M Network was the label Mattel Electronics used for its Atari 2600 cartridges, starting in 1982. Mattel made the Intellivision console, and most M Network games are 2600 versions of Intellivision titles, often with new names. Astrosmash became Astroblast, Night Stalker became Dark Cavern, Frog Bog became Frogs and Flies and Armor Battle became Armor Ambush. Many of the conversions were done by APh Technological Consulting. The label also carried arcade licences such as Data East’s Lock ‘n’ Chase and Bump ‘n’ Jump, two Tron games based on the Disney film and the first He-Man video game.
The site has 19 M Network games. Two of them, Swordfight and Sea Battle, were finished but shelved and only came out in 2000. Some to start with:
Astroblast (1982): shoot rocks, bombs and missiles falling from the sky.
Lock ‘n’ Chase (1982): a cops-and-robbers maze where you slam doors behind you.
Tron: Deadly Discs (1983): an arena fight against disc-throwing warriors.
Masters of the Universe: The Power of He-Man (1983): fly to Castle Grayskull, then face Skeletor.
Air Raiders (1982): first-person jet combat, including take-off and landing.
Swordfight: a two-player duel with large laser-sword knights, released in 2000.
Pick a game below and play it in your browser.
Masters of the Universe: The Power of He-Man is a 1983 action game from Mattel Electronics, released for the Atari 2600 under the company’s M Network label. It was the first video game based on the He-Man toy line. You fly He-Man’s Wind Raider to Castle Grayskull, then face Skeletor on foot in a dungeon. Two very different halves make it more varied than most licensed games of the time. You can play it here in your browser.
Kool-Aid Man is a 1983 Atari 2600 game starring the big red pitcher from the Kool-Aid drink commercials. It was made by Mattel Electronics, designed and programmed by Steve Tatsumi, and sold under Mattel’s M Network label. You fly around above a swimming pool and grab the little Thirsties before they drink it dry. It is a short, simple action game from the era of brand mascot cartridges. You can play it here in your browser.
International Soccer is a two-player football game released by Mattel Electronics under its M Network label in November 1982. It was developed by APh Technological Consulting and programmed by Kevin Miller, and it is the Atari 2600 version of the Intellivision game NASL Soccer. Its tilted three-quarter view and a pitch that scrolls with the ball made it look quite different from other sports games on the console. You can play it here in your browser.
Frogs and Flies is a 1982 Atari 2600 game from M Network, the label Mattel Electronics used for its 2600 cartridges. It is the 2600 version of the Intellivision game Frog Bog. Two frogs sit on lily pads in a pond and leap into the air to snap up flies with their tongues, racing to catch more before night falls. It is a short, relaxed game that works especially well with two players. You can play it here in your browser.
Dark Cavern is a 1982 maze shooter released by Mattel Electronics under its M Network label for the Atari 2600. It is the 2600 adaptation of Mattel’s Intellivision game Night Stalker: you roam the tunnels of an underground cavern, shooting robots while spiders and blobs get in your way and your bullets slowly run out. You can play it here in your browser.
Bump ‘n’ Jump is the Atari 2600 version of Data East’s 1982 arcade driving game, released in 1983 by Mattel Electronics under its M Network label. You drive up a winding road, knocking other cars off the track and leaping over water. The other cars are targets rather than rivals, which makes it more aggressive than an ordinary racer. You can play it here in your browser.
Armor Ambush is a two-player tank battle released by Mattel Electronics under its M Network label in 1982. It was developed by APh Technological Consulting and programmed by Hal Finney, and it is the Atari 2600 version of the Intellivision game Armor Battle. Compared with Atari’s own Combat, it adds a new battlefield every round, terrain that changes how fast you move, and a second tank you can switch to. You can play it here in your browser.
Adventures of Tron is a platform game based on Disney’s 1982 film Tron. It was designed by Hal Finney at APh Technological Consulting and released by Mattel under its M Network label in 1983. You run, jump and ride elevators through a four-floor building, grabbing floating bits while the Master Control Program’s machines chase you. You can play it here in your browser.
Air Raiders is a 1982 first-person air combat game for the Atari 2600, released by Mattel under its M Network label and programmed by Larry Zwick. You look out through the cockpit of a jet fighter, shoot down enemy planes and dodge flak, while keeping an eye on altitude, fuel and ammunition. You even take off and land on the runway yourself. You can play it here in your browser, with nothing to install.