800’s. So yes, it would be cool to surpass this number…but I don’t see it happening.
@d.vaughn8990 We'll see it's only starting and it now has over a hundred games making the Atari 7800 more popular than it used to be with more new games still coming.
Great review Jon,. You deserve a great praise and today's Atari too.
I am still undecided about buying the 7800+ , after buying the 2600+ just a year ago.
The problem is convincing my wife!! 😅
Its a "new system that plays 7800 titles!" 😊
@@OldGameFiction The 2600+ plays 7800 titles as well.
The wireless CX78+ controller and excellent pack-in game cost $65 separately, which is half the price of the 7800+ console. So if you already wanted the controller and the game anyway (like I did), the 7800+ technically only costs $65.
That's how I justified it. 😂
@@DavidClark-dkc Yes indeed
Top notch review, Jon! You did a great job covering all of the features and changes from the 2600+. I love the things that Atari is doing. I actually think this iteration of the company is better than the original. Both you and Atari don't get enough praise.
Great video as usual 👌 the 7800 releases in the UK on the 29th Nov. Was on the fence. Now I think I will purchase. Will sit nicely besides my new Speccy.
Hope you enjoy it!
You’ve converted me! Didn’t think I would bother with this since I own a 2600+ but I’m really digging the improved features in the 7800+.
Finally it’s out! I’m glad the Atari 7800+ is a solid throwback console, even though I already own the Atari Game Station Pro for emulated Atari 2600 and 7800 games. I might get this console once I get homebrew Atari games, because I want to play cartridge games, but I do wish GameStop starts selling 7800 games, there’s an opportunity for brand new physical games!
I’m not a gamer these days, never was obsessed. However I wish we could have a modern revision of the Bally Arcade/Videocade then later editions called Astrocade. Or something along those lines. Originally came out in late 1977 for $300. It was vastly superior to the Atari VCS. My dad bought one the moment they were available. We had a Telstar or some Sears game console previously, forget exactly which or maybe both. I was only 3 when Pong came out. That console was black & white video only with Pong & bowling built in. But this full color Bally machine was mind-blowing especially compare to to the lowly Ataris my friends had. The controllers were gun handles with a trigger but no barrels, with a knob-like full range joy stick at top that also twisted like dial. It was gameplay and graphics that set this unit apart. Built in was a calculator, Checkmate, Gunfight, and if I recall correctly a mode just for scribbling art. It took cassette-like cartridges and also had one with a port to wire into a cassette player with a computer program on an actual cassette so it actually could be used as a rudimentary computer.
Anyways the actual games were fantastic for the day. Unlike Atari’s football which looked like faded out blinking blurry space invaders Bally’s actually showed a realistic(for the late 70s/early 80s) field with discernible players and decent sound effects including crowd noise. Its games from arcades were pretty much the same, not so dumbed down. Wizard of War, Galaxion(or was it Galaga?), I forget most of the titles. Some legality/licensing issues plagued the manufacturer so titles at some point in the 80s were altered and/or game cartridges incomplete or let’s say unofficial. We had 40, maybe 50 carts eventually, plus several game consoles. My dad bought 3 more when production ended and he got a great deal. It was a high-end(sh) audio-video store in a Cleveland west side suburb that got him started back in the day. I think it still exists, just moved down a block or 2 at some point. Anyone else experience a Bally?
Great video as I wait for mine. At least we know now what Bentley Bear did with all those crystals he collected. Nice video! Love to see more on 3rd party homebrew compatibility.
Thanks. I don't own very many homebrew cartridges, so my testing on that front is a bit limited.
Desert Falcon and Xevious were my favorites. Then Food fight and Joust. The game shown reminds me of Wonder Boy. Great video!
Ok you convinced me to upgrade. And by that, I mean by demonstrating that the driving controller works and I can once again play Indy 500, I am all in! I have incredibly fond memories of my cousin and me playing Indy 500 for hours back in the day. We wore those driving controllers out. I cant wait to call him and convince him to fly in for Christmas just to play Indy 500 again. Also, If I remember right, the paddle/driver controllers didn't work or did not work correctly back in the day on original 7800 hardware. I did not have a 7800 back then, but I seem to remember that being the case. Maybe you can look into that on a future video.
