List of Atari, Inc. games (1972–1984)
Updated: 10/31/2025, 9:47:58 PM Wikipedia source
Atari, Inc. was an American video game developer and video game console and home computer development company which operated between 1972 and 1984. During its years of operation, it developed and produced over 350 arcade, console, and computer games for its own systems, and almost 100 ports of games for home computers such as the Commodore 64. Atari began its operations by developing and producing some of the first arcade video games; the first commercial arcade video game, Computer Space, was released in November 1971 by Atari founders Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney in partnership as Syzygy Engineering. The game in part marked the end of the early history of video games and the start of the rise of the commercial video game industry. After its founding in 1972, Atari released Pong, believed to be the third arcade video game after Computer Space and a clone game and the first commercially successful arcade video game machine, and thereafter produced numerous arcade games, including video games and pinball machines. The arcade game market is split into manufacturers, distributors, and operators; manufacturers like Atari sell game machines to distributors—who handle several types of electronic machines—who in turn sell them to the operators of locations. In the early 1970s, distributors bought games on an exclusive basis, meaning that only one distributor in each distribution region would carry products from a given arcade game manufacturer, restricting the manufacturer to only the operators that distributor sold to. In 1973 Atari set up a secret subsidiary company, Kee Games, which was intended to sell clones of Atari's games in order to reach more distributors; Kee was merged with Atari the following year. Atari itself was sold to Warner Communications in 1976 and merged with Warner's WCI Games division, keeping the name Atari, Inc. In 1975 Atari released Home Pong, its first of several Pong-based dedicated video game consoles, and in 1977 released its first home video game console, the Atari Video Computer System (later renamed the Atari 2600). From that point onward Atari developed both arcade games and console games, and in 1979 added games for their home computers, the Atari 400 and 800. Atari produced a second home video game console in 1982, the Atari 5200, and four more home computer versions. Beginning in Summer 1981, Atari published the Atari Program Exchange, a quarterly mail-order catalog of software written for Atari computers by external developers which Atari then distributed to customers. In May 1983, Atari started the Atarisoft division, which produced ports of games by Atari and others for non-Atari home computers. In July 1984, as a result of falling sales due to the video game crash of 1983, Atari, Inc. was split apart by Warner Communications; the arcade division continued as a subsidiary of Warner under the name Atari Games, while the console and computer games divisions were sold off as Atari Corporation.
Tables
| Title | System | Release date | Developer(s) | Ref(s). |
| Pong | Arcade | November 29, 1972 | Atari | |
| Dedicated console | October 1, 1975 | Atari | ||
| Space Race | Arcade | July 16, 1973 | Atari | |
| Pong Doubles | Arcade | September 10, 1973 | Atari | |
| Dedicated console (as Pong IV) | September 1976 | Atari | ||
| Gotcha | Arcade | October 1973 | Atari | |
| Elimination | Arcade | October 1973 | Kee Games | |
| Arcade (as Quadrapong) | March 1974 | Atari | ||
| Rebound | Arcade | February 1974 | Atari | |
| Arcade (as Spike) | March 1974 | Kee Games | ||
| Super Pong | Arcade | February 1974 | Atari | |
| Dedicated console | July 1976 | Atari | ||
| World Cup | Arcade | April 1974 | Atari | |
| Gran Trak 10 | Arcade | May 1974 | Atari | |
| Arcade (as Formula K) | July 1974 | Kee Games | ||
| Twin Racer | Arcade | July 1974 | Kee Games | |
| Arcade (as Gran Trak 20) | August 1974 | Atari | ||
| Touch Me | Arcade (electronic) | October 1974 | Atari | |
| Handheld electronic game | Fall 1979 | Atari | ||
| Pin-Pong | Arcade | October 1974 | Atari | |
| Qwak! | Arcade | November 1974 | Atari | |
| Tank | Arcade | November 5, 1974 | Kee Games | |
| Pursuit | Arcade | January 1975 | Kee Games | |
| Hi-way | Arcade | April 1975 | Atari | |
| Indy 800 | Arcade | April 1975 | Atari | |
| Atari 2600 (as Indy 500 (Sears: Race)) | September 11, 1977 | Atari | ||
| Tank II | Arcade | May 1975 | Atari | |
| Tank III | Arcade | May 1975 | Atari | |
| Anti-Aircraft | Arcade | June 1975 | Atari | |
| Goal 4 | Arcade | July 1975 | Atari | |
| Shark Jaws | Arcade | September 1975 | Atari | |
| Crash 'N Score | Arcade | October 17, 1975 | Atari | |
| Jet Fighter | Arcade | October 17, 1975 | Atari | |
| Steeplechase | Arcade | October 17, 1975 | Atari | |
| Atari 2600 | Fall 1981 | Atari | ||
| Stunt Cycle | Arcade | January 1976 | Atari | |
| Outlaw | Arcade | March 1976 | Atari | |
| Quiz Show | Arcade | April 1976 | Atari | |
| Tank 8 | Arcade | April 1976 | Atari | |
| Indy 4 | Arcade | May 1976 | Atari | |
| Breakout | Arcade | May 13, 1976 | Atari | |
| Atari 2600 (Sears: Breakaway IV) | November 1978 | Atari | ||
| Cops n' Robbers | Arcade | July 1976 | Atari | |
| Flyball | Arcade | July 1976 | Atari | |
| LeMans | Arcade | August 1976 | Atari | |
| Hockey Pong | Dedicated console | September 1976 | Atari | |
| Super Pong Doubles | Dedicated console (Sears: Super Pong IV) | September 1976 | Atari | |
| Night Driver | Arcade | October 1976 | Atari | |
| Atari 2600 | Summer 1980 | Atari |
References
- The original developer of the game, rather than the developer of a specific port of the game
- The dedicated console version of Pong is commonly referred to as Home Pong, despite not bearing that name.
