Atari's 50th Anniversary Celebration Expands with 39 More Classic Games

Atari, a pioneering force in the early home video game console market, continues to celebrate its legacy with an expanded edition of its 50th anniversary collection. The original Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration offered over 90 retro titles, spanning from the Atari 2600 to the Atari Jaguar, and featured remastered versions of beloved classics like Yar's Revenge, Quadratank, and Haunted House. The collection also included a historical timeline showcasing Atari's impact.

This October 25th, the Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Extended Edition will launch across major consoles and the Atari VCS. This expanded version adds a significant boost, incorporating 39 more classic games to its already impressive roster. The update also introduces two new interactive timelines:

• "The Wider World of Atari": This timeline delves into Atari's enduring influence on gaming across the decades. It features 19 playable games and eight video segments, incorporating new interviews, vintage advertisements, and historical artifacts meticulously researched and compiled by Digital Eclipse.

• "The First Console War": This section recounts the iconic rivalry between the Atari 2600 and Mattel's Intellivision in the early 1980s. It will include 20 playable games and six video segments, providing insight into this pivotal era in gaming history. The narrative will cover Atari's eventual triumph, albeit short-lived due to the 1983 video game crash.

While the full list of newly added games remains undisclosed, the expanded timelines will reportedly feature a deep dive into the 1980 shooter Berzerk, alongside lesser-known late-80s titles and fan favorites from Mattel's M Network division.

Physical copies for Nintendo Switch and PS5 are also planned. The Switch version will include a special Steelbook with bonus content such as Atari 2600 art cards, miniature arcade marquee signs, and a replica Al Alcorn business card. The physical Switch edition will be priced at $49.99, while the standard digital edition will retail for $39.99. The release date for the Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Extended Edition is October 25, 2024.