Atarisoft was a

brand name A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

used by Atari, Inc. in 1983 and 1984 to publish

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

s for non-Atari home computers and consoles. Each platform had a specific color for its game packages: video games sold for the

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in ...

were in green boxes, games for the

TI-99/4A The TI-99/4 and TI-99/4A are home computers released by Texas Instruments (TI) in 1979 and 1981, respectively. Based on TI's own TMS9900 microprocessor originally used in minicomputers, the TI-99/4 was the first 16-bit home computer. The assoc ...

in yellow, the

IBM PC The IBM Personal Computer (model 5150, commonly known as the IBM PC) is the first microcomputer released in the List of IBM Personal Computer models, IBM PC model line and the basis for the IBM PC compatible ''de facto'' standard. Released on ...

in blue, and so on. Atarisoft was so successful during the Christmas 1983 shopping season that the company released games for the discontinued TI-99/4A. By 1984 a rumor stated that Atari planned to discontinue hardware and only sell software. Despite being in existence for less than two years, Atarisoft had a huge video game library with dozens of game versions released. Almost all Atarisoft releases were produced by third-party developers, as Atari only developed for their own systems. The Atarisoft label did not bear Atari's recognizable "Fuji" logo nor the official logos of the games, rather, the game names were written in a different typeface. The Atarisoft brand as used by Atari, Inc. was discontinued shortly after

Warner Communications Warner Media, LLC (doing business as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate owned by AT&T. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City. It was established as Time Warner ...

sold Atari's consumer division to

Jack Tramiel Jack Tramiel (, ); born Idek Trzmiel (; December 13, 1928 – April 8, 2012) was a Polish- American businessman and Holocaust survivor, best known for founding Commodore International. The Commodore PET, VIC-20, and Commodore 64 are som ...

in 1984. Many additional games were in production at the time. Most went unreleased although a few were eventually released by other companies. Some games were complete, such as IBM PC port of ''Stargate '', but never published. The new

Atari Corporation Atari Corporation was an American manufacturer of Home computer, home computers and Video game console, video game consoles. It was founded by Jack Tramiel on May 17, 1984, as Tramel Technology, Ltd., but then took on the Atari name less than ...

initially used the Atarisoft brand. Several Atari 8-bit computer titles (both game and non-game) were published by Atari UK and Atari France using the Atarisoft label in 1985. Atari did not use the Atarisoft label again after 1985.

Cross-platform games

Released

These were published during 1983–84. Most were released by Atari, Inc., but some of these were released by Atari Corporation later in 1984. * '' Battlezone'' (Apple II, C64, VIC-20, IBM PC) * ''

Centipede Centipedes (from Neo-Latin , "hundred", and Latin , "foot") are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda (Ancient Greek , ''kheilos'', "lip", and Neo-Latin suffix , "foot", describing the forcipules) of the subphylum Myriapoda, ...

'' (Apple II, ColecoVision, C64, VIC-20, IBM PC, Intellivision, TI-99/4A) * ''

Crystal Castles Crystal Castles was a Canadian electronic music group formed in 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, by songwriter-producer Ethan Kath and singer-songwriter Alice Glass. Crystal Castles was known for their chaotic live shows and lo-fi music, lo-fi melanc ...

'' (Apple II, C64) * '' Defender'' (Apple II, ColecoVision, C64, VIC-20, IBM PC, TI-99/4A, Intellivision) * ''

Dig Dug is a maze arcade video game released by Namco in 1982. It was distributed in North America by Atari, Inc. The player digs underground tunnels to attack enemies in each level, by either inflating them to bursting or crushing them underneath rock ...

'' (Apple II, C64, VIC-20, IBM PC, TI-99/4A) * ''

Donkey Kong is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...

'' (Apple II, C64, VIC-20, IBM PC, TI-99/4A) * ''

Galaxian is a 1979 fixed shooter video game developed and published by Namco for arcades. The player assumes control of the Galaxip starfighter in its mission to protect Earth from waves of aliens. Gameplay involves destroying each formation of alien ...

'' (Apple II, ColecoVision, C64, VIC-20, IBM PC, ZX Spectrum) * ''

Gremlins ''Gremlins'' is a 1984 American black comedy horror film directed by Joe Dante, written by Chris Columbus and starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Polly Holliday and Frances Lee McCain, with Howie Mandel providing the voic ...

'' (Apple II, C64, IBM PC) * ''

Joust Jousting is a medieval and renaissance martial game or hastilude between two combatants either on horse or on foot. The joust became an iconic characteristic of the knight in Romantic medievalism. The term is derived from Old French , ultim ...

'' (Apple II, IBM PC) * ''

Jungle Hunt is a side-scrolling platform-action game developed by Taito for arcades. It was originally distributed in 1982 as then quickly modified and re-released as ''Jungle Hunt'' following a copyright dispute over the player character's likeness t ...

'' (Apple II, ColecoVision, C64, VIC-20, IBM PC, TI-99/4A) * ''

Moon Patrol is a 1982 horizontally scrolling shooter developed and published by Irem as an arcade video game. It was released by Williams Electronics in North America. The player controls a lunar rover which continually drives forward through a horizont ...

