The announcement regarding the release of the Ataribox was something that caught many people by surprise not too long ago.  Not only will it be interesting to see what Atari’s next home console will look like but many people are also anxious to find out whether or not they will ever make a handheld game system as well.  If Atari ever decides to make a handheld game system then Nintendo will most likely be their main threat to them.  Sony has been struggling to keep up with the Nintendo 3DS lately due to the low volume of sales the PlayStation Vita has had in comparison to the PSP.

One of the last times Atari competed with Nintendo in regards to sales Was back in the late 80’s and early 90’s when the Atari Lynx was released.  When it comes down to popularity the Atari Lynx was a good alternative for those who preferred something other than Game Boy.    The good news was that the Atari Lynx did manage to sell over 3 million units worldwide since its release in 1989.  The bad news was that the  Game Boy line had managed to sell over 118 million units worldwide since its release.  If Atari decides to compete with Nintendo again terms of making portable game consoles it’s going to be a lot tougher now then it was back in the early 90’s.