Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Review – A Half-Century Of Gaming History Stuffed Into An Excellent Package

Atari as we now know it was born on June 27, 1972. Although technically it was birthed under Syzygy Engineering’s name, the fact that Atari is now known as such means that the date actually falls on June 27, 1972, makes sense. NameAtari was founded in 1972. Atari 50, Digital Eclipse’s affection letter to the gaming company and its anniversary celebration, has given me this information as well as many other fascinating facts.

Atari 50 is basically a documentary. This guide takes you through 50 year’s worth of Atari’s home consoles, handhelds, PCs, and games. The timelines are broken into five distinct time periods. The timelines each focus on one aspect of Atari’s business. Sometimes, dates can run simultaneously. Every timeline is filled with video, images and design documents. The box is both a museum exhibit and an enjoyable one.

This amazing history tour features 103 gameable titles, ranging from Pong’s original arcade version in 1972 to games from Jaguar and Lynx which were Atari’s final handheld and home console. Every game is an exact 1:1 copy, as though Digital Eclipse took the motherboards off the games and put them in my console. There are many old favourites like Adventure, Breakout, or Asteroids, but I find Quantum, I, Robot, interesting in their own way.

Digital Eclipse added a few new titles to this collection, not content with porting over existing titles. This story includes two separate homebrew titles, one for Atari 800PC and one for Atari 2600. They show how old consoles can be used in modern times. It is not often that a company acknowledges the existence of the homebrew community. However, it is amazing for Atari to incorporate the scene into their game. 

Digital Eclipse is the one who steals the 50th-anniversary special. Reimagined includes seven Atari classics that have been reimagined for modern times. This series is a great way to evoke a sense of nostalgia. Haunted Houses is the most beloved reimagining. The 3D environment transforms the experience completely. Yars’ Revolt Enhanced is another excellent reimagining, although it does not go as far away from the original.

One caveat must be noted: These are Atari classics in their original forms. They are therefore as basic as the old games. Some games have the lifespan of a mayfly, while others – the multiplayer games in particular – have more to offer. The Reimagined set is well-crafted but may not last more than 15 minutes each session. It’s a quick collection with 100 hits. You may not be able to play all of the games in this library.

Digital Eclipse has put a lot of love into the project, even if it is not able to play the games. This is apparent in the many relics that are included in the timelines. Atari at the peak of its power is captured in hundreds of old boxes art, photos and videos. Particularly notable are the old TV ads from 1980s. These commercials show a young child expressing excitement for E.T. In hindsight, it’s almost hilarious. 

These inclusions are not only great, but they also go beyond the call of duty. Take The Swordquest Series, with three releases and an unreleased fourth. Each game came with a comic book, which not only explained the story but gave tips on solving the puzzles. Each of these comics is included in Atari 50 so that you get all the benefits and can enjoy every moment. 

Digital Eclipse uncovered the original design ideas from Tod Frye and built the fourth Swordquest game from scratch. It was included in the “Reimagined” series. Digital Eclipse respects the original source materials and this is evidence of how thorough and comprehensive this collection really is.

The video interviews that are included with members of Atari’s team over the years and other notable game developers throughout the history of Atari are my favorite. Nolan Bushnell who founded the company, Al Alcorn (credited with creating Pong), and Eugene Jarvis, a programmer, are just a few of the notable Atari alumni. Double Fine’s Tim Schafer, Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski are two other prominent names. Every interview brings new stories and anecdotes to Atari’s legend. They also add technical knowledge, as well as a documentary-like feel. The entire collection is filled with helpful explanations, along with little bits of information. 

Digital Eclipse is setting a new standard for historical video game compilations with Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration. Digital Eclipse is an interactive museum that allows you to experience the nostalgic game through more than 100 different games as well as hundreds of other relics from its vault. Although many of these games will be gone quickly, they do not diminish the historical significance of Atari 50. I am hopeful that Digital Eclipse will have more wings to its digital history tour in the future.