Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 13
  2. Negative: 1 out of 13
  1. Nov 17, 2022
    60
    It’s a shame, as Atari Mania has clearly been made with love and care and certainly doesn’t feel like a cash-in – but it can’t fail to pale a little in comparison to Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration.
  2. Nov 8, 2022
    50
    Atari Mania could be a really fun retro game for both old and young, but the developers failed to translate the imaginative concept into fun gameplay. There is a lot of variable content, but the unresponsive controls cause a lot of frustration.
  3. Nov 4, 2022
    50
    Atari Mania wants to be a love letter to the golden age of Atari. It wants to be a fresh spin on old games. The end result is the equivalent of trying to play an Atari 2600 on a modern TV. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The repetitive microgames and technical issues mar what should be a fun anniversary gift to a legendary company. This anniversary gift is a bit underwhelming.
  4. Oct 30, 2022
    60
    Atari Mania takes the concept of microgames to another level, mixing them up to create crazy sections of fast-paced games. However, the unpolished controls and unfair difficulty will turn off those fans that are looking for fun.
  5. Oct 12, 2022
    65
    Atari Mania’s mash-up of microgames presents a chaotic blast of nostalgia, but the general repetition and some frustrating difficulty dampen the mood pretty quickly. Its unique approach to retro gaming is, therefore, best enjoyed by those with fond memories of playing all these games back in the day.
  6. 65
    Atari Mania is endearing and enjoyable despite some stumbles, especially if you hold some form of nostalgia for the old Atari brand. I had a good time with this even if I felt like I was waiting too long between batches of mini-games. The overworld puzzles ended up being one of the cooler parts of this package. I just wish the mini-games erred more on the side of WarioWare excellence as opposed to the muddy middleground.
  7. Oct 11, 2022
    70
    Atari Mania offers a solid collection of microgames that are a lot more enjoyable if you're a fan of the classic arcade games represented in them. With that in mind, the overall experience could have been smoothed out a lot more to match its wily moustachioed competitor.
User Score
tbd

No user score yet- Awaiting 2 more ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 2 out of 2
  1. Jan 8, 2023
    3
    By the time I was playing video games, the NES was in full swing, so I completely missed the Atari age. I was always curious, but the gamesBy the time I was playing video games, the NES was in full swing, so I completely missed the Atari age. I was always curious, but the games just weren't enough to catch my attention. Atari Mania though, with its promise of remixed games into rapid fire micro games a la Wario Ware, had my attention.

    Sadly, the game just does not stick the landing, even before the gameplay starts. Controls are sometimes bad, which is a bit worse than being bad all the time, because there's a glimpse of the game working the way it should in there, and then just other times it doesn't. Menus are a slog to get through and feel like they were coded to work on a Leapfrog machine. And your main character awkwardly twitches through the hub world as you explore.

    The micro games themselves hurt the most, because the premise of Atari Mania is a real gem. But combine aforementioned hit or miss controls with games that just usually aren't clear most of the time on what you're supposed to be doing or even what you're controlling, as well as a steep difficulty curve, and you've got a fairly unpleasant game here. I can't see people who grew up with Atari enjoying this, and its not going to win over anyone that didn't.

    A for effort though. This is still a decent idea and if Atari can pick up the pieces and take a second run at this I'd be curious to check it out.
    Full Review »
  2. Nov 3, 2022
    3
    This game has an endearing quality when you first boot it up. The characters and vibe are appealing, with some colorful humor and catchyThis game has an endearing quality when you first boot it up. The characters and vibe are appealing, with some colorful humor and catchy music. Unfortunately, the mini-games' horrid and at times nonsensical controls, with sometimes unclear objectives, result in an unnecessarily frustrating, rather than fun, experience. As a result, the brilliant concept of a melting pot of remixed classic Atari games is largely ruined. This title might possibly be worth a pick-up at heavy discount, if you are a huge old-school Atari fan. Full Review »