YarsFan

I’d pay $400 for an “Atari Polymega” that is an external CD/GD player that connects to the VCS via USB, and enables emulation of Sega Dreamcast (GD), Sega Saturn (CD), Sega CD, Jaguar CD, Neo Geo CD and TurboGrafx-CD. That would be amazing, and perhaps possible by steering clear of emulating PlayStation games (give Sega, SNK and Konami a cut of all sales if needed - plus, enable all first party non-licensed games on those systems to be available for purchase in the Atari Polymega Store, which would be hugely desirable given the scarcity of some of the games, potential degradation of CDs, etc.). Atari ought to become the ultra retro gaming company by eventually taking over Polymega and building stuff like above that has demand and room for growth. Establish themselves as THE nostalgia video game manufacturer, and perhaps before the end of the decade there’s a partnership with Nintendo to build an “Atari - Retro Nintendo” that plays all NES, SNES, N64, GC and Wii games via HDMI with upscaling 🤤 three cartridge slots, USB slots with dongles for all original controller types, one tray for the GC/Wii games, and the classic Wii black bar 😊

Any update on this? Been dying to play the finished version on my VCS!

One final thought: Like Sega of America circa 1990, they’ve got a potentially cool mascot they can use to expand their reach if they can bring everything together for Bubsy in the next release. They gotta make the game fun and funny, though, so it might be a good idea to give him a personality somewhere between OG Bubsy and Conker? Maybe make Bubsy someone who likes to get high and laugh a lot, but do it in such a way that there’s plausible deniability that there’s pot in those scooby snacks? And somewhere along the way Bubsy 3D has to be made fun of by forcing the player to endure it for a minute or two while Bubsy gives commentary (or ask AVGN to cameo?)

Oh, and Unsung Warriors is possibly positioned to be a big deal for VCS if they can keep the title on VCS and PC only. Shades of Zelda II gameplay meets Warcraft II animation meets Zelda III accessibility. Very cool retro-inspired title.

Thanks for posting. Wade is doing a great job with the company. His words give me hope that the company will recognize that the Atari VCS, while under-powered compared to the PS5 and Xbox Series X, will just continue to go down in cost to manufacture over time while still being powerful enough to feed the demand for nostalgia for many years to come. Once the VCS is cheap enough to mass-produce below $150 or lower while still generating a profit margin, it will probably take right off, especially if Atari starts to produce some clever exclusives that feed the incredible demand for things that remind us of our childhood. The company just needs to continue supporting the VCS until that point is reached. Pull that off, become THE nostalgia company with THE nostalgia system in the VCS, and in 15-20 years look into a VCS 2 to continue the cycle. I also think the company should look into modeling what Sega of America did with the Genesis to a certain extent by doing some licensing agreements with different movies from the ‘80s and ‘90s. For example, how cool would it be to see Atari turn Bloodsport (1988) into a 1990s-style fighter in look and feel, and make it exclusive to VCS? I firmly believe there is untapped demand to take everyone’s favorite movies/comics from the 1980s/1990s and turn them into great games that look like they were made in the 1990s with bits rather than polygons (but with great game play this time, unlike most every game based on a movie prior to Goldeneye 007). Atari is kind of positioned to dominate that space (it’s something don’t even know they’re demanding because the supply does not yet exist), rewrite the history of games based on movie licenses from the 80s/90s, and sell a lot of VCS in the process by making these cool titles exclusive to the VCS. Then there’s Jaguar emulation, etc. Plenty of cool stuff can still be done with the VCS.

Any update?

I am so excited for this release. This has the potential to be the best VCS game in my opinion.

Yars and Gravitar recharged are phenomenal. Kombinera is brilliant. The future is once again bright for Atari. Easier said than done, but coming up with a new IP that is cool with great gameplay would go a long way. People still love side scrollers, so that may be the route to go. Look at what Sonic did for Sega. Let’s face it: The gaming industry is due for a new mascot IP in the footsteps of Mario and Sonic. Yeah, there was Crash Bandicoot and some others, but it’s been years since those all fell by the wayside. Time for Atari to step up. Maybe pair a new mascot in a game with Bentley Bear, kind of like how Mario got his start in Donkey Kong? Frankly, I’d also rip-off Zelda II with a cool new fantasy world and virtually identical gameplay because there’s definitely a market for us nerds who love Zelda II and The Battle of Olympus all these years later. As much as I love traditional Zelda, and now 3D Zelda, I’m still disappointed we never got a good dose of Zelda II-style action adventure fantasy RPGs at least from time to time. If Atari could develop their own versions of Mario and Zelda, that would go a long way in restoring their rep as a creative powerhouse. Heck, crossover the IPs with the two big new mascots to make it fun for everyone and nostalgic for us old-timers. After pulling that off, let’s hope for their own version of Samus too 🤣

It took so long that I ended up buying the Switch steel book version. I prefer playing with a D-pad (using my Famicom Switch controller to navigate the screens is funny, but the X button is key) rather than a joystick, so I cannot justify buying it on VCS at $30, particularly if it will take up much of the remaining storage space.

It would be foolish to stop supporting this hardware because: 1) If they do, that’s the end of the line for future hardware by Atari. We thought Jaguar was it, but this thing brought them back into hardware one more time. It’s boom or bust forever… 2) The costs will continue to go down over time, so eventually it will be cheap enough to make and sell at profit for $99.99 with one joystick and one controller. When that day comes, whether it’s 2025 or 2030, this thing will sell like hotcakes as the ultimate retro machine with a cool library of niche games. 3) They can continue to build retro-like modern games on this thing indefinitely. And us Atari nerds will continue to buy it 🤣

Also, if they wanted to make a killing: 1) Release the “Atari Retro,” which would be the end-all/be-all retro system with however many cartridge slots are needed to accommodate all past Atari systems/cartridges, including a CD slot for music CDs (along with that Atari music effects thing from the 70s) and Jaguar CD. Allow however many controller slots are needed to accommodate all of the original controllers. 4K compatibility with scaling technology. Full compatibility via Bluetooth with the VCS modern controller and VCS retro controller. Complete backwards compatibility with the past other than Lynx (see below). Continue to support the VCS by keeping the “Atari Retro” cartridge/CD-based only. Loyal VCS owners get first dibs on pre-orders, one per household, and they get it in real wood grain. After a certain amount of time, release it to those who do not own a VCS, but plastic/Vader-style only. 2) Release a Lynx HD with a HD screen, long-lasting lithium battery, an online store including as much of the Lynx library as possible for $5/game, and a cartridge slot for those who own the originals (with proper scaling). Restrict the first run to loyal VCS owners.

A roller-ball is all that is missing. That would be amazing for Missile Command.

They should do a solid for the VCS loyal and give this one away in the VCS store.

The game is a ton of fun with great replay value. I like the direction the new CEO is steering the company.

Why is Qomp not on VCS yet? It looks interesting and worthy of the VCS. Edit: added for context... https://atari.com/products/qomp