Review: 10306 Atari 2600

July 21, 2022 | 8

Seizing on the resurgence of interest in retro gaming and Atari’s 50th anniversary, LEGO’s next video game-themed LEGO Icons set is 10306 Atari 2600, one of the most iconic gaming consoles in history.

This 2,532-piece Chris McVeigh-designed set is a highly detailed brick-built replica of the “woody” Atari 2600, and is LEGO’s second gaming console model after 2020’s 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System.

If you grew up in the late 70s and 80s, Atari was all the rage, and for many in that generation, sparked a lifelong interest in gaming, and kickstarted (and almost ended – see Video Game Crash of 1983) the entire video game industry.

10306 Atari 2600 has a release date of 1 August 2022, and will retail for US$239.99, and ahead of the launch, let’s check out the set in my early review.

See below for regional pricing and links:

• 10306 Atari 2600 [US] – US$239.99
• 10306 Atari 2600 [AUS]  – AU$369.99*
• 10306 Atari 2600 [UK] – £209.99
• 10306 Atari 2600 [EU] – €239.99
• 10306 Atari 2600 [CA] – CAD$299.99

*The Australian release date is 1 September 2022.

Special thanks to LEGO for providing this set for review.

10306 Atari 2600 Set Details

Name: Atari 2600
Set Number: 10306
Pieces: 2,532
Price: AU$369.99 | US$239.99 | £209.99 – Buy from LEGO.com [AUS] [USA] [UK]
Exclusive to: LEGO.com / LEGO Stores
Theme: LEGO Icons
LEGO Designers: Chris McVeigh (@powerpig)
Release Date: 1 August 2022 (global) / 1 September 2022 (Australia)

Here’s a look at the instructions manual, which has a very retro beige colour scheme, and sepia photography of the model, with the large VIDEO COMPUTER SYSTEM font giving off heavy 80s graphic design vibes.

Over on the inside, we have an introduction to the history and legacy of the Atari 2600, plenty of interesting trivia (and awesome art) which I learned a lot from, as well as this cool profile and reflection from set designer Chris McVeigh.

Here’s a look at the sticker sheet, while this might annoy some people, these aren’t too hard to apply, as they are quite large and come in conventional shapes. The stickers really show off the incredible graphic designer’s take on reimagining these iconic Atari 2600 games – Centipede, Asteroids and Adventure in a distinctively LEGO flavour.

A very nice surprise, and one that caught me totally by surprise was the generosity of the printed elements included. We have this set that forms the Atari logo, which I really love.

As well as these printed bricks, with the controls and text on the game console panel which were another surprise. I really expected these to be stickers, but I will take prints any day, and it’s nice to see a well-balanced selection of stickers and prints.

Building the Atari 2600

The build was quite enjoyable, and very relaxing. There isn’t a lot of technical detail contained within the build, so it isn’t as intimidating as the Nintendo Entertainment System with all those technic parts.

The build is actually quite accessible, so while it may be rated as an 18+/LEGO Icons set, it shouldn’t be too tricky for newcomers or people who don’t necessarily build with LEGO, as you generally use large pieces, and the interiors are nicely colour-coded to reduce visual confusion.

Here’s a look at the insides of the main console unit.

And here’s the top cover, which has TONs of tile work which I really enjoy as it’s super relaxing.

And here’s a peek inside the joystick.

Oh, I must also add that the build is very well-paced, with the game cartridges and their respective vignettes breaking up the action at just the right time.

Here’s the completed LEGO Atari 2600, along with the rest of the stuff included!

The LEGO Atari game cartridges are simple, but well-designed, allowing the gorgeous illustrations to shine.

Here’s a closer look at the individual cartridges – I’m not really familiar with the Atari 2600 as it was before my time (i was born in the late 80s), and I was surprised at how large they were. Did you know that the maximum amount of storage on these cartridges were 4kb? Kilobytes! Wild.

Here’s a look at their slots, as well as the underside of the cartridge which is blank.

You also get a wooden brick-built cartridge holder, where you can store your cartridges. It makes for a good display prop, and is a neat way to prevent these cartridges from being strewn around.

