showing 1 - 50 of 57 gameschevron_leftchevron_right

namepublisher(developer)year arrow_downwarddescription
Air-Sea Battle  Atari;Sears (Atari)1977A target shooting game. On most settings, you are positioned at the bottom of the screen and you shoot at targets at the top of the screen. The various settings provide different targets and weapons with different characteristics.

In games 1-6, you are an anti-aircraft gun and you shoot, unsurprisingly, at aircraft. You are stationary. Your control is limited to selecting the time of firing, the angle at which your shot is fired, and, on some settings, exertion of minor control over the direction of your missile.

In games 7-12, you are a submarine and you shoot torpedoes at the ships above. On these settings, you are able to move your submarine back and forth across the bottom of the screen. Your torpedoes, however, can only be fired directly above. Some settings allow minor control over the direction of your torpedo once fired. In games 13-15, you are apparently the anti-aircraft gun again. This time, however, you are shooting at shooting gallery targets (clown faces, ducks, rabbits). The controls are as in games 1-6.

In games 16-18, you are a ship and you fire Polaris missiles at jets flying above. Your ship constantly moves on its own, you control only the speed. When you fire, the angle of the missile and its speed are based on the speed your ship was traveling at the time of firing. Some settings restrict your ability to change speed once a missile is fired, others allow you to exert control over the missile by changing speed once the missile is fired.

In games 19-21, the situation is reversed, you are the jet dropping bombs at the ships below. The controls in this setting are the same as in games 16-18. The difference, of course, is that you are dropping bombs from above at targets below.

In Games 22-27, one player is the jet and the other is the ship.

Each of the two-player games is a matter of who can hit more targets in 2 minutes and 16 seconds. In each of the single-player games, the single-player tries to outscore a computer opponent that simply constantly fires.***[media=youtube]YpZ7GfneiO0[/media]***Atari CX-2602. numbered text and pictured label rarity 3 scarce, plain text label and Sears 49-75102 99802 rarity 2 common+. All versions released in North America, stereo, 1 player or 2 players and uses 1 joystick or 2 joysticks for simultaneous play.
[Zerothis]***One of the nine games available on the release of Atari VCS. You have to destroy anything moving across the playfield. It was programmed rather badly; in some levels there were problems with controlling your craft, collisions were inaccurate, and if you hit your enemy, even its shot was destroyed! Moreover, it lacked longevity and variety. Definitely unsatisfactory.
[Retro-Maniac]
labelimagesubject
Basic Math  Atari1977A math game for children.

Each game gives the player a set of ten basic math problems (i.e. simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) to solve. The player is presented with two numbers and a function, then inputs the answer by cycling through numbers with the joystick. A timer option is available to ramp up the difficulty. The game has eight primary game settings - basically two settings for each mathematical function. Games 1-4 allow the player to select one of the numbers the player will be working with, while 5-8 give random questions.***[media=youtube]zXopSyZaafM[/media]***Atari CX2661, numbered text lable rarity 4 scarce+, unnumbered text label rarity 3 scarce, 'Fun with numbers' picture label rarity 3 scarce, 'Math' Sears #99808 rarity 4 scarce+. All versions are North American NTSC. 1 player uses joystick
[Zerothis]
labelimagesubject
Surround  Atari1977Welcome to the exciting and competitive world of Surround. Your basic objective is to surround your opponent, causing him to run out of space in which to move, and at the same time not running into anything yourself. You can set up a blockade, force him into a corner or wander off by yourself and hope that he runs into something on his own.***[media=youtube]saoVDv8-RQU[/media]***
[48]***A precursor to the Tron light cycles game.
labelimagesubject
Combat  Atari;Polyvox (Atari)1977CX-2601 Combat by Sears. Rarity 1 Common+ (possibly the 3rd most common). 2 players, 2 Joysticks. North America NTSC.
model# 99801 4975124 Tank Plus by Sears. 2 Common. North America NTSC.
Combat by Polyvox. Unknown rarity. South America NTSC.
Combat by Dynacom (pirate). Unknown rarity. Brazil NTSC.
Frontline by Zellers (pirate). Rarity 4 Scarce+. North America NTSC.

Game originally packaged with the Atari VCS on its launch.

First game EVER for Atari VCS. It required two players, as no artificial intelligence was developed. The gameplay is the same throughout the game (chase your enemy across the screen and destroy it), but there are 27 variations on it. It was pretty funny, especially in the levels with aircraft.