This looks awesome!! Should we hold our breath for a 5200+?
I'm not holding my breath, but I am optmistic!
Stellar review, Jon. Can’t wait until mine arrives. Psyched to play Casey’s Gold on it soon. Another Kitchen masterpiece. Well done Atari. And, keep it up, David/Garry/Dan (Audacity)!
I've been playing a bit of Casey's Gold (just the first five levels or so), and it very well may be my favorite of the Audacity releases - and I REALLY liked Circus Convoy.
This is a great and honest review Jon !
1978 got my Atari played asteroids for all day now I'm 59 ❤
How did you get the VIP Bundle? Why couldn't they sell this to the public? I would have paid more for that. I've pre-ordered mine as soon as they announced it😢 not fair
I wish they were available to the general public, too. Don't be too sore, though - special presentation packages for press & media is a very common thing for the vast majority of products both in and out of gaming. Helps to build hype.
Exactly this.
Well, that's like seeing your grandma bake a pie for the county fair and whining "why can't you bake one every day grandma?"😂 Making about a dozen VIP bundles is a lot different than churning out thousands for the public. That's just how manufacturing works! I'm hoping you're mostly joking, because you certainly don't sound like an "adult" GenXer!!😂
@@squirlmy I think the takeaway should be that Atari could offer and may possibly offer a deluxe bundle edition to the public
Like the thousand dollar 2600 exclusive carts?
I own the 2600 plus and love it. Just ordered the 7800+ on a black Friday pre order deal and it includes two wireless controllers all for around $132.
Hi there!! I bet taking apart the old 2600 and the new one would be interesting to see the differences.
Looking forward to this one Jon! I hope you test some PAL cartridges (many of those don’t work on the 2600+) and some homebrew carts (also lots of issues on the 2600+).
Great job Jon and on a tight deadline to boot!
Keep it up 👊🏻😎🕹️
I have far more nostalgia for the 2600 than for the 7800, which is why I can't bring myself to buy the 7800+ despite the incremental improvements in hardware.
I have the same feelings - never having owned a 7800 until decades later. However, I liked the 7800+ much more than I expected.
Great video and I’m looking forward to getting mine soon.
I'm probably going to buy this. I have two original 7800 units but it would be nice have something new with modern wiring and controllers. I'm hoping, I'm praying that something like this is done for the 5200. Atari 5200 +......PLEASE!
I'm hoping, too!
A 5200 Plus would be awesome. BTW, can one use a wired controller with this? PS Thanks for the fun video!
Nice review. I'm happy to see Driving Controller support for Indy 500, of which you have some skills, Jon. I thought the keyboard controllers were supported in this.
I understand the keypad controls do work, but Star Raiders pad (which I always thought was internally identical) is still not right. I didn't do new tests on those myself, unfortunately, due to time constraints.
On the Indy 500 front, any skills I have are thanks to a delightfully misspent youth!
By far the best review on TH-cam! Nicely done.
That VIP box set is SWEET! Hope mine gets here soon. Thanks Jon!
This thing is awesome. I just got mine Friday. Its everything you want it to be. You would never see this type of care and delivery from Nintendo.
I’m glad you are happy with it!
Now they need 5200+
Appreciate the review and showing the new Bentley Bear gameplay. I don’t have a 2600+ so was interested in seeing this in action!
I'm glad you found it helpful!
Funny how the old stuff was spot on, not jittery. I know there’s a software to overcome but it’s a testament to how good original hardware was
It's hard to believe this is the way it was back in the day for video games. I have a series X and PS5, and I don't think I could be interested again in these old games. But thanks for the blast from the past.
Thanks for watching. There's more to it than just the game, and if you're interested, I did an editorial on this very subject: th-cam.com/video/5sL5tAfefXI/w-d-xo.html
Funny , I was just cleaning my basement and I found mine 7800, plus my Atari 2600 my Nintendo ps1,ps2,ps3. With all the games lol. Have to hook them up and try them out.