Each cartridge also comes with a brick-built vignette or diorama depicting LEGO builds of the games brought to life. Atari 2600 games were incredibly pixelated, so these models do a great job of imagining what these games might’ve looked like to kids and children who played with them.

Here’s a look at the Asteroids diorama, which has a red ship blasting at asteroids – I really love the frozen in time laser beam, as well as the exploding asteroid which is a nice touch.

The art depicted on the cartridge is a nod to 10497 Galaxy Explorer, which in some well-planned recursion, also has a printed tile depicting the Galaxy Explorer in a game of Asteroids.

The Adventure model is quite simple, but likely a reference to the historic 375 Castle. There’s a small brick-built dragon slithering around, and I like the use of the original dragon/crocodile head in the artwork.

Oh, and nestled behind the castle is an Easter Egg. This is a cunning reference to an Easter Egg left by the game programmer Warren Robinett within Adventure – the very first video game Easter Egg ever!

And last but not least we have Centipede, which has a large, many-legged centipede rampaging through some dirt and mushrooms. The build for this was quite fun, and I love the colours used.

Here’s another look at the Centipede, which has quite the expressive face.

These little vignettes are quite fun, and great display pieces, especially if you have a strong connection to any of these games.

Personally, I’d love a Pitfall cartridge and vignette because that’s the one game I think of when I think of the Atari 2600 (that and ET), but as it’s developed by Activision and not Atari, I can see why it got left out.

Here’s a look at the completed console unit. I don’t have strong reference points to Atari 2600 as I don’t own one and never grew up around it, but based on the images and photos I’ve seen online of the legendary console, I think LEGO have done a wonderful job bringing it to life with LEGO bricks.

It’s quite large, with the main console measuring over 8 cm (3 in.) high, 33 cm (13 in.) wide and 22 cm (8.5 in.) deep. This seems to line up well with the dimensions of a real Atari 2600, which measure 8.9 cm (3.5 in) high, 34.6cm (13.6 in) wide, and 23.2cm (9.1 in.) deep, so LEGO have gotten really close to getting the dimensions almost perfectly lined up.

Here’s how it looks from the front, which gives you a better look of the very pixelated looking woodgrain design.

And here’s a better look at the printed Atari logo, which is a huge win, all things considered.

The back of the Atari 2600 is quite plain, and there’s nothing notable to shout about here, save for some ports for the joystick connector.

This is super satisfying, but I also liked the design for the grates and lines on the Atari console. It has a pleasing visual effect, and does a superb job of replicating one of the Atari’s most distinct visual features.

Here’s a look at the control panel, which is raised at a very interesting angle, that Chris McVeigh has managed to adapt really well. There are knobs for the switches which go up and down, as well as a slot for the cartridge.

Here’s a closer look at the On and Off switch, as well as a switch that allowed you to choose between Color or Black and White output, which to a lot of kids today would be mind-blowing to discover that once, there were TVs in black and white.

Here’s a look at the cartridge slot. Make sure you blow the cartridge before you stick it in just in case.

And these are the game select buttons.

The joystick is quite simple, but is incredible tactile, as you can point it in 360° angles. With the rubber stopper on the inside, it provides some nice bit of resistance, and is quite satisfying to play around with. The button unfortunately is just a red tile, and I would love it if it somehow had some travel!

Oh, and the LEGO Atari 2600 has one cool little surprise – slide forward the front panel, to reveal a little pop-up 1980s room!

The play feature isn’t as wild like the Nintendo Entertainment System, but works like a pop-up storybook, and the mechanism works seamlessly and simply, even if you’re forceful with it. Just be careful the boy doesn’t go flying.

The room just oozes 80s nostalgia, and I was building it, felt very personal. It won’t be a stretch to imagine that this was based off Chris McVeigh’s childhood TV/gaming room or even his own room.

There’s a small bookshelf with a boombox, some action figures (minifigure statuettes) as well as a VCR on it, dating the scene.

