Atari 50th: Wider World of Atari DLC (Review)

[Metal Jesus]

 

Atari and Digital Eclipse are back with a new DLC to their excellent Atari 50th the Anniversary Celebration! They are adding 19 playable games, as well as 8 video interviews into a brand new timeline to the main game. More info: https://atari.com

A second DLC entitled The First Console War will be released globally on November 8, in addition to  a physical release of Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Expanded Edition on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 for $39.99. The physical release contains the original game and both DLCs. 

 

A Steelbook version for Nintendo Switch, which will include Atari 2600 art cards, miniature arcade marquee signs, an Al Alcorn Replica Syzygy Co. business card, will retail for $49.99 USD.

 

Games Included in DLC #1: 
Atari Video Cube (2600)
Avalanche (800)
Avalanche (arcade)
Berzerk (2600 Voice Enhanced)
Berzerk (2600)
Berzerk (5200)
Berzerk (arcade)
Desert Falcon (2600)
Destroyer (arcade)
Football (arcade)
Frenzy (arcade)
Off the Wall (2600)
Red Baron (arcade)
Sky Diver (2600)
Sky Diver (arcade)
Steeplechase (2600)
Stellar Track (2600)
Submarine Commander (2600)
Super Bug (arcade)

Edited September 25 by Metal Jesus

[+jeremiahjt]

So they included TWO Stern arcade games that Atari had nothing to do with back then. I understand why they did it, I just wish they hadn't. I am glad all those Berzerk ports are on there and the rest of the games look good.

 

I did not know there was a computer port of Avalanche. Is that from back in the day or is it more current?

 

I do not know why I like Sky Diver so much, the arcade original and the 2600 port, but I do.

 

Happy to see those older arcade games.

[Metal Jesus]

9 minutes ago, jeremiahjt said:

So they included TWO Stern arcade games that Atari had nothing to do with back then. I understand why they did it, I just wish they hadn't.

Let's be honest...we're all waiting for them to do a big Activision DLC for this. Now that Microsoft owns it all, maybe they can work that out 🤞

[zzip]

59 minutes ago, jeremiahjt said:

So they included TWO Stern arcade games that Atari had nothing to do with back then. I understand why they did it, I just wish they hadn't. I am glad all those Berzerk ports are on there and the rest of the games look good.

 

I did not know there was a computer port of Avalanche. Is that from back in the day or is it more current?

 

I do not know why I like Sky Diver so much, the arcade original and the 2600 port, but I do.

 

Happy to see those older arcade games.

I kind of wish they included some of the other Stern arcade games they acquired, instead of games like Red Baron that have been in other Atari compilations.

[smog-097]

How much does the DLC cost if you have the original release?

[+jeremiahjt]

51 minutes ago, Metal Jesus said:

Let's be honest...we're all waiting for them to do a big Activision DLC for this. Now that Microsoft owns it all, maybe they can work that out 🤞

Listen here, Mr. H.E.R.O., I am waiting for Atari to buy Battlezone back from Rebellion so we can get a Battlezone DLC.

[+jeremiahjt]

9 minutes ago, zzip said:

I kind of wish they included some of the other Stern arcade games they acquired, instead of games like Red Baron that have been in other Atari compilations.

Maybe I am wrong on this. Maybe it does not matter that Atari had nothing to do with all those Stern arcade games.

 

I think if they had a little arcade competitors section for arcade games made by companies other than Atari, I could get behind that. Right now that would only include Stern, but you never know what Atari might buy in the future.

 

I do have to disagree with you on the Red Baron point. I see nothing wrong with having games on there that have been released on other compilations. Besides, not everybody has all the other compilations. I bet Atari 50 outsold any of the Atari Flashback collections, and maybe all three of them combined.

[ukiha]

No Xbox physical, so sad

[zzip]

5 minutes ago, jeremiahjt said:

I think if they had a little arcade competitors section for arcade games made by companies other than Atari, I could get behind that. Right now that would only include Stern, but you never know what Atari might buy in the future.

 

I do have to disagree with you on the Red Baron point. I see nothing wrong with having games on there that have been released on other compilations. Besides, not everybody has all the other compilations. I bet Atari 50 outsold any of the Atari Flashback collections, and maybe all three of them combined.

I think that's why they are going with the "Wider World of Atari" theme, so they can add things that weren't Atari BITD but are owned by Atari now.   The Atari 50 presentation format makes it easy to add sections to cover this stuff.

 

The fact is you can get older Atari collections cheap,  so the value-add here is stuff you can't get elsewhere.   When I bought Atari 50, I didn't care about the 2600 or Arcade content because almost everything there had been in other collections,   what made Atari 50 interesting was the 7800/Jaguar/8-bit/Lynx stuff that got skipped in other collections.   