Wow, a treasure trove of gaming history!
I ordered the 7800+ on the 3rd of December. Still hasn't shipped! Can't wait for it to get here! Now I just need to find a copy of Donkey Kong for the 7800.
Wow, that 7800 DK isn't cheap these days, is it?!
@@GenXGrownUp I found it for $42 on eBay, that was the least expensive I could find.
I got loads of 7800 games
@@GenXGrownUp got my 7800+ last week and found Donkey Kong woohoo! Loving it!
Good review as always, I’m getting one for Christmas, yay!
That's awesome! Hope you enjoy it.
You had me at Super Breakout. 😀
Yeah it looks great and I say that as someone who's owned a lot of the previous poorly implemented attempts like dIrect to TV
Fantastic review! So tempted to spring for this! ❤
Nice review. And having serial number 48 is pretty neat too! That paddle improvement over the 2600+ with Super Breakout is significant. I bought SB for my 2600+, but was really disappointed to find the jitter so prominent, so I don't play it. And though I do play Kaboom! on my 2600+, I saw a video on AtariAge where there is paddle jitter improvement on the 7800+ with that game as well.
I'm still deciding whether to do so, but that paddle improvement moves me more toward getting a 7800+. I never had a 7800 as a kid, but nearly 40 years later, maybe it's time.
I'm in a similar boat. I never owned the 7800 during its run, but only got one (and a semi-busted one at that) much later in life. Still, I'm finding myself really liking the 7800+.
I wonder if the controller will work on the ATARI VCS 2021 computer
Great job on this. I hesitated on the 2600 but this is convincing me to pull the trigger.
If you move ahead with it, I hope you get lots of enjoyment!
Did they upgrade the graphics.?
I mean just enough where the carts..look arcade worthy?
The Atari Plus consoles don't contain any games and don't modify the integrity of the original software run from physical cartridges.
Thanks for the video Jon ! ,You were doing good on Crystal Bentley Bear, its not an easy game
Am I? Thanks! This was the first time I'd played it and I quite liked what i saw.
Great review. Answered all my big questions!
I'm glad I could help!
One thing I would love to see - if possible - is a redesigned CX-78 and CX-78+ joypad with Pause, Select, and Reset buttons on the controllers with the buttons mapped to their respective pins on the motherboard
Interesting idea.
If only there was a way for the 7800+ to play Rikki & Vikki...still very excited for this console release, :)
Effort, care and all of the above.
Thanks Jon. This video convinced me to get the 7800+ even though I have the 2600+. On another note, will you be at CES this year? I’m going and would enjoy a retro came chat over a cup of coffee if you have the time.
I'm happy the review helped you make a buying decision. 😀
I will be at CES this year hanging out at the My Arcade booth.
@ Well if you have time the coffee is on me just to talk retro gaming with you. I enjoy your content.
Very cool, already ordered mine, cheap system to collect for.
I hope you get lots of enjoyment from it!
@13:32 - Hey! Nice timing to nail the swirl in mid-air. That's a bonus Yar for you!
There's nothing wrong with having a brief run through of Gingerbread Kong. It's good practice before playing the arcade version. I've been doing it since downloading the ROM files for the latter.
Speaking of which, do you know how I can load the missing sound files and how to load them onto my Micro SD card?
Yay, bonus Yar! 😁
Missing sound files on SD? Afraid I don't follow you since the Plus consoles don't support loading from an SD card.
@@GenXGrownUp I am referring to ROM files loaded onto a Micro SD card and plugged into the Atari GSP.
I downloaded the ROM files for some arcade games. Most of them all of their respective sound features, but some are missing from Donkey Kong and I get no sound whatsoever while playing the arcade versions of either Berzerk or Frenzy.
I've watched your videos on adding ROM files and you don't appear to encounter any issues regarding the sound files for any of the games I've mentioned.