The first stereo video game for a home system ever?
[Zerothis]
labelimagesubject
Star Ship  Atari;Sears (Atari)1977These game variations are played from a first person point of view in your star ship. Your goal is to earn as many points as possible by shooting the various enemies and space debris. You have a time limit of 2 minutes 16 seconds in the one player versions. In the two player version the time limit is 4 minutes 32 seconds; for half of this time one player will be the star ship commander, and the other will control a space module and needs to dodge the star ships fire. The roles will be reversed for the second half of the time limit.***[media=youtube]8kfVOdoTSX4[/media]***One of the nine games available upon the release of Atari VCS. Its best feature, together with its sound effects, was the screen being the cockpit of a star ship. (You could consider this game as an ancestor of Wing Commander!) Still, collisions were inaccurate, the Lunar Lander mode was terribly boring, and there were only 17 levels.
[Retro-Maniac]***Star Ship, for the Atari Video Computer System, is a highly underrated game. Released at a time when little existed besides Pong, this program, featuring a first-person space battle (Star Ship), a first-person space travel game (Warp Drive), and a lunar lander game (Lunar Lander, not to be confused with Atari's later and admittedly better Lunar Lander arcade game which came out two years later) must have had an effect on gamers similar to that of Star Wars on its initial audiences.
While relatively rudimentary, the games (this cartridge contains three different games!) are most fun when played on the higher difficulty settings, and also with a second player. Also, certain strategies can be used to increase a player's score in the deceptively simple games (they're only simple if you're not concerned with scores).
The graphics of Star Ship may consist of little more than blocks (what do you expect from a 1977 game?), but the games feature solid gameplay for those who are willing to search for it.
Give Star Ship a try, but don't just turn the game on and start playing...you will be bored. Instead, give your 'Game Select' switch a workout and explore this cartridge; I recommend variations 4, 11, and 14 for one-player games.
In case some of you are wondering, this is not a nostalgia kick. In fact, Star Ship was ancient before I was even born (1985). I found this cartridge at a used video game store a year ago. I disliked it at first, but the more I explored it, the more I fell in love with it. My X-Box-playing friends hated it at first and laughed at it, but before long they really got into it, especially the 2-player games (going so far as to interrupt Halo sessions to play Star Ship!).
[Jeff]
labelimagesubject
Circus Atari  Atari;Sears;Zellers;Quelle (Atari)1978POP! POP! POP! Pop the balloons and score points. A wall of red, blue, and white balloons will appear at the top of the screen. You must pop balloons by catching a clown on the teeter-totter and bouncing him up to the balloons. Use the controller to move the teeter-totter across the screen to catch the clowns. Each time a clown pops a balloon, the balloon will disappear and you score points.***Atari CX2630, rarity 2 Common+, Sears 49-75123, rarity 3 Scarce. 1 player or 2 players. Uses the paddle controllers. The Atari cart comes in text label and picture label variations. NTSC. Released in North America. Zellers pirate cart, rarity 4 Scarce+, Released in Canada.
[Zerothis]
labelimagesubject
Flag Capture Atari1978Each player controls an explorer. Your object is to find the flag using your explorer. The left controller player's explorer starts in the upper left corner square; the right controller player's explorer starts in the lower right corner square.***[media=youtube]yTTwNTxHQ4w[/media] labelimagesubject
Home Run  Atari;Polyvox (Atari)1978Play Home Run just as you would play baseball. The left or blue player is the 'visiting team' and is the first to bat. The pitcher-outfielder pitches the ball. Three strikes (either swinging or pitched) are an out; four balls (any pitch not swung at that is NOT over the plate) are a walk and the batter advances to first base.

If the pitcher hits the batter (and the batter does not swing at the pitch, or the pitch does not pass over home plate) the batter will advance to first base.

If the batter hits the ball, the outfielder(s) can catch the ball and make a putout by touching first base ahead of the runner or by tagging the runner. If there are other runners on base, a putout can be made by tagging any runner or, if the runner is in a 'force play', by touching the base in front of that runner. With practice, double plays (two outs on one pitched ball) can be made with ease.***[media=youtube]rNuf0wtZVTI[/media]***Atari CX2623 text and picture label variations rarity 2 Common+, Sears #99819, text 49-75108 and 6-99819 rarity 2 Common+, Sears picture label variations rarity 5 Rare. All versions are NTSC released in the North America and 'Home Run' in South America by Polyvox. 1 player or 2 players. Uses the joystick.