 

For the seven lesser known Stern games, I'd hate to think of them rotting in a vault somewhere,  I doubt they can sell them individually Arcade Archives style, so it makes sense to put them in a compilation like this,  especially if they are going to give us the much more popular Berzerk & Frenzy at no additional cost.

[Sean_1970]

23 minutes ago, zzip said:

I kind of wish they included some of the other Stern arcade games they acquired, instead of games like Red Baron that have been in other Atari compilations.

The only one I can think of that isn’t a game they licensed from Konami is Lost Tomb, which I’d love to see in a comp or fresh 7800 port on cart. What are the others?

 

They seem to have included a few arcade games previously only in the Flashback comps. Berzerk Arcade makes this a must-buy alone for me 😁

[Hwlngmad]

1 hour ago, Metal Jesus said:

 

Atari and Digital Eclipse are back with a new DLC to their excellent Atari 50th the Anniversary Celebration! They are adding 19 playable games, as well as 8 video interviews into a brand new timeline to the main game. More info: https://atari.com

A second DLC entitled The First Console War will be released globally on November 8, in addition to  a physical release of Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Expanded Edition on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 for $39.99. The physical release contains the original game and both DLCs. 

 

A Steelbook version for Nintendo Switch, which will include Atari 2600 art cards, miniature arcade marquee signs, an Al Alcorn Replica Syzygy Co. business card, will retail for $49.99 USD.

 

Games Included in DLC #1: 
Atari Video Cube (2600)
Avalanche (800)
Avalanche (arcade)
Berzerk (2600 Voice Enhanced)
Berzerk (2600)
Berzerk (5200)
Berzerk (arcade)
Desert Falcon (2600)
Destroyer (arcade)
Football (arcade)
Frenzy (arcade)
Off the Wall (2600)
Red Baron (arcade)
Sky Diver (2600)
Sky Diver (arcade)
Steeplechase (2600)
Stellar Track (2600)
Submarine Commander (2600)
Super Bug (arcade)

Not the best DLC imo, but it is always nice to see more games added into the package along with even more interviews to further strengthen the interactive portion.  This and the future DLC just go to help make the game better, though not without its flaws.  Personally, I would really like to see more 8-bit and Jaguar titles as seemingly there are some to be included.  But, hey, we are getting two DLCs with more games and videos, which is pretty cool.

[+Stephen]

58 minutes ago, smog-097 said:

How much does the DLC cost if you have the original release?

I've seen it listed at $7.99 - not sure if that is only for the Nintendo version.

[+jeremiahjt]

1 hour ago, zzip said:

For the seven lesser known Stern games

 

1 hour ago, Sean_1970 said:

What are the others?

The other ten Stern games are the aforementioned Lost Tomb, Armored Car, Tazz-Mania, Rescue, Dark Planet, Moon War, Great Guns, Maze Blazer, Mine Field, and the lost Atomic Castle.

[Giles N]

First; Congrats @Albert in becoming the Atari Historian who have made Atari-history himself…  

——

My thoughts on the DLC content: they are doing some heavy

(re-)introduction of theBerzerk & Frenzy ‘world’ or ‘setting’. It would be surprising if they didn’t try to more with these games than that.
Will we now see a Frenzy: Recharged? Will a big-budget ($$$ = Yars Rising & Fatal Run 2089) Berzerk game, come around in the future (Q3-4, ‘25…?)

 

Red Baron is cool. Kind of game that could need a 2600 version built like Battlezone or like a WW1-style version of Lock On. (to make the 2600+ get even more attention perhaps). 
What would Red Baron look like for the 7800? 
Lynx’ ‘Warbirds’ was originally meant to be called Red Baron, then it changed to Warbirds prior to launch.

Will the Recharged-series (class: $10-15) see a 3D game? Will we see a Neo-Vector styled 3D game, with graphics like the 3D shooting part from VCTR SCTR (just with 360 degree turn arounds, open landscape) I’d like that.

 

I had perhaps hoped for more titles and/or unlockables for the 7800 and 5200/8-Bit, Lynx and Jaguar. 
Again, they focus intensely on the 2600 and Arcades. Not saying its totally wrong, but how then will they make people more aware, get people interested in the 7800+ products and collecting for that, or get people on board with, - get interested in - some ‘every Atari console has something to offer’-mentality? 
I actually had expected at least 2 7800 titles, some unique 5200/8-bit title(s) and perhaps either an original game for the Lynx or Jaguar, or be it a Homebrew or new game.

 

What I see is a massive presentation of- and focus on- Berzerk and Frenzy, and additionally some things that may be used as giving users/buyers gaming-experiences that Atari then can use for later projects with the 2600+ or 7800+.

 

Edited September 25 by Giles N

[Albert]

26 minutes ago, Giles N said:

Furst; Congrats @Albert in becoming the Atari Historian who have made Atari-history himself…  

Did my interview make it?  I haven't even seen it yet! 

