Atari, the company that brought us the Atari 2600–the game system that revolutionized what it meant to be a zombie–offered families in the 1970s and 1980s the benefit of the neighborhood arcade without that annoying quarter-gobbling component. Adults who shake their heads today at kids zoning out over their smartphone games forget what it was like when they first zoned out over Combat, Air-Sea Battle, Duck Hunt, Asteroids, Yar’s Revenge, Berserk, Pitfall, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and all their pixelated friends. When Space Invaders was introduced, kids lined up at Woolco stores for hours on end to play the in-store demo model to try to beat the current high score. The earlier Pong and Breakout games were revolutionary–and addictive–but Space Invaders was exciting, nerve-wracking, and required a different take on an old skill. Hand-eye coordination became a new, finely-honed, almost magical power. Wielded the best by teenagers. Here’s the original Atari 2600 that changed everything:
Atari came and went, but in a decade of peak nostalgia, why not a reboot of it all featuring its greatest hero? For that look to the new Atari 2600 Pac-Man Edition, available for pre-order now here at Amazon at a locked-in price guarantee of $169.99 that includes the base system, yellow Pac-Man controller, and PAC-MAN: Double Feature 2-in-1 game cartridge. It’s coming in time for Halloween, with an October 31, 2025, street date. The best feature? It plays classic and new 2600 cartridges and all 7800 games (see several available here at Amazon). Like all these classics:
Read our previous discussions of Atari here at borg, then check out this trailer and the key stats for the new Atari 2600 Pac-Man Edition and available bundles direct from Atari, with options to purchase individual joysticks for blue Ghost INKY, red BLINKY, pink PINKY, orange CLYDE, and yellow Pac-Man separately:
Here are the specs from Atari:
- Atari 2600+ PAC-MAN Edition: The iconic console, now in PAC-MAN yellow with illuminated character icons across the front.
- Backward and Forward Compatible: Play retro games just like you remember them on a system upgraded for today. Play both Atari 2600 and 7800 games on this 2600+ console. Compatible with everything in the Plus Platform, as well as with most original accessories and cartridges.
- New Arcade-Style PAC-MAN Game: Includes PAC-MAN: Double Feature 2-in-1 game cartridge. Featuring an all-new, arcade-style version, PAC-MAN 7800 and the very first home version of the game, PAC-MAN 2600.
- Wireless Joystick: Also includes a PAC-MAN Edition of the Atari CX-40+ Wireless Joystick.
- HDMI Output: Connect instantly to modern TVs with HDMI output and widescreen mode.
And here are the stats on the separately available joysticks:
- The Iconic Joystick: Play PAC-MAN and other retro games in all their one-button glory on Atari consoles and PC!
- Celebrate PAC-MAN and the Ghost Gang: Each Joystick celebrates the iconic game with new colorways themed after the each of the Ghosts – BLINKY, INKY, PINKY, and CLYDE – as well as PAC-MAN.
- Wireless Connectivity: Includes 2 wireless adapters, USB-A to connect to your PC and DB9 to connect to Atari+ systems and original Atari consoles.
- Collect Them All: Collect all four colors of the Ghost Edition Joystick as well as the PAC-MAN Edition. Rechargeable: Includes a USB-C power cable but does not come with a wall charging plug for your outlet. You’ll need to pick one up if you don’t have an extra at home.
- Atari Plus Platform: All Atari+ Platform games and accessories are backward and forward compatible. Consoles, accessories, and games work together and are also compatible with most original accessories and cartridges.
The Atari direct big bundle is also available. It includes all the essentials from the Atari x PAC-MAN Collection in one bundle. Includes the Atari 2600+ PAC-MAN Edition with Joystick and PAC-MAN: Double Feature game, all 4 Ghost Edition Joysticks, the individually-packaged PAC-MAN Edition Joystick, and all the additional game cartridges: GALAGA, DIG DUG, and XEVIOUS.
Every geek and nerd and fan of all things retro will want this. Here’s your favorite video game song to set the mood:
The new Atari 2600 Pac-Man Edition is available for pre-order now here at Amazon. Order now to get the locked-in price guarantee of $169.99.. Check out available bundles direct from Atari, with options to purchase individual joysticks for blue Ghost INKY, red BLINKY, pink PINKY, orange CLYDE, and yellow Pac-Man separately at the above Amazon links.
C.J. Bunce / Editor / borg
