Atari's golden age spans the 1970s and early 1980s, when the pixels were blocky and consoles arrived on the scene with sweet wood-paneling. And although Atari still continues to draw on its catalogue with retro-inspired consoles and remasters, Atari Mania actually sounds like something fun and cool. A WarioWare-style microgame celebration that sounds very cool.

Here's the setting.

In Atari Mania, you’ll step into the shoes of “Caretaker of the Atari Vault,” tasked with watching over the storehouse of retro-tastic Atari games. One night, a dead pixel appears, and then soon enough, all heck breaks loose! As you journey through the Vault, you find that familiar and beloved games have begun to warp, mutate, and meld into a series of increasingly wild challenges.

And with over 150 microgames drawing on everything from Asteroids to Yars' Revenge to Pong and even Centipede, there's even boss battles and other goodies drawing on classic Atari history.

Manic Mashups: Over 150 microgames inspired by the breadth of Atari’s decades-spanning catalog, from Asteroids to Yars' Revenge. Fight back Centipedes with a Pong paddle while the iconic Adventure dragon hunts you down! It’s crossover madness in the best way possible!

Excellent Exploration: Solve tricky puzzles and utilize clever tools to progress through the Vault and discover classically-inspired Atari Easter Eggs.

Pixel-Perfect Pizzaz: A charming neo-retro art update to the classic Atari 2600 style is completed by a soundtrack of retro-inspired jams.

Characters Like You’ve Never Seen Them Before: Go face to antennae with some of the greatest games and characters in video game history. Trust us — you’ll never think of Bentley Bear the same way again!

Treasure Trove of Atari History: Collectibles abound, including vintage Atari art, posters, manuals, and fun facts. Fully playable versions of remastered Atari classics are unlocked by completing cheeky challenges.

“As we celebrate Atari’s 50th Anniversary, Atari Mania gives fans a way to re-engage with their favorite Atari games and characters, while also introducing a new generation to the games that launched the industry,” said Atari CEO Wade Rosen. “Atari Mania takes the elements of an Atari classic — incredibly fun, fast-twitch gameplay — and mixes them with the self-referential humor and over-the-top joy of a company celebrating five decades of amazing experiences.”

Atari Mania will release on Atari VCS, Nintendo Switch, and PC later this year.