 

 ..Al

[Metal Jesus]

1 minute ago, Albert said:

Did my interview make it?  I haven't even seen it yet! 

 

 ..Al

Oh yeah! You're there. Good stuff. 

[Giles N]

22 minutes ago, Albert said:

Did my interview make it?  I haven't even seen it yet! 

 

 ..Al

Yes, you’re presented as a kind of Batman - or RetroGame SuperMan in his Clark Kent outfit, for the events concerning the ‘Official Atari’s Age of Obscurity and Financial Downfall’. I just think they avoid using so strong descriptions concerning Atari (and their decisions at the time)😏, only like ‘man, glad you was there to pull the logo, the name and the remaining older stuff - consoles, computers & games, beloved by gamers for 30-40 years, out of that abyssal quagmire fromwhich none gamething ever swallowed, has ever returned.’ 😉😃

 

 

Edited September 25 by Giles N

[Giles N]

2 hours ago, jeremiahjt said:

3 hours ago, Metal Jesus said:

we're all waiting for them to do a big Activision DLC for this. Now that Microsoft owns it all, maybe they can work that out 🤞

Listen here, Mr. H.E.R.O., I am waiting for Atari to buy Battlezone back from Rebellion so we can get a Battlezone DLC.

Would like to know which one would be the most costly affair: Battlezone or Activision.

I’d guess a full Activision line up would be expensive, but then give Atari as good retro-cards to deal as possible, given where they come from…

 

[Metal Jesus]

2 hours ago, ukiha said:

No Xbox physical, so sad

I don't know why that is... Maybe Microsoft has a higher minimum print requirement!? But you see that a lot unfortunately...

[Atariboy]

I find it bizarre that people seem to think that arcade Berzerk is out of place. It's the game that Atari licensed to adapt to home platforms. Berzerk on something like the 2600 isn't an original effort, it's a conversion of the Stern arcade game. How is that not relevant to include here now that it's owned by Atari and when it's placed alongside the home ports of it and video interviews of the folks that were tasked with bringing it home back then? I can see it with Frenzy, but I'll happily look the other way just the same. But it feels most appropriate to let Atari 50 players be able to see for themselves the very game that Atari's programmers had to recreate within the limited confines of home hardware of the time.

 

That all said, it looks like a solid lineup. I wish though that the black & white Atari arcade inclusions weren't all games previously in the Flashback/Vault line. Knowing that some of these oldies were included due to their press kit's screenshots and such, I was really hoping for something new like Tank 8 or Night Driver. And it feels unlikely any will sneak through in the next DLC pack that is going to be M-Network themed (which doesn't thrill me much when my favorites are licensed games like Bump 'n' Jump that won't be here, although I'm very curious if we'll see Atarisoft Centipede for the Intellivision).

Edited September 25 by Atariboy

[Giles N]

4 hours ago, Metal Jesus said:

waiting for them to do a big Activision DLC for this. Now that Microsoft owns it all, maybe they can work that out

If I may ask, what is the background story here, and how or why would it impact Ataris chances to get them, or as you say ‘work it out’ (did you think primarily for use in a DLC for the Atari 50th and then, like thats it, or did you think ‘buy the full list of Activision Atari-fame IPs’, and use these IPs in the future)

 

Edited September 25 by Giles N

[Metal Jesus]

5 minutes ago, Giles N said:

If I may ask, what is the background story here, and how or why would it impact Ataris chances to get them, or as you say ‘work it out’?

 

Just a guess...but now that Microsoft owns Activision and presumably all those 2600 game rights (along with old Sierra games, and so much more classic IPs)... why not try and see if that can get access to them?

Edited September 25 by Metal Jesus

[Atariboy]

Out of curiosity, how does Super Bug control, Metal Jesus?

 

To further explain my question, Atari 50 launched with two overhead Atari arcade racing games that originally used free-spinning wheels. Fire Truck on Atari 50 used the conventional compilation setup where moving the stick/d-pad to the left or right spins the wheel left and right. Not particularly playable for many folks since the speed quickly overwhelms the player.

 

Sprint 8 on Atari 50 however copied what Code Mystics came up with on Atari Flashback Classics/Vault. The steering wheel is automatically oriented in the direction that you've pointed the analog stick towards. For instance if you're going straight up the screen and there's a sudden 90 degree bend to the right, you shift the analog stick from pointing straight up towards the 12 o'clock position and point it towards the 3 o'clock position. 

 

The former setup sucks and Super Bug will be a dud on here if they went with that setup (just look at MAME videos on YouTube of it which are universally full of constant crashing). The latter setup though transformed it into a very fun racer on the Code Mystics collections despite the foreign nature of a modern gamepad compared to the arcade cabinet's controls.

Edited September 25 by Atariboy

[MateusSolo]

What? Red Baron without Battlezone? My military section's glass is half empty.

[moycon]

Day one purchase!!