SpaceDice2010 Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 This is something that I have been thinking about doing. Listing every Atari 2600 game by release date. Month/Year. So it would look like this (example) 1984 - June (games released) A long time ago I posted about the relase date of a certain game and there were like 30 posts. It seemed like eyerone had their own opinion of when the game was released. How hard would this be? How accurate could it actually be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGameCollector Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 For Atari 2600 this is really hard to do because it seems there are very few games that even get it down to the month when checking multiple sources, let alone date. I know because I organize all my media this way too to make it easier to apply new media at the end of my lists each year. Inaccuracies and long lists of unidentified month games stretch all the way through the Genesis/SNES era. Release dates don't start getting really accurate until the mid to late PS1 era.Because of inaccuracies I usually just grab the Wikipedia, gamefaqs, ign or allgame dates and roll with it saying "close enough". Surprisingly enough Wikipedia can be one of the most accurate due to showing dates for each region the game was released instead of just one date. Still Atari 2600 is hard to do because usually for arcade ports, looking up the game only gives data for the original arcade version.For games, music and videos that don't get it down to the month and only show a release year, I slap those at the end of said year and think of them as "less popular entries that didn't leave big enough impact for their release date to be remembered. Probably entries I wouldn't have known existed till the beginning of the next year anyway."January is usually a month of few releases of any media anyway so it is a great month to catch up on forgotten previous year's stuff if you are trying to keep yourself current with the times. Heh, most of the year I spend time updating my older media and usually around December I decide to look up every musician I like and see what they have done within the last year. That's how I found out The Primitives did a new cover album in 2012 after being disbanded for so many years! Surprises galore.Anyway for your purposes what I would do is write down all the dates you find of each game. Then when integrating them into your own list maybe try inserting them at the earliest date they appear while putting the rest in () or []. Some earliest dates could be referring to preorders or shipping dates (such as Super Mario Land releasing 7-31-1989 while the Game Boy System itself says 8-x-1989 (probably 8-1). And Combat having a release date earlier than the Atari 2600 itself. (Seems to be a common discrepancy with launch titles, using shipping dates instead of street dates). Others could just be erroneous in relation to version (such as a site that says Centipede came out for Atari 2600 in 1981 when the arcade game was the one that came out that year. Other sources say Centipede came out on Atari in 1982 which makes more sense because most arcade games took a year to port over.)If you find a source that narrows it down to a specific month or even date I usually consider that source more accurate, but there is always a chance it could be later than the actual original date. I'm just trying to get a ballpark idea of which media appeared side by side for making playlists from certain random time periods and I would rather have a possibly inaccurate month from a source that sounds like they could be right than no month at all for an entry. For an example on how vague info on the pre-NES stuff really is, here is a copy of my video game chronology document containing only games I actually care about, used to have was major to me, wanted, or have tried. As you can see, I have found very few exact dates from any sources: Chronology of Video Games 1972 AugustMagnavox Odyssey System [8-x] 1972 (month not known)Pong - Arcade 1975 (month not known)Atari Home Pong [sears] 1976 MayBreakout - Arcade [5-13] 1976 AugustFairchild Channel F System [8-x] 1976 OctoberNight Driver - Arcade [10-x] 1977 JanuaryRCA Studio II System [1-x] 1977 SeptemberCombat - Atari 2600 [9-3] (could be October) 1977 OctoberAtari 2600 System [10-14]Video Olympics - Atari 2600 [10-x] 1977 (month not known)Astro Battle - Bally Professional Arcade (pre-order 1977, delivered 1978)Bally Professional Arcade System (pre-order 1977, delivered 1978)Basketball - Atari 2600 (could be 1978)Circus - Arcade 1978 JuneSpace Invaders - Arcade [6-x] 1978 (month not known)Armored Encounter!