Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration - Co-op Review

The biggest and best-ever collection of Atari titles includes 11 co-op games.

Retro collections can be appealing because of the large number of games they include, but sometimes the games are too old to be much fun. Digital Eclipse and Atari overcome this problem by adding documentary content into the mix. Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration bundles an amazing 115 titles and a wealth of historical matter in one slick package. With an Expanded Edition due in October, it’s finally time to review the base collection.

Atari 50 consists of two main components: documentary content and the games library. The interface is identical to those of Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story and The Making of Karateka, also from Digital Eclipse. The documentary section here is broken into five sections spanning Atari’s origins all the way to the present day. Each section offers abundant photos, videos, 3D models, and text that convey the history of Atari and its games in an intuitive way. If you want to learn about Atari and the American side of the gaming industry from the 1970s-1990s, look no further.

The 115 games found in this collection (5 of which much be unlocked, and 12 of which were added via update) encompass the following platforms: arcade, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 7800, Atari 800 computer, Atari Lynx, and Atari Jaguar. Additionally, Digital Eclipse has created a handful of new games for the collection: Haunted Houses, Neo Breakout, Quadratank, VCTR-SCTR, and Yars’ Revenge Enhanced (not to be confused with Yars: Recharged), plus Swordquest: Airworld, a new Atari 2600 game.

Games in the library can be sorted by year, platform, and title. Notably absent is a way to sort by multiplayer and/or a way to exclude games with 2-player alternating multiplayer (which isn’t real multiplayer) from showing up as multiplayer. It took us quite a while to test the multiplayer features of this big old collection, but in total, 11 titles support 2-player local co-op.

Each game has cover artwork, a brief description, and an instruction manual or flyer. All games have remappable controls, save states, and video and border options as well.

The Atari 7800 version of Asteroids is better than both arcade versions, but it did come out five years after them. The chief improvement is that not only can players play solo or 2-plater alternating, but they can also play competitively or in the co-op “Team Play” mode.

The goal in Asteroids is to clear each stage of the floating asteroids that threaten your ships. This version features colorful, detailed asteroids that look much nicer than the plain vector space rocks of the original. Almost 20 years after its release, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better version of Asteroids.

While both versions of Basketbrawl are included in this collection, only the Atari 7800 version retains its co-op support. This one is essentially Atari’s version of Arch Rivals, a basketball game in which players can punch each other to steal the ball. Players can choose to play 1v1 or 2v2, and two human players can team up against the AI team.

Basketbrawl offers 6 playable characters with unique stats, multiple courts, and large, detailed players. Too bad the more robust Atari Lynx version doesn’t have co-op support in this collection, but the Atari 7800 version actually has better graphics anyway.

Centipede is a shoot ‘em up in which players fire at rapidly descending centipedes, hopping spiders, and other threats. Destructible mushrooms provide some cover but mostly act as obstacles.

Like Asteroids, the Atari 7800 version of Centipede adds co-op support that wasn’t present in the arcade game. In “Dual Player Competition,” both players share the field and play until one player runs out of lives. In “Team Play,” the team shares the same pool of lives. That’s co-op, baby. Solid graphics and an ample variety of modes make this the finest version of Centipede in this collection.

Two versions of Dark Chambers appear in this collection, and both include co-op. The Atari 7800 version looks significantly better than its little brother, but you have to admire the ambition of squeezing a detailed fantasy game onto such a weak system.

Dark Chambers is based on a 1983 computer game called Dandy that inspired Gauntlet, so this one resembles Gauntlet as well. Both players will navigate maze-like floors of a castle while searching for treasure, keys, and other items. Our heroes can fire arrows to defeat their enemies, some of which come from spawners. Despite the lack of music, this game remains an enjoyable proto-Gauntlet adventure.

Atari’s first co-op game also stands as the first cooperative arcade game ever made, so it definitely deserves a place in this collection. The game uses black and white graphics on a vertical display. Gameplay centers around controlling both halves of a 2-part fire truck (the cab and trailer) and navigating obstacle-filled city streets.

When playing solo, the computer controls one half of the truck. In co-op games, one player controls the cab and the other handles the trailer. The truck has a fuel meter that constantly dwindles, and the objective is to drive as far as possible before the truck runs dry. If Fire Truck had any actual firefighting, it would probably hold up a little better to modern scrutiny, but it’s really just a driving game.

