Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Reviews

solid

Petition to revive SwordQuest.

Classic video games + Atari History Lessons. Whats not to like! Lots of fun.

I'm old enough that the Atari 2600 was a thing when I was a kid. Though, my family went with Magnavox Odyssey II instead. And I had an Atari 7800 before I had a NES. So, I have some nostalgia for Atari but as much as I sometimes feel I should as a retro gamer. The Atari 50 collection here is a pretty good collection of games presented far better than the previous Atari collection. Which I think is de-listed on Steam anyway. The bulk is 2600 games. Though, there are 5200, 7800, Arcade, Lynx and Jaguar games as well. Much are common to any Atari anthology collection one might come across. For the most part, these are games I find myself playing for about 10-15 minutes before doing something else. Which is something I miss from modern video games. I often feel obligated play at least a half-hour just due to the load times and settle in with games today. Also, included are a number of videos and little presentations about the history of Atari. Which I watched, enjoyed and appreciated. However, find largely a one and done experience. I'm glad it's there. But it's certianly not the draw as much as the games. And there is a number of games that one is bound to find something they like. Though, I do sometimes find the lack of Activision 2600 games understand as much as it is unfortunate. They often are the games I found stand the test of time. But what is here is fine as well. And there's a number of 7800 titles I would have liked to see, Xevious and Joust come to mind, that I doubt will happen. Since they are 3rd party. Ultimately, I find this collection fun and something I boot up for a quick game or two. And I always enjoy a short gaming session of two or three games before leaving. If that sounds like fun to you, then I think this might also be worth picking up.

An absolute must-buy for anyone remotely interested in the history of video games, even if you don't think you care too much about Atari.

Ok maybe I'm the dissenting voice but I honestly feel like I wasted my money (fortunately I bought it at a discount otherwise I would call it a ripoff.) Anyway, it is difficult to play the games with a keyboard. The instructions are confusing and insufficient since I'm not using original Atari consoles but my PC keyboard. Little or no use for the mouse. I give the thing a 2 out of 10 for the historical/nostalgic value. I requested a refund but it was denied due to Steam's policy not to issue refunds if you've played for more than two hours. Actually I didn't even play for half an hour- the rest was spent watching the included short documentaries, reading the notes, instructions and trying to find my way. I even got so frustrated I just walked away but left the connection on. Big mistake! Final advice? Go to youtube and find better documentaries. Don't waste your money,

Such an awesome blend of historical stories and artifacts and classic/reboot game play. Thank you for giving us this lovely trip to the origins of Atari. The only issue I have encountered is that my Xbox Wireless controller is not recognized by the app unless I unplug my Thrustmaster HOTAS Throttle controller first.

This is a great collection of iconic games with some additional historical context, which paint an interesting picture of how we arrived at our current point in the gaming history. The presentation is great, the amount of games is HUUUUGE, and even though some of the iconic titles are missing due to obvious licensing issues - it's still worth every penny. It's especially funny to get hooked on some 80's game for half an hour just because it's actually fun. Volleyball, here I come! I also liked that Atari were not afraid to allow Digital Eclipse to criticize them for obvious issues such as not crediting game developers for many years. I just wish, probably, that it would have a bit more interviews and historical context for some of the games - I felt like some titles deserved a little more attention than they got.

I wouldn't normally recommend purchasing an old rom compilation, though I'd actually give this one a big thumbs up. There's a wide range of games from various systems across Atari's lifespan, even outside of consoles. Various options such as tv filters, pixel luminescence, game manuals and on the fly switch toggle for 2600 games are included. The arcade and jaguar games are the major highlight, as they are very difficult to emulate yourself, especially the older games like pong and breakout. Games like tempest 2000 offer an enhanced option to have the game run smoother. The highlight of the collection is the museum, which go's over the history of Atari, displaying documentaries, archival footage, design documents, advertisements and more. The museum is told in a very open way, with designers going over the challenges of creating games, financial issues, and admitting to doing pot in the office. Navigating through the museum could be a bit more fleshed out, as some controls feel a bit backwards, the game not saving the last point you were reading in the museum when exiting it and having to scroll to where you left off, just the little things. It is an interesting experience to explore through. This Collection is an enjoyable and fulfilling experience, that is able to top programs like Retroarch, for its presentation and additional content. The museum adds a lot of value to the collection, defanitirly a collection worth looking into whether you just want to play some old school games, or are fascinated in the history of gaming.