- Initially released through Sears under the same name as the later Atari version
- World Cup was released solely in Europe
- Kee Games officially merged with Atari in December 1974; Pursuit was the last game developed by Kee as a distinct compan
- Released under the Kee Games brand after the company merged with Atari
- 2-player console game version of the 8-player arcade game Indy 800
- Shark Jaws was the only game by Atari released under the Horror Games brand.
- Namco arcade game published by Atari in North America
- Beginning in Summer 1981, Atari published the Atari Program Exchange, a quarterly mail-order catalog of software written
- Console and computer game versions of the Taito arcade game
- Console game version of the Exidy arcade game Circus
- Computer game version of the Taito arcade game Gun Fight
- Console and computer game versions of a Namco arcade game
- Console game version of the Williams Electronics arcade game
- Console version of the Stern Electronics arcade game
- Kaneko arcade game published by Atari in Europe
- Nintendo arcade game published by Atari in Europe
- Console and computer game versions of the Nintendo arcade game
- Console version of an Irem arcade game
- Console version of a Coreland arcade game
- Console version of a Vid Kidz arcade game
- Cinematronics/Advanced Microcomputer Systems arcade game published by Atari in Europe
- Cinematronics/Advanced Microcomputer Systems arcade game published by Atari in Europe
- Console version of the Dan Gorlin Apple II game
- They Create Worldshttps://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com/2015/09/03/a-nutty-idea/
- "What Were the First Ten Coin-Op Video Games?"https://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2014/05/what-were-first-ten-coin-op-video-games.html
- Atari, Inc., p. 120
- Next Generation
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1984/07/03/business/warner-sells-atari-to-tramiel.html
- Atari, Inc., p. 98
- Gamasutrahttps://web.archive.org/web/20170818214702/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130414/the_history_of_atari_19711977.php?page=8
- Atari Coin Connectionhttps://archive.org/stream/Atari_Coin_Connection_Volume_1_Number_4_March_1977/#page/n0/mode/2up
- Atari Archive: Vol.1 1977-1978
- They Create Worlds: The Story of the People and Companies That Shaped the Video Game Industry Volume 1, 1971-1982
- Gamasutrahttps://web.archive.org/web/20080827205200/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3766/atari_the_golden_years__a_.php?page=13
- The Video Game Update
- The Video Game Update
- Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Summer Edition—1981https://atariwiki.org/wiki/attach/Atari%20Program%20Exchange%20%28APX%29%20Software/Atari_Program_Exchange_Summer_1981.pdf
- Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Fall Edition—1981https://archive.org/details/Atari_Program_Exchange_Fall_1981_Catalog
- Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Winter Edition—1981https://archive.org/details/APXCatalogWinter1981
- Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Spring Edition—1982https://archive.org/details/APXCatalogSpring1982
- Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Fall Edition—1983https://archive.org/details/APXCatalogFall1983
- Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Summer Edition—1982https://archive.org/details/APXCatalogSummer1982
- Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Fall Edition—1982https://archive.org/details/APXCatalogFall1982
- Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Winter Edition—1982–1983https://archive.org/details/APXCatalogWinter19821983
- Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Spring Edition—1983https://archive.org/details/APXCatalogSpring1983
- Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Summer Edition—1983https://archive.org/details/APXCatalogSummer1983
- "Crystal Castles"https://web.archive.org/web/20240220034041/https://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=1&ti=1,1&Search%5FArg=PA0000185123&Search%5FCode=REGS&CNT=25&PID=HbT2yMeGIHMJV33sqXWFLCFkHSVTjsS&SEQ=20240219223856&SID=1
- Computer Entertainer includes The Video Game Update
- The Arcade Flyer Archivehttps://flyers.arcade-museum.com/videogames/show/307
- Atari Program Exchange Software Catalog Winter Edition—1983–1984https://archive.org/details/APXCatalogWinter1983
- The Arcade Flyer Archivehttps://flyers.arcade-museum.com/videogames/show/1353