Atari is like the cool grandparent of the gaming world—back in its prime, it threw the wildest Pong parties and made “joystick” a household word. Founded in 1972, this trailblazer brought us classics like Asteroids and Centipede, proving that all you needed for fun were blocky graphics and a good imagination.

Sure, Atari had its awkward phases (cough the E.T. game burial cough), but let’s be honest: who hasn’t made a few questionable life choices? Despite the ups and downs, it’s the brand that planted the pixelated seeds for the gaming empire we know today. Long live the 8-bit legend!