The Blast! family is a set of HDMI dongles that infuse retro-gaming goodness into your telly

You fancy getting your retro-game on, but it’s a faff to dust off an old console and figure out how to connect it to your widescreen telly. Cue: the Blast! series (from $19.99; UK pricing TBC). Each pack comprises an HDMI dongle and a wireless controller. Most are packed with ancient Atari 2600 hits like Adventure, but vol. 3 goes paddle-based with Pong and chums, and there’s an entire set dedicated to Activision fare. For more casual retro-gamers, the two arcade offerings are a better bet: Legends Flashback Blast! includes Space Invaders along with 11 other titles, while Bandai Namco Flashback Blast! bundles eight arcade classics, including Pac-Man, Galaga and Dig Dug. Every Blast! has save/load/rewind functionality, too, and so with enough effort and patience you can finally defeat Adventure or see that Pac-Man kill-screen you’ve dreamed of reaching since 1981.

Craig Grannell Contributor

About

I’m a regular contributor to Stuff magazine and Stuff.tv, covering apps, games, Apple kit, Android, Lego, retro gaming and other interesting oddities. I also pen opinion pieces when the editor lets me, getting all serious about accessibility and predicting when sentient AI smart cookware will take over the world, in a terrifying mix of Bake Off and Terminator.

Areas of expertise

Mobile apps and games, Macs, iOS and tvOS devices, Android, retro games, crowdfunding, design, how to fight off an enraged smart saucepan with a massive stick.