Official Review
Backed up by 19 additional games, the new timeline includes interviews from a wide range of industry figures, including current Atari CEO Wade Rosen, Pong creator Al Alcorn, graphic designer Evelyn Seto, and many more. Seto in particular is given her own segment looking at the creation and evolution of the iconic Atari 'Fuji' logo along with her contribution to the packaging designs for the VCS systems.
At the time, Atari wanted to capitalize on the popularity of Star Wars and so instructed Seto to lean into a 'space-age' vibe with her designs. Hearing this and seeing the accompanying box designs in the timeline with their grey, metallic aesthetics really makes you appreciate the thinking, even if the designs seem outdated by today's standards.
The games themselves are curious oddities that we suspect more casual Atari fans probably haven't heard of. These include titles exclusive to the retailer Sears during the '80s, along with arcade cabinets such as Avalanche, Super Bug, and Skydiver. Naturally, a few of these haven't aged particularly well, but we were surprised to find that many hold up. Avalanche in particular, which has you 'catching' falling rocks while white noise progressively increases in volume, is outrageously addictive.
You might remember that Digital Eclipse released a selection of games via a free update in 2023; several of which were developed by homebrew programmers. These titles, including Adventure II and Return to Haunted House, are also featured in the new timeline along with a video looking at the genesis of Atari homebrews and the fabled 'Stella List,' a collection of enthusiast 2600 programmers. We've got further contributions here from Digital Eclipse's own Mike Mika, along with AtariAge's community manager Albert Yarusso, and homebrew developer Dennis Debro (Climber 5).
Arguably, however, it's Alan McNeil's Berzerk that gets the most love in the DLC. The new timeline dives into the creation of the game along with its many ports, while also offering access to the original arcade release, the 2600 and 5200 ports, and the newly-released 'voice-enhanced' 2600 version from Mike Mika. Oh, and you also get the direct arcade sequel, Frenzy.
All in all, while the new timeline jumps around and doesn't boast the same natural sense of progression as the main game, what you're getting here is still well worth perusing if you're interested in discovering more about this formative company and its games. We suspect that once the second DLC pack launches in November, the overall Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Expanded Edition package will stand as the final word on interactive documentaries in the video game space.
