Please Help Me With This Atari 2600 NTSC Game List

[+Random Terrain]

With permission, I'm adapting the blog entry by IHATETHEBEARS so I can use the list with my Atari game release date pages. Most games in the list will eventually link to an entry on a release date page. Here's a link to the new page:

 

randomterrain.com/rt-atari-2600-game-list.html

 

I'd like the text below to be a correct description of the list:

 

Below is a list of NTSC Atari 2600 cartridges that were released in North America between 1977 and 1992. PAL games, contest cartridges, hacks, and illegal knockoffs are not included.

 

I don't know that much about the fringe companies. Can those of you who know more about this stuff help me remove any companies that shouldn't be in my version of the list?

 

 

Thanks.

[+save2600]

Worthy cause and thanks for posting!

 

Remember seeing a list like this BITD on Usenet, but today will come in handy for those that want a tighter game selection for their Harmony's vs. sifting through humongous rom sets.

[+KaeruYojimbo]

That list is actually a list of unique NTSC games, not necessarily cartridges. For example, the Playaround games were all released as double enders and each game has a gender-swapped version that isn't listed. The Xonox games were released in various combinations as double enders as well. Companies like Zellers and Telegames re-released games from other publishers and only the games that didn't have another NTSC release are listed. Depending on what exactly your end goal is, you might want to either remove those two and the other "re-releasers" or find a more complete listing of the cartridges they put out.

[+Random Terrain]

That list is actually a list of unique NTSC games, not necessarily cartridges. For example, the Playaround games were all released as double enders and each game has a gender-swapped version that isn't listed. The Xonox games were released in various combinations as double enders as well. Companies like Zellers and Telegames re-released games from other publishers and only the games that didn't have another NTSC release are listed. Depending on what exactly your end goal is, you might want to either remove those two and the other "re-releasers" or find a more complete listing of the cartridges they put out.

 

Thanks. See if this is better:

 

Below is a list of unique Atari 2600 NTSC games that were released in North America between 1977 and 1992. PAL games, contest cartridges, hacks, illegal knockoffs, and repackaged games with different names are not included.

[+Random Terrain]

I updated the text again:

 

Below is a list of unique Atari 2600 NTSC games that were released in North America between 1977 and 1992. PAL games, contest cartridges, hacks, illegal knockoffs, and repackaged games with different names are not included. This list also excludes unique games that most people never heard of back then. If you can't find the game in a popular classic video game magazine or newsletter, it probably won't be listed here.

[high voltage]

Glib .....Selchow and Righter, not Richter

[high voltage]

How about Control Video Cooperation and Save the Whales?

[+Random Terrain]

Glib .....Selchow and Righter, not Richter

Thanks. I'll tell IHATETHEBEARS so he can update his blog too.

[+Random Terrain]

How about Control Video Cooperation and Save the Whales?

Never released according to the Internet.

[Mayhem]

Save The Whales was one of those games reproduced and sold at CGE.

[+jeremiahjt]

I know for the Atari releases that had two different names you have the name that comes earlier in the alphabet listed with the other name in parentheses. Would it not make more sense to have the first name listed with the second name in parentheses? So you would have Hunt & Score (A Game of Concentration) and Stargate (Defender II) instead of reversed.

 

I just looked again and you have Stargate done like that already. You either just changed it or I looked at it wrong.

Edited May 18, 2016 by jeremiahjt

[+Random Terrain]

I know for the Atari releases that had two different names you have the name that comes earlier in the alphabet listed with the other name in parentheses. Would it not make more sense to have the first name listed with the second name in parentheses? So you would have Hunt & Score (A Game of Concentration) and Stargate (Defender II) instead of reversed.

 

I just looked again and you have Stargate done like that already. You either just changed it or I looked at it wrong.

Thanks. It looks like IHATETHEBEARS wasn't consistent with which name came first. I'll do a search for parentheses and put the old name first and have the new name in parentheses.

 

Seems to be consistent now:

 

randomterrain.com/rt-atari-2600-game-list.html

 

I also removed some companies from the list. I wanted to get rid of re-releasers and companies with unique games that most people never heard of back then.

[Ballblaɀer]

I wanted to get rid of re-releasers and companies with unique games that most people never heard of back then.

 

I'd argue that VentureVision's Rescue Terra I shouldn't be listed, then. Perhaps it was an exaggeration, but Dan Oliver said they sold "about 10" copies, and VentureVision closed before selling any other titles.

