The LEGO Atari 2600 set has been in the rumor mill since April this year, and now finally it has gone official. Pretty obviously, the set is based on the classic game console that triggered the era of gaming in the 80s. Marking the 50 years of the brand’s legacy, the LEGO treatment for the most popular console in their history.
All you gaming nerds might remember the four-switch version of the Atari 2600 that arrived in 1980, This particular LEGO recreation is based on that model with a total of 2,532 pieces and a moveable joystick to bring back old memories. I wonder why they didn’t make it a 2,600 pieces version though!
Designer: LEGO Studios
This LEGO set is a follow-up to the Nintendo Entertainment System comprising 2,646 pieces – but one can’t deny the Atari 2600 set’s significantly higher perceived value. To keep things interesting for gamers who love anything classic from the 70s or 80s, there are the three cartridges of the classic games – Asteroids, Adventure and Centipede – slidable into the main body of the brick console. Each of the games also gets a matchable mini figurine to complete the look. The LEGO console opens up to reveal the diorama of a 1980s living room which I absolutely adore.
The life-sized set is designed by Chris McVeigh who said that it has been “an incredible experience to bring two icons together – Atari and Lego.” Bringing back those cherished memories of the days when a handful of pixels meant the world to all of us, is what makes this LEGO creation special. To top it off the set recreates details such as the vented top plate and the wooden accents on the front. The only thing I miss here is the LEGO adaptation of the RF adapter for this set.
LEGO Atari 2600 will be available on August 1, 2022, which coincidently is Atari’s 50th-anniversary date. The price tag of $239.99 will have many collectors all over this set I’m sure, and don’t be surprised if it goes out of stock in a jiffy.
