"Space Invaders" are among the games included on AtGames Legends Flashback Blast! In the box is a wireless controller and HDMI dongle to plug into a television. Today's video games may boast photorealistic graphics, surround sound and massively multiplayer matches, but many players still long for the days when games were, well, simpler. You know, when you didn't need to master 14 buttons just to beat a level or suffer from vertigo because of a dizzying virtual reality headset. If you've got a sentimental spot for bustling arcades of the early '80s – or sitting on a shag rug, sipping a glass of Tang, and playing Atari on the boob tube – then you'll be happy to know there are many ways to regain the glory of the "Golden Age of Gaming," in 2019.

The original PlayStation represents a pivotal moment in the history of video games. It was there at the dawn of real-time 3D graphics processing, the moment we switched from the sprite-based visuals of the past to the texture-mapped polygons of the future. And, if those terms mean nothing to you and the sight of a polygonal Solid Snake or Cloud Strife doesn't give you warm fuzzies, it may be better to give the PlayStation Classic a wide berth. This tiny console, which fits on the palm of your hand and weighs less than a modern games controller, was perhaps inevitable from the moment Nintendo made a killing with its own Mini NES and SNES delights. The PlayStation Classic fits the same business model almost entirely.

Nostalgia is a powerful marketing tool, often used by companies to provoke consumer desire and extract more money from the pockets. A prime example: The rise of "classic" shrunken-down versions of decades-old video game consoles, loaded with favorite games from yesteryear. While Nintendo popularized the trend, Sony's now getting in on the action with its $99 PlayStation Classic, a miniature replica of the iconic PlayStation with two controllers and 20 games. But despite the appealing design and potential to relive some of your favorite moments in video game history, Sony's PlayStation Classic is a frustrating device. Barebones in terms of extras and marred by flaws, it may leave both hardcore PlayStation fans and casual gamers feeling as if it's little more than an attempt to capitalize on the nostalgia of older Millennial gamers who now have disposable income of their own to spend.

Check out how Sony's original 1994 PlayStation is being miniaturized and pre-loaded with classic games. You knew Sony couldn't make everyone happy when it came to choosing the 20 games that would come preloaded on Sony's upcoming retro console, the PlayStation Classic. Sony had already announced five games coming to the $99.99 console: "Final Fantasy VII," "Jumping Flash," "Ridge Racer Type 4," "Tekken 3" and "Wild Arms." The video game maker on Monday filled out that list with classic games such as "Metal Gear Solid," "Final Fantasy VII," "Grand Theft Auto" and "Twisted Metal." The plug-and-play system (out Dec. 3, available for pre-order), which is 45 percent smaller than the original PlayStation, comes with two controllers.

Nature abhors a vacuum – and so does the video games industry. Over the last year, Nintendo and Sony have each announced new versions of their classic consoles: the Mini NES and SNES machines are outselling modern platforms, and the forthcoming PlayStation Classic is stirring up interest. So what of Sega, the creator of the Master System and the Mega Drive (AKA Genesis), the console that brought the arcade home in the late 1980s? When it comes to retro consoles, until now there have only been cheap third-party Mega Drive retro consoles, which often have popular games built-in but use software emulation to replicate the original hardware. This has meant that games often run with terrible input lag and tend to look horrible on contemporary LED displays, making for a disappointing nostalgic experience.

The PlayStation Classic will launch Dec. 3, 2018. Sony's next video game console is going retro. The electronics giant announced early Wednesday it will sell the PlayStation Classic, a miniature version of its first PlayStation console, on Dec. 3. Instead of requiring discs to play games, the PS Classic will come pre-loaded with 20 retro games, including "Final Fantasy VII" and "Tekken 3." The Classic looks exactly like the original PlayStation, which launched in 1994, only the Classic is about 45 percent smaller. It was a huge hit for Sony, becoming the first home video game console to ship 100 million units worldwide.