The Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration collection is returning later this year with a new Extended Edition that will add 39 more classic Atari titles. Atari was a pioneer in the early days of home video game consoles, releasing a host of titles that paved the way for the gaming landscape as we see it today. While it may not be the industry juggernaut it once was, Atari has continued to move forward by gaining the publishing rights to games like Rollercoaster Tycoon 3, reviving the classic Yars Rising franchise, and even acquiring its former competitor Intellivision.
Atari has also been celebrating its long and storied gaming history over the past couple of years, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2022. In honor of this milestone, Atari released Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration, containing over 90 retro games stretching from the Atari 2600 to the Atari Jaguar and including remasters of Yar’s Revenge, Quadratank, and Haunted House. The collection also features a five-part interactive timeline that tells the story of Atari through design documents, game manuals, and video interviews with creators.
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is growing on October 25, when an Extended Edition will launch on all major consoles, as well as the Atari VCS. This update will add 39 games to Atari 50’s already hefty library, as well as two new timelines titled “The Wider World of Atari” and “The First Console War.” The first will consist of 19 playable games and eight video segments chronicling how Atari has continued to influence gamers over the decades, complete with new interviews, vintage ads, and historical artifacts that were all researched and compiled by Digital Eclipse.
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Extended Edition Release Date
October 25, 2024
As its name suggests, “The First Console War” will tell the story of the famous feud between the Atari 2600 and Mattel’s Intellivision throughout the early 1980s through 20 playable games and six video segments. This rivalry eventually saw Atari emerge as the victor, though this would be short-lived in the face of the video game crash of 1983.
It isn’t clear what new games will be included in the upcoming Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration expansion, though the two aforementioned timelines will reportedly include a deep dive into the classic 1980 shooter Berzerk, as well as some lesser-known titles from the late 80s and fan favorites from Mattel’s M Network division. Atari is also releasing a physical release of the title for Nintendo Switch and PS5, with the former including a Steelbook with special bonus features like Atari 2600 art cards, miniature arcade marquee signs, and an Al Alcorn Replica Syzygy Co. business card. This will cost $49.99, while the standard edition will retail for $39.99.