Also released by Telegames (presumably in Europe)

There are 2k and 4k variants of this game.
[Zerothis]
labelimagesubject
Super Breakout Atari;Sears (Atari)1978Is there a way to improve one of the classic electronic video games? The answer is yes and here it is. Super Breakout is extremely challenging with terrific new game sounds. Try your hand at Double, Cavity, Progressive or regular Breakout.***
[48]***
[48]***Atari, CX2608, rarity 2 Common+. Sears #49-75165, Rarity 3 Scarce. 1 player, 2 players simultaneous competitive or cooperative play. Uses paddle controllers. NTSC. Released in North America. Atari version comes in 2 picture label variations.
Carol Shaw wrote the kernel that demonstrated 3 balls, a paddle and all the bricks moving at the same time. Nick Turner completed the game when Carol Shaw left Atari.
This game is hidden on the [gametag=flashback2.0 Atari Flashback 2.0]flashback2.0 Atari Flashback 2.0[/gametag] system. To find it, enter '1972' in a steady rhythm using the joystick (↑↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↓↓). You will then need to plug in a set of Atari Paddles which are not included with the Flashback 2.0.
[Zerothis]
labelimagesubject
Basketball  Atari1978Basketball is an Atari 2600 game loosely based on the sport of the same name. The game features a simple game of one-on-one basketball, playable by one or two players.
At the start of the game, both players are at the center of the court. A jump ball is thrown between them, at which point play begins. The offensive player (the one with the ball) always faces the goal he's shooting at, and the defensive player always faces his opponent. Each player can move in eight directions with the joystick; the player with the ball constantly dribbles it. The defensive player may steal the ball when it leaves the opponent's hands (either in mid-dribble or mid-shot).
After either player scores, the shooter is reset to the center of the court, where he will start defending his opponent, and the defender is set under the basket to inbound the ball and take an offensive chance. The player with the highest score after four minutes is the winner.
The game features two difficulty levels using the Difficulty Switch on the Atari 2600. In 'B' position, the player can move from goal to goal much quickly than the 'A' position.***[media=youtube]BfzRKtWzMLo[/media]***
[48]***Isometrically plotted Raster, and one of very few early sports titles. Unfortunately blighted by the lack of power in the VCS console.
labelimagesubject
Hangman  Atari1978Hangman features 9 game variations:

1-Player Games: Games 1, 2, 3 and 4 are 1-player games. You compete against the computer. You score one point for every Hangman Word you complete; the computer scores one point for each Hangman Word you can't complete.

* Game 1: One player competes against the computer that uses words from a 1st - 3rd-grade vocabulary.

* Game 2: One player competes against the computer that uses words from a 1st - 6th-grade vocabulary.

* Game 3: Playing with words from a 1st - 9th-grade level, one player competes against the computer.

* Game 4: Words from a 1st-grade through high school vocabulary are used for competition between one player and the computer.

2-Player Computer Games: Games 5, 6, 7 and 8 are 2-player games against the computer. After you select the game vocabulary you want to use, you and your opponent take turns selecting alphabet letters to find the word generated by the computer. Both players together are allowed 11 incorrect selections. When you make a correct letter guess, you receive a consecutive turn. The first player to complete the Hangman Word scores one point and starts the next word. The first player to score five points wins the game.

* Game 5: Two players compete to complete the Hangman Word from a 1st - 3rd-grade vocabulary.

* Game 6: Two players test their word skill with Hangman Words from a 1st - 6th-grade vocabulary.

* Game 7: Words from a 1st - 9th-grade vocabulary are used for competition between two players.

* Game 8: Two players compete using words from a 1st-grade through high school vocabulary.

* Game 9 (2-Player Opponent Games): Now it's your turn to choose the Hangman Word. Instead of playing with a computer word, one player composes the Hangman Word with the Joystick Controller; the opposing player receives eleven guesses to complete the Hangman Word.***[media=youtube]E8sZBRA4rKE[/media]
labelimagesubject
Outlaw  Atari1978One or two players can become expert gunslingers during these games:
* In 1-player games (Target Shoot), you control the movement of a gunfighter with the left Joystick Controller. Practice target shooting with the moving target that appears on the screen.
* In 2-player games (Gunslinger Games), each player controls the movement of a gunslinger with a Joystick Controller. You score points when your gunslinger shoots your opponent's gunslinger.***[media=youtube]y0wasBs_CLc[/media]***
[48]***Gun Fight conversion for VCS.

The creator, David Crane, is from Arizona.

