LEGO France sent us the brand new brick set of the famous Atari 2600 console. The opportunity for us to unpack the gigantic box containing the parts and to assemble this LEGO to see what it gives. Although the console does not work, some elements are actionable and the whole clearly gives us the feeling of having the real machine in front of our eyes. In the living room in any case, it looks very good!
LEGO Atari 2600: a difficult set to assemble?
- Reference : 10306
- Price : 239,99€
- Number of pieces : 2532 (16 pouches)
- Dimensions : H: 8cm / W: 33cm / D: 22cm
- assembly time : on average, it took about twenty minutes to assemble each sachet, i.e. about 5 and a half hours
Rated +18, above all because it isa collector’s item and not a simple toy, it must be admitted that certain parts of the Atari 2600 were complex to assemble, such as the activatable parts and the interior of the machine. So much the better since a LEGO that is too easy to finish is never very pleasant. The greatest quality of this LEGO is none other than the diversity of different pieces to mount. We find of course the central piece which is the ATARI console, the joystick, but also a storage box, three game cartridges and three renderings in relief for the games in question.
At the heart of the console is even a hidden game room that you can reveal at any time. Once all the games are over, the long-awaited moment is all the better for it: be able to connect the joystick with a cord directly behind the console, and be able to activate the various buttons or even insert the cartridge inside.
Probably the biggest fun of this LEGO is assembling the three game cartridges and their storage box. We find :
- Adventure (1980) : In a game that will inspire a generation of quest adventures, the evil wizard has stolen the magic chalice from your castle and you must lead your brave knight through terrible dangers to ensure his safe return!
- Asteroids (1981) : The goal of this very addictive game is to get the highest score by shooting down waves of asteroids, satellites and UFOs. Once shot down, asteroids shatter into smaller, faster pieces that fly off in unpredictable directions.
- Centipede (1982) : Use the wand at the bottom of the screen to destroy as many insects as you can. Your nemesis is a long, twisty centipede that invades every level. To continue in the game, you must exterminate each segment of the centipede in each level.
Focus on the Atari 2600
It’s for the 50 years of ATARI (1972) that Chris McVeight, LEGO designer, wanted to create his brick version. Released in 1977 for the first time, the famous ATARI Video Computer System (VCS) has become one of the most popular consoles in the history of gaming with more than 30 million units sold. In France, it is the 2600 version which has become emblematic with its 4 switch ports. This year, in 2022, the ATARI 2600 celebrates its 42nd candle and is still a console that retro lovers dream of owning.
Unlike many systems of the time which offered only one built-in game, ATARI used a cartridge system which allowed for a virtually unlimited selection of games. In total, 527 games were released for the ATARI and hits such as Asteroids, Ms Pac-Man and Pitfall made it the go-to console of the late 70s and early 80s.
Although there are many versions of the ATARI, the 2600 remains the most iconic. Especially since it offered a processor speed of 1.19MHz and above all a RAM capacity of 128b with cartridges at only 4b.
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