The 10 Best Selling Atari Games

TCW Podcast Episode 266 - The 10 Best Selling Atari Games

 

An internal Atari document visible in the background of the documentary Once Upon Atari provides a rare look at the company’s best-selling VCS games during the years leading up to, and just after, the video game crash. The Atari VCS was designed around just two player graphics, two missile graphics, and a ball, yet its most successful games pushed that limited hardware in new directions. These games were created by a diverse group of programmers who found new ways to expand what the system could do. By examining sales figures across multiple years, including the net sales of individual games, the document reveals both the titles that defined Atari’s commercial success and the real impact of the crash on the company. There are also surprises in the list, including a driving game, two takes on the Pac-Man concept, and the fact that Atari’s most successful game was not a failure.

 

Once Upon Atari: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389237/

Atari Archive: https://www.youtube.com/@AtariArchive/search

Super Breakout (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjpOaPxU0rs

Missile Command (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24vQuyrwTQ0

Vanguard (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewQDKtc1i-4

Street Racer (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCSYY1kK9so

Yar's Revenge (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBHrU65JDF4

Video Olympics (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZOn9OIN_r4

Circus (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twnPnn_-Rm0

Raiders of the Lost Ark (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLqi0F_wQcs

Air Sea Battle (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l0AQ5LuvQM

Bowling (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrvEDIcMZnI

Football (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao8PkhQZ8TI

Video Pinball (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycwy0iDjDLw

Centipede (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNfhqTGvFWg

Asteroids (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgCwCLQFzWs

TCW 217 - Ed Logg: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW217-the-games-of-ed-logg

TCW 241 - The First 10 Years of European Consoles: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW241-the-first-10-years-of-european-consoles

Asteroids Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6oUWACx1Mo

Breakout (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5AKyI3neQk

ET (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmrQkQsM9FU

TCW 104 - A Holistic View of ET: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW104-a-holistic-view-of-et

TCW 202 - Advanced Balls and Paddles Part 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW202-advanced-balls-and-paddles-part-2

Warlords (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDzQ8QhGJdY

Berzerk (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5cXL5fCdK8

TCW 102 - Stern Electronics: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW102-stern-electronics

Night Driver (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNk52A0dWto

Mrs Pac Man (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us2WUK8bUC8

Defender & Chopper Command (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsWHav1U3lQ

Space Invaders (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad3TLYZOI-M

Pac-Man (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pop1E2DidVQ

Dragon Warrior Commercial 1989: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qL5_3EhqK8

 

New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!

 

TCW Email: [email protected] 

BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds

Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com

Alex's book: http://bit.ly/TCWBOOK1

 

Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode -  Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode 

Outro Music: RoleMusic - Bacterial Love: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love 

 

Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/