Following relatively hot on the heels of 2020’s Lego NES, the Danish building block company has collaborated with another gaming titan for a similarly nostalgic console build just in time for its 50th anniversary. The Atari 2600 will soon be available in Lego form for anyone willing to shell out $239.99 and build it from its 2,532 pieces. The console and its buildable accessories will be available exclusively on the Lego store on August 1. However, there will be no pre-orders.
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The build includes the central VCS unit, the 2600’s distinctive one-button joystick, and three cartridges that can reconfigure into scenes from some of Atari’s most classic games. Like the NES and its charming TV that played out a few moments from the original Super Mario Bros, the Lego 2600 has a few fun inclusions that will likely make any fan happy. For one, the buildable cartridges (representing Centipede, Asteroids, and Adventure) can pop into the console’s slot just like the real thing, although users won’t be able to hook this Lego toy up to a TV and play the games.
*Sound on* Remember when you got your Atari? Recreate that Atari feeling with our homage to the 80’s console that will make you feel like a kid again 🕹️😊https://t.co/xDMaoucGX1
#LEGO #ATARI2600 pic.twitter.com/xLB1uXt3wC— LEGO (@LEGO_Group) July 19, 2022
The machine’s front panel also folds out to reveal a scene straight out of the 2600’s heyday. A Minifigure sits in a wood-paneled room and plays games alongside a boombox, a VHS player, and some radical posters adorning the walls. It’s a fitting inclusion that should hit the nostalgia right in the product’s target age range. Unlike many Lego products, the Atari 2600 is built as a display piece rather than a traditional toy, as it’s part of the company’s 18+ Icons line.
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Lego has undoubtedly found a market for video game-themed projects aimed at aging gamers. In addition to the NES and this year’s 2600, the company has also teamed up with the two companies that once fought in the 16-bit console wars for projects based on Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog. With any luck, there will be some Lego love shown to the TurboGrafx-16 shortly to complete the set.