Pac-Man Atari 2600+ Collection Celebrates 45 Years of the Yellow Muncher
Pac-Man turns 45 this year, and Atari is throwing the birthday party. Teaming with Bandai Namco, the company has unveiled the Atari 2600+ PAC-MAN Collection—a modernized, Pac-Man–themed remix of its 2023 2600+ hardware, complete with new cartridges, wireless ghost joysticks, and a DLC bundle that digs deep into arcade history.
Pre-orders open July 23, 2025; global launch lands October 31, 2025.
Here’s the TL;DR…
Pac-Man Yellow Console – A limited-run Atari 2600+ painted Pac-Man yellow, with backlit character icons and HDMI/widescreen out.
Double-Feature Cartridge – One cart, two games: the (in)famous 1982 VCS port and a brand-new “arcade-style” Pac-Man for Atari 7800.
High Score Collection – Reissued 7800 classics (Galaga, Dig Dug, Xevious) packaged in collectible, color-coded carts.
Wireless Ghost Sticks – Blinky, Pinky, Inky & Clyde–themed CX-style joysticks that also work on original hardware.
Atari 50: Namco Legendary Pack DLC arrives later this year with multiple Pac-Man, Galaga, and extra history content.
A Fresh Coat of (Pac-Man Yellow) Paint
The new console isn’t just a recolor. Atari’s 2023 2600+ already plays original 2600/7800 carts via modern internals and HDMI. The PAC-MAN Edition adds illuminated character art across the front panel plus a yellow shell that screams 1980. It ships with a CX-40 joystick—but collectors can snag the separate four-pack of wireless ghost controllers to complete the look.
Two Games, One Cart
Pack-in cartridge PAC-MAN: Double Feature bundles:
Pac-Man (1982) – The best-selling (and most-derided) Atari 2600 port that still moved 7 million units.
Pac-Man 7800 – A brand-new, arcade-accurate take built for Atari’s 8-bit console, debuting here.
High Score Cartridge Collection
Launching alongside the console, this 7800 box set revives three Namco staples:
GALAGA (yellow shell)
DIG DUG (blue shell)
XEVIOUS (silver shell)
Each game features embossed labels and bespoke packaging—catnip for retro archivists.
DLC: Atari 50 × Namco Legendary Pack
Later in 2025, Digital Eclipse’s acclaimed museum-slash-game Atari 50 expands with Namco classics: multiple Pac-Man versions, Galaga, documentaries, design docs, and fresh interviews. It’s history class for quarter-slot junkies.
Why This Matters
Nostalgia Sells: The original 1982 home release helped push the 2600 past 30 million units; Atari is banking on that warm, fuzzy feeling again.
Retro Renaissance: With the 2023 Atari 2600+ and 2024 7800+ launches selling briskly, the company’s “back to roots” strategy targets both veterans and newcomers.
Anniversary Timing: Pac-Man’s 45th plus Atari’s own 52-year legacy keeps the brand top-of-mind heading into the holiday season.
Analysts already speculate more 45th-anniversary crossovers (looking at you, Ms. Pac-Man), and Atari hints additional color-variant consoles could follow if demand holds.
Sources
Atari – Official PAC-MAN Edition announcement (July 21 2025)
Atari.com – Product page & pre-order details
Wikipedia – Pac-Man, Atari 2600, historical sales data
Nintendo Everything – Atari 50: Namco Legendary Pack DLC reveal
Steam – Atari 50 DLC store listing
EW.com – “Top 10 Atari Games” retro feature
News compiled and edited by Derek Gibbs and Steven Bubbles on July 21, 2025.
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