Atari 2600+ PAC-MAN Edition Review: A Slice Of Atari History With A Quirky Twist

When I think back to the Golden Age of Gaming, I instantly picture the Atari 2600 in my mind, and for good reason. It's the best-selling console from the 70s with 30 million units sold worldwide, but more than that, it also boasts an iconic look that just oozes retro. Nothing says retro gaming like holding a joystick in your hand instead of a controller, especially when twinned with the 2600's faux wood front panel, the cylindrical switches, and the plastic grill.

After becoming a global success in Arcade halls, PAC-MAN found a new home on the 2600, bringing the action right into our living rooms. Queueing behind high-score-hoggers was a thing of the past, with gamers getting access to Pinky, Blinky, Inky, & Clyde whenever they wanted.

I've been waiting patiently for the Atari 2600+ PAC-MAN edition to land on my doorstep, a console made by Atari to celebrate 45 years of PAC-MAN's reign as the ultimate retro gaming icon. Bright yellow like PAC-MAN and with special branding as well as a wireless CX-40+ joystick, it's the ultimate Atari collector's item for fans of true retro gaming.

I've been putting it through its paces for the past 24 hours to get to grips with the console and how it handles on my modern TV. Yes, it's HDMI, which means no matter what TV or monitor you're rocking, you'll be able to get stuck into some hardcore arcade gaming action - the only thing now is letting your boss know you won't be coming into work for the rest of the week once it arrives!

Thanks to Atari for sending us this 2600+ PAC-MAN edition console for review ahead of the release date on October 31st. All thoughts and views are my own.

• Release Date: October 31st, 2025
• Price: $169.99/£129.99
• What's In The Box: Atari 2600+ yellow PAC-MAN console, 2x wireless receivers (USB & DB9), CX-40 Joystick, PAC-MAN Double Feature 7800 cartridge, 2x USB-C cables, HDMI cable, & instruction booklet.
• Available From: Amazon, Smyths

What's In The Box

For starters, the box itself is a work of art. Not only does it feature that iconic PAC-MAN branding on the top and a picture of the man (thing) itself eating his own 45th anniversary logo, but the entire box has the trademark PAC-MAN maze design behind the console.

I would be lying if I said I didn't just look at it for a little bit before opening it up to check out the console, and the packaging design has a lot more thought put into it than the likes of the PS5 or the Nintendo Switch 2. We've definitely lost something magical with modern-day branding, and this is one box I'll definitely be keeping.

Just like with the Atari 7600+, the 2600+ is packaged perfectly. Everything has its place, and the branding continues on the box that contains the joystick and wires as well as the plinth that the console sits on at the bottom of the box.

Inside the box, you'll find the console itself, sitting underneath protective plastic. I know I already knew that it was going to be yellow, but as soon as I opened the box, I actually laughed out loud at how awesome it looked. This is definitely the quirkiest console I have ever reviewed, and although my girlfriend tells me it won't be staying out in the living room after I have finished my review, she's definitely going to have to get used to seeing this on display.

The PAC-MAN edition of the 2600+ comes with a wireless joystick (which I'll come to soon), two USB-C charging cables, an HDMI cable, and two receivers. It also has the PAC-MAN double feature cartridge pictured above and an instruction booklet to show you how to play it.

The Console

Let's get straight to it - when you turn the console on, the PAC-MAN scene on the front lights up, as does the Atari logo. Honestly, that's enough for me to want to buy the console without even actually testing out the controller or experiencing the gameplay. It's a nice little touch and one that definitely captures the fun spirit of the arcade generation.

At the top of the console, you're met with the cartridge slot and the switches to control various settings. The Power switch turns on the console, and TV Type switches graphics on the 2600 version of the game from Black and White to Colour. Game Select is used to change settings on the 2600 version of the game, and Game Reset does exactly what it says.

It's worth noting that the 2600+ can play new and old games for both the Atari 2600 and the 7800, so if you already have a big collection of cartridges in the attic and are looking for a solution to be able to play them on your existing TV set-up, then it's safe to say that you just found it!

One thing I've always found odd and something that I mirrored in my short write-up on the 7800+ in my Tiger Heli review, is that Atari cartridges have the artwork facing backwards. I would love to see the artwork on the front of the game cartridge instead so I can look at it while playing, though I do understand that in this scenario, there's a game switching function that allows you to pick between the two different titles on the cartridge. Admittedly, that is a retro touch that I do love, but looking at the back of a plastic cartridge isn't the most exciting visual accompaniment to a gaming session.

