An internal Atari document visible in the background of the documentary Once Upon Atari provides a rare look at the company’s best-selling VCS games during the years leading up to, and just after, the video game crash. The Atari VCS was designed around just two player graphics, two missile graphics, and a ball, yet its most successful games pushed that limited hardware in new directions. These games were created by a diverse group of programmers who found new ways to expand what the system could do. By examining sales figures across multiple years, including the net sales of individual games, the document reveals both the titles that defined Atari’s commercial success and the real impact of the crash on the company. There are also surprises in the list, including a driving game, two takes on the Pac-Man concept, and the fact that Atari’s most successful game was not a failure.

Once Upon Atari: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389237/
Atari Archive: https://www.youtube.com/@AtariArchive/search
Super Breakout (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjpOaPxU0rs
Missile Command (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24vQuyrwTQ0
Vanguard (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewQDKtc1i-4
Street Racer (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCSYY1kK9so
Yar's Revenge (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBHrU65JDF4
Video Olympics (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZOn9OIN_r4
Circus (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twnPnn_-Rm0
Raiders of the Lost Ark (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLqi0F_wQcs
Air Sea Battle (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l0AQ5LuvQM
Bowling (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrvEDIcMZnI
Football (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao8PkhQZ8TI
Video Pinball (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycwy0iDjDLw
Centipede (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNfhqTGvFWg
Asteroids (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgCwCLQFzWs
TCW 217 - Ed Logg: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW217-the-games-of-ed-logg
TCW 241 - The First 10 Years of European Consoles: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW241-the-first-10-years-of-european-consoles
Asteroids Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6oUWACx1Mo
Breakout (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5AKyI3neQk
ET (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmrQkQsM9FU
TCW 104 - A Holistic View of ET: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW104-a-holistic-view-of-et
TCW 202 - Advanced Balls and Paddles Part 2: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW202-advanced-balls-and-paddles-part-2
Warlords (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDzQ8QhGJdY
Berzerk (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5cXL5fCdK8
TCW 102 - Stern Electronics: https://www.theycreateworlds.com/episodes/TCW102-stern-electronics
Night Driver (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNk52A0dWto
Mrs Pac Man (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us2WUK8bUC8
Defender & Chopper Command (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsWHav1U3lQ
Space Invaders (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad3TLYZOI-M
Pac-Man (Atari 2600): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pop1E2DidVQ
Dragon Warrior Commercial 1989: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qL5_3EhqK8

New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!

TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com
BlueSky: @theycreateworlds.bsky.social
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds
Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com
Alex's book: http://bit.ly/TCWBOOK1

Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode - Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode
Outro Music: RoleMusic - Bacterial Love: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love

Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/