Developer: Atari

Atari made the Atari 2600 itself, first sold as the Atari Video Computer System in September 1977, and it was also the console’s biggest publisher. The very first cartridges were Atari’s own, and many were sold by Sears under different names in its Tele-Games line. In 1980 it brought out Taito’s Space Invaders, the first arcade game officially licensed for a home console, and many more arcade conversions followed.
The site lists 135 games under Atari, from 1977 launch titles to cartridges released in the late 1980s, after Jack Tramiel’s Atari Corporation took over the business and revived the 2600. Here are a few to begin with:

Space Invaders (1980): Rick Maurer’s version of the arcade game, with many variations.
Missile Command (1981): Rob Fulop’s conversion of Atari’s own arcade game about defending six cities.
Pac-Man (1982): Tod Frye’s much-criticised version, which still became the console’s best-selling cartridge.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1982): Howard Scott Warshaw’s puzzle adventure based on the first Indiana Jones film.
Video Chess (1979): a full chess opponent squeezed into a machine with 128 bytes of memory.
Solaris (1986): Doug Neubauer’s space combat game from the Atari Corporation years.

Browse the full list below and play any of these Atari games in your browser.

Space Invaders

Space Invaders is the 1980 Atari 2600 version of Taito's 1978 arcade game, designed by Tomohiro Nishikado. The home port was programmed by Rick Maurer and was the first arcade game officially licensed for a home console. You…

Play ▸

Slot Machine

Slot Machine is a 1979 Atari 2600 cartridge that turns the console into a three-reel casino slot machine. It was programmed by David Crane, who later co-founded Activision, and Sears sold it under the name Slots. There is…

Play ▸

Slot Racers

Slot Racers is a two-player chase game that Atari released for the 2600 in 1978. It was the first game Warren Robinett designed at Atari, before he went on to make Adventure. Two cars race around a maze…

Play ▸

Sky Diver

Sky Diver is a two-player parachuting game that Atari released for the 2600 in 1979, based on its 1978 arcade game of the same name. Jim Huether programmed the home version, and Sears sold it in its own…

Play ▸

Secret Quest

Secret Quest is a science-fiction action adventure released by Atari in 1989, near the end of the Atari 2600's life. It was developed by Axlon, a company set up by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, and programmed by Steve…

Play ▸

Sentinel

Sentinel is a 1990 light-gun shooter for the Atari 2600, developed by Imagineering, programmed by David Lubar and published by Atari. It was the only game released for the 2600 that uses the Atari XG-1 light gun. You…

Play ▸

RealSports Football

RealSports Football is Atari's 1982 American football game for the 2600, designed and programmed by Rob Zdybel. It belongs to Atari's RealSports series and was Atari's attempt to improve on its earlier, much simpler Football cartridge. You call…

Play ▸

RealSports Soccer

RealSports Soccer is a 1983 Atari soccer game for the Atari 2600, programmed by Michael Sierchio with graphics by Jerome Domurat. It is part of Atari's RealSports series, which tried to bring more realistic sports games to the…

Play ▸

RealSports Volleyball

RealSports Volleyball is a two-on-two beach volleyball game that Atari released for the 2600 in 1982, as part of its RealSports line of sports cartridges. Bob Polaro did the programming and Alan J. Murphy the graphics. It has…

Play ▸

Road Runner

Road Runner is a side-scrolling chase game based on the Warner Bros. cartoons, released for the Atari 2600 by Atari Corporation in 1989, one of the last games Atari put out for the console. Programmed by Bob Polaro,…

Play ▸