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Atari 50 years Celebration game

This is terrific! I assume that Intellivision games will be included in this expanded edition. I would also like to see more Atari 8-bit computer games, so a quick glance at the software lineup for the 400 Mini would give us clues as to what's coming next.

I was just about to buy the Switch version of Atari 50, just for Tempest 2000 (Jaguar) running at a buttery-smooth 60 fps. I would love to see more Jaguar games, but, as with all the Atari platforms, licensed games are almost certainly impossible or unaffordable. 2600 Space Invaders, 5200 Defender, Robotron & Blaster, 7800 Xevious, Lynx Rampage, Jaguar Alien Vs Predator? Any of these, pretty please?

I don't suppose Atari 5200 games with proper analog controls are coming anytime soon, right? That would be nice.

Could we just have MULE and Seven Cities of Gold, pretty pretty please? Without glitches or removed content would be very nice, thank you.
 

Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is being expanded with THE NAMCO LEGENDARY PACK, featuring an all-new interactive timeline and set of games exploring the history of Bandai Namco titles on Atari hardware. Includes multiple versions of Atari PAC-MAN, GALAGA, GALAXIAN, DIG DUG, and XEVIOUS, along with video interviews, archival materials, documents, and photos from the era.
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Deerock71 said:
I was 7 or 8 when it came out, and even THEN I knew this version was shitty compared to the arcade cabinet. I'll try it out just for kicks.
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I was 6 or 7 when it released and got it as a present, and remember being completely happy with this version since I can now play it at home for as long as I want.
 
When you think of Atari, it just makes you think of a 2nd rate company, much less celebrating 50 years, they were 2nd best in the Amiga, Gameboy (probably 3rd best behind the game-gear) and in the Saturn/PSX generation they weren't exactly in their glory days either...
 
RedC said:
I was 6 or 7 when it released and got it as a present, and remember being completely happy with this version since I can now play it at home for as long as I want.
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I totally get it, but I remember thinking how come Pac-Man's mouth isn't facing the direction he's moving? I still had fun with it, which is why I can't wait to try it out again.
 
RAIDEN1 said:
When you think of Atari, it just makes you think of a 2nd rate company, much less celebrating 50 years, they were 2nd best in the Amiga, Gameboy (probably 3rd best behind the game-gear) and in the Saturn/PSX generation they weren't exactly in their glory days either...
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In the early to mid 80's in America, they were were a 1st rate company with the Atari 2600 being their biggest selling console.
 
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RedC said:
In the early to mid 80's in America, they were were a 1st rate company with the Atari 2600 being their biggest selling console.
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But why did it all go down-hill for them? Or was it because of Jack Trameil? (might have spelt his name wrong) Why did they cop-out with the design of the Jag...
 
RAIDEN1 said:
But why did it all go down-hill for them? Or was it because of Jack Trameil? (might have spelt his name wrong) Why did they cop-out with the design of the Jag...
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Once the video game crash happened and the NES came onto the scene, they lagged behind the rest of the competition. Although the Atari Lynx handheld was great.
 
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RedC said:
Once the video game crash happened and the NES came onto the scene, they lagged behind the rest of the competition. Although the Atari Lynx handheld was great.
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It was great, but not game-gear great, and I think it took till about 1998, till a coloured hand-held became a viable option in terms of battery power
 
RedC said:
Once the video game crash happened and the NES came onto the scene, they lagged behind the rest of the competition. Although the Atari Lynx handheld was great.
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Poor business decisions to from Time Warner once they took over the company and fired Bushnell. Undercut the intellivision and release the 5200 as early as 1978? Nope! Consoles are going to be a fad so let's focus on computers instead (The Atari 800 was originally the 5200). And only release it once it's clear that 2600 is being hammered by competition and at which point it's pretty much outdated anyway.