/Sub Chase! - Odyssey 2Breakout - Atari 2600Dodge It - Channel FMagnavox Odyssey 2 SystemMaze Craze - Atari 2600 (could be 1980)Night Driver - Atari 2600 (could be 1980)Speedway!/Spin-Out!/Crypto-Logic! - Odyssey 2Super Breakout - ArcadeVideo Pinball (Atari Dedicated Console) 1979 OctoberGalaxian - Arcade (J) [10-x]Milton Bradley Microvision System [10-x] (possibly November) 1979 NovemberAsteroids - Arcade [11-x]Atari 400 Computer System [11-x] 1979 DecemberGalaxian - Arcade (NA) [12-x] 1979 (month not known)Block Buster - MicrovisionBowling - MicrovisionCanyon Bomber - Atari 2600Clowns/Brickyard - Bally Professional ArcadeConnect Four - MicrovisionMattel Intellivision SystemPinball - MicrovisionThunderball! - Odyssey 2 1980 MayPac-Man - Arcade (J) [5-22]Space Invaders - Atari 2600 [5-26] 1980 JulyMissile Command - Arcade [7-x] 1980 OctoberPac-Man - Arcade (NA) [10-x] 1980 (month not known)Adventure - Atari 2600Alien Invaders Plus! - Odyssey 2Atlantis - Odyssey 2 (probably 1983)Blockout!/Breakdown! - Odyssey 2Checkers - IntellivisionCircus Atari - Atari 2600Commodore VIC-20 Computer SystemDefender - ArcadeSuper Cobra - Odyssey 2Warlords - Arcade 1981 MarchMissile Command - Atari 2600 [3-8] 1981 JulyDonkey Kong - Arcade (J) [7-9] 1981 SeptemberPac-Man - Atari 2600 [9-9] 1981 OctoberStargate - Arcade [10-21] 1981 (month not known)Alien Invasion - Channel F [year assumed; could be 1982]Asteroids - Atari 2600Astrocade Pinball - Bally Professional ArcadeAstrosmash - IntellivisionBally Pin - Bally Professional ArcadeCentipede - ArcadeCentipede - Atari 2600 (could be 1982)Dodge 'Em - Atari 2600 (could be 1980)Entex Select-A-Game SystemFreeway - Atari 2600Galactic Invasion - Bally Professional ArcadeGalaga - ArcadeThe Incredible Wizard - Bally Professional ArcadeKaboom! - Atari 2600K.C. Munchkin! - Odyssey 2Laser Blast - Atari 2600Ms. Candyman - - Bally Professional ArcadeMuncher - Bally Professional ArcadeSpace Armada - IntellivisionSnafu - IntellivisionStampede - Atari 2600Super Alien - Commodore VIC-20Super Breakout - Atari 2600Video Pinball - Atari 2600 (could be 1980)Warlords - Atari 2600 1982 MarchOmega Race - Commodore VIC-20 [3-x] 1982 AprilMegaMania - Atari 2600 [4-9]Dig Dug - Arcade [4-19]Pitfall! - Atari 2600 [4-20] (or September) 1982 JulyMs. Pac-Man - Atari 2600 [7-5] 1982 AugustRiver Raid - Atari 2600 [8-19]Colecovision System [8-x]Commodore 64 Computer System [8-x] 1982 NovemberAtari 5200 System [11-x]GCE Vectrex System [11-x] 1982 (month not known)Advanced Dungeons & Dragons - IntellivisionAdventures of Tron - Atari 2600Alien - Atari 2600Alien Invaders - Arcadia 2001 (year assumed)Armor Ambush - Atari 2600Astroblast - Atari 2600Atlantis - Atari 2600Atlantis - IntellivisionAtlantis II - Atari 2600Attack of the Timelord! - Odyssey 2Beauty & the Beast - IntellivisionBreakaway - Arcadia 2001 (year assumed)Bubbles - ArcadeBump 'N' Jump - Atari 2600BurgerTime - ArcadeCarnival - Atari 2600Carnival - ColecoVisionCarnival - IntellivisionCat Trax - Arcadia 2001 (year assumed)Centipede - Atari 5200Clowns - Commodore VIC-20Commando Raid - Atari 2600Cosmic Ark - Atari 2600Cosmic Avenger - ColecoVisionDark Cavern - Atari 2600Defender - Adventure VisionDefender - Atari 2600Demon Attack - Atari 2600Demon Attack - IntellivisionDonkey Kong - Atari 2600Donkey Kong - ColecoVisionDonkey Kong - IntellivisionDonkey Kong Junior - ArcadeDonkey Kong Junior - Atari 2600Dragonfire - Atari 2600Dragonstomper - Atari 2600Emerson Arcadia 2001 SystemEntex Adventure Vision SystemEscape - Arcadia 2001 (year