Atari Games for the Nostalgic Gamer

Atari may no longer be a major player in the video game industry, but its contributions in gaming is undeniable. Not all of us were born during the years Atari was still active, but there are titles that you can still play today if you know where to find them.

Space Invaders (1978)

The game is one of the earliest versions of the shooting games in which the objective is simple; defeat as many enemies as possible and earn as much points as long as you can. The player controls a laser cannon, which can be moved from left to right and vice versa.

Pitfall! (1982)

Pitfall! is probably one of the earliest types of addictive games in which the objective is to collect items within a limited period. In the game, you only have 20 minutes to find the 32 treasures in the jungle while avoiding different obstacles.

Pac-Man (1982)

The player controls Pac-Man in a maze while avoiding ghosts and consuming the wafers scattered on the screen. If one of the ghosts touches him, the character is allowed to respawn only according to the number of lives left. One the extra lives run out, it’s game over.

Asteroids (1979)

Another space shooter, the player controls a spaceship in Asteroids and will try to navigate the vehicle in an asteroid field while avoiding both the asteroids and flying saucers.

Pong (1972)

Considered as one of the earliest video games, Pong is inspired by the sport Ping-pong or table tennis, in which the objective is to return the ball using the paddles on the left and right of the screen.

Breakout (1976)

The objective of this game is to destroy a wall of bricks using a bouncing ball. The player must make sure not to let the ball drop to the bottom of the screen by using the movable paddles.

Donkey Kong (1981)

One of the earliest forms of platforming games, Donkey Kong allows the player to manipulate Mario/Mr. Video up a set of obstacles to rescue Pauline/Lady from the ape.

Adventure (1979)

The goal of the game is quite simple; find the magic chalice and return it to the castle. But the character must traverse a world filled with enemies and obstacles, including three dragons.

Pole Position (1982)

This racing game features a race circuit based on a real race track. Pole Position has an F1 race car that the player controls to complete time trials and qualify for the F1 race.

Dig Dug (1982)

In the game, the player must try to eliminate the Pookas and Fygars by making them explode or by crushing them with rocks. The player controls Dig Dug, the protagonist who has the ability to dig tunnels in the earth.