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Another collection of retro game titles from Digital Eclipse just launched, and there's more to play than just the classics. In Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration players have access to over 100 titles arranged chronologically from the late 1970s and early 1980s arcade games to software exclusively made for the Jaguar home console, plus a lot of extra content. Games from seven of Atari's consoles are featured. Players can view and play these games through an historical review of them through the game's own curated library. In addition, Atari 50 includes premiere titles based on previous games and concepts, as well as video interviews with icons of the industry.
Chris Kohler of Digital Eclipse spoke with Game Rant and shared what players can expect in Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration beyond the collection of classic Atari titles, including six all-new games. Kohler said, "Games inspired by Atari classics, such as Swordquest: AirWorld, the long-awaited final installment in the Swordquest quadrilogy, or VCTR-SCTR, an homage to the days of vector graphics [are featured in Atari 50]." The other four never-before-seen games are Haunted Houses, Neo Breakout, Quadratank, and Yar's Revenge Enhanced. Some games offer local multiplayer options, with high scores viewable online.
Beyond Playing The Games In Atari 50
Extra features in Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration are listed on a game-by-game basis. Kohler said, "There is a vast wealth of historical information in Atari 50, which is all integrated into our interactive timelines right alongside the games!" Several behind the scenes interviews are featured to add depth and understanding beyond playing the games themselves. Included is footage from a 1973 interview with Nolan Bushnell, co-founder of Atari. There are also conversations with Pong designer Al Alcorn, Yars' Revenge designer Howard Scott Warshaw, Swordquest producer Tod Frye, and many more.
"It's an interactive journey through Atari history, in which playable games, digital artifacts, interviews, historical trivia and more are all arranged on a series of chronological, narrative "timelines," almost like a museum exhibit."
The video game collection gurus at Digital Eclipse are no strangers to developing anthologies. Previous releases have included games by Capcom, Blizzard, and Konami. Within them all, players can find more than just gameplay. Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration offers the pause menu of each game as the landing point for players to view content unique to each title. Kohler's enthusiasm for the accessibility of these features is obvious, touting the company's use of the interactive timeline format: "[We are] integrating the historical content with the games themselves rather than keeping them separate."
Atari 50 is More Than A Video Game Collection
Digital Eclipse has proven itself to be a powerhouse developer of retro video game anthologies. From Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, the hits just keep coming. Speaking of the company's love for keeping classic video games available, Kohler said, "We believe that gaming's history should be treated with the same kind of respect given to classic films or classic literature."
"We love to do anything we can to keep these games in print... bringing these games back from obscurity for the first time."
Players of Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration get much more than a collection of video games they can just play. They get to live (or relive) the true history of modern video games. The arrangement of games in order of their release is a key factor of the experience intended by the developers at Digital Eclipse. Kohler explained how using the interactive timeline format, the historical content is integrated within the games themselves rather than keeping them separate. "It's an interactive journey through Atari history, [offering] playable games, digital artifacts, interviews, historical trivia and more." Players get the best of both worlds: They can play the games or learn more about the games they get to play.
Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.