THE400 Mini, the much-anticipated miniature Atari 400 from Retro Games Ltd, is now shipping to some pre-order supporters. Intriguingly, it is already chalking up a number of excited, positive reviews.
Who knew?
As with several recent retro console releases, THE400 Mini has been bundled with secrets. A pair (so far…) of hidden games in addition to the publicised collection of 25 built-in games.
Unlock secret games on THE400 Mini Atari 400
So, how do you find the secret games hidden on the mini Atari 400?
To unlock them, you need to connect a VCS classic joystick to the mini Atari 400. (That’s the one with the rotating paddle effect joystick.)
Doing so adds two new games to THE400 Mini:
- Castle Crisis (a Warlords clone)
- Super Breakout
Here’s a video explaining it all:
Now obviously this dual game unlock is predicated on the fact that you have a specific joystick that is not easily available, especially in the UK. However, there is a small chance (assuming the functional availability of the games is based on connecting a particular device class, rather than an exact model) that a USB paddle may also unlock these titles, so do not give up hope.
THE400 Mini reflections
A few months ago, upon announcement of THE400 Mini, I was – shall we say – dismissive of a device that I felt added nothing to the retro gaming landscape. After all, we’d already seen the Atari VCS, the Atari 2600+, and a LEGO Atari, not to mention the rather excellent My Arace Atari Pocket Player Pro.
But what do I know? Retro Games Ltd have clearly made the right choice, planning, announcing, and releasing a mini computer console that brings some of the A500 Mini and C64 Mini magic to an Atari model that a lot of people have affection for. From a purely UK perspective, it makes less sense, especially to someone (like me) whose formative computing was done in the 1980s.
For US retro computing fans, however, THE400 Mini is a superb choice of new device.
(I just really want a ZX Spectrum Mini.)
You can order your THE400 Mini on Amazon now, ahead of its official launch date tomorrow (March 28th).
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through those links. This comes at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
