The Best-Selling Atari 2600 Games of All-Time

Welcome to a new feature series on VGChartz where we aim to explore major video game platforms, past and present, and bring you the most successful games on each. Without further ado, we present the godfather of modern video game consoles and the driving force in the first video game boom (and crash) - the Atari 2600.

[JarqueMcLark]

1. Pac-Man
2. Pitfall
3. Asteroids
4. Missile Command
5. Space Invaders

[guitarded77]

DAMN SON... 7.81 million for Pac-Man.

[Tultras]

that's it??
But it always seemed to me that everyone and their grandmas played that game.

[guitarded77]

@ Tultras

Yeah, in arcades and on other platforms, but that's a huge number for just the 2600. That's probably a huge portion of the install base of the system itself.

[darthv72]

i had a shipment of about 30 2600 games sent to me from a guy on ebay. All in good shape and played perfectly.

I liked pitfall and pacman and empire strikes back but there were so many obscure ones that just didnt get the respect they deserved. And others that were plain rubbish.

2600...the legend will never die.

[Robotronfiend]

Yeah and Atari Pac-Man was a terrible port too. It barely looked like the arcade, the ratios were off and color was well... weird.

[Philoctetes]

I owned both Pac-Man and ET. I think that's why I'm so jaded and cynical as an adult.

[Horny]

This system nearly killed home consoles and video gaming in general. I don't care how many fond nostalgic memories someone has the system had few good games with most being completely trash.

[Psn800]

Combat , Quebert , Space Invaders .

[finbars75]

1.Defender
2.Q-Bert
3.Crystal Castles
4.Pitfall
5.frogger
6.Galaga

[Gamer-40]

My favorite games on Atari 2600 Jr.

1.,Centipede
2.,Cosmic Ark
3.,Pitfall
4.,Donkey Kong
5.,Battlezone

[Fishermenofwar]

Cosmic Ark was epic...With that silver cartridge....LOL

[Gamer-40]

Black plastic with that silver vignette.
Old days..

[Cam977]

E.T.
Hahaha... You'll only truly get that joke if you know the story behind it.

[allegretto2500]

I know the e.t. story. at the time the average price for a new Atari game was $25. e.t. was priced at a minimum of $40. in 1980's dollars that was like charging $70-$80. the game was BAD. I swear, 6 months later I saw it in the bargain bin at my local department store for 99 cents!!!
afterwards it was one of the games buried in a cement covered landfill.

[allegretto2500]

it only sold that many because people bought it on the name alone. at the time there was no internet (at least none that the general public could use) to read game reviews and player opinions. once word did get around in gaming magazines sales dropped like a stone. they had made a ton more cartridges than usual for e.t. expected huge sales which didn't happen. for various reasons it was one of the first home entertainment products of the era to be buried in an unmarked cement covered pit.

[Robotronfiend]

But you could totally get that flower and then crane your neck and float into the air... Oh so bad. So, so bad.

I loved:
Laser Blast
Pitfall
Defender
H.E.R.O.
Plaque Attack
Megamania

[allegretto2500]

this link contains the story.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...

[lex-1020]

What's really interesting when reading this story is that despite the negative reviews of the game, negative tones, and negative reception, some of these "professionals" still tried to defend it even after everyone said it was terrible.

[Fishermenofwar]

You mean the system seller??

LMAO

[greenmeanie]

I can't believe E.T. was the 8th best selling game! It is pretty much considered by the gaming community to be the worst game ever made! Haha!

By the way, I am learning more and more that some people on this site are just pricks, how do you get a disagree for stating a factual statement? It is true afterall, the word "E.T." is a joke in the gaming community.

[greenmeanie]

How do people disagree with this?! If you look up E.T. the game on wikipedia it literally says that it is considered to be one of the worst games ever made! People on this site are so annoying and immature and need to grow up! Seriously. There is like people who troll through this site disagreeing on everything that everyone says. I know it!

[Perjoss]

The 2600 was my first console, can't believe its been 35 years since I started gaming...

:O

[guitarded77]

Yeah, I still got mine stored away in the shed. Remember having to take a screwdriver to the TV because the clamps slipped out? Good times. I learned everything I need to know about wiring an entertainment center from hooking up consoles.

