Announced today (July 19) via the toy company's blog, the Atari 2600 Lego is a real thing. To commemorate 50 years of Atari, Lego has set out to deliver the firm's (and video game industry's) most iconic console through a total of 2,532 pieces at $239.99. The forthcoming Atari 2600 Lego, which is set to debut on Atari's 50th Anniversary (August 1), will take on the likeness of the 1980 revised version as opposed to the original 1977 console.
Lego's new creation, designed by the likes of Chris McVeigh, will come fully equipped with the console's original CX40 joystick, in addition to three Atari game cartridges. The trio consists of video game classics, such as Adventure, Asteroids, and Centipede, all three of which can be slotted into the Atari 2600 Lego, much like its original predecessor (minus the unnecessary blowing into them for improved operability). The cartridges can even be built into miniaturized versions of their own games, a subtle touch that makes the set really stand out.
Unfortunately, the much-needed CRT TV comes separately. But, hidden within the Atari 2600 Lego is a surprise in the form of a 1980s living room diorama. The diorama showcases a minifig playing a miniature Atari VCS with several posters in the back spelling its age, most prominent among them being an Indiana Jones lookalike.
McVeigh considers the console itself "one of the most memorable gifts I got as a kid." This nostalgic adoration, he explains, is what drove him to create the Atari 2600 Lego build in the first place:
"This is why it has been such an incredible experience to bring two icons together, Atari and Lego, in this awesome set. We hope that building this classic console takes you back to those halcyon days when a handful of pixels meant a world of adventure."
The Atari 2600 Lego was first hinted at via Lego fan site Promobricks, getting almost everything right aside from its pricing. Despite now being locked in time, the Atari 2600 system proved among the most heralded gaming consoles on the market upon its release in the late 1970s. The Atari Video Computer System (VCS) was launched in 1977 at $140. Only six years later, it had sold over 12 million units.
Today, Atari's VCS exists as its actual namesake: a so-called "ready-to-run mini-PC for entertainment and streaming," reads the firm's product page. It has now taken on the VCS Onyx name to separate it from its predecessor, yet the product itself still looks almost identical to 2600, minus that subtle touch of wood on the front. This modern version comes equipped with 100 arcade and console games and an additional catalog of thousands of retro classics, all at a $300 price point.
Lego had released a similar concept before in the form of the original Nintendo Entertainment System, which debuted in 2020. The NES Lego replica featured the console itself and its accompanying controller and a full CRT TV, which displayed Nintendo's Mario leaping headlong through his gaming world.
The Atari 2600 Lego set will officially launch on August 1 via Lego's online store at $239.99.