Published by Atari / Sears / Ariola / Videospielkassette
labelimagesubject
Space War  Atari1978SPACE WAR GAMES
You and your opponent blast off into space. Each player controls one Star Ship with the Joystick Controller. The object is to score points by shooting your opponent's Star Ship with missiles fired by the red button on your Joystick Controller. Aim the nose of your Star Ship in the direction you want to fire. Space War games last ten minutes or until one player scores ten points. Player's scores appear at the top of the playfield and are color coordinated with the Star Ships. The two lines to the right of your score refer to fuel and missile supply. The top line is the fuel gauge; the bottom line is the amount of missiles remaining. Each player begins with eight missiles. Once the arsenal is depleted, the game will automatically reset each player with eight more missiles ONLY when both players are out of missiles. In most War games, fuel cannot be resupplied. In games 6 and 7, players can refuel and resupply missiles by docking with the Starbase. Fuel is used by adding 'thrust' to your Star Ship or by putting your Ship into Hyperspace.

GAME 1: It's war in space as two players attempt to score 10 points first. You have Galaxy boundaries in this game.
GAME 2: Engage in combat in a galaxy which features Galaxy Boundaries and Hyperspace.
GAME 3: Oppose your space opponent in a galaxy which has Warp Drive. Use Hyperspace as a defensive move.
GAME 4: The Space Sun in the center of the galaxy exerts gravity during combat. Avoid your opponent or collision with the Space Sun by using Hyperspace. You also fight within Galaxy Boundaries.
GAME 5: The Space Sun, Warp Drive, and Hyperspace are the features of the galaxy playfield.
GAME 6: You can refuel and receive more missiles at any time during this game. Steer your Star Ship to the Starbase. This galaxy also features Galaxy Boundaries and Hyperspace.
GAME 7: Steer your Star Ship to the Starbase at any time during the game to refuel or receive more missiles. This galaxy also features Warp Drive and Hyperspace.

SPACE SHUTTLE GAMES
If you have mastered the exercises, you are ready to try Space Shuttle. Connect your Star Ship with the Space Module to score. Recommended strategy is to first match your Star Ship's speed to the Space Module's speed. Then slowly maneuver your Star Ship towards the Space Module. During Shuttle games the Star Ships have an unlimited supply of fuel. In 1-player games, you control one Star Ship with the left joystick controller and compete against the clock. You have ten minutes to score a maximum ten points. During 2-player games each player maneuvers his Star Ship to score. In 2-player games with two Space Modules, the target Space Module will be the same color as your Star Ship. First player to score ten points or the most points in ten minutes wins.

2-PLAYER GAMES
GAME 8: Two players each control one Star Ship and attempt to connect with the Module which is color coordinated with the Ship. Warp Drive is present in this galaxy.
GAME 9: Two players each control one Star Ship and compete to connect with the same Space Module. This galaxy features Warp Drive.
GAME 10: Each player controls a Star Ship and attempts to connect with a color coordinated Space Module. This galaxy has a Space Sun and Galaxy Boundaries.
GAME 12: Galaxy Boundaries characterize this galaxy. Each player controls a Star Ship and attempts to connect to the same Space Module.
GAME 13: Each player controls a Star Ship and attempts to connect with the Space Module that is color-coordinated to the Star Ship. Galaxy boundaries are featured.

1-PLAYER GAMES
GAME 14: One player controls a Star Ship and attempts to connect with the Space Module. This galaxy features Warp Drive.
GAME 15: A Space Sun and Warp Drive characterize this space galaxy. One player steers the Star Ship to connect with the Space Module.
GAME 16: One player controls a Star Ship and attempts to dock it with the Space Module. Galaxy Boundaries characterize this playfield.
GAME 17: A Space Sun and Galaxy Boundaries could affect one player's strategy to connect the Star Ship with the Space Module.***The cartridge includes 17 game variations. Variations 1–13 are duels between two ships and 14 to 17 are for one player. In some of the variations the ships fight near a planet which has gravitational attraction***[media=youtube]3krEw2b7_jo[/media]
labelimagesubject
Bowling Atari1979Bowling was designed by Larry Kaplan. It was his final game for Atari, Inc. before leaving the company to co-found Activision.***A bowling game that can be played by one or two players. The gameplay is from a side view of the bowling alley; using the joystick, you need to try to bowl the highest score possible by knocking down the pins on the right side of the screen. There are several game variations available; in the easier variation, you can use the joystick to control the direction of the ball on its way towards the pins. In the harder game, once the ball is released you no longer can control its direction. There are also two difficulty levels that control how difficult it is to get a strike labelimagesubject
Human Cannonball  Atari1979Careful now, the Human Cannonball is counting on you to make your calculations accurately. Otherwise he'll end up flat as a pancake and you'll end up with 0 points or a miss to show for it! The objective of this game is to shoot the man out of the cannon and into the water tower. To accomplish this, you must consider the following variables:
- The angle of the cannon (establishes the line or arc of trajectory the man follows after being shot from the can- non).
- The speed (mph) at which the man travels after being shot from the cannon.
- The distance between the cannon and the water tower.