[+Random Terrain]

I'd argue that VentureVision's Rescue Terra I shouldn't be listed, then. Perhaps it was an exaggeration, but Dan Oliver said they sold "about 10" copies, and VentureVision closed before selling any other titles.

 

I might leave it since it was mentioned in more than one magazine/newsletter:

 

randomterrain.com/atari-2600-memories-history-1982.html#rescue_terra

[Ballblaɀer]

 

I might leave it since it was mentioned in more than one magazine/newsletter:

 

randomterrain.com/atari-2600-memories-history-1982.html#rescue_terra

 

After reading through the rest of that (great) thread that I linked to, I agree -- I think it's fine to stay on the list.

Edited May 18, 2016 by Ballblaɀer

[ubersaurus]

Why skip over those companies that only put out one game or so? Air Raid is hard to track down, but stuff like Boing, Extra Terrestrials, Gamma-Attack, Red Sea Crossing... those do have sources for release info (even if it's single source in each case), and they are still unique games that should be counted in the NTSC library.

[+KaeruYojimbo]

I agree that companies that released "games that most people never heard of back then" should be included if they released unique games that were sold commercially.

[+Random Terrain]

Why skip over those companies that only put out one game or so? Air Raid is hard to track down, but stuff like Boing, Extra Terrestrials, Gamma-Attack, Red Sea Crossing... those do have sources for release info (even if it's single source in each case), and they are still unique games that should be counted in the NTSC library.

I agree that companies that released "games that most people never heard of back then" should be included if they released unique games that were sold commercially.

Thanks. I put them back in:

 

randomterrain.com/rt-atari-2600-game-list.html

 

Please let me know if you think I missed any.

 

 

I also changed the introductory text back to this:

 

Below is a list of unique Atari 2600 NTSC games that were released in North America between 1977 and 1992. PAL games, contest cartridges, hacks, illegal knockoffs, and repackaged games with different names are not included.

[+KaeruYojimbo]

Please let me know if you think I missed any.

 

Personal Games/Birthday Mania

[+Random Terrain]

Personal Games/Birthday Mania

Thanks. Added:

 

randomterrain.com/rt-atari-2600-game-list.html#personal_games_company

[toymailman]

I did not see the following titles on the list.

 

Sunrise - Quest for Quintanna Roo

Telegames - Glacier Patrol and Universal Chaos

[+KaeruYojimbo]

Ultravision - Karate, Condor Attack

 

Both these games were later re-released (Karate by Froggo, Condor Attack by K-Tel as Vulture Attack). If the aim is to create a timeline, it might be worth noting re-releases. For example: BMX Airmaster (released 19XX, re-released by Atari 19XX), Quest for Quintana Roo (released 19XX, re-released by Telegames 19XX), etc. Something to consider anyway.

[+Random Terrain]

I did not see the following titles on the list.

 

Sunrise - Quest for Quintanna Roo

Telegames - Glacier Patrol and Universal Chaos

 

Thanks. Added:

 

randomterrain.com/rt-atari-2600-game-list.html#sunrise

 

 

 

Ultravision - Karate, Condor Attack

Thanks. Added:

 

randomterrain.com/rt-atari-2600-game-list.html#ultravision

 

 

 

Both these games were later re-released (Karate by Froggo, Condor Attack by K-Tel as Vulture Attack). If the aim is to create a timeline, it might be worth noting re-releases. For example: BMX Airmaster (released 19XX, re-released by Atari 19XX), Quest for Quintana Roo (released 19XX, re-released by Telegames 19XX), etc. Something to consider anyway.

Speaking of K-Tel, I forgot that Xonox was a division of K-Tel Software.

 

As we get the month/year info for the re-releases, it wouldn't hurt to add them next to the originals like you mentioned. If we get enough month/year info for significant re-releases, maybe I could add a special section at the end of the list for them. In other words, they'd be listed next to the originals, but also listed separately to make them easier to find (for people who care about re-releases).

[toymailman]

I think for NTSC the three unique titles for Zellers were the following. I think the rest of their stuff is either a hack or straight up copy.

Challenge

Inca Gold

Time Warp

 

Other NTSC titles (but not sure of original company and/or title that released them in NTSC format) are:

Mission 3000 AD

Squirrel

Mr. Postman

Bobby is Going Home

[+KaeruYojimbo]

Inca Gold and Spider Maze by K-Tel are the same game. There's a lot of really fuzzy area with these NTSC releases of PAL games. The Panda and Zimag games are all conversions of PAL games and there's at least one duplicate (Zimag's Tanks But No Tanks is the same as Panda's Tank Brigade). Finding out which is the "original" NTSC release could be tricky.