Atari 2600 Game List

[mccorkled]

I was wondering if there is a list of officially released games. Every list I find seems to be full of homebrews. While I understand that a lot of homebrews are really great games, they do not help me get a complete set of officially released games.

 

Thank you

[Supergun]

The 2600 game list is one of the most, if not THE most, complicated and controversial lists that we have.

I have a very detailed and professional 2 page laminated printout that I keep in my game collection binder which I feel does the best job of answering your question. The first page lists the actual games and the second page breaks down all the details as to which games count, which games don't, and most importantly, the logical explanations as to why and why not. I would be happy to mail you a copy if your interested in seeing it.

 

To answer your question as quickly as possible and in the limited space & time provided here...

 

"...Not counting game name & manufacturer changes, re-branding & repackaging, label variations, unauthorized releases, system accessories, utilities, rom hacks, promos, samples, devs, loaners, alphas, betas, pals, and protos...the number is at 408..."

[mccorkled]

That you we really great! I know what you mean about being complicated. I think my hair line has receded since I started this project haha.

 

Another member sent me this list...

http://atariage.com/forums/blog/279/entry-5704-how-many-atari-2600-games-are-there-answer-470/

Edited March 17, 2016 by mccorkled

[BigO]

"...Not counting game name & manufacturer changes, re-branding & repackaging, label variations, unauthorized releases, system accessories, utilities, rom hacks, promos, samples, devs, loaners, alphas, betas, pals, and protos...the number is at 408..."

408 actual different games? I would have guessed higher since I've managed to acquire somewhere in the neighborhood of 320 without any real effort to collect "everything". Of course, now they all sit in the closet gathering dust but those few years of collecting were fun.

[Atarian7]

I thought there were more too. I've got about 350-375 different games. The containers they are in are collecting dust, but recently I have started participating

in the High Score Club. So I am now starting to play some of those games that were sitting for 10 to 15 years.

[mccorkled]

What would you say about the link I posted?

[rapoza609]

It's not too hard to amass a sizeable collection of 2600 games as the majority of them are fairly common. However since atari, and in some instances, other companies, tended to re-release their games with new labels or even a different name all together. For instance, almost all the Sears Telegames titles are renamed atari original games. To collect 350 DIFFERENT 2600 games is somewhat harder. To get to that point you're going to have to pick some R8 and R9 titles.

[mccorkled]

I am a total noob. I actually do not even collect games, I collect game box art. So I want a definitive list of all 2600 titles so that I can start to gather artwork.

[Torr]

I find the tricky thing about collecting an "official complete set" is that... there was no officiating (is that a word?)

Take the NES... you can have a "complete set", but not counting pirates or unlicensed games. Thats the kind of complete set I go for.

Atari didn't "License" games.... any one could make them... pirates seem to be pretty fair game too... I mean back in the day Zellers (which used to be a Canadian version of Wal-Mart back in the day) had their own pirates of SO many games. And when a country-wide (country the size of Canada, not Monaco) chain is selling them, not just some questionable store down on 82nd street, there must have been some legality behind it.

 

When it comes to Atari I base my collecting around games I genuinely enjoy, or, for the sake of "stamp-collecting" mindset, I may go for a complete set of a certain publisher.

Edited March 18, 2016 by Torr

[+KaeruYojimbo]

What would you say about the link I posted?

 

Scanning through it, it looks like a pretty good list of unique games released in North America. Some of them (the Froggo games for example) are re-releases of European games, and there are many European games that never got an official U.S. release. Don't even bother trying to figure out the European stuff. Seriously.

 

Atarimania lists 541 unique U.S. games, but that includes some unfinished and unreleased games.

http://www.atarimania.com/pgelstsoft.awp?system=2&type=G&country=16&original=1&step=25

 

Since you're looking for art rather than unique playable games, you might need to consider some of the re-releases. Most of the Sears games used different art than the Atari versions, a lot of it very good in it's own right (http://www.atariprotos.com/other/sears/artofsears.htm). Atari used different art when they released Coleco and Parker Bros. games in the late 80's.

[mccorkled]

 

Scanning through it, it looks like a pretty good list of unique games released in North America. Some of them (the Froggo games for example) are re-releases of European games, and there are many European games that never got an official U.S. release. Don't even bother trying to figure out the European stuff. Seriously.

 

Atarimania lists 541 unique U.S. games, but that includes some unfinished and unreleased games.

http://www.atarimania.com/pgelstsoft.awp?system=2&type=G&country=16&original=1&step=25

 

Since you're looking for art rather than unique playable games, you might need to consider some of the re-releases. Most of the Sears games used different art than the Atari versions, a lot of it very good in it's own right (http://www.atariprotos.com/other/sears/artofsears.htm). Atari used different art when they released Coleco and Parker Bros. games in the late 80's.