These variables are set by you and/or the computer, depending on the game you're playing. In some games, the cannon position remains fixed throughout the game. There are eight game variations in all. Each game variation contains both a 1-player version and a 2-player version.***[media=youtube]F91APZABG4E[/media]
labelimagesubject
Miniature Golf  Atari;Sears (Atari)1979Your sense of timing and your perceptiveness in judging distance are about to be fine-tuned! This exciting video game simulates an actual Miniature Golf course, complete with moving obstacles.

There are nine 'holes' in which to hit the ball into the 'cup'. Each time you hit the ball it is called a 'stroke'. Although the number of strokes you take to hit the ball into the cup is unlimited, each hole has a designated 'par'. Par represents the number of strokes you are ideally supposed to take to complete the hole.

Variations:

GAME 1 is for one player only. At the beginning of each hole, before the first stroke, the number for that hole is displayed in the upper left corner of the screen. The par for that hole is shown at the upper right corner of the screen. After the first stroke, the player's running score replaces the hole number. A 0 replaces the par until the beginning of the next hole.

GAME 2 is for two players. The left player goes first. After the first stroke by each player, the respective scores are displayed at the top of the screen until the hole is completed. These score totals replace the hole number and the par, as in GAME 1.***[media=youtube]xFr35XzjYSs[/media]
labelimagesubject
Canyon Bomber Atari1979[media=youtube]C6hNJZ95_L8[/media]***Atari CX2607, Sears #99828, rarity 2 Common+. 1 player or 2 players. Uses the paddle controllers. The Atari cart comes in text label and picture label variations. The Sears cart comes in 2 text label variations and a picture label variation. NTSC. Released in North America.

The manual says "For three and four player games, you will need an additional set of Paddle Controllers." But there seems to be no actual 3 or 4 player options in the game. The manual goes on to confirm there are only 1 and 2 player games.

While David Crane programmed the Atari version it is unknown who re-coded the Sears variation.
[Zerothis]
labelimagesubject
Backgammon Atari1979The backgammon board is divided into two halves or tables. The divider is called the bar. The inner table is the portion at the bottom of the playfield; the outer table is the portion at the top of the playfield.

Each table is also divided into halves. The red player's home or inner table is on the lower right side of the playfield; the white player's home or inner table is on the lower left side of the playfield. The red player's outer table is on the upper right side of the playfield; the white player's out table is on the upper left side of the playing field.

Each player's inner and outer table has six points. The point is the area on which you rest your you pieces as you move around the board. Each point is numbered for reference starting in each player's inner table. The white side is number 1 to 12 starting at the bottom right side of the board.***[media=youtube]8o2ipJRr9zk[/media]***Atari CX2617, rarity 2 Common+, Sears #99848, Rarity 3 Scarce. 1 player or 2 players. Uses the paddles controller. The Atari cart comes in text label and picture label variations. NTSC.
[Zerothis]
labelimagesubject
Video Chess  Atari1979An early home chess game. The standard U. S. chess rules are used in this game. To move a piece, place the X on the board onto the piece to be moved then press the red button. Next, move the X to where you want the piece to go and press the button again. If the move is illegal, the 2600 will give a warning sound and not make the move.

To castle your king, the king and rook must not have been moved. You move your king two squares in the direction of the rook to castle with. The 2600 will then automatically move your rook around your king, completing the move. You cannot castle out of check and you cannot castle to the king's side if any squares between the king and rook are threatened.

Another maneuver is called en passant. This move is used to counteract the enemy pawn's initial double move on a adjacent square. To carry out the en passant, you must advance your pawn to the fifth rank. Your opponent then has the option of moving his or her pawn one square (where it would be under attack) or two squares. If you opponent elects to move two squares, the en passant move allows you to take that pawn by diagonally moving your pawn to the square that was skipped over.

