Following the success of 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), LEGO has unveiled its next nostalgia-laden set in the Icons theme with a throwback to one of the original home gaming consoles: 10306 Atari 2600. The iconic console, released in November of 1982, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The 2,532-piece set includes the console itself and the distinctive joystick controller, along with a cartridge holder and three game cartridges with LEGO-ified artwork, Adventure, Asteroids, and Centipede. The set also includes microscale vignettes for each of the three games, as well as a pop-up minifigure-scale scene built into the console itself. The Atari 2600 will be available US $239.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £209.99 when it’s available starting Aug. 1.
10306 Atari 2600 | 2,532 pieces | Available Aug. 1 | US $239.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £209.99
Here’s the official press release from LEGO:
LEGO Atari 2600 – PRODUCT PRESS RELEASE
BUILD UP THE FUN WITH THE NEW ICONIC LEGO ATARI 2600 SET
19th July 2022: Today, the LEGO Group reveals the new LEGO® Atari® 2600 set, a nostalgic recreation of one of the most famous video game consoles of all time. The iconic Atari VCS/2600 was an instant hit when introduced in 1977 and the new LEGO set is based on the four-switch revision which debuted in 1980. The release of the new LEGO set also comes in celebration of Atari’s 50th anniversary.
From the unboxing experience through to adding the final brick, building this intricate set is an evocative journey within itself. Activate challenge mode as you build your own console in brick form and take a nostalgic journey uncovering features such as the controller with a joystick that moves to feel just like the original. Brick builders and gamers alike will enjoy sliding open the front and unveiling a pop-up scene from an 80’s gaming room, reviving memories of hours spent trying to get a new high score.
The set also includes three video game cartridges of iconic Atari games in brick format: Asteroids™, Adventure and Centipede™. The cartridges can be stored in a case and built into mini versions of the games. In addition, the console includes a switch to select whether you have a colour or black and white television.
When it came to choosing a LEGO Designer for the set, there was only one person for the job. Lifelong Atari fan Chris McVeigh, who said about the design; “The Atari 2600 was one of the most memorable gifts I got as a kid. I recall spending hours and hours in front of the TV, absolutely amazed that I could play arcade games in my own home. There were so many legendary titles, too, including Asteroids, Adventure, and Centipede. 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 LEGO Atari 2600 set is available from the 1st August 2022 via LEGO Stores and www.LEGO.com/Atari at the recommended retail price of $/€239.99.
- Age – 18+
- Main console model measures:
- over 3 in. (8 cm) high
- 13 in. (33 cm) wide
- 8.5 in. (22 cm) deep
- Pieces: 2532
- Console
- Iconic game cartridges
- 3D recreation of the 2D games
- Joystick
- Surprise open mechanism
- Price: $/€239.99
50? You sure?
I mean, the company is 50, but the console is 10 years shy.
$300 Canadian (now listed on Lego Canada site.) I remember my dad paid $400 in 1979(?) for the original. Adjusted for inflation, the Lego version is considerably more expensive than the original which actually played games (I’m of course still going to purchase it.)
@RK,Tupperfan – Thanks for the heads up. I’ve updated the pricing info and article title.
RK, not poking or anything… In the recent years Atari has re-organised their business to mostly merch (their company declaration is that it is a “lifestyle brand”), so in that sense they sell nostalgia value which is, depending on the person, can cost much more or even be invaluable :)