Again, more Galaxy Explorer love with this poster, which confirms that the guns on the nozzle are actually lasers. I also LOVE the Johnny Thunder poster which looks stupidly cool.

There’s a mini Atari 2600 on the floor in front of a TV, which of course, has Asteroids playing. Why would you play any other game?

And on the other side of the room, a New Wave poster with a minifigure rocking out to a keytar, some roller skates, a black phone and a white cat.

The colours of the carpet, walls and orientation of the stuff in the room seems deeply personal, and I can imagine this was heavily inspired or an ode to Chris McVeigh’s childhood.

The LEGO Atari 2600 comes with one minifigure, and boy is he special. We get a young boy, with the widest smile on his face, with messy unkempt hair and an exclusive Atari-logo printed on his torso.

For retro gaming and Atari fans, this minifigure is just so cool, and just adds to the nostalgia conjured up by the set. He even has a small joystick of his own to play with his own mini Atari 2600.

Here’s a look at his dual-sided head, and back printing.

The other LEGO gamer minifigures are ready to welcome Atari Boy into the fold.

What I liked:

• A really well-designed replica of the Atari 2600
• Fun little vignettes add to the overall display presence
• 80s room and play feature work well enough
• Quite a number of printed elements
• Artwork on posters and cartridges

What I didn’t like: 

• Might not appeal to you if you didn’t grow up with the Atari 2600
• Isn’t as feature-packed as the NES and is orientated towards display
• Quite pricey despite being a large model

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This is a tough one for me to review. While I did enjoy the build, and seeing how the Atari 2600 came together, I do not have any connection to this console or era at all.

I grew up in the Nintendo era, with my first console being the NES, so a lot of my formative childhood years were orientated to a different time, just after the Atari 2600.

Building and playing around with the set, I just couldn’t form any sort of emotional connection with it, I had no nostalgic memories trigger (except for maybe Asteroids) when I jiggled the joystick, or played around with the cartridge.

If you were up playing the Atari 2600, or dreaming about owning one, this set is for you. As a LEGO replica, this is a superb model, and because the size matches the original so closely, will have plenty of value as a display model, especially side by side with the original.

The size of the Atari 2600 is satisfyingly large, and the extra additions such as the cartridges, cartridge holder, joystick and vignettes further add to the displayability of the set.

The LEGO Atari 2600 takes a vastly different approach to the NES, which aimed to impress not only with its aesthetics, but the mechanical play feature unlocked by the scrolling TV – something that you couldn’t quite apply here because there wasn’t any scrolling with Atari games.

This set excels as a display model, and like the Typewriter, aims to imitate the real-life model that inspired it, and does it really well.

The set is quite pricey, although, you do get a plethora of printed elements which I really appreciate, and I also really like the 80s room, and all the posters, as well as the incredible Atari Boy minifigure, which is my favourite thing about the set.

If you were up in this era, and have very fond memories of the Atari 2600, this set is absolutely for you, and I think this would also make a great gift for someone who grew up in that era, be it your parents or grandparents. It’s accessible enough for newcomers to appreciate, and would likely set the stage for a day or two of nostalgia and reminscing.

Rating and score: 3/5 ★★★✰✰

Build [3] – Smooth, fun and accessible build with tons of enjoyable panelling.
Real Value [3] – Quite pricey for the piece-count, but the final model is quite large, and you do get printed pieces
Innovation [3] – Nothing that new introduced, but a fantastic job mimicking the original Atari 2600’s aesthetics
Coolness [4] – Retro gaming is back in a strong way, and this is a really awesome homage to the first mainstream video game console
Keepability [4] – If you’re into video games, especially retro gaming, this makes for quite a great display piece.

Thanks so much for reading this review of the 10306 Atari 2600!

10306 Atari 2600 will be released on 1 August worldwide, and 1 September in Australia, and will be available directly from LEGO.com.

Here’s a look at how I’ve displayed my LEGO Atari 2600, alongside my LEGO NES, and other gaming-themed items!

What do you think of 10306 Atari 2600? Does this appeal to your nostalgia?

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