Atari Arcade: Old School Gaming Meets Modern-Day Tech
I’m sure that by now you’ve probably heard how mobile devices, for better or for worse, are the preferred gaming console of consumers worldwide; it’s not so much that the “gaming experience” is better on your iPhone, iPad or Android handset–it’s just that we always have them with us, making casual gaming and impulse purchases that much more accessible. With the video game industry still in a state of flux, many publishers and developers are fighting this move to mobile gaming tooth and nail–while others, like Atari, are embracing this new trend. But Atari also knew that simply porting their existing library to modern devices might not be enough to capture the attention of today’s more savvy consumer; so they partnered with the folks at Discovery Bay Games to create a piece of retro hardware to give new life to older classics–and thus, the Atari Arcade Duo-Powered Joystick was born…
Sure, playing traditional games on your iPad is fun, and being able to configure “virtual” controls on your screen is nice; but for true old school gamers, nothing takes the place of a joystick. Or buttons. Delightfully clicky buttons. The Atari Arcade acts as a docking base for your original iPad or iPad 2 that features the simple joystick and buttons that we’ve all been missing while playing our favorite classics. Its design is relatively simple, with its stark white plastic build that holds a comfortable (and durable) joystick on the left of the unit with 4 perfectly sized buttons on the right, with just the right amount of travel; and while some have questioned its quality, clearly those questioning the choice of materials have never actually used the Arcade. This thing is solid–so solid, in fact, that it’s stood up to numerous gaming sessions over several weeks, without so much as a hiccup.
The Arcade uses a pressure system to keep your iPad in place that is controlled by 2 small sliders on either side of the unit, and Apple’s proprietary 30 pin connector makes the physical connection between base and tablet. The latter is actually key to the Joystick’s performance. While some external controllers for iPads use a bluetooth connection to transfer information, some wireless connections can cause lag–something that can greatly inhibit gaming performance. Because the Atari Arcade uses a physical connection, lag is never an issue; in fact, we were quite impressed 
with how responsive the Arcade was during our gaming sessions. Another thing we liked was how well the Duo-Powered Joystick stayed put while we played. You forget how frenetic things can become when using a joystick and buttons for gaming–especially when playing games like Asteroids and Centipede that require fast reflexes and continuous movement; but between the weight of the unit (not too heavy, not too light) and the rubber feet on its bottom, the Arcade stood tall (which is a good thing when you consider the precious cargo it’s holding).
As for the games themselves, they come in the form of an app. Downloading Atari’s Greatest Hits gives you Missile Command for free, and offers 99 other games that are available for purchase–either in clusters of 4 (for 99 cents), or for the more adventurous (and thrifty), as an entire collection collection for $9.99. The games are a mix of arcade classics and Atari 2600 standouts–and while some of the titles are redundant, there’s more than enough variety here to make buying the entire collection a good value.
The most impressive thing about the Atari Arcade is that it possesses 2 of the most important qualities most people look for in their tech purchases: it’s simple…and fun. I defy anyone to sit down and not get nostalgic over the number of quarters they gave up to any of these games years ago; and the best part? For just 3 rolls of quarters (that’s $59.99) you can get an Atari Arcade Duo-Powered Joystick of your very own, and start creating new memories with loved ones that are too young to even remember what a joystick is…
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