#oneaday Day 696: Arcade Fun

I was made aware of the AtGames "Legends" range of arcade devices today and I sort of want one. For the unfamiliar, you can find out more about them on the official website at https://www.atgames.net/arcades/

This model, the Legends Gamer Pro, is the model I think I'm most interested in. It comes with the double arcade stick you see above, includes a trackball and also has the core of the system: a console that comes preloaded with 150 games, plus access to the Internet to download or stream more. (From the look of things, it seems like it'll be streaming initially, but "download to own" will become a thing later. The preloaded games are… preloaded, though, so this thing isn't just a streaming box a la Stadia.)

The lineup of preloaded games is good, too. There's a lot of Taito stuff on there, which hasn't seen a rerelease for a while, and my beloved Rod-Land is also present and correct. There are also some console games on there, too, which is interesting to see. All of these games are licensed, too, so this isn't a dodgy ROM box — though I believe it is possible to load your own stuff in there via various means, too.

My main hesitation is the fact that AtGames has a bit of a variable reputation when it comes to stuff like this; some of their stuff is very good, while other bits and pieces are rubbish. I do like the idea of that lovely big arcade console, though, and, to be honest, seeing a trackball in the middle there is one of the most exciting things I've seen in gaming for a long time, haha.

It also looks like it might be fiddly to get hold of. At present, AtGames isn't listing any UK-specific retailers, so I'd have to get it from a French store in all likelihood. And the price they're looking to charge equates to about £300, which is considerably more than it costs over in the US — by like £100+.

It looks cool though. I won't be rushing to preorder one — especially while it's so pricey for Europe — but I will definitely be keeping an eye on things. And if nothing else, the presence of all those Taito games gives me a certain amount of hope that we'll eventually see them on Evercade, because it suggests that they're willing to play ball with a lot of their older stuff. We shall see!