Atari 50th Anniversary Collection Expands with New Timelines, Games and a new physical release

 Atari and developer Digital Eclipse have announced a significant expansion to their acclaimed 2022 release, Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection. The new version, titled Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Expanded Edition, adds two new timelines and 39 additional games to the extensive Atari retrospective. This enhanced edition is set to launch on October 25 for PC, Switch, Xbox One and Series X, PlayStation 4 and 5, with a special release for the Atari VCS coming this holiday season. Physical editions will be available for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5.

Special Physical Editions

The physical release will feature a special Steelbook version for Nintendo Switch, which includes exclusive Atari 2600 art cards, miniature arcade marquee signs, an Al Alcorn Replica Syzygy Co. business card, and a Steelbook case. The standard edition is priced at $39.99 USD, while the Steelbook edition will be available for $49.99 USD.

New Timelines and Games

The Wider World of Atari timeline, featuring 19 playable games and eight video segments, delves into various stories from Atari's history. It showcases how Atari has continued to influence creators and fans over the decades. This timeline includes new interviews, vintage ads, historical artifacts, and more, all presented in Digital Eclipse’s signature style.

Features are plenty

• A deep dive into Stern Electronics' robot-blasting game, Berzerk.
• Unusual and underappreciated innovations and hidden gems from the late 1980s.
• A spotlight on artist Evelyn Seto, creator of the iconic “Fuji” Atari logo.
• Pong creator Al Alcorn discussing the birth of Breakout.
• An exploration of the fan base’s role in discovering unreleased prototypes, creating “homebrew” games, and preserving Atari history.

Additionally, they will add the First Console War timeline, which includes 20 playable games and six video segments, narrates the story of the first major console war between the Atari 2600 and Mattel’s Intellivision. Digital Eclipse curates an exploration of this rivalry, including Mattel’s decision to create games for the competing Atari 2600. This is more iconic now that the Intellivision has recently brought under the new Atari umbrella. 

Highlights include:

• A selection of M Network games, including fan favorites.
• A mix of Atari and M Network sports games.
• Rare Atari 2600 and 5200 prototypes.
• New interview features with former Intellivision game director Don Daglow, M Network programmer Jane Terjung, Activision’s David Crane and Garry Kitchen, homebrew programmer Dennis Debro, and historians Leonard Herman and Mike Mika.

Upcoming DLCs

For those who already own the original Atari 50 release, the new timelines and games will be available as downloadable content (DLC) later this year.

Stay tuned for more updates as Atari and Digital Eclipse continue to celebrate the legacy of one of the most iconic names in gaming history.