30 Fascinating Facts About Atari

Atari is a renowned American company that played a significant role in the early history of video games and home computers. It was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney, and it quickly became a pioneer in the arcade game industry.

Atari gained immense popularity with the release of the arcade game Pong in 1972, which was one of the first successful video games and helped establish the home video game industry. The company continued to release a string of successful arcade games, including Asteroids, Centipede, and Missile Command, among others.

Here are 30 facts about Atari:

1. Atari was founded on June 27, 1972, by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney.
2. The name “Atari” is derived from the Japanese word for “check” or “to hit the target” in the context of board games.
3. The company’s first commercially successful game was Pong, released in 1972.
4. Atari is credited with popularizing the arcade video game industry and making video games mainstream.
5. The Atari 2600, originally known as the Atari VCS (Video Computer System), was released in 1977 and became one of the most successful home video game consoles of its time.
6. The company faced significant competition in the home console market from companies like Mattel, Coleco, and Intellivision.
7. Atari’s mascot, a little red character named “Pac-Man,” was widely recognized and became an iconic symbol of the company.
8. Atari also ventured into the personal computer market with the release of the Atari 8-bit family of computers, including models like the Atari 400 and Atari 800.
9. The infamous video game crash of 1983 greatly impacted Atari’s financial stability and led to a decline in the industry as a whole.
10. The ET: The Extra-Terrestrial video game for the Atari 2600 is often cited as one of the worst video games of all time and contributed to the crash.
11. The Atari Lynx, released in 1989, was one of the first handheld color gaming consoles.
12. Atari was divided into multiple divisions, including Atari Games (arcade division) and Atari Corporation (home computer and console division).
13. The Atari ST, released in 1985, was a popular line of 16-bit computers known for their advanced graphics and MIDI capabilities, attracting musicians and desktop publishers.
14. In 1984, Warner Communications sold Atari to Jack Tramiel, the founder of Commodore International.
15. Atari released the Atari Jaguar in 1993, which was the first 64-bit gaming console and competed against the likes of Sega and Nintendo.
16. Atari has a rich catalog of classic video games, including titles like Asteroids, Centipede, Missile Command, and Breakout.
17. The Atari 2600 sold over 30 million units during its lifetime and is considered an iconic console of the early gaming era.
18. Atari has had various owners and has gone through several mergers and acquisitions over the years.
19. In recent years, Atari has focused on licensing its brand and intellectual properties for various products, including apparel, mobile games, and the Atari VCS console.
20. Atari continues to be recognized as a significant player in the history of video games and holds a nostalgic place in the hearts of many gamers and enthusiasts.
21. Atari released the arcade game Breakout in 1976, which was co-designed by Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple Inc.
22. The Atari 5200, released in 1982, was the company’s second home video game console and aimed to compete with the Intellivision.
23. Atari published the popular home computer game series called “The Learning Company” that focused on educational titles.
24. The Atari 7800, released in 1986, was backward compatible with the Atari 2600 and offered improved graphics and gameplay capabilities.
25. Atari developed a computer workstation called the Atari Transputer Workstation (ATW) in collaboration with British computer company Inmos.
26. The company faced legal battles, including a famous lawsuit against Activision, which resulted in the establishment of third-party video game development and publishing.
27. Atari had a subsidiary called Atari Games, which developed and published arcade games independently from Atari Corporation.
28. The Atari Lynx handheld console was the first with a color backlit LCD screen and featured several innovative games.
29. In the late 1990s, Hasbro Interactive acquired the Atari properties and later sold them to Infogrames Entertainment, which eventually changed its name to Atari, SA.
30. Atari is credited with introducing several video game innovations, including the first use of a microprocessor in an arcade game (Tank, 1974) and the first use of a scrolling playfield (Super Bug, 1977).

Here’s a list of 50 notable and well-regarded games for various Atari platforms:

1. Pong (Arcade)
2. Asteroids (Arcade)
3. Missile Command (Arcade)
4. Centipede (Arcade)
5. Breakout (Arcade)
6. Adventure (Atari 2600)
7. Pitfall! (Atari 2600)
8. Combat (Atari 2600)
9. Space Invaders (Atari 2600)
10. River Raid (Atari 2600)
11. Yars’ Revenge (Atari 2600)
12. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Atari 2600)
13. Defender (Arcade)
14. Tempest (Arcade)
15. Gauntlet (Arcade)
16. Crystal Castles (Arcade)
17. Star Raiders (Atari 800)
18. Galaxian (Atari 5200)
19. Pole Position (Arcade)
20. Robotron: 2084 (Arcade)
21. Stargate (Defender II) (Arcade)
22. Paperboy (Arcade)
23. Joust (Arcade)
24. Dig Dug (Atari 7800)
25. Moon Patrol (Atari 2600)
26. Mario Bros. (Atari 2600)
27. Adventure II (Atari 5200)
28. Kangaroo (Atari 5200)
29. Q*bert (Atari 2600)
30. Space Shuttle: A Journey into Space (Atari 2600)
31. Galaga (Atari 7800)
32. M.U.L.E. (Atari 800)
33. Star Wars: The Arcade Game (Arcade)
34. Food Fight (Arcade)
35. Blue Max (Atari 800)
36. Warlords (Atari 2600)
37. Paperboy (Atari Lynx)
38. Ninja Golf (Atari 7800)
39. Marble Madness (Atari ST)
40. Xenophobe (Atari Lynx)
41. Rampage (Arcade)
42. Klax (Arcade)
43. Super Breakout (Arcade)
44. Spy Hunter (Atari 800)
45. Battlezone (Arcade)
46. Stunt Cycle (Arcade)
47. Solaris (Atari 2600)
48. Ballblazer (Atari 7800)
49. Commando (Atari 7800)
50. Xevious (Atari 7800)

30 Fascinating Facts About Nintendo