'' (Apple II, C64, VIC-20, IBM PC, TI-99/4A) * '' Ms. Pac-Man'' (Apple II, C64, VIC-20, IBM PC, TI-99/4A, ZX Spectrum) * ''

Pac-Man ''Pac-Man,'' originally called in Japan, is a 1980 maze video game developed and published by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. The pla ...

'' (Apple II, C64, VIC-20, IBM PC, Intellivision, TI-99/4A, ZX Spectrum) * '' Picnic Paranoia'' (TI-99/4A) * ''

Pole Position In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the ra ...

'' (BBC Micro, C64, VIC-20, TI-99/4A, ZX Spectrum) * '' Protector II'' (TI-99/4A) * '' Robotron: 2084'' (Apple II, BBC Micro/Acorn Electron, C64, VIC-20, IBM PC) * '' Shamus'' (TI-99/4A) * ''

Stargate ''Stargate'' is a military science fiction media franchise owned by Amazon MGM Studios. It is based on Stargate (film), the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin; production company StudioCanal owns the ...

'' (Apple II, C64) * ''

Track & Field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and ...

'' (Apple II, C64)

Unreleased

Promoted, partially developed, or fully completed games, but Atari did not publish them. * '' Asteroids Deluxe'' (BBC Micro) * '' Battlezone'' (BBC Micro/Acorn Electron) * ''

'' (IBM PCjr) * ''

'' (IBM PC) * ''

'' (BBC Micro/Acorn Electron, ColecoVision, Intellivision, ZX Spectrum) * ''

'' (BBC Micro/Acorn Electron, IBM PCjr, ZX Spectrum) * '' Donkey Kong Jr.'' (BBC Micro) * ''

'' (Intellivision) * ''

'' (BBC Micro, ColecoVision, C64, Intellivision, VIC-20, TI-99/4A) * ''

'' (Intellivision) * '' Mario Bros.'' (Apple II, C64, VIC-20, IBM PC, TI-99/4A) * ''

Missile Command ''Missile Command'' is a 1980 shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Atari for arcades. Sega released the game outside North America. It was designed by Dave Theurer, who also designed Atari's vector graphics game '' Tempest'' from ...

'' (Apple II, ColecoVision, C64, VIC-20, IBM PC, Intellivision, TI-99/4A) * ''

'' (ColecoVision, IBM PCjr, ZX Spectrum) * '' Ms. Pac-Man'' (BBC Micro/Acorn Electron, ColecoVision, IBM PCjr, Intellivision) * ''

'' (ColecoVision) * ''

'' (Apple II, Intellivision) * '' Robotron: 2084'' (TI-99/4A, ZX Spectrum) * ''

Sinistar ''Sinistar'' is a 1983 multidirectional shooter arcade video game developed and manufactured by Williams Electronics. It was created by Sam Dicker, Jack Haeger, Noah Falstein, RJ Mical, Python Anghelo, and Richard Witt. Players control a sp ...

'' (Acorn Electron, BBC Micro) later published as '' DeathStar'' by Superior Software * ''

'' (VIC-20, TI-99/4A, IBM PC) * '' Super Storm'' (TI-99/4A) port of ''

Slime Slime or slimy may refer to: Science and technology Biology * Slime coat, the coating of mucus covering the body of all fish * Slime mold, an informal name for several eukaryotic organisms * Biofilm, or slime, a syntrophic community of micr ...

'' * ''

'' (IBM PC) * '' Typo Attack'' (Apple II, C64, VIC-20, IBM PC, IBM PCjr) * ''

Vanguard The vanguard (sometimes abbreviated to van and also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. ...

'' (Apple II, C64, VIC-20, IBM PC, Intellivision, TI-99/4A)

Releases by Atari UK

Atarisoft Paint and The Pay-Off Floppy Disk

All released in 1985: * ''Chess'' (Atari 8-bit) * ''

Eastern Front (1941) ''Eastern Front (1941)'' is a computer wargame for Atari 8-bit computers created by Chris Crawford (game designer), Chris Crawford and published through the Atari Program Exchange (APX) in 1981. A scenario editor and assembly language source co ...

'' (Atari 8-bit) * ''

European Countries and Capitals European, or Europeans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe and other West ...

'' (Atari 8-bit) * '' An Invitation to Programming'' (Atari 8-bit) * '' The Lone Raider'' (Atari 8-bit) * ''Software Pack'' ('' The Home Filing Manager'' and '' The Pay-Off'' / ''Paint'') (Atari 8-bit)

Releases by Atari France

All released in 1985: * '' Cameléon'' (Atari 8-bit) * '' Énigme du triangle'' (Atari 8-bit) * ''

Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinisation of names, Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French Astrology, astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed Oracle, seer, who is best known for his book ''Les Prophéti ...

'' (Atari 8-bit) * '' Promoteur'' (Atari 8-bit)

References

{{reflist Atari Video game companies established in 1983 1983 establishments in the United States