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The Atari 400 Mini only released back in March, but it’s already down to a great new record-low ahead of this year’s 4th of July sales. Yes, I know some of you are still waiting for the Dreamcast Mini, and not every player will feel the same level of nostalgia for the microcomputer tribute. However, as someone who messes around with retro consoles both old and new for a living, I can assure you that picking it up at its current price is well worthwhile, especially if you want to play classic capers you missed.
Alright, here’s the skinny – if you head to Amazon right now, you can grab THE400 Mini for $102 (was $119). It’s still a pricey plug-and-play retro console, and I’m sure some of you would rather splash that kind of cash on one of the best gaming handhelds. That said, I know for a fact there is a group of you out there who love collecting dinky replicas of systems, and the fact you can use this one to play your own Atari ROMs and 25 built-in adventures justifies its higher price. Plus, the current 15% off deal is the cheapest price I’ve spotted all year, meaning it’s an opportune time to pick one up.
If you’ve already read my THE400 Mini review, you’ll know that it’s now my favorite way to play Atari microcomputer games. I’m saying that as someone who has an original 600XL and a whole bunch of original cartridges, as being able to easily launch into a library of 8-bit romps at 720p using a modern gaming TV is a perk I can’t ignore. It admittedly comes with the caveat of having to back up your existing collection if you have one since it lacks a cartridge slot like the Atari 2600+. Nevertheless, other boons like save and rewind features make the effort all worthwhile, particularly if there’s an old game you could never finish back in the day (damn you, Mountain King!)
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Should you buy Atari 400 Mini?
In a way, the Atari 400 Mini is a bit of a hard sell. Not only are there plenty of ways to emulate old microcomputer games, be it using your PC, phone, or even a handheld like the Anbernic RG35XX Plus, but the publisher has plenty of new official ways to access its old library. Just yesterday, Blaze announced that a new Atari woodgrain edition of the fabulous Super Pocket is en route, and Amazon is full of plug-and-play systems that’ll serve up 2600 games.
That said, all of those options tend to skip on Atari microcomputer games, which is something THE400 Mini fully dedicates itself to. The fact it looks almost exactly like a tiny version of the ‘80s system is glorious in itself, but it also boasts accuracy when running its built-in games and external ROMs. Another ace it has up its beige sleeve is the fact it also supports Atari 5600 games, and that’ll appeal to any of you who never got to mess with that particular ugly duckling (plus, using an original in 2024 is a pain.)
The company behind THE400 Mini, Retro Games Ltd, is one of the only manufacturers keeping the mini console scene alive, and if you’re struggling to expand your collection past the NES Classic Edition and Sega Genesis Mini, I’d say picking up this adorable Atari is a no brainer. Video game preservation is a personal passion of mine, so the idea of a bunch of you picking this up and playing old games with your family on the 4th of July genuinely brings me joy.
Looking for more holiday savings? Swing by our 4th of July TV sales and 4th of July laptop deals roundups for lots of nifty bargains. If you’d prefer to wait for Amazon’s event, check out Prime Day Steam Deck deals and Prime Day Asus ROG Ally deals for the low-down on upcoming handheld offers.
