Review: ATARI 50 is a fantastic interactive documentary about an important chapter of the game

Atari recently released Atari 50: the anniversary celebration by developer Digital Eclipse. This is a game available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4/5 and Xbox (affiliate link). It was made to show fans 50 years of the video game company with video footage, archived images, games and more. Atari was kind enough to send me a digital copy for the Nintendo Switch, and you can find my thoughts below. If you want a copy, you can buy it Atari 50 from the digital store for your favorite platform (GOG and Steam on PC) or physical copies through your favorite retailers including GameStop (affiliate link).

A journey into Atari’s enduring past and a look at the creative minds behind the publisher’s legacy, Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration invites you to explore the golden age of video gaming through a new lens. Featuring an interface that functions as an interactive library and told through a linear timeline, you’ll see Atari grow from a small Silicon Valley startup to the iconic brand it has quickly become. Play over 100 classic titles that defined eras from platforms such as coin-op arcades, 2600, 5200, 7800, Atari 8-bit computers, Lynx and Jaguar, watch never-before-seen programmer interviews and commentary, explore early game concepts and enjoy a handful of reimagined fan favorites lovingly created by developer Digital Eclipse.

I want to explore a small part of my story to provide some context. When I was growing up, I remember we had an Atari and an NES. I’m about 85% sure the Atari console we had was an Atari 2600, but I could be wrong. While I was still very young, both of those consoles became unusable for one reason or another. I didn’t get another console until about 2005 when I bought a used N64. Many of my older brothers have fond memories of those very first two consoles which paint a beautiful picture for me. I remember playing the Atari and the NES in general, but I have no specific recollection of it. Atari 50 it allows me to reconnect with this small part of my story.

That said, I jumped in and went to start playing some of the games included in the Atari 50 collection. The few games I tried played well, but it wasn’t all that satisfying. I was hoping it clicked more for me, but it just felt like a standard collection of older games. That said, it was a very clean collection with some fun background music. The games also let you adjust the aspect ratio, filters and borders to your liking which is always nice. They even have instruction manuals included!

The trick for Atari 50 is that there’s more to it than just being a collection of old games. Where is it Atari 50 really shines is in its museum display. Now, they don’t call it an exhibit, but it really does feel like an incredibly curated museum exhibit for Atari history. It is fantastically structured to give you an easily digestible shape. The video segments are informative, the graphics, flyers and cards are included in such a high quality, and it’s really interesting to experience the games this way instead of pulling out your library and choosing whatever tickles your fancy. Learn about the history of pong and then you play pong and gives you some better appreciation for it. So as you continue, it’s almost like you feel the evolution of the company and the games. It will also introduce you to games you probably never tried because they were on platforms that were huge failures like the Atari Jaguar.

If you want to go back and play classic Atari games, Atari 50 it does and it does it well. He also revamps some classics with a modern twist. I highly recommend waiting for a huge sale though. However, if you want to know the history of Atari and the birth of video games as we know them, Atari 50 shine! If you want an interactive museum experience, Atari 50 it’s phenomenal. MSRP is $39.99 (on sale at many retailers as of this writing). In my opinion, you are not buying the games or even the experience of playing them. You are paying for a beautifully crafted museum exhibition experience in the comfort of your own home.