Mini Review: Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration

In my analysis of Atari 50’s ‘The First Console War’ DLC, I mentioned that Digital Eclipse had “apparently fulfilled its goal to showcase the most thorough interactive documentary on Atari achievable”. Pay attention to the term “apparently”! Indeed, we’re back with yet another extension – The Namco Legendary Pack – which introduces an additional 12 playable titles to the lineup along with a new documentary timeline detailing the establishment of Namco and its swift rise in Japan.

Once more, we have a collection of interviews, archival clips, documents, and 3D models to explore in a timeline spanning events from 1955 to 1986. We’re treated to images of a 29-year-old Masaya Nakamura as he launched the company that would ultimately evolve into Namco, while Atari founder Nolan Bushnell supplies crucial anecdotal insight about why his firm ended up selling its Atari Japan subsidiary to Namco just over a year post-formation.

Tod Frye, the creator of Pac-Man on Atari VCS, offers several significant interviews and sheds light on the game’s development journey, including the reasoning behind the ghosts’ ‘flickering’. Galaxian designer Mark Ackerman also makes an appearance to provide fantastic context surrounding the game’s creation alongside Glenn Parker. That’s about all there is in terms of interviews, but there’s an abundance of commercials, posters, images, and artwork for every included game.

I particularly relished examining some of the unused illustrations, especially the original box art for Pac-Man on the VCS. Crafted by Hiro Kimura, it portrays our protagonist as a gleaming robot dressed in a green vest, while the ghosts are represented as colossal, drooling monsters. Honestly, it’s a pity this design wasn’t put to use. In a similar vein, we’re presented with a breathtaking view of the original Galaxian artwork for the 5200 by artist Jim Kelly, and I lament the absence of such covers in today’s market.

Regarding playable titles, we have Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Galaxian, Galaga, and Xevious across various Atari systems. This could be a first for Atari 50, yet this DLC is devoid of any misses – every game is genuinely enjoyable. Dig Dug would go on to influence the lasting Mr. Driller series, while Xevious set the groundwork for numerous shmups to follow, including RayForce and TwinBee.

Pac-Man steals the spotlight in this expansion, with versions available for 8-Bit, 2600, and 5200. It’s intriguing to observe the compromises Atari had to execute to transition the arcade classic to the VCS, while the 8Bit and 5800 variants enhanced the quality in both visual and audio presentation. Plus, you know… it’s Pac-Man. I could engage with Pac-Man endlessly.

I’d love to claim that this is an ideal conclusion to the plethora of expansions for Atari 50, but who’s to say if this is the conclusion. There’s still a wealth of history that remains untapped, and although licensing obstacles will undoubtedly pose a substantial challenge for Atari and Digital Eclipse, I genuinely hope there’s more on the horizon.