Skill levels
These determine how long the computer will think on its move. These times are approximate and may vary slightly, depending on what move you did.
Level 1=15 seconds
Level 2=30 seconds
Level 3=45 seconds
Level 4=2 minutes, 45 seconds
Level 5=3 minutes, 15 seconds
Level 6=12 minutes
Level 7=10 hours
Level 8=10 seconds

Level 8 is a beginner level.***[media=youtube]zMsOcFH9F7Y[/media]***
[48]
labelimagesubject
3-D Tic-Tac-Toe  Atari;Sears;Telegames (Atari)1980Atari CX2618, rarity 2 Common, Sears 49-75123, Rarity 3 Scarce. 1 player or 2 players. Uses the joystick. The Atari cart comes in text label and picture label variations. NTSC. Released in the USA. The first VCS game by a female designer. Telegames (not Sears Tele-Games) still manufactured and sold this game untill recently. 9 game variations, 1-8 represent the skill of the computer player, 9 is for 2 players.
When the AI is thinking, it turns the board graphics off in order to think faster. This is also very convenient to hide when the AI wants to cheat unnoticed by moving one of its previously placed pieces. This is the first game to have an AI that can decide to cheat .
[Zerothis]
labelimagesubject
Championship Soccer  Atari;Sears (Atari)1980 labelimageminimize
Dodge 'Em  Atari;Sears (Atari)1980Dodge 'Em by Atari, CX2637, text and picture label variations, rarity 2 Common+. Dodger Cars by Sears 49-75158, text label, rarity 3 scarce, picture label rarity 4 scarce+. 1 player or 2 players simultanious verses. labelimageminimize
Golf  Atari;Sears (Atari)1980 labelimageminimize
Missile Command  Atari;Ariolasoft (Atari)1980
[126]***
[48]***Published by Atari, Ariola, Videospielkassette, and Video Gems

The VCS version of the game uses a story somewhat different from the arcade version. The protagonist is from Zardon and is defending his/her planet from Krytol. It would seem to be a softening of the original story line in favor of a the commonly used sci-fi allegory type story. Ironically, Krytol will suffer no nuclear fallout from their attack and thus the propaganda against Nuclear war (integral to the arcade version) is all but gone as well.

Use your planet's Missile Defense System to defend 6 major cities of Zardon from missiles launched by Krytol.

There is a hacked version that works with an Atari ST Mouse (or an Amiga Mouse).

There are two known variants, one has an author initials easter egg and the other does not.
[Zerothis]
labelimageminimize
Night Driver Atari1980
[48]***Uses paddles controllers.
VCS conversion of the revolutionary arcade racer of the same name.
labelimageminimize
Steeplechase Sears;Video Gems (Atari)1980Would have been Atari CX2614. Atari never actually published the game but Sears opted to.
1 players, 2 players, 3 players, or 4 players competitive. Up to 3 AI players provided.
[Zerothis]
labelimageminimize
Video Checkers Atari;Sears (Atari)1980 labelimageminimize
Video Pinball  Atari;Sears;CCE (Atari)1980Published by Atari / Sears / CCE / Zellers / Quelle***
[48]***
[48]
labelimageminimize
Wizard Atari1980This 1980 game was eventually released 25 years after completion as one of the games in the [gametag=flashback2.0 Atari Flashback 2.0]flashback2.0 Atari Flashback 2.0[/gametag]. The prototype had been found years ago. Its creator, Cris Crawford, only found out about the release of his game when a fan informed him.

Roam the maze attempting to shoot the slower enemy who fires faster and moves through walls. This game has several innovations, including line-of-sight visibility and automatic aim assistance. Also, the player can hear the enemies heartbeat which is louder when the enemy is closer. The heartbeat is also in stereo. The player has clues for direction and distance of the enemy when they are out of sight. although the prototype is 1-player only, the Flashback 2.0 version added a 2 player mode.
[Zerothis]
labelimagesubject
Adventure  Atari;Polyvox (Atari)1980An evil magician has stolen the Enchanted Chalice and has hidden it somewhere in the Kingdom. The object of the game is to rescue the Enchanted Chalice and place it inside the Golden Castle where it belongs.

This is no easy task, as the Evil Magician has created three Dragons to hinder you in your quest for the Golden Chalice. There is Yorgie, the Yellow Dragon, who is just plain mean; there is Grundle, the Green Dragon, who is mean and ferocious; and there is Rhindle, the Red Dragon, who is the most ferocious of all. Rhindle is also the fastest Dragon and is the most difficult to outmaneuver.

There are three castles in the Kingdom; the White Castle, the Black Castle, and the Golden Castle. Each castle has a Gate over the entrance. The Gate can be opened with the corresponding colored Key. Inside each Castle are rooms(or dungeons, depending at which Skill Level you are playing).

