So, I have an actual old-school Amiga 500, but literally zero games for it. There are a couple systems that I have games, but no system for, such as the Virtual Boy and the Lynx, but the Amiga is the only example of the opposite direction, of a system I have no games for. Either way, I can't play any of them!
This Amiga mini will be huge for me, as it will be a way to finally play the system. I've watched multiple Amiga game long plays , listened to a lot of music (and featured several tracks on the podcast), seen a ton of screenshots, and even studied the hardware superficially, and of course, thanks to my A500, even held one in my hands....but I don't think I've ever actually PLAYED one!
This will rectify that!
Plus, it'll go great with my somewhat modest, but decent collection of "minis": NES, SNES, Genesis (remember, I'm stateside, where Amiga was a lot less common), TurboGrafx16, and Commodore 64...
I'm gonna take a "wait and see...but hope" approach to Amico. Same with the VCS - which is really interesting, isn't it... to be discussing an Intellivision vs. Atari situation in 2020 with upcoming NEW devices, by the way.
Now, there is most certainly some very healthy skepticism to be had as to whether either device will be successful in the long run, and even a sizeable dollop of doubt on top of that over whether the VCS will even see the light of day to begin with (that Amico will at least see retail existence is pretty sure).
Still, as a "to-this-day" owner of both devices' original late 70's parallels, plus a fondness of Tommy Tallarico and EWJ, an excitement for the retro back catalog of both system's older analogues at the ready on modern TVs, and the prospect of having the VCS double as a modest but viable back bedroom Linux PC, I do hope they both see release, and I do hope to eventually own them both.
And at that point, as one with vested interest, I would most certainly hope that both not only find success, but even exceed our wildest, farthest flung hopes and dreams and expectations. If I do end up with them, I will make sure to take pictures with their ancestor consoles by their sides. Of course, for the sake of the old badges and the legacies behind them, I'd hope they succeed regardless of whether or not I own them..assuming they both even see the light of day....well, the one, anyway.
Smart enough to be skeptical. Observant enough to remain quizical. Sentimental enough to be excited anyway.
Unless the thing is just some preposturously offensive mix of outrageously expensive, outrageously underpowered, or just completely non-supported, then this old Atari kid will certainly deem it worth taking the risk to jump on board.....as well as rearranging a shelf that already contains Switch, WiiU, PS4, XB1, a stereo, an HDMI selector box, a cable box, a PC (off to the side) and a swath of Amiibo to make room for it! If Atari is gonna have any kind of "rebirth" whatsoever, then I'm gonna be there for it!
Now, a lot of assumptions are being made that the "current" games will be Android games and that this will be one part retro box / one part Microconsole. Indeed, that is FAR more likely than a full-on console to take on Sony, MS, and Nintendo directly - and a lot less risky......but at this point, I don't think that's actually been confirmed, and indeed, rumors have still circulated that this is gonna be [quote unquote] "the real thing", going straight for the jugular (or at least the "jaguarlar") of the big names.
I'm torn right down the middle on whether I hope the more ambitious rumors are true or false.
If false, and it's just an Android box, then the thing should be cheap enough and populist enough that it should be able to find a niche in the market and stay there. If this is true, odds of at least modest success long term are relatively high, and certainly very high in the short term.....but then all talk of Atari's "glorious comeback" are rendered awfully specious if all the more the thing is is an "Atari Classic mini" with a built-in OUYA. This the road I think they are far more likely taking, and the road the realist in me thinks they should - and kinda hopes they do.
If on the other hand, the rumors are true, and this is a genuine PS/XB competitor directly, then realistically, what chance does it have? It'll be too expensive for the casual nostalgic, and where will the software support come from? But then again, if it is [quote unquote] the real thing, then regardless of whether it succeeds, succeeds modestly, fails, or fails spectacularly, in any case it'll be the true "2nd coming of Atari" either way.....and should it find any success in the market at all?......oh, baby! Glorious! The King is back! This is the direction my inner hopeless romantic and irrepressible idealist very very much hopes they take, though realistically it's almost definitely be a death wish if they do.
Perhaps the best way to put how I feel about the upper end rumors is this: If they are false, and this is an Androidbox, I'll be simultaneously relieved and disappointed. If they are true, and this is a "real" console, then I'll be simultaneously VERY excited....and very apprehensive.
But until we have something concrete one way or the other, I'm regarding them both as possibilities. Going just by the renders, with the size of the Ethernet jack in the back it appears to be roughly the size of an original Atari 2600/VCS, or maybe more like the Atari2600jr. And if that's the case, then that's just the perfectly ambiguous size - big enough to possibly be a "real" console, but small enough that it could also be an oversized "micro console". So I can't tell just by looking at the renders.
What I can tell, though? The thing is gorgeous! A nearly perfect mix of retro and neo design, and a very fitting, tasteful homage to the original.
Anyway, Android box or "real" console, the odds of my getting it are very nearly 100%....much higher than its actual chances of success you might say!!!
Comments 4
Re: Review: A500 Mini - A Refreshing Alternative To The NES And SNES Classic Editions
I'm buying this thing the first chance I get!