Same story with the 7800. They could easily have released is as early as early as 1984 and undercut the NES. But the crash made them focus on the Atar ST instead and Arcades. Oh and the Panther to against the SNES in 1991 instead of putting resources into the half-baked Jaguar.
 
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Kadve said:
Poor business decisions to from Time Warner once they took over the company and fired Bushnell. Undercut the intellivision and release the 5200 as early as 1978? Nope! Consoles are going to be a fad so let's focus on computers instead (The Atari 800 was originally the 5200). And only release it once it's clear that 2600 is being hammered by competition and at which point it's pretty much outdated anyway.
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Considering how the Atari crash developed, putting all their efforts on the 8 bit computers would've been the best decision.


Kadve said:
Same story with the 7800. They could easily have released is as early as early as 1984 and undercut the NES. But the crash made them focus on the Atar ST instead and Arcades. Oh and the Panther to against the SNES in 1991 instead of putting resources into the half-baked Jaguar.
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By 1984 Atari Games (arcades) wasn't owned by Atari. Again, had they focus on computers instead on consoles they may have survived the 90s.
 
RedC said:
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I am really happy to see the addition of Namco games to this collection, as well as Atari 5200 games included as well. As for 2600 Pac-Man, well, if my generation had to endure that unspeakable horror, then so do today's kids. They'll suddenly realize just how lucky they have it today.

Joe Santulli of Digital Press fame had the greatest line about 2600 Pac-Man: "This game is squarer than the squarest thing you ever saw."

(PS: Now if we could only have Atari 5200 games with analog controls or trackball support. Seriously, Atari needs to build a new trackball controller, it would be awesome.)
 
RAIDEN1 said:
But why did it all go down-hill for them? Or was it because of Jack Trameil? (might have spelt his name wrong) Why did they cop-out with the design of the Jag...
Click to expand...


There are many articles and podcast discussions about the Video Game Crash of 1983-84. It's a long story, and Atari wasn't the worst culprit, but they were a major player, and they learned all the crucial lessons of this business the hard way. When Jack Tramiel bought the Atari consumer division in June 1984, the company was pretty much dead, and he very successfully kept it alive for the next decade.

Oh, and somebody mentioned the Atari Lynx, which is the most awesome portable game system EVER. We shall hear no ill will against our beloved Lynx. The current Atari really needs to make a new "mini" version, one that allows for multiplayer.
 
Futaleufu said:
Considering how the Atari crash developed, putting all their efforts on the 8 bit computers would've been the best decision.



By 1984 Atari Games (arcades) wasn't owned by Atari. Again, had they focus on computers instead on consoles they may have survived the 90s.
Click to expand...


Speaking of the Atari 8-bit home computers, a Polish company has been working on a new version of the Atari 800XL, but with modern video outputs and two USB ports which, theoretically, would allow us to play 4-player MULE (the greatest videogame of all time--think SimCity meets Mario Party). Atari really ought to buy that computer and release it themselves, ideally packed with all the games they included in their 400 Mini. Indeed, this is what they should have done instead of the 400 Mini, which was merely a low-grade emulator in a plastic case when everyone wanted a real computer.

Commodore is bringing back the C64. Atari should do the same.
 
Daniel Thomas MacInnes said:
Oh, and somebody mentioned the Atari Lynx, which is the most awesome portable game system EVER. We shall hear no ill will against our beloved Lynx. The current Atari really needs to make a new "mini" version, one that allows for multiplayer.
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I remember loving my Atari Lynx. Although the only two games I remember playing the most was California Games and Ninja Gaiden Arcade port.
 
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RedC said:
I remember loving my Atari Lynx. Although the only two games I remember playing the most was California Games and Ninja Gaiden Arcade port.
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I love my Lynx! I still have my original Lynx I got when it launched as well as a Lynx 2 I picked up later. The screen was terrible but some of the games are so fun! My favorites were California Games and Blue Lightning. My Blue Lightning cart disappeared. I need to track down a replacement.
 
