Okay Lego...Now You're Just Showing Off

 Back in February my son bought the Lego Atari Video Computer System, and I was blown away. 

And that was just from the picture on the box.

My son set some personal goals and waited until those goals were accomplished before he could put it together. Last week, the his final goal was checked off the list which meant it was time to open the box and put things together. Yesterday he brought up the finished product.

Now Lego is just showing off.

The controller joystick works, it comes with three computer games you can insert into the game (don't know if it requires blowing on them, or if that's just Nintendo...), and the toggles actually toggle. But, the coolest thing about the Lego set is the secret compartment that produces a diorama of life as it once was.

You pull back the top of the game and the little scene appears. It has items found in a typical room where the Atari Video Computer System would be, complete with green carpeting. Yes, I remember the 70s well.

I've been impressed with what comes from the Lego Company, and not just because it's founded and based in Denmark. Those who made this particular set sure knew their audience.

And that audience was me.

Almost As Cool As The Original...Almost

 We've been on a Lego kick as of late. It started last year, but really ramped up around Christmastime. In fact, our family gave and received more Lego products last Christmas than ever before. But, the other day my son ordered something amazing.

The Lego Atari Video Computer System.

It's hard to describe just what that big box and those little boxes meant to a generation...my generation. It was the start of an entertainment revolution. It literally changed the world. I'm not video game historian, but I do know that the creator of Atari worked at the same place I worked (Lagoon...), and attended the same university I did (U of U...). He went on to create "Pong," considered to be the world's first video game. From there, that little game became what you see on the box.

I can't remember if we had one of our own...it's been many decades, but I do know my friends had the console and several games. Let's just say, I had access. The games, by today's standards, are almost laughable. It's like comparing stick figures to AI art. But, oh...how wonderful were those stick figures. 

The industry has not only evolved but exploded. Every corner of the planet knows about video games. It's opened doors of creativity rarely seen in the history of humanity.

And now, Atari's received perhaps its greatest honor...it's become Lego-ized.

Once the kit is fully assembled, it will sit on a shelf as a work of art. I'll bet there are Atari game consoles sitting on shelves all over the world as reminders of an earlier time. My son's latest Lego kit is very cool...almost as cool as the original.