The first gaming system I ever played on was a mint Caleco Gemini from 1982. But by the time I got my hands on one, they were already years old. However, it still stands as my first-ever experience with the video game world. Now, here we are in April 2011, and Atari’s Greatest Hits lands itself a spot in the App Store. For $14.99 you can download 100 of Atari’s vintage originals, starting all the way back to their first ever 1972 classic: Pong.
But don’t worry, the retro arcade fun doesn’t stop there. According to TouchArcade.com, there’s going to be a release of a retro style dock/controller unit for the iPad called iCade at the end of May. From the looks of things, this is going to be a pretty solid Atari experience — complete with joystick gripping, button mashing, 8-bit fun. For just $99 you can snag an iCade for yourself. If this tickles your fancy enough to pre-order, you can do so at Gamestop by signing-up for their newsletter (of course).
It seems that the concept originated over at ThinkGeek.com and was then taken off the drawing board and made into reality by the team at ION Audio. The idea of jumping into a retro experience within the familiarity and comfort of our own iOS devices is certainly attractive. I often enjoy playing some of the retro-style games such as geoDefense or Canabalt for iOS. Reminiscing about that first time playing Pong in a ski lodge wearing neon pink and green colored snow gear is fun, especially when it’s an option on your ‘futuristic’ touchscreen devices.
Isn’t it interesting how everything comes in cycles? Well, this is a refreshing throwback and from the looks of things so far, a great gaming experience.