[finbars75]

Lol those cheap dam clips that bent and broke with ease if not done careful enough.Silly t.vs back then with those dam screws.Got to love the joystick with that nice cheap plastic pole covered in rubber that broke so easily.What about the old vic20.Typing in what direction you wanted to go in and typing sword to draw it out.lol. or even the pong that plugged into your tv before the atari and the start of the vic20 era with the floppy discs.Man I feel old and but still young at heart.Im glad I got to experience every generation to date.

[thebudgetgamer]

Mines too. It was 1987, I love finding others as old as me. Back in the day when you needed a butterknife in order to connect you console to your television.

[WUTCHUGUNNADO]

Tell me more of this butter knife tactic...

[thebudgetgamer]

This is a version of a 2600 television adapter. Note the forks.
http://www.best-electronics...

I can't find a picture but on the back of oldy time television there were screws in the back of it and you stick the forks under them and screwed them into place.

[ZBlacktt]

I still own it and the Intellivision when it first came out as well. Still have my NES from back then too. Along with many others that came afterwards.

[Tultras]

Damn, I'm Half your age. O.o

I started with the First mainstream sega console, but I believe I have played The Atari 2600

[fracturedrich]

my top 5 1 pitfall 2.keystone cops 3.space invaders 4.pac man 5.krull

[mayberry]

I loved playing 'HERO', 2600's best

[Fishermenofwar]

It was a mini Heli on your back right?? Or was it a jet pack?

Remember the laser walls and ish...LMAO!!!

[mayberry]

Thats right! He Had A Heli-pack And A laser Gun, best 2600 Game

[rataranian]

That was one of the greatest games ever.

[mayberry]

I'm glad Some Remember This Gem!

[sorceror171]

Adventure was my favorite. And it even contained the first Easter Egg, FTW!

[twosolitudes]

I credit Adventure with being the open-world game that started my love for the format.

[Knightofelemia]

ET is on that list wow well I guess it came out when the movie came out. The game was stupid but it is a game. I still love Pitfall, Frogger and Q-bert.

[thebudgetgamer]

No on metions Combat, the birth of multi-player wars.

[DlocDaBudSmoka]

combat was in the list. number 18 with 1.25mill.

[jelydonut]

Got mine at home..

Would say..

Keystone Kapers
Frostbite
Yars Revenge
Vanguard
hmm.. after the first couple it gets hard to pick..

[finbars75]

Good choice in games.Loved frostbite and yars revenge alot.But dont forget about good old JOUST.

[fracturedrich]

Thats the name i rememberd it as keystone cops,what a game that was,i liked yars revenge also.

[Chapulin]

Jungle Hunt

[Relientk77]

Atari 2600 one of the best game systems ever

just bought some games for it yesterday at a local game store

[tommygunzII]

My first console at the age of 4 or 5. Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Yars Revenge, and Combat come to mind.

Be cool if my PS3 had some wood grain in it too.

Edit: It came out in 77, I got mine in 81', I'm old but not that old :)

[WUTCHUGUNNADO]

I was -10 when that console came out.

[IQUITN4G]

The subject of the 2600 and some of it's games is the where plenty of ignorance exists. ET being one example of course

Most people don't actually have their own opinion on this subject anyway but think they do, based on what they hear constantly from articles or from people that never really played some of these games more than 5 minutes- they themselves unlikely having played these games for long or if at all. People always have an opinion but it's ill informed half the time as evidence by some of the people here

[titans9999]

I still have my burnt out fat Atari 2600, then I bought the slim, smaller model, still works. Then I realized you can get the entire 2600 collection on roms. Now I play them all on my laptop!

[ziggurcat]

E.T.

[KrimsonKody]

What?
No Stampede?

[optimus]

I think their list is flawed... I don't remember commando, double dragon, and kung-fu master ever being on the 2600, and looking at the dates (late 80's) i'd say those are indeed nes games since the 2600 was pretty much dead by then... And since we're on the subject of old school gaming, i started on the pong home console (before the 2600). ;p

[Love2Hate]

What's an Atari?

[glennco]

I had an Intellivision, bit different but still years ahead of the 2600, both in graphics and sound, and was actually a 16-bit console. This was until Coleco came on the scene and brought arcade graphics, gameplay and more importantly real arcade games to the lounge room. The 2600 controller is still a classic though and I have fond memories of playing Atari games at various mates/family's houses.

The Original Console WarTM