Looks like Atari is making a comeback this year…sort of. According to a new report, Lego will release an official Atari console this August. The set will help commemorate the console’s triple anniversary happening this year.
News of this Lego set comes courtesy of German fansite Promobricks, which has been translated by our friends at VGC. According to the site, this set will feature a completely buildable wood-paneled Atari VCS console. It will also include a scene from Atari's classic Pitfall. The game, from Activision, is one of the first big games made for an at-home console and a top-selling game during the early 1980s.
This set is meant to honor the console’s anniversary happening this year, though which anniversary depends on how you look at it. The Atari VCS initially launched in 1977, making this the 45th anniversary. However, in 1982 the console was rebranded from VCS to 2600 making this the 40th anniversary. Of course, the console came five years after the first Pong cabinet was installed in California, making it the 50th anniversary for the video game company. According to the report, Lego is officially calling it the “Atari 50th Anniversary Gaming Console”.
No matter which anniversary you celebrate, this Lego set will let you relive all the nostalgia of the retro console. Of course, this Atari set will be Lego’s second venture into the world of gaming consoles. Back in 2020, the company released a commemorative NES set that let fans build a life-size Nintendo Entertainment System. It also included a retro-style TV that “played” a moveable scene from the Super Mario Bros. game. The scene is actually a flat sheet of Legos that wrap around and rotate using a crank. As the sheet turns, Mario appears to hop up and down.
While no official information is available, the included Pitfall scene will likely be moveable, using a similar method and the console’s joystick replica. It is unknown what else the set may include, though it does have an official set number (10306) and a suggested retail price of $199.99 USD. The set will release sometime in August and will be exclusive to Lego stores and online until early next year.