Nothing can stop Atari. Setbacks, business problems, bad management, the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial game–nothing ever really stops Atari for good. 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, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and all their pixelated friends. When Pitfall! was introduced, kids lined up for hours on end to play the in-store demo model to try to beat the current high score. But wait! Atari didn’t make all of those games. The other big player was Activision. Activision introduced us to Pitfall!, one of the most enjoyable adventure games in the first decade of home gaming–the game with a young Jack Black in the TV commercials. Altogether Activision delivered 44 games on cartridges for the Atari 2600.
This year, the past is present. Activision games are returning. Atari and Activision are partnering to reissue 39 of the original games, all on the original physical media–the classic black cartridge–and you can get your hands on them all beginning in a few weeks. But wait–didn’t Activision have 44 games for the Atari 2600? Yes, but those, like Ghostbusters, were licensed from others, so they aren’t part of this release. If you’re like me, the only game anyone I knew played from the Activision catalog was Pitfall! This new rollout is for fans of any or all of those games, or anyone ready to give 1980s gaming a try.
So what games are returning?
You have options. You can buy each of the twelve most popular games individually: Pitfall!, KABOOM!, River Raid, Private Eye, Keystone Kapers, Megamania, Enduro, H.E.R.O., Pressure Cooker, Decathlon, Pitfall II, and River Raid II, each classic game back on black Atari 2600 cartridges with a new, full-color manual. All are playable on the Atari 2600+, 7800+, and original hardware. They will retail for $34.99 each.
Or you can buy them in boxed sets of ten (okay, one set has only nine games), each with special color cartridges instead of the black. And each with a woven patch and enamel pin. These sets retail at $349.90.
Wait–you didn’t keep your vintage Atari 2600 game system? Atari has that covered, too. For retail $334.93 you get the Atari 2600 plus Pitfall!, River Raid, KABOOM!, and Megamania.
And for those who are really excited about Activision, you can fork out retail $999.96 for the “Ultimate Deluxe Set,” the four boxed sets plus 12 metal trading cards. Or cough up retail $1,349.86 for the “Superfan Bundle,” which is the Ultimate Deluxe Set plus the Standard Editions of the ten basic games.
Here is the release schedule and all 39 games:
If you’re someone who has been buying your Atari 2600-compatible cartridges at gameshops over the years, $34.99 per game may seem steep. The good news is eventually these newer editions will arrive in those shops, too, right? If you’ve ever bought a classic used cartridge in a gameshop and it didn’t work or it only worked a few days, in theory you’ll have a new supply to hunt through down the road. Or just don’t be a completist!
Check out the Atari website here for more details and to order directly from Atari. And read our previous discussions of Atari here at borg.
C.J. Bunce / Editor / borg