Any assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
@@FischerFan Ah, so you're asking about troubleshooting an entirely different device - not the 7800+. I explain how/where to place the sample files in my upgrade video: th-cam.com/video/Cn_BocjMaq4/w-d-xo.html
@@GenXGrownUp Yes, and thanks. I have referred back to that video link and presume that the MAME 0.37b5 zipped file includes the reference set and that it must be transferred to the SD card under the games directory.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.
i never knew about this. it looks beautiful. and comes with the controller i love
How are Atari 2600 Difficulty switches and other controls like the black/white switch used by games like Starmaster for the map handled?
Great question. For a select few 2600 games, this would be a non-starter. The "pause" button serves as a momentary color/BW switch I've read, though I've never tried it personally. I take this to mean that if you pause/unpause in Starmaster, you'd be on the Galactic Map. If the game requires a latching color/BW, then it's a no-go. Unless, of course, I've missed something.
@@GenXGrownUp thanks!
It looks great. The fact that they fixed the paddle control is a big improvement. Thanks for the review:)
Thank you for watching.
Damn, this is so tempting. I always loved the look of the Atari 7800 and own one. Anway... another great review! The look of the Atari 7800 games was always fantastic too. It's really fun to have all these wonderful consoles & computers from our youth back with modern conveniences. I just gotta figure out where to store them all.
Ah, modern problems! 😁 Thank you for watching.
Now I don't know which one to get. The 2600 is the one that is more aesthetically pleasing but that new hardware is so tempting. Hopefully it will be easy to update the software (and I know where to go to learn how to do that 😁)
Here's something to know. I understand that not only with the software improvements be coming to the 2600+, but they'll be selling a kit to upgrad the hardware to match the 7800+. Of course, that's another added cost, but if it works the way I understand, it would make the two nearly identical.
The review we have been waiting for.
Thanks for watching. I hope you saw what you needed to see. 😉
Great review! I really enjoyed the trak ball video you did a while back and would love to see what options exist for getting a used (or new if any exist) trak ball that would work with the 5200+.
7:40 wait wait your going so fast!!! Does it had that new game smell, that new cartridge smell??
WHAT!! no built in Asteroids?. Sacked. Love the detail to the original. Didn't know the driver paddles was different to the tennis paddles. Maybe do a quick video on the differences? Please. UK
Wonder if atari will ever make new driving paddles
It would surely be nice, but of the original games, I think only Indy 500 utilizes them. So limited audience and return on the R&D investment for Atari, so maybe not likely.
They need to make CX78 paddles like Video61 did!
I had no idea they even existed until today... I had night driver with paddles and figured those were the "driving controllers"
Thanks, Jon. I have been very eager to see more about this. Have you tried any older cartridges yet to test compatibility? I would love this as a better alternative to playing my old 2600 carts and start a 7800 collection of cartridges as well.
Thanks, Tim. I'm limited to testing with what I have since it requires the physical media. I did a small sampling, but is there something in particular you're curious about?
@ I remeber there being a short list on the 2600+ of cartridges that were incompatible at launch. I would like to see if there is a similar list here. I would be curious how the Ram Plus games like Omega Race works. And do peripherals like the bonus handle work? I did hear you say the star raiders pad does not. I know you said you don’t have the Omega Race handle previously in a video.
We all know they share the same sound card but it still makes me giggle a bit how dig dug sounds identical on the 2600 and 7800.
Yeah, right? Weird how the same sounds can feel so much different with slightly improved visuals.
Any Idea when the new controllers for the game station pro are coming out?
I can verify that they have, at the very least, been delayed.
I ordered one. I hope the review is good!
Really like the look of this but not sure how compatible it will be with PAL carts, do you have any info on this Jon?
Unfortunately, I don't own any PAL carts for testing, so that will have to be left up to collectors and our European friends. I've seen reports of great strides since the 2600+'s initial firmware, but nothing I can personally vouch for.
Something that drove me crazy back in the day and yes right up to present, if we step back for a moment and think how many systems came out over the years and when you got your console game library going and before you knew it, a NEW console was coming and many would purchase it with excitement and we know its all about making $$$ instead of focusing on quality games and they were already working on a new system! You had two choices! Get the newest system or continue to buy new games for the console you already had! Think about how many great games came out for the system you already had and never even began to experience because you were wrapped up in the newest system! This still happens but I believe less and less now. The point I'm making here is so many great fantastic games for the console you already owned you completely missed because we were on to the next latest and greatest system!
