Ad
related to: what makes atari games so popular todayExplore a range of computer accessories & peripherals like cables, keyboards and more. Enjoy great deals and discounts on an array of products from various brands.
- Black Friday: Up to 40% off Black Friday Deals
- ·Valid Nov 21 - Nov 29
Search results
Nov 1, 2021 · Because the innovations it introduced to the world represent the building blocks of the gaming universe we love today. Here are ten innovations and ideas that Atari pioneered. Each one made a ...
- Scott Bernberg
- Overview
- Work Hard Play Hard
- Atari Memories
Trending Videos
Long before the Nintendo Switch or the PlayStation 5, video games took a much simpler form. Atari was a pioneer in American gaming that shaped childhood memories and future gaming consoles alike.
While it may not necessarily have been the “golden age” of gaming, the Atari days helped make what the gaming world is today, experts and former Atari diehards say.
"I don’t know if I’d say it was the golden age, and I might reserve that for when the Nintendo Entertainment System came out and took gaming to the next level, but I‘d definitely say that the Atari days kicked it off," said Chris Spear, the host of the podcast, Chefs Without Restaurants, in an email interview with Lifewire.
The original Atari was founded in 1972 and was known for arcade coin-op games and home video game consoles like the Atari 2600: a console where you could swap out different games to play (an entirely new concept at the time).
Asteroids, Combat (which technically had 27 games in one), Crystal Castles, and Space Invaders all were Atari staples in its hey-day. The people behind these games were always trying to experiment with new ideas and new concepts.
Michael Albaugh worked in the coin-op division at Atari from 1976-2000, where he was involved with games like Pool Shark, Ultra Tank, and Atari Football.
"It was interesting because there were a whole lot of things that we were trying there," he told Lifewire in a phone interview. "We would put games out on a field test to watch players react to gaming."
"I did a bit of work on a game I think should have been produced that was a game called Beat Head that I took over from Bonnie Smithson," he said. "Someone described [the game] as head-to-head Q*bert."
Beat Head was a multiplayer prototype game where players had to jump on all of their specific colored tiles before their opponent did. Ultimately, Atari’s field tests didn’t work out with the game.
For those who only know Atari from the games they played, the mention of “Atari” conjures up memories of playing video games with friends at a young age.
"I have fond memories of sitting on the floor in friends' basements playing Real Sports Baseball," John Frigo, the digital marketing lead at My Supplement Store, wrote to Lifewire in an email. "I enjoyed the simplicity of Atari being able to pick up a controller and instantly know how to play a game and pick it up right away."
Even today, the Atari ways of gaming are still very much alive for some.
I‘d definitely say that the Atari days kicked it off.
"To this day, Raiders of the Lost Ark for the [Atari] 2600 is probably the hardest game to beat," Spear said.
What players miss about Atari games was the old-school gaming style and memories of playing a game surrounded by friends.
- Senior Editor, Features
- Space Invaders. One of the first shooting games ever, Space Invaders' lines of lurking aliens appeared in arcades before it became the first arcade game officially licensed for a console.
- Kaboom! Activision's Kaboom! (1981) became another million seller. The game starred a mad bomber who dropped bombs, which the player caught with three buckets at the bottom of the screen.
- Combat. Combat (1976) was one of the first Atari games. It contained 27 games in one, each representing different forms of combat, but all using tanks, jets, or biplanes as vehicles with weapons capability.
- Demon Attack. Imagic—a company that started with an "I" before starting with an "I" was cool—released Demon Attack (1982) for several consoles and computers, including Commodores, TRS-80, and of course, Atari 2600.
- Pitfall! One of the best-selling titles on the seminal console, Activision's Pitfall! put the publisher on the map and showcased just how entertaining these downsized arcade ports could be.
- Combat. A pack-in title that shipped with almost every Atari console released before 1982, most gamers who grew up with the console likely have fond memories of battling friends and siblings in the iconic multiplayer title Combat.
- Kung-Fu Master. Originally released in 1984, the Atari 2600's Kung-Fu Master was a loose adaptation of the Jackie Chan movie Meal On Wheels, which debuted the same year.
- Pole Position. Compared to its arcade counterpart, 1982's Atari 2600 rendition of the hit game Pole Position was pretty lacking. That said, attempting to portray a real-world environment with any sense of depth on the console was ambitious, and the port definitely deserves praise for maintaining the look and feel of the original title given the extremely limited hardware on which it ran.
Nov 29, 2023 · It acquired Nightdive Studios, which built its name remastering older games for release on modern hardware, titles like Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition, System Shock: Enhanced Edition, and...
- Managing Editor
In summary, the cost-efficiency of the Atari 2600 was a game-changer in the gaming industry, offering users a more affordable and sustainable way to enjoy video games at home compared to the traditional arcade model.
People also ask
Why is Atari so important?
Do you remember playing Atari Games?
When was Atari first made?
Why is Atari 2600 so popular?
What games were popular in the Atari era?
What games did Atari play in the '70s?
Nov 20, 2017 · In the years since the Atari 2600’s first arrival, video game culture has developed into one of the dominant forms of entertainment in the world, somehow surpassing even Hollywood in terms of...
