The 1977 Atari 2600 is about to get its first official cartridge release in 33 years. What’s more, the game is also coming to consoles released in the past decade, including Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
The game in question is Mr. Run and Jump, and this unlikely set of platforms makes a lot more sense when you understand the game’s history.
The title was originally developed in 2021 by John Mikula specifically to highlight the enduring capabilities of the Atari 2600’s hardware.
But, apparently, Atari was so enamoured with the game’s simple pleasures that they and indie studio Graphite Lab gave it a fresh lick of paint for modern gamers, as seen in the trailer below.
That’s quite a stark difference from the Atari 2600 cartridge, which offers a more authentically 1970s experience.
The version for modern systems is considerably expanded, featuring more than30 hours of gameplay and a time-trial feature alongside the “glowing explosion of colour, action, and personality” you can see in the video above.
All of that is more muted on the Atari 2600’s cartridge, but it still offers six worlds, 80 levels, and five enemy types. That would surely be enough to keep any child of the 1980s happy (writing as a bonafide child of the 1980s myself).
If you fancy the more retro experience, the cartridge will work on the original vintage machine, or you’ll also be able to download a copy to 2021’s Atari VCS hardware. The cartridge will set you back $60 (£48) when pre-orders open on July 31.
That seems steep, but it will apparently be manufactured using new parts and materials, including gold-plated connectors and bevelled edges to prevent pin damage. It will come with an old-school box and an actual paper instructions manual, just in case using a joystick feels alien after all these years away.
