We hope you're hungry for a retro treat, because Atari's just announced a massive collection heading to modern platforms. Atari 50th: The Anniversary Celebration is a compilation that charts the company's history, and it will include "more than 90 playable games".
Going all the way back to the early 1970s, the collection will include ultra-early favourites all the way up to 90s classics, and there are even a few new games thrown in for good measure. What's more interesting about this project, though, is the way it presents everything to the player through interactive timelines.
These will "combine historical trivia, digital artifacts, all-new video interviews, and playable games into one singular experience", and you can get a sense of what that'll be like in the above trailer. For anyone curious about Atari's 50-year history in the industry, it looks like this will be well worth checking out.
It's being handled by Digital Eclipse, and will feature games from the Atari Jaguar and Atari Lynx consoles for the first time in a compilation. It sounds like an insanely robust package, and it's not too far away; it launches on PS5 and PS4 in Winter 2022.
Are you looking forward to Atari 50th: The Anniversary Celebration? Show your age in the comments section below.
[source atari.com]
Comments 51
This looks fantastic and I’m way way too young to appreciate Atari as a nostalgia thing. I mean, my mum was like 3 when the 2600 came out. The playable documentary aspect is really cool.
Digital Eclipse!
If they're involved in a retro collection I'm buying it day 1. They're museum preservationists of the gaming industry and this one looks amazing!
I’m only in if they include Berzerk.
That looks absolutely amazing. What a wonderful way to do a compilation. Hope it's as good as it sounds.
I hope each game gets it's own platinum trophy. You know all of these are deeper than a lot of the trophy spam garbage released these days.
Wow, this looks to set a new standard for retro collections. I’m really looking forward to trying the 7800 and Atari Computer stuff. The price point is also generous considering what I happily paid for the three PS4 Atari Flashback releases.
So awesome that this has Jaguar and Lynx games on it.
'The fun is back, oh yes siree, it's the 2600 from Atari', I still remember the advertising jingle for that one. I have the Evercade Lynx compilation and one of the other Atari carts, that added some 7800 games. Jaguar though, interesting. The woodgrain 2600 was the first videogame console I ever played back in the early 80s, was amazed to be able to control something on a TV screen.
AVP on Jaguar would have been awesome if it was included!
Star Raiders, the first game I played when my dad brought home an Atari 400 home computer.
Brilliant game, fond memories.
This better have Joust and Crystal Castles on there
I would be interested in playing some of the Atari 8-bit computer conversions of 2600 games.
Based on screenshots and video, they’ve aged a lot better.
I'm really excited for this, I grew up with the Atari 2600 and its great to see some later ganes like the amazing Tempest 2000 and even Cybermorph. Finally getting to play the last installment of Swordquest will be pretty cool and the new Haunted House and Yars Revenge should be fun too. I can't wait
@Futureshark
The killer app of all killer apps for the Atari 8-bit line.
I wasn’t born until the late 80s, so I missed out on the 80s computer craze.
My first computer was a horribly out of date 486 Compaq clone running DOS. In 1998. It was a hand me down gift from a family friend.
Why does the article not mention it's also going to be available on Xbox, Switch, and PC?
Looks excellent. Very find memories of playing Centipede. This'll certainly be going in my library.
Got my fingers crossed that it includes E.T!
Stoked for this, my gaming days started on an Atari ST in the early 90s.
@D34DL1N3R Because its a Playstation focused website...
@nessisonett Does that make you a 90s kid ?
What IS the best Atari 2600 game? My favorite was probably Air Sea Battle, but I liked Indy 500, Warlords, Frogs & Flies, Adventure, Atlantis, and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, too. Oh, and Surround, Asteroids, and Jungle Hunt. Classics all! (Pitfall never did much for me. Crazy, I know!)
As a side note, we need a re-imagining of Yars Revenge.
@nicc83 I’m a millennium baby! Got into gaming young though so GameCube was my first console.
Please give me E.T. extraterrestrial
My first at home video game was Pong. My first home console was an Atari 2600. You better believe I am getting this!
@nessisonett I feel so old.
Gamecube, what a console.
@PaperAlien And? Big deal. The Nintendo focused site I frequent doesn't list multi platform games as "Coming to Switch!!!!", but leave out every other platform. It's misleading reporting. Who cares if it's PS based?
this is so cool i had an Atari 2600 could still be in the attic have to check. ive just refurbished a old crt tv. gona break out all my light gun games and il go back to the nes duckhunt lol, diehard trilogy time crisis and resident evil survivor. and the snes scope. thats whats lacking with lcd and led tvs no light gun games. lost art? anyway il defo be snatching this up!
@D34DL1N3R Cool, well you continue you to be angry on the internet about nothing. I'll be over here enjoying my night.
Interesting. Hoping to see Joust and Dig Dug. Maybe even Alien vs Predator from Jaguar. We'll see what's all in the collection and I'll make a decision then.