So, I have an actual old-school Amiga 500, but literally zero games for it. There are a couple systems that I have games, but no system for, such as the Virtual Boy and the Lynx, but the Amiga is the only example of the opposite direction, of a system I have no games for. Either way, I can't play any of them!
This Amiga mini will be huge for me, as it will be a way to finally play the system. I've watched multiple Amiga game long plays , listened to a lot of music (and featured several tracks on the podcast), seen a ton of screenshots, and even studied the hardware superficially, and of course, thanks to my A500, even held one in my hands....but I don't think I've ever actually PLAYED one!
This will rectify that!
Plus, it'll go great with my somewhat modest, but decent collection of "minis": NES, SNES, Genesis (remember, I'm stateside, where Amiga was a lot less common), TurboGrafx16, and Commodore 64...
....so, lemme at it!
Re: New Game Footage Suggests The Intellivision Amico Will Struggle To Pull Families Away From Switch
I'm gonna take a "wait and see...but hope" approach to Amico. Same with the VCS - which is really interesting, isn't it... to be discussing an Intellivision vs. Atari situation in 2020 with upcoming NEW devices, by the way.
Now, there is most certainly some very healthy skepticism to be had as to whether either device will be successful in the long run, and even a sizeable dollop of doubt on top of that over whether the VCS will even see the light of day to begin with (that Amico will at least see retail existence is pretty sure).
Still, as a "to-this-day" owner of both devices' original late 70's parallels, plus a fondness of Tommy Tallarico and EWJ, an excitement for the retro back catalog of both system's older analogues at the ready on modern TVs, and the prospect of having the VCS double as a modest but viable back bedroom Linux PC, I do hope they both see release, and I do hope to eventually own them both.
And at that point, as one with vested interest, I would most certainly hope that both not only find success, but even exceed our wildest, farthest flung hopes and dreams and expectations. If I do end up with them, I will make sure to take pictures with their ancestor consoles by their sides. Of course, for the sake of the old badges and the legacies behind them, I'd hope they succeed regardless of whether or not I own them..assuming they both even see the light of day....well, the one, anyway.
Cheers!
Re: Legendary Cover Artist Bob Wakelin Passes Away
Very sad to hear. RIP, Bob.
Re: Atari's New Console Seems To Be Part NES Classic Mini, Part Ouya
Smart enough to be skeptical. Observant enough to remain quizical. Sentimental enough to be excited anyway.
Unless the thing is just some preposturously offensive mix of outrageously expensive, outrageously underpowered, or just completely non-supported, then this old Atari kid will certainly deem it worth taking the risk to jump on board.....as well as rearranging a shelf that already contains Switch, WiiU, PS4, XB1, a stereo, an HDMI selector box, a cable box, a PC (off to the side) and a swath of Amiibo to make room for it! If Atari is gonna have any kind of "rebirth" whatsoever, then I'm gonna be there for it!
Now, a lot of assumptions are being made that the "current" games will be Android games and that this will be one part retro box / one part Microconsole. Indeed, that is FAR more likely than a full-on console to take on Sony, MS, and Nintendo directly - and a lot less risky......but at this point, I don't think that's actually been confirmed, and indeed, rumors have still circulated that this is gonna be [quote unquote] "the real thing", going straight for the jugular (or at least the "jaguarlar") of the big names.
I'm torn right down the middle on whether I hope the more ambitious rumors are true or false.
If false, and it's just an Android box, then the thing should be cheap enough and populist enough that it should be able to find a niche in the market and stay there. If this is true, odds of at least modest success long term are relatively high, and certainly very high in the short term.....but then all talk of Atari's "glorious comeback" are rendered awfully specious if all the more the thing is is an "Atari Classic mini" with a built-in OUYA. This the road I think they are far more likely taking, and the road the realist in me thinks they should - and kinda hopes they do.
If on the other hand, the rumors are true, and this is a genuine PS/XB competitor directly, then realistically, what chance does it have? It'll be too expensive for the casual nostalgic, and where will the software support come from? But then again, if it is [quote unquote] the real thing, then regardless of whether it succeeds, succeeds modestly, fails, or fails spectacularly, in any case it'll be the true "2nd coming of Atari" either way.....and should it find any success in the market at all?......oh, baby! Glorious! The King is back! This is the direction my inner hopeless romantic and irrepressible idealist very very much hopes they take, though realistically it's almost definitely be a death wish if they do.
Perhaps the best way to put how I feel about the upper end rumors is this: If they are false, and this is an Androidbox, I'll be simultaneously relieved and disappointed. If they are true, and this is a "real" console, then I'll be simultaneously VERY excited....and very apprehensive.
But until we have something concrete one way or the other, I'm regarding them both as possibilities. Going just by the renders, with the size of the Ethernet jack in the back it appears to be roughly the size of an original Atari 2600/VCS, or maybe more like the Atari2600jr. And if that's the case, then that's just the perfectly ambiguous size - big enough to possibly be a "real" console, but small enough that it could also be an oversized "micro console". So I can't tell just by looking at the renders.
What I can tell, though? The thing is gorgeous! A nearly perfect mix of retro and neo design, and a very fitting, tasteful homage to the original.
Anyway, Android box or "real" console, the odds of my getting it are very nearly 100%....much higher than its actual chances of success you might say!!!
Cheers!