The Castles are separated by rooms, pathways, and labyrinths. Common to all the Skill Levels is the Blue Labyrinth through which you must find your way to the Black Castle. Skill Levels 2 and 3 have a more complicated Kingdom.***[b]About the release date[/b]:

Could be 1979 or 1980. According to the game developer, Warren Robinett:

[quote]I am pretty sure the Adventure cartridge was released during the 1979 Christmas season. But I was in Europe during that time. People were definitely playing Adventure in early 1980 [...] Anyway, the Adventure cart was definitely out in the world by June 1980, and had been out there for a while. My belief is that it was released during the 1979 Christmas season, but I did not actually see an Adventure cart in a retail store prior to Jan. 1, 1980. So I guess I don't truly know for sure.[/quote]***
[48]***Adventure was released in North America by Atari, CX2613, picture and text labels rarity 2 Common+, NTSC. Sears 49-75154, picture label rarity 4 Scarce+, text label rarity 3 Scarce, NTSC. Released in South America by Polyvox, NTSC.

This game was inspired by another game called [game=Colossal Cave Adventure]Colossal Cave Adventure[/game] (later known as [i]Colossal Cave[/i]) by Will Crowther and Don Woods. Adventure was hundreds of kilobytes in size and ran on a room-sized mainframe; Mr. Robinett's Adventure fit in 2k and ran on a VCS, which is smaller than a VCR.

Mr. Robinett developed this game against his boss' instructions (who said it was too big).

[spoiler=The first videogame with an easter egg (secret):;Close]Find the hidden dot that removes a wall and enter a secret room where the words 'Created by Warren Robinett' are spelled out.[/spoiler] Mr. Robinett also did this without permission and it was discovered after he'd left employment with Atari. At the time, programmers at Atari were not given credit, could not discuss their work in public, had no official creative input, were not allowed to collect royalties and were being paid less then some of their own secretaries.

In a development version of the game, there was a roadrunner character that just ran around.

Late in the development of this game, Mr. Robinett was told by marketing to change the game to 'Superman' to ride the hype of the Superman movie that was released in 1978. John Dunn came to the rescue and volunteered to do the [game=#99763]Superman[/game] game.

[game=Rocky's Boots]Rocky's Boots[/game] was the followup to this game and uses a later version of the adventure engine (ADV# engine).
[Zerothis]
labelimagesubject
Maze Craze: A Game of Cops 'n Robbers  Atari;Quelle (Atari)1980Each player controls a blue or red cop. Your cop's beat is a maze of city blocks, and you must move the cop from the left side of the maze to the exit on the right.

GAME VARIATIONS
Each game offers different variations or features which can assist or hinder you in finding your way out of the maze.

CAPTURE - You must become a hero and capture three robbers before you win the game. To do this, move your cop toward the robber and make contact. During games that feature CAPTURE, color-coded bars appear for each player at the top of the screen. Each time you capture a robber, the appropriate bar disappears. (Blue bar = blue robber)

2, 3 OR 5 ROBBERS - Depending on the game you're playing, two, three or five robbers appear on the right side of the screen. They will be lurking around corners waiting for you. If they touch you, you automatically are knocked out of the game and lose.

WOUNDS - You're paralyzed after robbers touch you. Only after a few moments will you regain strength, and then you can gradually move at your normal speed.
NOTE: A wounded cop continues to move in the same direction that he was headed when he was wounded. Only at the next intersection can you change the cop's direction.

TERROR - Your cop cannot exit the maze until your opponent is knocked out of the maze by the robbers.

BLOCKADE - Confuse your opponent by leaving a blockade resembling a dead end in the maze. He can go through it, of course, but blockades can be useful strategy. Press the red controller button to leave a blockade. When you set up a new blockade, the previous one disappears.

AUTOMATIC PEEK - This is your way out of the darkness! During invisible mazes or blackouts, the computer flashes the complete maze on the screen every few seconds. Try to recognize the way out before your opponent.

PLAYER PEEK - During invisible games, a player can peek at the complete maze by pressing the red controller button. The maze remains on the screen momentarily.

SCOUTS - During invisible mazes, your cop has a partner or scout who moves ahead of him. The scout randomly leads the way, but you are free to ignore his suggestions.

NOTE: All of the 16 MAZE CRAZE games have four visibility options. GAMES 6 and 7 feature additional variations. GAME 6 with visibility 1 is a 5 ROBBERS Game Variation. GAME 6 with all other visibilities is a PLAYER PEEK Game Variation. GAME 7 with visibility 1 combines the 5 ROBBERS and TERROR Game Variations. GAME 7 with all other visibilities is a SCOUTS Game Variation. All other games allow you to choose your visibility options.
labelimagesubject
Asteroids  Atari;Polyvox;Sears (Atari)1981Its not vector. Shoot the asteroids into pieces and shoot the pieces into itty-bity pieces, and then (due to 8-bit physics) they disappear when shot. Destroy them all and the screen fills up with asteroids again. Watch out for the occasional UFO. Move around with thrusters if you want, or teleport to a random place, or even shift phase to pass through solid objects.