I remember playing Atari 2600 at a neighbour's when I was really young, like 6. My parents decided to get the family a ColecoVision instead cause it was advertised as having the best version of Donkey Kong available. I have fond memories of that era, this looks amazing. Digital Eclipse will do a great job and I can't wait to take another trip down memory lane.
@Futureshark. I agree. Solaris is my alltime favorite 2600 game. Tremendously underrated
River Raid and Raiders of the Lost Ark FTW! Oh, and Pitfall!
Looks awesome!
50 years is almost unheard of in gaming, and really surprises you on how long our favourite hobby has been around. Even if you were never a fan of Atari, this is gaming history wrapped up in a very well executed package here, and would be worth it just for that!
Also, I'm mildly convinced that over a long enough time frame, every game ever created prior to the PS4/Xbox One generation will appear on the big three and PC at some point in the future.
@jgrangervikings1 Pitfall (sorry), Yar's Revenge, and Warlords. Warlords against another human, of course.
I think I'll be digging the heck out of this.
@jgrangervikings1 Wait! Combat! And Adventure.
Someone over at Nintendo life did some nifty pausing and got this list…. Kudos to them not all heroes wear capes
Adventure
-Asteroids
-Atari Karts
-Basketbrawl
-Warlords
-Breakout
-Cannon Bomber
-Centipede
-Missile Command
-Major Havoc
-Haunted House
-Fight For Life
-Dodge 'Em
-Demons to Diamonds
-Cybermorph
-Combat
-Outlaw
-Dark Chambers
-Baseball
-Volleyball
-Scrapyard Dog
-Swordquest Air World
-Star Raiders
-Super Breakout
-Yar's Revenge
-3-D Tic Tac Toe
-Tempest (Jaguar)
-Tempest (2600)
-Swordquest: Water World
-Swordquest: Fire World
Also at 0:53:
-Food Fight
-Miner 2049er
-Missile Command 3D
-Yoomp!
Growing up in New Zealand, we were behind the times in many things. But my grandparents went on a trip to the US and came back with an Atari 2600 for us in 1977!
Every game was in B&W as it was an NTSC system and our tv was PAL … but it really didn’t matter, as we loved the thing to bits.
So many happy memories tied up in that wooden veneered console! My favourite games were Space Invaders, Combat, Slot Racers, Bezerk, Decathlon, Pitfall, and I even loved the Soccer game which was the crudest representation of football ever but oh so much fun!
Can’t wait for this collection!
Atari is where i started my l💖ve for video games.this 50 anniversary celebration looks amazing.word up son
I still have my 7800 and it works great!
...but it's easier to just boot up my retropie.
@PaperAlien Angry? LMFAO! I asked a very simple question. Politely at that. Did I say "WHY THE (%)#$()*U( DO THEY NOT &%#$^#$ LIST OTHER #%(ING PLATFORMS!!!!!!!" Nope. Seems you're the one angry, little fella. For a complete stranger asking a question. Try not to let it ruin the rest of your life. M'kay?
Some are saying it jokingly but I really do want E.T. in there, it's an important game that would make this collection more complete. Of course it's important for the wrong reasons but it's still a special game (again for the wrong reasons!).
I want 'ALL' the past Atari games in the new collection please(even the ones they would like to forget like ET) I think I have bought the Atari games each Gen now Not sure why I keep buying the same games over & over again(like the Namco games to) Hopefully with PlayStation BC I won't have to keep buying them each Gen(I probably buy them each Gen because of the lack of BC really) Oh well it all sounds good
This is so above and beyond what I was expecting from the headline! sign me all the way up for this! looks surprisingly excellent!
@Bondi_Surfer i remember the soccer game as well. I used to make leagues up on paper and play out seasons with it lol. 3 squares at the corners of a triangle shape kicking a square white ball. So fun
The best console to play this on will be the VCS !
@PaperAlien too bad Joust and a slew of other Atari Midway arcade classics are buried in Warner Bros basement! 🙄 Maybe one day
It all started with Atari for me and been crazy gamer since! I’m just so happy to see 7800 Jag and Lynx being finally thrown into the mix! Especially Jaguar?? On my PlayStation Xbox and Switch?? Sweet!! Tempest 2000? Atari Karts? Missile Command 3D? Nice! All you hackers and modders out there know damn well how tough it is to achieve decent Jag emulation if at all and I’ve been collecting Jaguar games for years now so this is just awesome!! Let’s hope for a physical release as well!! Day 1 for me regardless!
@PlayStationGamer3919 I'm hoping for a physical edition with a bonus of having a cartridge of ET that you can bury
Still got most of my original Atari stuff. 2600, Lynx (v1), Jaguar and Jaguar CD.
I’ll be getting this for sure.
In all honesty I don't see why many people will be that interested in the games. Yes they have a great place in history and I played many in the early 80s but many have aged horribly or were just bad at the time like the majority of the Jaguar library. I can very much expect all but the most dedicated of Atari fans to play most games for five minutes and never go back to them. For me the documentary aspect is the only interesting thing about it.
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