Atari Brings Its Classic Games Back (Again)

When Matthew Labunka, a game producer at Atari, sat down with WIRED at PAX South to show off its latest compilation of classic games, the first thing he did was zoom in on a digital rendering of a Pong arcade cabinet. The image, he said, was an exact replica of the original cabinet from the 1970s, rendered in three dimensions. He rotated it, extolling the virtues of the accurate cut of the wooden paneling with something like reverence.

Labunka says these small touches exemplify Atari Vault. The company has, in its many iterations over the years, released more than a few ports and compilations of its greatest hits from the early days of gaming. But Labunka says Atari Vault sets itself apart with its almost fanatical attention to detail. These are intended to be the definitive modern editions of these games, packed with history and background and aided by the power of new technologies. A reintroduction of the games, and maybe of Atari itself.