Hacks:
[i]Arcade Asteroids[/i] is fixed to look more like the arcade version. It is one of the games for the [gametag=flashback Atari Flashback 2.0]flashback Atari Flashback 2.0[/gametag].
[Zerothis]
labelimagesubject
Haunted House  Atari;Sears (Atari)1981 labelimageminimize
Centipede Atari (General Computer)1982Watch out! Here come the slithering Centipede, the poisonous scorpion, a mischievous spider, and pesky flea! Aim your magic wand and shoot sparks to stop these pests in their tracks.***
[126]***
[125]***
[48]***
[48]
labelimagesubject
Combat Two  Atari (General Computer)1982[media=youtube]yVvh-62RcVk[/media]***CX26156. This prototype game developed in 1982 was eventually released with the [gametag=flashback2.0 Atari Flashback 2.0 system]flashback2.0 Atari Flashback 2.0 system[/gametag]
[Zerothis]
labelimageminimize
Demons to Diamonds  Atari;CCE (Atari)1982
[125]***At the Cosmic Carnival a squat, non-stop talk demon dares you to play a new target game. You control a moving laser base. You aim and fire at demons who parade back and forth in front of you. Whenever you hit a demon it changes into a diamond or skull. Shoot a diamond to score precious points. But watch out for those skulls - they're deadly! Play alone or against an opponent.***
[48]***
[48]***Atari CX2615, rarity 2 Common+, Sears 49-75140, Rarity 3 Scarce. 1 player or 2 players. Uses the joystick. NTSC. Released in North America. Atari also published this game in Asian.
[Zerothis]***Nick Turner programmed the Sears variation. It is unknown who programmed the Asian release.
labelimagesubject
Frog Pond Atari1982CX2665 prototype cartridge.
Developed in 1982. An almost exact copy of [[gameid:99414 Mattel's Frog's and Flies]]. This could have gotten Atari sued, but Mattel and Atari both were eventually purchased by Hasbro and the game was released with the [[gametag:flashback2.0 Atari Flashback 2.0]]
[Zerothis]
labelimagesubject
RealSports Baseball  Atari1982Hit a home run, make a spectacular catch, or force a triple play! Here's your chance to prove your skills on the baseball diamond. Your job - to guide your team to victory. You control the ballplayers and the strategy. Play against your friends or the computer. And keep an eye out for that fastball - it's a scorcher!***This game is a hack of [game=#41980]Home Run[/game]! But a pretty good improvement.
[Zerothis]
labelimagesubject
RealSports Volleyball  Atari;CCE;Digitel (Atari)1982CX2666
First Atari sports game to have a round ball instead of a square one. Also the first Atari game to have an object that cast a shadow.***
[48]***
[48]
labelimageminimize
Submarine Commander  Sears (Atari)1982 labelimageminimize
Swordquest: Earthworld Atari1982
[126]***
[125]***
[48]***CX2656
1 Player, uses a joystick. The first game in the Swordquest series.
labelimageminimize
Aquaventure Atari1983The was a prototype cartridge developed in 1983. It was eventually released via [gametag=flashback2.0]Atari Flashback 2.0 system[/gametag]
[Zerothis]
labelimageminimize
Battlezone  Atari (General Computer)1983 labelimageminimize
Gravitar Atari1983 labelimageminimize
RealSports Basketball Atari;CGE (Roklan Software)1983Atari released every Realsports title it announced for the 2600 except this one which never made it passed prototype stage. However, it was finally published in the Flashback 3.0 labelimageminimize
RealSports Soccer  Atari;CCE (Atari)1983 labelimageminimize
Swordquest: Fireworld Atari1983
[125]***
[48]***CX2657
1 Player, uses a joystick. The second game in the Swordquest series.
labelimageminimize
Desert Falcon  Atari1987 labelimageminimize
Sprintmaster  Atari1988 labelimageminimize
Super Baseball Atari;CCE1988This game is a hack of [[gameid:99704 RealSports Baseball]] which was a hack of [[gameid:Home Run]]! But this time the improvments were very minor. labelminimizeminimize
first_page chevron_left 1 of 2 chevron_right last_page
permalink