The 400 Mini

MORE FUN, LESS HASSLE?

- DARRAN

When the miniconsole movemen started to pick up steam, there were plenty of systems we expected to go through the shrink ray – and if we’re being completely honest, the Atari 400 wasn’t one of them. The 400 Mini is fashioned after the Seventies computer and aims to support the entire family of Atari 8-bit computers as well as the much-maligned Atari 5200. The system comes via Retro Games Ltd, which has built up a reputation for solid plug-and-play machines thanks to its previous work on a series of Commodore-themed devices. First impressions of the physical product are good. The 400 Mini is a half-size recreation, and as with previous Retro Games machines it is faithful without much in the way of bells and whistles – for example, the cartridge lid is cosmetic only, and doesn’t open. Four USB ports are provided for controllers on the front, with a fifth on the back for loading games. Also on the back are a standard-sized HDMI port and a USB-C power port, and as is common today a power cable is supplied but you’ll need your own plug adapter.

BRIEF HISTORY

>> The 400 Mini is the latest plug-and-play console from Retro Games Ltd and Plaion, previously behind The A500 Mini, The C64 and The C64 Mini. This new machine is licensed by Atari and plays games intended for the Atari 8-bit range, including the 400/800, XL and XE computers as well as the Atari 5200 console. Unlike the recent Atari 2600+, it's a more traditional type of mini console with built-in games and no support for original peripherals or software.