Unashamedly retro and nostalgic, the Atari 2600 Lego set is likely to pop up in various Christmas stockings this year. Mine included.
It ticks two very important boxes. First up, this is a Lego set, and that’s always a box worth ticking. Yes, I’m long past the child demographic, but that’s not important. Lego is fun for both kids and adults – and now Lego is producing a number of sets aimed solely at the latter.
This is an age-18 Lego set, and to be honest, I can’t imagine many people under that age wanting it or even knowing what an Atari 2600 is or was. You can probably up that to 35 in truth – or even higher.
The second is the fact that it features an icon of home gaming. A machine that opened the door to so much that followed.
Released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Atari, this is the dream project for any retro gamer. And also something you will want to have on display once your project is completed.
Not just the console either. Although that would have been enough for me. This detailed set also includes three ‘mini builds’ depicting themes from three popular Atari games (Asteroids, Adventure and Centipede). There’s even a ‘hidden 1980s scene’ inside, too, featuring a kid playing Asteroids in a 1980s room complete with classic TV, boom box, posters, retro phone and roller skates.
There’s also a cartridge for each game, with games slotting into the vintage-style console, which can be stored in the cartridge holder.
But the headline act is that machine. A buildable model of the 2600, complete with a joystick and all the detail you may or may not recall from the original era. When the lucky kids had one, and the rest tried their best to get an invite round to play it.
With 2,532 pieces, this is unlikely to be easy. But if it does land at Christmas, you’ll at least have something to entertain you during the boredom of Boxing Day.
More images and close-ups on the Lego site if you are considering it, and if you do want to purchase, this limited edition set sells for £209.99. I know; someone will need to love you a lot for this to be a gift.