assumed)E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial - Atari 2600Fireball - Atari 2600Frog Bog - IntellivisionFrogger - Atari 2600Frogs and Flies - Atari 2600Galaxian - Atari 5200GORF - Atari 2600GORF - Commodore VIC-20Joust - ArcadeK.C.'s Krazy Chase! - Odyssey 2Lady Bug - ColecoVisionLock 'N' Chase - Atari 2600Mine Storm - VectrexMissile Command - Atari 5200Missile War - Arcadia 2001 (year assumed)Mouse Trap - Atari 2600Mouse Trap - ColecoVisionMouse Trap - IntellivisionMs. Pac-Man - ArcadeName This Game - Atari 2600Pac-Man - Atari 5200Pac-Man - IntellivisionPhaser Patrol - Atari 2600Phoenix - Atari 2600Pitfall! - IntellivisionPole Position - ArcadeRobotron: 2084 - ArcadeScramble - VectrexSinistar - ArcadeSmurf: Rescue in Gargamel's Castle - Atari 2600Smurf: Rescue in Gargamel's Castle - ColecoVisionSpace Attack - Arcadia 2001 (year assumed)Space Force - Adventure VisionSpace Invaders - Atari 5200Space Jockey - Atari 2600Space Raiders - Arcadia 2001 (year assumed)Spider-Man - Atari 2600Spiders - Arcadia 2001 (year assumed)Spinball - VectrexStampede - IntellivisionSuper Breakout - Atari 5200Super Cobra - Adventure VisionSwords & Serpents - IntellivisionTanks-A-Lot - Arcadia 2001 (year assumed)Tron Deadly Discs - Atari 2600Tron Deadly Discs - IntellivisionTurtles - Adventure VisionTurtles - Odyssey 2Venture - Atari 2600Venture - ColecoVisionVenture - IntellivisionWeb Wars - VectrexWizard of Wor - Atari 2600Yars' Revenge - Atari 2600Zaxxon - Atari 2600Zaxxon - ColecoVision 1983 JanuaryPitfall! - Atari 5200 [1-24] 1983 MarchGalaxian - Atari 2600 [3-8]Robot Tank - Atari 2600 [3-24] 1983 JuneMario Bros. - Arcade [6-1] 1983 SeptemberSpace Shuttle: A Journey Into Space [9-7]Pitfall II: Lost Caverns - Atari 2600 [9-16] (could be 1984)River Raid - Atari 5200 [9-26]Kaboom! - Atari 5200 [9-30] 1983 NovemberMegaMania - Atari 5200 [11-7] 1983 (month not known)3D Minestorm - VectrexAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons: Treasure of Tarmin - IntellivisionBump 'n' Jump - IntellivisionBattlezone - Atari 2600Battlezone - Commodore VIC-20BurgerTime - Atari 2600BurgerTime - IntellivisionCentipede - ColecoVisionCentipede - Commodore VIC-20Centipede - IntellivisionCrash Dive - Atari 2600Defender - Atari 5200Defender - ColecoVisionDefender - Commodore VIC-20Defender - IntellivisionDemon Attack - Odyssey 2Dig Dug - Atari 2600Dig Dug - Atari 5200Donkey Kong - Commodore VIC-20Donkey Kong 3 - ArcadeDonkey Kong Junior - ColecoVisionDonkey Kong Junior - Commodore VIC-20Donkey Kong Junior - IntellivisionDragonfire - ColecoVisionDragonfire - IntellivisionFrogger - Atari 5200Frogger - ColecoVisionFrogger - Commodore VIC-20 (year assumed)Frogger - IntellivisionGalaxian - ColecoVisionGalaxian - Commodore VIC-20Gauntlet - Atari 2600GORF - Atari 5200GORF - ColecoVisionJoust - Atari 2600Joust - Atari 5200Jungle Hunt - Atari 2600Jungle Hunt - Atari 5200Jungle Hunt - ColecoVisionJungle Hunt - Commodore VIC-20Kangaroo - Atari 2600Kangaroo - Atari 5200Lady Bug - IntellivisionLock 'N' Chase - IntellivisionMario Bros. - Atari 2600Mario Bros. - Atari 5200Moon Patrol - Commodore VIC-20Mr. Do! - Atari 2600Mr. Do! - ColecoVisionMs. Pac-Man - Atari 5200The Official Frogger - Atari 2600Omega Race - ColecoVisionPac-Man - Commodore VIC-20Pepper II - ColecoVisionPinball - IntellivisionPitfall! - ColecoVisionPole Position - Atari 2600Pole Position - Atari 5200Pole Position - Commodore VIC-20Pole Position - VectrexPopeye - Atari 2600Popeye - Atari 5200Popeye - ColecoVisionPopeye - IntellivisionPopeye - Odyssey 2Q*bert - Atari 2600Q*bert - Atari 5200Q*bert - ColecoVisionQ*bert - IntellivisionRiver Raid - IntellivisionRobotron: 2084 - Atari 5200Solar Fox - Atari 2600Sorcerer's Apprentice - Atari 2600Star Castle - VectrexStar Fox - Atari 2600Star Wars: Jedi Arena - Atari 2600Star Wars: Return of the Jedi -- Death Star Battle - Atari 2600Star Wars: Return of the Jedi -- Death Star Battle - Atari 5200Star Wars: The Arcade Game - Atari 5200Super Cobra - Atari 2600Super Cobra - Atari 5200Super Cobra - ColecoVisionSuper Cobra - IntellivisionTaz - Atari 2600Vanguard - Atari 2600Vanguard - Atari 5200Wizard of Wor - Atari 5200Worm Whomper - IntellivisionZaxxon - Atari 5200Zaxxon - Intellivision 1984 JunePitfall II: Lost Caverns - Atari 5200 [6-18] 1984 JulySpace Shuttle: A Journey Into Space - Atari 5200 [7-30] 1984 December1942 - Arcade [12-x] 1984 (month not known)Bump 'n' Jump - ColecoVisionBurgerTime - ColecoVisionChoplifter! - Atari 5200Choplifter! - ColecoVisionCrystal Castles - Atari 2600Frogger II: Threeedeep! - Atari 2600Frogger II: Threeedeep! - Atari 5200Frogger II: Threeedeep! - ColecoVisionJr. Pac-Man - Atari 2600Meteorites - Atari 5200Mr. Do!'s Castle - Atari 2600Mr. Do!'s Castle - Atari 5200Mr. Do!'s Castle - ColecoVisionPitfall II: Lost Caverns - ColecoVisionQ*bert's Qubes - Atari 2600Q*bert's Qubes - ColecoVisionRiver Raid - ColecoVisionStar Force - ArcadeStar Wars: The Arcade Game - Atari 2600Star Wars: The Arcade Game - ColecoVision 1985 MayGhostbusters - Atari 2600 [5-10]Commando - Arcade [5-x] 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I've been working on my release date pages off and on since 2001 (across two different web sites). I recently started working on them again: randomterrain.com/atari-2600-memories-history-1982.html randomterrain.com/atari-2600-memories-history-1983.html This time I'm adding exactly where I got the release date info. I'm also adding links to reviews and other things. I'm in the middle of updating the pages, so some entries don't have the new changes yet. I'm also adding games to the list. I'm working on the entry for Robot Tank right now and the month of March is all over the Internet as the release month, but it came out at least a couple of months after that (probably May, June, July, August, or September). I think one guy got it wrong, then everyone copied his mistake. This 8/20/83 top 10 list says that Robot Tank was on the list for 5 weeks: archive.org/stream/Video_Games_Volume_2_Number_02_1983-11_Pumpkin_Press_US#page/n81/mode/1up/ If you can believe that list, people were playing the game since at least July. But March is way too soon since it would have been listed in catalogs and mentioned in magazines much earlier.Electronic Fun said it was due out in late spring, so May could be the month. Another thing we know is that VCS Battlezone was released in August and that Activision beat them to it with Robot Tank, just like they did with Starmaster, so we can be pretty sure that Robot Tank was released in May, June, or July. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre81 Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 (edited) I'm putting a chronological list of the first release of the publishers together: 09/1977, Atari, see launch titles ??/1978, Sears 07/1980, Activision, Dragster and others 12/1981, Apollo, Skeet Shoot 03/1982, Imagic, Trick Shot / Demon Attack / Star Voyager 06/1982, Parker Brothers, Empire Strikes Back 08/1982, Coleco, Donkey Kong 08/1982, Tigervision, King Kong 09/1982, Spectravision, Tapeworm / Nexar 09/1982, 20th Fox, First 4 games in the original packaging (Worm War I, Beany Bopper, Fast Eddie, Deadly Duck) 10/1982, Data Age, first 5 games with the DA**** serial 12/1982, CBS, Wizard of Wor / Gorf 04/1983, SEGA, Tac-Scan 09/1983, Telesys, Coco Nuts / Fast Food 10/1983, Avalon Hill, first 3 games (Death Trap, London Blitz, Wall Ball) Still need to add a few more companies. Any corrections? What's interesting is that Apollo released its first games before Imagic. So technically Apollo and not Imagic is the second independent publisher after Activision?!?! Which game was first in the stores, Donkey Kong or King Kong? Edited December 29, 2014 by Andre81 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubersaurus Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 I'd really love to see something like this. I'm interested in doing a project that would pretty much rely on getting as accurate of release information as possible (which is, of course, very difficult for anything from the 70s and 80s) so any ideas or sources would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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