The back of the console has ports for the power cable, wireless receiver, and the HDMI port, as well as switches for aspect ratios and difficulty settings. There are ports for two wireless receivers when playing 2-player titles, but you'll need to purchase a second joystick or use one from your existing Atari 2600+.

The Joystick

The joystick is a thing of beauty. A singular red button and stick surrounded by dots, PAC-MAN on the top of the handle, all yellow like the console - it's brilliant and instantly makes you feel like you're stepping up to try and beat your friend's high score. You can also collect joysticks in the four colours of the PAC-MAN ghosts too!

The base of the joystick has rubber pads on it, so if you're gaming on a flat surface, it won't slip or slide anywhere. It feels very secure on a desk or on the top of my laptop while playing on the floor, for instance, but you can also hold the base in one hand and play if you're lounging on the sofa or don't have a table to hand. The wireless connectivity is stable too; I played from in the kitchen and still managed to control PAC-MAN perfectly.

The one thing I dislike about this controller is that it's super stiff to use. I know that I've just got it out of the box and it could do with a few intense gaming sessions to loosen it up a little, but the fact that it's so stiff reduces its responsiveness, especially when playing the Atari 2600 version of the game. There have been many times when I've tried to push left or right and PAC-MAN has carried on running up the screen, only to come in contact with a ghost, and me having to start again.

I had fewer problems with the 7800 version of the game, but again, it does feel stiffer than I would like. I want to try and replicate that same feel as when I play at an arcade; the joysticks on those machines are loose, and you feel like you can ram them from side to side without causing any damage because they're as old as time and invincible.

PAC-MAN Gameplay

This is the game switcher I was talking about earlier. Obviously, this is just a double feature game cartridge, so there are only two combinations you can choose from. All of the switches in the 'On' position bring up the 7800 version of the game, whereas having the first switch in the 'Off' position, as shown above, brings up the 2600 version of the game.

Let's start with the Atari 7800 version of PAC-MAN, as I imagine that's the one that most of you will be heading straight for. It's most like the arcade version you might have played down at your local gaming bar and is much easier to play.

The graphics look great on a 42" LG TV, with nothing seeming stretched or scratchy. Obviously, when you hook up some old consoles to widescreen TVs, the graphics make you feel like you want to scratch your eyes out, but as the 2600+ is made for the modern era, there was no risk of me losing my sight over a couple of rounds of PAC-MAN.

It's a nice touch to have the Atari 2600 version of the game on here, but as you can see from the pictures above and below this paragraph, it's not as visually pleasing graphics-wise as the 7800 game. Still, it's great for game preservation, and having the option to flick a switch for Black and White TVs is super cool too. If you find the colours too bright for any reason, then muting them to black and white can make it much easier on the eyes too, so that's worth noting.

As I said above, I had real trouble getting PAC-MAN to go left and right with the joystick here. I had to properly 'thwack' it to get him to move sideways, so much so that I almost thwacked the dog in the face in the process. Sorry, Bilbo, it's all for a good cause, I promise. I would have loved this joystick to have been looser, something that my mum and my girlfriend, non-arcade gamers, also agreed with.

Final Thoughts

Would I recommend you buy the Atari 2600+ PAC-MAN edition? 100%, without a shadow of a doubt. I think the console itself is a great feature piece or something that die-hard PAC-MAN collectors would want to grab and keep sealed on display, but I also think it's the perfect addition to your office for when you want to refresh your brain from whatever spreadsheet or report you're working on and just have a little old-school arcade action.

Would I recommend buying it over the existing 2600+ console? Again, 100%, mainly just for the quirky nature of it and the fact that it has PAC-MAN graphics that light up. The fact that it comes with PAC-MAN is perfect too, and it will undoubtedly promote the idea of younger gamers getting into titles that came out decades before they were born, which is something pretty special if you think about it.

At $169.99, it's just $40 more than the original 2600+. It's only £20 more than the normal console here in the UK too, which I don't call bad at all for a themed console celebrating the life of one of gaming's greatest characters, especially as it comes with a game to get you playing straight away. Pre-orders are open now, so make sure you get your name down on the list to avoid missing out!