Atari XP

Collect Rare and Unreleased Games with Atari XP

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Published: November 16, 2021 11:28 AM

Atari has just announced Atari XP, an initiative where collectors and retro gaming enthusiasts will be able to purchase Atari game cartridges from the 70's and 80's. The first three games to arrive through the service (which is available in the US only at this time) are Yars’ ReturnAquaventure, Saboteur. So that means the Atari 2600/5200/7600 is the focus. Sorry, all 12 of you Atari Jaguar fans that are out there. This is for cool kids only.

Atari has been no stranger to making some weird products in recent years. The Atari VCS, for instance, is a weird one. Pong Quest, an RPG about Pong, is another one of them. And that's some of the tamer stuff Atari has done in recent years, such as being able to eventually sleep in retro gaming luxury at an Atari Hotel.

“With our large catalog of classic games, we saw an opportunity to bring high-value, nostalgic content to the very active community of hardcore Atari fans, collectors, and video game enthusiasts,” said Atari CEO, Wade Rosen. “We are confident that fans and collectors alike will be thoroughly impressed with Atari’s reemergence into cartridge production.”

The limited editions for Yars’ ReturnAquaventure, Saboteur are newly manufactured, so it's not like they were found in a warehouse somewhere. The Limited Editions of each game also come with an instruction manual with bonus material, a collectible pin and badge, a certificate of authenticity, and a digital copy of the game playable on the Atari VCS. Only 1,983 copies of the limited editions will be made, which is in honor of when Atari says the games would've been released. 

The Limited Editions will go for $149.99 USD exclusively on AtariXP.com, with the standard editions-which just include the Atari 2600 cartridge retailing for $49.99 USD. Other titles that will be released through Atari XP will include previously unreleased titles, rare games, and improved versions of classic games with "refined mechanics and graphics." We have inquired if the games will be available digitally on the VCS beyond the Limited Editions, and will update this article when we learn more.

If you are the type of person to order one of the standard cartridges by December 10, 2021, you'll hopefully receive them by Christmas. Limited Edition cartridges are expected to receive them by Q1 2022.

Want to see the games in action? Check out the silent footage below:

What do you think of Atari XP? Let us know in the comments! 

A very unflattering picture of my tired face.
| Staff Writer

Patrick is a former Staff Writer for TechRaptor and has been gaming on every console he could get since he could hold a controller. He’s been writing for… More about Patrick