Yeah but you could say that for a lot of products. For video games, the improvements were coming so fast that it was impossible to avoid. And I'd rather it happened the way it did than to artificially hold back improvements
@@shawncarter7188 Yes, but when I hit colceovision I stayed until I add a awesome library still enjoy the heck out of it! Why? Because there were many good games where as my buddy just had a few and getting the next missing out on many great games.
Is it?
@shawncarter7188 Nothing wrong with improvements which many times they neglected those improvements by rushing a game out thinking $$ when they could of simply improved the game. Pac vs Ms pacman for one of many. By the time they started tapping a consoles full capabilities they were already onto another system. I had no problem with making things better but many great games never got played and over looked and enjoyed by simply moving from one console to the next.
@quantumfx2677 true... consequences of a quickly advancing tech in my opinion... and. Nothing is keeping us from enjoying, appreciating, and learning from all of it. I think it was a good time and the competition gave us some good stuff.
How does the switches work for some 2600 games? I bought a 7800 plus and it would be a bummer if the 2600 switches would work in the 7800.
You can see the difficulty switches at 3:34, and the PAUSE button on the 7800 acts as a TV TYPE switch.
Is the Atari 7800+ compatible with the game drive, dragonfly carts which allow homebrew on sd cards?
As with the 2600+, the 7800+ can use a Harmony (or similar) cart, but typically only in single-ROM mode.
Nice review!! Tempted to get this since I skipped the 2600+ and the 7800+ does look like a better choice between the two of them (and is more appealing to me visually).
Game on all!!~ 🕹🎮✌️
Thank you for watching! 😁
Thanks for your Video here showing off your VIP 7800+ Console. For It helped me figure out what is possibly wrong with my Standard 7800+. Which seems to be the Firmware.
For I just received my Standard 7800+ Console. Out of the Box is has Firmware 2.0. It seems that those who received the VIP 7800+ Consoles got theirs with Firmware 2.0.1.
What's the difference? Well, 3 of my 2600 Games won't work. Pitfall 2, Smurf, and Mountain King. Which were the same Games that did not work at first on my 2600+ before the Firmware was update on that 2600+. So, for me those 3 Games do work on my Firmware Updated 2600+, but not yet on my 7800+ with the 2.0 Firmware. I am assuming this is the Issue.
If so, I am Hoping they will release the Latest Firmware Update for the 7800+ to the General Public soon.
Anyone else have these issues?
I just got my 7800+ and none of the homebrews from Champ games work. Atari is wrong for sending out a lesser firmware for the customers!
Do the tigervision games work in it?
Does the Bentley's that come as the pack in game have the full box, or is it just the cartridge?
I don't know for sure, Joe. I think it includes a box, but I haven't yet received a retail package, so I'm uncertain.
The multi game cart that came with the 2600+ was in a cart sleeve. Maybe the same?
Will the 5200 game cartridges fit with the 7800 plus?
Nope.
Great review Jon and hopefully these improvements will be included in the next 2600+ firmware update :-) Keep up the awesome work!
Hi Jon, thanks for the great review. I got my 7800+ on the weekend but the reset button broke within 30 minutes of using it!! Such a huge disappointment, thankfully, it will be easy to return with Amazon
Oh, no! Gotta stop manhandling your gadgets. 😉 Sorry to hear, and I hope for a quick Amazon replacement for you.
I’m 58 and have never had a game console fail so quickly, I hope the unit I had is the only one with this problem 😢Another quirk is the pack in game, Bentley Bears Crystal Quest won’t load on my 2600 plus. The one positive thing I can say is the 7800 plus I had would load Activision carts that wouldn’t load up on my 2600 plus no matter how much I cleaned them.