 

Thank you. The reason I asked for an official list is because I want the original release with the original artwork rather than all artwork for every release. It is amazing a system this old has such a sketchy line of what was released. I wonder if a letter to Atari would have this sorted?

[+KaeruYojimbo]

 

Thank you. The reason I asked for an official list is because I want the original release with the original artwork rather than all artwork for every release. It is amazing a system this old has such a sketchy line of what was released. I wonder if a letter to Atari would have this sorted?

 

Doubtful. Atari is just a brand name anymore. The current owners have no ties to the original company. Even if they did, since Atari had no connection to games released by any other companies (legit or pirate), the best they could give you would be a list of games released by Atari, which would be a little over 100 of the games.

[Lentzquest]

... or, for the sake of "stamp-collecting" mindset, I may go for a complete set of a certain publisher.

 

This. When it comes to the 2600 the easiest way to deal with the intricacies is to compartmentalize by publisher. Then when it comes to first party games split them up by text labels, picture labels, silver labels, red labels, and Sears. This makes things easier to digest.

 

It's also worth noting that there is no such thing as a 100% complete 2600 collection as some of the games are so rare that the 1 or 2 known copies are forever enshrined by their current owners. If one has a strong completest mentality or the wrong kind of collectors OCD they'll often stay away from the 2600 altogether since there's no way to fully bookend the collection like they can with other systems.

[high voltage]

I find the tricky thing about collecting an "official complete set" is that... there was no officiating (is that a word?)

 

Take the NES... you can have a "complete set", but not counting pirates or unlicensed games. Thats the kind of complete set I go for.

 

Can you, I reckon the Panesian games count as NES released games, the Tengen carts, and Codemasters and HES count for sure, plus others....What about multi carts like Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt or Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt/World Class Track Meet, Action 52, they do count too....

Edited March 18, 2016 by high voltage

[Supergun]

 

This. When it comes to the 2600 the easiest way to deal with the intricacies is to compartmentalize by publisher. Then when it comes to first party games split them up by text labels, picture labels, silver labels, red labels, and Sears. This makes things easier to digest.

 

It's also worth noting that there is no such thing as a 100% complete 2600 collection as some of the games are so rare that the 1 or 2 known copies are forever enshrined by their current owners. If one has a strong completest mentality or the wrong kind of collectors OCD they'll often stay away from the 2600 altogether since there's no way to fully bookend the collection like they can with other systems.

Perfectly said!

Agree 100%

[Ballblaɀer]

 

Thank you. The reason I asked for an official list is because I want the original release with the original artwork rather than all artwork for every release. It is amazing a system this old has such a sketchy line of what was released. I wonder if a letter to Atari would have this sorted?

 

If it's the artwork you're collecting, I put together a list of major Atari/Sears artwork variations that details how they were first released. I'm fairly certain it's complete, but someone can let me know if I've neglected to include something obvious. "Major" is of course a subjective term, but I left off anything related to box color, graphic layout, title font/placement, mirroring/flipping, cropping, sticker/logo overlay, etc. My list is only meant to count the unique main drawings/paintings/graphics used for Atari & Sears retail game releases.

 

By my count, there are 164 unique pieces of main artwork for 131 different Atari/Sears games, plus the weird looking 32-in-1 Games red PAL box artwork.

[Torr]

Can you, I reckon the Panesian games count as NES released games, the Tengen carts, and Codemasters and HES count for sure, plus others....What about multi carts like Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt or Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt/World Class Track Meet, Action 52, they do count too....

 

Panesian, Tengen and Codemasters all made unlicensed games for the NES. Some of Tengen's were licensed I believe... but not many.

Not saying they made bad games, but they were not "Official Nintendo GamePaks".

Action 52 is also unlicensed, however SMB/Duck Hunt and such ARE officially "Nintendo GamePaks".

 

Collecting "Official" games makes it more likely to complete a "Set". Because we KNOW whats in circulation, what HAS been made and released to the public.

I used Stamp Collecting as a parallel, you could also think of sports cards or whatever. If you want a set of EVERY Wayne Gretzky hockey card ever printed you'd better stick to "Official" hockey cards.... cause hell, "I" could have printed up my own cards for as prizes in local Fan Club contest; and they would technically BE Hockey Cards in that they would be a card, on cardstock, with a shot of the person on one side and detailed info on the back... good luck "completing" your collection of EVERY Wayne Gretzky hockey card, cause there are 3 different cards that "I" made and you wont get, because these were cards I made back when he still played for the Oilers and it's VERY unlikely all 3 have survived since then.

