Atari 2600+ review – a perfect 1970s pop cultural relic

This painstaking reproduction of one of the earliest and most beloved games consoles is light on games, but heavy on nostalgic kick

The Atari 2600 is, for a certain generation of gamers, the most nostalgia-igniting console ever made. From its wood veneer fascia to its chunky carts and the legendary CX40 joystick, the machine evokes the very dawn of the games industry, before Sony, Microsoft or even Nintendo arrived to dominate it all. Even for those of us never fortunate enough to own one, the image of it was everywhere, from Grattan catalogues and comic book adverts, to TV programmes and movies such as ET, Electric Dreams and Gremlins. It was a machine that brought seminal arcade experiences to 30m homes around the world.

Now it is back as the 2600+, in a mini format, with HDMI connectivity for modern TVs and a cartridge slot that will play not just newly manufactured carts, but most of the original 2600 and later 7800 titles. Perhaps even more than the mini consoles from Sega, Sony and Nintendo, it captures the technical and aesthetic features of the original machine. As well as two joystick ports (which allow you to plug in the original pads, if you have any that still work), the console has switches to select game difficulty, as well as reset and choose game modes, and you can opt between colour and black and white graphics - all features from the original 2600 models. You even get a reproduction of that wooden front panel. Fans of the original will get a rush of memories with every flick of the power switch and jab at the fire button.