ReBurn said:
I love my Lynx! I still have my original Lynx I got when it launched as well as a Lynx 2 I picked up later. The screen was terrible but some of the games are so fun! My favorites were California Games and Blue Lightning. My Blue Lightning cart disappeared. I need to track down a replacement.
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It's hard to believe that Blue Lightning arrived at the same time as Super Mario Land. Epyx were just on another holy plane of existence.
 
Futaleufu said:
By 1984 Atari Games (arcades) wasn't owned by Atari. Again, had they focus on computers instead on consoles they may have survived the 90s.
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True. Them killing the ST and going all in on consoles was probably an even worse business decision. Especially with something as crappy as the Jaguar.

I still say everything started going bad by them firing Bushnell though.
 
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Daniel Thomas MacInnes said:
There are many articles and podcast discussions about the Video Game Crash of 1983-84. It's a long story, and Atari wasn't the worst culprit, but they were a major player, and they learned all the crucial lessons of this business the hard way. When Jack Tramiel bought the Atari consumer division in June 1984, the company was pretty much dead, and he very successfully kept it alive for the next decade.

Oh, and somebody mentioned the Atari Lynx, which is the most awesome portable game system EVER. We shall hear no ill will against our beloved Lynx. The current Atari really needs to make a new "mini" version, one that allows for multiplayer.
Click to expand...
One that finally has better battery life as well
 
Sledge said:
This. I like Atari 50 because I love Missile Command, but the Activision catalogue is a big ol' glaring gap.
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Yes, they need a big Atari 2600 Activision DLC collection for this. Those were the best games. There are at least 20 GREAT games there. I'd pay $25 easy for that collection. Maybe more if all of the Atari 2600 Activision games were included.
 
CrimsonTide said:
Reminds me I would not mind an Atari CX40 joystick
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I'd mind. For those all the grief the 5200 sticks got those of us that actually had the 2600 back in the earlier 80s know those sticks had a huge flaw. They broke, as in the plastic shaft inside of it would snap and the controller wouldn't work. (And you think stick drift is bad.) Admittedly Atari had a fix back then, they'd sell you a replacement and you could replace it. (On the plus side those controllers were easy to work on, my brother simply moved a few wires around to make it left handed.)
 
RAIDEN1 said:
But why did it all go down-hill for them? Or was it because of Jack Trameil? (might have spelt his name wrong) Why did they cop-out with the design of the Jag...
Click to expand...
Some of their employees left Atari to start their own company. You might have heard of them; Activision.
One assumes that losing talents that way was the beginning of the end.

And at this point Activision IS Xbox now.
 
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Kadve said:
True. Them killing the ST and going all in on consoles was probably an even worse business decision. Especially with something as crappy as the Jaguar.

I still say everything started going bad by them firing Bushnell though.
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I was an 1040 STe owner back in '92-'94 and both the Amiga and ST were rapidly loosing market share to the WinTel juggernaut. The Falcon bombed and C-Lab had already took over production of the Falcon. There was really no other place for Atari to go.
 
For this update I went physical.
GKbHL7qbIl11sOJY.jpg
 
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This makes Atari seem ancient while reminding Atari's core user/fan base just how old they are.
Game companies celebrating anniversaries shorter than the average American man's life expectancy are a mistake.
 
awwr999999 said:
This makes Atari seem ancient while reminding Atari's core user/fan base just how old they are.
Game companies celebrating anniversaries shorter than the average American man's life expectancy are a mistake.
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At this point and time, the majority of Atari's business model is retro video games. Over the last several years they have released the 2600+, the 7800+ and twenty-two 2600 and 7800 games. They seem to be doing well and just announced three new 7800 games.

Sega and Nintendo should consider Atari's approach as well. Can you imagine if Sega announced a Saturn+ with HDMI out, that played legacy disc Saturn games and they re-released the Panzer Dragoon Trilogy as a boxed set for $99. People would be going ape shit over it and they would sell like crazy.
 
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