 

Thats the way I feel about Atari, even aside from games like Extra Terrestrials or Air Raid... you have SMALL companies who made crap games or ported PAL games and released them in VERY limited amounts in very select areas... AND, who knows? Just like Canada had a VERY limited run of Extra Terrestrials, it's possible that some guy in Germany did a similar thing, only we haven't FOUND that game yet... and may never if they've all been since destroyed by time and consequence.

[cjameslv]

 

This. When it comes to the 2600 the easiest way to deal with the intricacies is to compartmentalize by publisher. Then when it comes to first party games split them up by text labels, picture labels, silver labels, red labels, and Sears. This makes things easier to digest.

 

It's also worth noting that there is no such thing as a 100% complete 2600 collection as some of the games are so rare that the 1 or 2 known copies are forever enshrined by their current owners. If one has a strong completest mentality or the wrong kind of collectors OCD they'll often stay away from the 2600 altogether since there's no way to fully bookend the collection like they can with other systems.

 

This is why i see alot of debate on things like mail in titles for example. being part of an official licensed set for systems. I'm under the impression if you had to mail in for it and stores did not carry it, that is called promotional and if so then its not part of an official set, but then others will say it is. I know then this brings up other issues as stores did carry remakes (sears , etc) but then a licensed remake is just that, a remake, and i wouldn't count that as official Atari release either. I think trying to collect a full set isn't possible because of there not being enough guidelines and general consensus to what exactly should count and what shouldn't.

[+KaeruYojimbo]

 

This is why i see alot of debate on things like mail in titles for example. being part of an official licensed set for systems. I'm under the impression if you had to mail in for it and stores did not carry it, that is called promotional and if so then its not part of an official set, but then others will say it is. I know then this brings up other issues as stores did carry remakes (sears , etc) but then a licensed remake is just that, a remake, and i wouldn't count that as official Atari release either. I think trying to collect a full set isn't possible because of there not being enough guidelines and general consensus to what exactly should count and what shouldn't.

 

The Sears games aren't so much remakes as rebrands, made at the same Atari factories at the same time as the Atari branded games, just sold with different labels as part of an arrangement going back to the Pong days (just like the Sears Video Arcade was an Atari 2600, made in the same factory with different branding). The games released under the Zellers brand however were remakes. Legally dubious ones to boot.

 

In the post-Nintendo world, it seems like people forget there's no such thing really as an "official" Atari game. There were no licensing agreements or lockout chips. If you had the wherewithal to make a 2600 game, you could do it and try to cash in. You didn't need Atari's permission. The closest you could come to an "official" release list would be to identify the companies that produced original games (Atari, Activision, Imagic, M-Network, CBS, Data Age, CommaVid, Coleco, U.S. Games, Parker Bros., 20th Century Fox, Spectravision, etc., etc), who either employed their own developers or hired freelancers specifically to produce games for them, and focus on those games.

[BigO]

There may be one list that a completion-obsessed type person might successfully go after: Launch Day Titles.

 

I think the lack of clearly defined borders adds to the charm and is responsible for some of the continuing interest in the platform long after it should have been dead and buried.

The 2600 seems to have undefined borders at every turn. You can't readily pin down a list of "all games" and just when you think we've seen the last of the previously unknown titles, yet another one pops up. The TIA has been found to do quite a number of tricks that were not intended by its designers. The things some of the super-programmers have done and are now doing are quite impressive. Will 2600 discoveries never end?

 

Perhaps the most appropriate thing we can say on the subject is, "2600 games are known to exist."

[mccorkled]

This thread is super informative.

[high voltage]

 

Panesian, Tengen and Codemasters all made unlicensed games for the NES. Some of Tengen's were licensed I believe... but not many.

Not saying they made bad games, but they were not "Official Nintendo GamePaks".

Action 52 is also unlicensed, however SMB/Duck Hunt and such ARE officially "Nintendo GamePaks".

 

Collecting "Official" games makes it more likely to complete a "Set". Because we KNOW whats in circulation, what HAS been made and released to the public.

I used Stamp Collecting as a parallel, you could also think of sports cards or whatever. If you want a set of EVERY Wayne Gretzky hockey card ever printed you'd better stick to "Official" hockey cards.... cause hell, "I" could have printed up my own cards for as prizes in local Fan Club contest; and they would technically BE Hockey Cards in that they would be a card, on cardstock, with a shot of the person on one side and detailed info on the back... good luck "completing" your collection of EVERY Wayne Gretzky hockey card, cause there are 3 different cards that "I" made and you wont get, because these were cards I made back when he still played for the Oilers and it's VERY unlikely all 3 have survived since then.

