Atari is teaming up with Plaion and Bandai Namco to release a stunning redesign of the iconic Atari 2600 console in celebration of the 45th anniversary of Pac-Man, one of the most popular gaming characters and IP of all time. And yes, I said "stunning," which should carry that disclaimer that yellow is my favorite color. It sort of reminds me of when Nintendo released a charming blue and yellow Nintendo 64 Pokemon Edition console back in the day.
What's on tap from Atari and the game is actually a themed version of the
more modern Atari 2600+ that released in November 2023. That original variant took the looks of the original Atari 2600 from 1977 and updated it with modern hardware and features, including HDMI connectivity, a widescreen mode, and the ability to play both Atari 2600 and 7800 games.
Now two years later, the Atari 2600+ Pac-Man Edition carries over the same updated guts, but with a fresh new look touting Pac-Man's signature yellow colorway. It also includes some graphics on the front of the console.
"The Atari 2600+ Pac-Man Edition is more than just a console—it's a tribute to the moment home gaming truly began. By reimagining the iconic hardware in Pac-Man's unmistakable style, we're celebrating the legacy of two cultural giants who helped define a generation of play. We're proud to bring this collaboration to life for collectors, fans, and a whole new wave of retro gaming enthusiasts," said Plaion Replai's Commercial Director, Ben Jones.
If you're a middle-aged gamer like myself who remembers playing Pac-Man on the original Atari 2600 back in the day, then you know full well that it was a crappy port of the hit arcade game. The graphics and sound were awful in comparison, and it just wasn't all that fun.
Still, the original Pac-Man game for the Atari 2600 is included with this special edition console. However, it's included on a Pac-Man Double Feature cartridge that also includes Pac-Man 7800, a new and much improved version of Pac-Man that stays true to the arcade version.
It also comes with a CX40+ wireless joystick in the same yellow colorway. Additionally, you can purchase other color variants that align with the ghosts that are forever chasing the pellet muncher, including blue (Inky ghost), red (Blinky ghost), pink (Pinky ghost), and orange (Clyde ghost).
Plaion says the Atari 2600+ Pac-Man Edition will be available to preorder starting this Wednesday, July 23 at Amazon and Atari.com, priced at £129.99. Same goes for the CX40+ wireless joysticks, which will be priced at £29.99 apiece. Then sometime later, the
Pac-Man Double Feature cartridge will be released in standalone form.
What about U.S. pricing? The
preorder page show it listed for $169.99. You still have to wait until Wednesday, but there's a waitlist you can join. Meanwhile, the
main landing page shows the controllers priced at $39.99 a pop (scroll down), or
$199.95 for all five controllers.