I've been waiting for someone to post a thread on the Atari 400 Mini. The only reason I hadn't done so myself if because I haven't bought on yet, but that's still in my future plans this month.
First of all, I grew up on Atari 8-bit home computers, and had an 800XL through high school. My grandfather also had one, and later upgraded to a 130XE. We purchased many games on cartridge and floppy disc, but also had an enormous collection of pirated discs from the local Atari fan club. As a time capsule of its era, the Atari 8-bits are magnificent machines, offering brilliant home translations of Golden Age arcade classics, as well as many innovative computer games that would blossom into many popular PC genres. Its hardware was extremely impressive for its time, and the 3D graphics were especially ahead of the curve. It remains my all-time favorite videogame platform, almost purely out of nostalgia, of course, but it's the home of MULE, Seven Cities of Gold, Ballblazer and countless others.
Now as to the 400 Mini. The hardware case design is very nice, a tiny replica of the original 400 home computer from 1979, which came with 16k memory and a membrane keyboard that looked pretty but was effectively useless. But there's no denying that amazing sense of futuristic '70s style. The four joystick ports (all USB) make this a very welcome addition for multiplayer games, and the ability to connect a keyboard and USB drive loaded with your own games makes this a must for any Atarian. The price is a little high, but compared to purchasing an actual 8-bit computer these days, it's a welcome bargain.
This device comes packaged with 25 software titles, and it's a very impressive list. We have the usual Atari arcade hits like Asteroids, Battlezone, Berzerk, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Millipede, and Missile Command. We also have beloved 8-bit classics like Boulder Dash, Bruce Lee, and Miner 2049er, all of which first appeared on Atari. There are some impressive deep cuts like Bristles, Elektraglide, Encounter, Henry's House, Flip and Flop. We have one of Jeff Minter's stranger games with Hover Bover, and a wonderful shoot-em-up from the Apple II called Wavy Navy. We have Basketball, upgraded from the 2600 with four-player support. We have Capture the Flag, a terrific showcase for the Atari 8-bit's 3D superpowers. And we have two of the greatest videogames of all time, Ozark Softscape's M.U.L.E. and Seven Cities of Gold.
The 400 Mini is worth the price of admission for MULE alone, especially with the ability to play four-player tournaments, which is where this game reaches videogame nirvana. I'm not kidding: this is the greatest videogame ever made, full stop, end of line. The catch is that absolutely none of you will believe that until you've played a couple of games, and then it all clicks into place. Imagine a wholly unique mashup of Monopoly with SimCity, with commodities trading and multiplayer mayhem that veers from cooly relaxed to furious fistfights. I'm serious.
The second contender, Seven Cities of Gold, is equally brilliant in its scope and imagination. It's an Age of Exploration game where you lead an exhibition to explore the New World, mapping out terrain, rowing down rivers, climbing mountains, and meeting various tribes and nations with whom you share no common language or culture. The brilliance lies in how open and free everything is. You define "success" on your own terms. Do you want to explore the continents? Do you want to build endless forts and missions? Do you want to build friendships with the native peoples, or do you want to murder them and steal their gold? It's entirely up to you, and Dani Bunten, the visionary mastermind behind Ozark Softscape, slyly critiques history by showing how the Spanish Crown may scold (or even imprison) you for committing genocide, but you'll quickly be promoted if you return with forty ships packed with gold. Money talks.
So those are my favorite things about the 400 Mini. Add in USB drive support for all Atari 8-bit software titles, and you'll find yourself with a lifetime's supply of fantastic videogames. You have the entire 400/800, XL and XE libraries, as well as the 5200 SuperSystem, Atari's notoriously failed 1982 successor to the 2600 that, nevertheless, boasts an enormously strong library of Golden Age arcade titles, several of which improve upon their home computer cousins. Now all we need are analog controllers that don't break down anytime you look cross-eyed at them.
Now here are my criticisms on the 400 Mini:
1) It's too damned expensive. You know this baby will be selling for $50 this time next year, just like the C64 Mini.
2) The pack-in joystick has received many complaints and mixed reviews from early critics, and I'm still unsure if you can just plug in a classic Wico joystick instead.
3) MULE features graphical glitches for no apparent reason, despite the fact we've been playing this on PC emulators since the turn of the century.
4) Seven Cities removes not only the wonderful animated title sequence but the ability to create new worlds to explore. Again, this has been standard on Atari 800 emulators since the Clinton Administration. No excuse for this.
Overall, I am very impressed with the 400 Mini, although the problems are irritating and making me grouchy. Whatever. I'm still going to buy this baby before my birthday arrives two weeks from now. And I highly encourage each and every one of you to do the same.
) but all the Atari home computers were bloody expensive in the U.K, so it was a 48k Spectrum I ended up with.