@@christopherbanas7235 It's very early in the life of the 7800+ so too early to know if this kind of failure is a widespread problem or an anomalous manufacturing defect. As for BBCQ on the 2600+, if you're still on the stock firmware, you'll need to update it to at least the latest official release for compatibility with lots of newer game carts. th-cam.com/video/Q9MssXYUDqI/w-d-xo.html
13:14 was all I needed. ✌️
Thanks for the review, waiting for my preorder, but I feel Atari could have taken this Atari+ platform further and include some SaveKey or AtariVox type of functionality. Ability to persist high scores etc. would have been a great addition. Further to this, online leaderboards would have been awesome as well, and maybe even some online events/challenges to drive player engagement. Perhaps it is something already in the plans.
Another great video but where is the gamestation go
😶
Does it play any of the Champ game Homebrews or do you know if they plan to offer firmware to allow it to do so?
I mention my Champ Zookeeper in the review. No bank-switching with Champ yet.
What about the 5200 ? That was my first console. Great times for sure. Still love it.
What about the 5200?
You think Atari will do a 5200 console next year?
Only a question. The kit you reviewed here is the normal kit or a special press kit??? I'm asking for knowing if Crystal Quest will come boxed inside or we (the non-press customers) will find it only with the nude cart inside the whole console box. Thank you for the info!
I'm not certain. I haven't yet received a retail box, so I'd only be guessing, but I have heard others mention that the BBCQ included comes with both a box and slip cover. Sorry I didn't have a definitive answer for you.
We need the 5200+ now to complete it
Agree!
Indeed 👍
Very informative! I've learned alot. Thanks for the review
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed the review.
If we had enough homebrews that alternately used the driving controllers maybe it would be worth them re-issuing them!
I finally pulled the trigger on a 400 mini-25% off right now at Atari.
listening in the background .. so the dongle is USB and DB9? ... how does that work ... rewind ... So was the 7800 8 bit or 16 ... John Handcock said some of the same things ... what is Yamaha Sound? This might be worth a look over the 2600 .. any word on the VIP kit for anyone?
Does the Star Raiders touch pad work with the 7800+?
14:54 👈 It "works" but not in the way we need. From what I've read, there's a software challenge with using two different controller types simultaneously, so a joystick and a Star Raiders pad together is a no-go, and required for Star Raiders.
Hey Jon , will the atari harmony cartridge work with this console?
I didn't re-test with the 7800+, but with the 2600+ it would work but only in single-ROM mode.
Another channel that missed the special options did mention the load times taking quite long. I didn't see any load times addressed here. How are they on the 7800+ versus the 2600+?
That's a good question. I didn't do any A/B testing, but I didn't notice the load times being substantially different from what I'm now accustomed to with the 2600+, so I didn't mention it.
Will this play the mega charts and new home brews ? Can you download mame and roms to it like the new vcs and 400 can ? Isnt there a new Atari 800xl coming out soon ? European company I thought was making in one ? Thanks for your content :)
Hi, thanks for watching. I'm afraid I don't know what "mega charts" are, so I can't answer there, but many homebrews (like the Audacity ones I show in the review) are working, though many bank-switching games from Champ do not yet.
The Plus consoles certainly don't play any sort of MAME ROMs and are focused on playing physical cartridges. The RM800XL is apparently still on the way, but news on it is hard to come by.
Thanks … sorry I meant the Multi-Cart… like from Atarimax . I know the 5200 one wouldn’t fit but maybe there is a 2600/7800 sized one out there now ?
We really need one that does both carts and rom downloads . A True “Super System” …Come on Atari you can do it ! :)
I just came across the evercade and getting my Atari version today … Bounty Bob in a handheld is a long time dream come true !! Hopefully it plays well , it was probably the hardest game ever on the 5200 with that joystick . I have the Atari 50 switch version but the warp codes don’t work on that … hopefully the evercade will let you use the warp codes .
Does it run Tower Toppler properly? It gets stuck in a loop on the 2600+.
As a Gen-Xer that had a Heavy Sixer 2600, and the 4 port 5200 (and trackball controller), I never had the 7800.... but you know what? I think the 7800+ is something that NEEDS to be alongside my Atari GSP.
As a GenX, I petition to rename the 5200 to Atari GenX. Always forgotten and skipped over and ignored.