 

Thats the way I feel about Atari, even aside from games like Extra Terrestrials or Air Raid... you have SMALL companies who made crap games or ported PAL games and released them in VERY limited amounts in very select areas... AND, who knows? Just like Canada had a VERY limited run of Extra Terrestrials, it's possible that some guy in Germany did a similar thing, only we haven't FOUND that game yet... and may never if they've all been since destroyed by time and consequence.

Ah see that's how you look at it and that's wrong in my opinion. Codemasters are a world famous company making games for C64, Genesis, PC, Spectrum, Amiga, ST and many others, including NES. For me they are official released original games, be it on Amiga, C64, NES, or Spectrum and should be included for completion of said collection. They also sued Nintendo and won, goes to show Nintendo were in the wrong. For you this is not the case, because of some stupid sticker mumbling something about 'Official licensed' on the box, which actually only means that the cart works on NES.

If I buy a Codemasters game for my Commodore, it's included in my C64 collection, I don't see why I shouldn't, it doesn't make sense.

Edited March 19, 2016 by high voltage

[Lentzquest]

 

Panesian, Tengen and Codemasters all made unlicensed games for the NES. Some of Tengen's were licensed I believe... but not many.

Not saying they made bad games, but they were not "Official Nintendo GamePaks".

Action 52 is also unlicensed, however SMB/Duck Hunt and such ARE officially "Nintendo GamePaks".

 

Collecting "Official" games makes it more likely to complete a "Set". Because we KNOW whats in circulation, what HAS been made and released to the public.

I used Stamp Collecting as a parallel, you could also think of sports cards or whatever. If you want a set of EVERY Wayne Gretzky hockey card ever printed you'd better stick to "Official" hockey cards.... cause hell, "I" could have printed up my own cards for as prizes in local Fan Club contest; and they would technically BE Hockey Cards in that they would be a card, on cardstock, with a shot of the person on one side and detailed info on the back... good luck "completing" your collection of EVERY Wayne Gretzky hockey card, cause there are 3 different cards that "I" made and you wont get, because these were cards I made back when he still played for the Oilers and it's VERY unlikely all 3 have survived since then.

 

Thats the way I feel about Atari, even aside from games like Extra Terrestrials or Air Raid... you have SMALL companies who made crap games or ported PAL games and released them in VERY limited amounts in very select areas... AND, who knows? Just like Canada had a VERY limited run of Extra Terrestrials, it's possible that some guy in Germany did a similar thing, only we haven't FOUND that game yet... and may never if they've all been since destroyed by time and consequence.

 

See I agree that this is a fine way to go about NES collecting. Aside from missing out on some kick-ass Tengen titles you still get most of the heavy hitters amongst something like a 500+ title collection. The same applies to pretty much any post-NES system.

 

It's severely limiting to stick only to "official" 1st party releases on the 2600 though. You'd be denying the inclusion of Pitfall, Ice Hockey, Frogger, Gorf, Solar Fox, all the Star Wars titles, Frogs & Flies, Beamrider, Demon Attack, Atlantis, Lock n Chase, Dragonfire, and the list goes on and on. Many of the absolute most iconic titles for the VCS are unofficial. It's tough to look at it like later systems.

[Torr]

I think you misunderstand a little.

 

No doubt games by Codemasters and Tengen were REAL companies making REAL games, many of them good. And yes, their games were legal for sale, not pirates of other peoples work; What I mean about trying to complete an "official" set is, it gives you a reasonable goal. Once you say you want EVERY game or whatever you've opened a box to which there may be no bottom. It can just keep going and going.... you'll NEVER have a complete set. They only just recently found another NES game that has never been dumped before. Lets say you DID own every licensed and unlicensed and even Pirate cart ever, you'd claim you had a full set, but you didn't, because you didn't even know this one existed to get it.

 

And exactly... with ATari there were no Official Games besides Atari's own, which DOES cut out a lot of the great titles, but it gets iffy where you draw the line, sure if you trying to complete a set you're gonna want all of Activision's and Parker Brothers games, but do you REALLY want every game Panada made? Maybe, maybe not... But hey, in the end we all collect whatever it is we want to collect.

Edited March 19, 2016 by Torr

[high voltage]

I suppose, bunch of weird guys the NES collectors anyway.

 

As for VCS, Activision, Imagic, Parker, Tigervision, Xonox, Epyx, Data Age, First Star, Milton Bradley, Spectravideo, Sega, M Network, 20th Century Fox, Apollo, Starpath, US Games, even Coleco and others released OFFICIAL Atari VCS games, that's how it was. We didn't need a sticker to tell us.

They were ATARI games, and Atari guys are a clever bunch, we knew this.

Edited March 19, 2016 by high voltage