The third game in the Haunted House series (all of which appear here) starts with a mandatory single-player tutorial that lasts about five minutes. After that, players will unlock the first of three levels, all of which can be played in split-screen co-op.

The Atari 2600 Haunted House was a top-down maze game in which players controlled a pair of eyes as it searched for three pieces of a relic. This sequel operates on the same premise, but now the graphics are 3D. Players can even switch between a behind-the-back or a top-down camera angle. Darkness plays a big part in this game, with the environments mostly appearing in pitch darkness except when lightning strikes. Enemies like bats and super annoying ghosts must be avoided or warded off by carrying a specific item.

There are two playable characters to choose from, each with unique items to light their surroundings and make items easier to find. Both items work for a short time before they switch off and cool down. Haunted Houses’ simple but stylish 3D graphics and split-screen co-op are commendable, but the constantly dwindling light and unkillable enemies make for a stressful experience.

This modern sequel to Combat, the Atari 2600 pack-in, offers two game modes (Combat or Capture the Flag), three maps, two terrain types, and a handful of additional options. Solo players can compete against 1-3 enemy tanks, two co-op players can battle against two AI tanks, or up to four players can battle each other. The optional split-screen view limits each player’s view of the battlefield.

Quadratank also adds power-ups into the mix, and the 2.5D visuals strike the sweet spot between classic and modern. This one has good potential as a party game, though the small number of maps might hurt the game’s staying power. Just be sure to pick a control type that everyone can grasp; the default tank-style controls are a bit complex for this style of game.

Atari’s only 2-player game with vector graphics, Space Duel is extremely similar to Asteroids. Instead of shooting asteroids, players shoot at colorful geometric shapes. Otherwise, the controls and gameplay are mostly identical.

Two-ship gameplay is Space Duel’s innovation. When playing solo, the player can choose to control either a single ship or two ships that are tethered together. In co-op, players have the similar choice of being tethered or untethered. Naturally, tethering keeps both ships in close proximity – for better or worse.

The first Tempest (also included in this collection) is a 1981 arcade game that originally used a spinner instead of a joystick. This sequel (which is also found in Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story) retains similar gameplay but vastly improves the graphics and sound and adds several modes, including the “Tempest Plus” co-op mode.

Whether playing solo or co-op, players move their pincer-shaped ships around the edges of various vector-based levels. Enemies descend from the end of the level and advance towards the screen and the players. Should a foe reach the boundary of the level where players are located, they will advance and kill the player – unless a “Superzapper” bomb is used. Despite the inability to dodge enemies at close range, Tempest 2000 is stylish and interesting enough to warrant some solo and co-op attention.

Digital Eclipse decided to make an original game that pays tribute to multiple classic Atari games, and VCTR-SCTR is the result. It starts out as an updated version of Space Duel and Asteroids, complete with the option to play with tethered or untethered ships. Complete the first level, though, and both players must then safely land their ships Lunar Lander-style. Next comes a third-person 3D racing/shooting level, followed by a Temptest level.

The sheer variety of gameplay types and homages makes VCTR-SCTR special, and it also looks and sounds great. Shame there’s no way to select or skip levels, though, as the Lunar Lander stage is bound to give some players trouble.

With a games lineup spanning so many titles and years, gamers are bound to find games that they like and dislike in Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration. On the downside, many (but not all!) Atari 2600 games have aged poorly. The presence of 6 Lynx and 9 Jaguar games is a plus, but the Lynx games have had their multiplayer support removed, and easily half of the Jaguar games here are terrible. Those platforms were home to better games than Atari 50 would have you believe. Still, the new games from Digital Eclipse help make up for the scarcity of 1990s-era titles. Neo Breakout, Quadratank, and VCTR-SCTR are particularly memorable. Atari 50 offers more than enough fascinating historical content and a diverse enough library of games to make it a must-have for any retro gaming enthusiast. Let’s just hope that the promised “Enhanced Edition” DLC adds at least a few post-2600 games to the lineup!

Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration (the original edition) sells for $39.99 on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and Steam. The Steam version is fully Steam Deck compatible.

An Xbox download code was provided by the publisher for this review.