Founded half a century ago, Atari was a trailblazer in the field of arcade games and a key figure in the formation of the video game industry. The American developer initially produced arcade titles before shifting focus to the consumer market with dedicated ports and programmable home consoles that made use of game cartridges. Atari's favorable position in the industry changed during the early 1980s when the company made a number of poor decisions that resulted in its inevitable fall from grace. Five decades after its inception, the sleeping giant is ready to celebrate its 50th anniversary with the introduction of a WarioWare-like game.
Atari's upcoming semicentennial release, Atari Mania, takes players on a wild ride through the colorful history of video games. Envisioned as an opportunity for veteran fans to re-engage with cult classics while acquainting the newer generation of gamers with the industry's roots, the compilation of 150 microgames promises to incorporate dozens of titles from Atari's golden age, the 1970s and 1980s. Rather than offering a simple, modernized take on iconic releases with enhanced or fully remastered visuals, Atari Mania's plot comes with a twist.
Embodying the role of a Caretaker of the Atari Vault, players are tasked with the upkeep of a storehouse filled to the brim with classic Atari games. Unbeknownst to them, a sinister conspiracy is simmering in the background as they go about their daily duties. One night, a dead pixel comes to life and wreaks havoc in the Vault, causing the beloved games to warp and mutate beyond recognition. Faced with a rising army of dying pixels and mysterious villains that follow in their wake, players have no choice but to stand their ground if they hope to restore order to the Vault.
As is the case with WarioWare, Atari Mania’s frantic microgame mashups include a series of short and increasingly difficult challenges. From Asteroids to Yar's Revenge, there is no shortage of unusual combinations that will see players utilizing properties from one game to combat adversaries from another. After completing designated challenges by solving puzzles, beating the clock or fulfilling other quirky objectives, epic boss battles will put brave Caretaker's mettle to the test.
Aside from a joyful soundtrack inspired by retro chiptune sounds and updated visuals of the classic Atari 2600 style, the game comes loaded with clever Easter eggs and trophies. Vintage Atari art, manuals, and fun facts presented in the form of collectibles, which can be unlocked throughout the course of Atari Mania's plot. Players interested in reliving the original experience alongside mashups can rest assured that fully playable versions of remastered classics will become available upon completion of certain challenges.
While Atari has tried its best at re-establishing its brand in recent years, most of the company's attempts were unsuccessful. The promising Atari VCS microconsole failed to live up to expectations, and the idea of an Atari-themed hotel and casino fell by the wayside before fading into obscurity. Taking a page out of Nintendo's book might be a step in the right direction for Atari and its celebratory 50th-anniversary release, especially given the long-standing success of WarioWare's idiosyncratic franchise, built solely around the idea of fast-paced microgames.
Whether Atari Mania will manage to position itself next to other prominent nostalgia-inspired entries remains to be seen. Over a hundred microgames spanning dozens of Atari classics and unlockable remasters sound promising, with the only caveat being the true-to-life pixel art style, which may not appeal to younger audiences in this day and age. Thanks to a release scheduled for the Atari VCS microconsole, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam, the game is bound to bridge the gap between the company's massive legacy and future endeavors while reuniting gamers under a single cause: the celebration of the industry's beginnings.