Atari XEGS Games - LaunchBox Games Database

Ace of Aces

Atari XEGS - Released - 1988

Ace of Aces is a computer game flight simulator developed by Artech Digital Entertainment in 1986. The game takes place during World War II and the player flies a RAF Mosquito long range fighter-bomber equipped with rockets, bombs and a cannon. Missions include destroying German fighter planes, bombers, V-1 flying bombs, U-boats, and trains.

Airball

Atari XEGS - Released - January 1, 1988

You have been turned into a ball of air with a slow leak by an evil wizard. You must find the Spellbook and the ingredients for the spell. Without these, you will never turn back into a human again. These items have to be collected in the maze which consists of 150 isometric rooms. These can be explored freely but sometimes you need to have special objects to proceed, e.g. a candle in dark rooms. The dangers consist mostly of sharp objects which can cause your ball to burst. Additionally you are on a timer because your balloon loses air constantly. But it can be refilled by using pumps...

Archon: The Light and the Dark

Atari XEGS - Released - January 1, 1983

Archon: The Light and the Dark is a strategic board game with some similarities to chess. Two sides, a light one and a dark one, consisting of 18 pieces each compete on a board divided into (9 by 9) squares. You win the game by having one of your units on each of the five powerpoint squares, by removing all opposing pieces from the board or by imprisoning the last remaining creature of the opposing side. However, you can't just remove a piece from the board by landing on it. When two pieces clash, the outcome is decided in the battle arena during one-on-one real-time combat. If the...

Ballblazer

Atari XEGS - Released - March 1, 1984

Ballblazer is a 1984 computer game created by Lucasfilm Games (later LucasArts Entertainment). It was originally released for the Atari 8-bit systems, such as the Atari 800 and the Atari 5200. It was also ported to other popular platforms of the day, such as the Apple II, ZX Spectrum (by Dalali Software Ltd), Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Atari 7800, and the NES. The Atari 800 version was called Ballblaster during development - pirated versions of the game went by this name as well. The principal creator and programmer of Ballblazer was David Levine. In 1990, LucasArts and Rainbow Arts...

Barnyard Blaster

Atari XEGS - Released - December 1, 1987

You and your grandpa just put your life savings into buying a small farm a few acres for growing vegetables and raising horses, a place to get away from the battle of city life. But you discover that the entire farm is full of things that are determined to drive you away. Barnyard Blaster is a shooting gallery type game for use with the Atari XG-1 light gun or the joystick. There are three levels plus one bonus level.Your goal is to rid your farm of vermin by shooting targets in each of three levels. Between each level you'll play Gramps' bonus screen where you can brush up on your shooting....

Battlezone

Atari XEGS - Released - 1987

Commonly considered the earliest progenitor of first-person shooters (FPS), Battlezone is a 3D tank game initially released in the arcades, and later converted officially to many systems. Earth has been invaded, and you and your tank lead the defensive effort. You drive around the battlefield from a first-person view, targeting and firing at tanks, planes and UFOs. You have a radar to help you see where the enemies are in direction and distance. Objects can be used as strategic cover. Controls simulate the tracks of a tank realistically, so the direction and speed settings are varied -...

Blue Max

Atari XEGS - Released - 1987

Blue Max is a video game developed and published by Synapse Software, originally released for the Commodore 64 and Atari 8-bit computers in 1983. In 1984 it was ported to the ZX Spectrum by U.S. Gold. in 1987 Atari Corp. published it in cartridge form for the then-new Atari XEGS. The player controls a Sopwith Camel biplane during World War I, attempting to shoot down enemy planes and bomb targets on the diagonally scrolling terrain. It has strong similarities to the arcade game Zaxxon. The game is named after the medal Pour le Mérite, informally known as Blue Max. Its theme song is "Rule,...

Bug Hunt

Atari XEGS - Released - 1987

Fixing bugs in a new computer circuit board late at night is hard, but it gets even worse when suddenly, real bugs appear out of nowhere. It's time to grab a gun and shoot at those little pests. Bug Hunt is a game designed for the Atari XG-1 light gun, and came bundled with the Atari XEGS and the stand-alone XG-1. The game consists of seven waves. Each wave features more of the little critters (flies, spiders, butterflies, ticks, etc.) on the sections of the PCB, waiting to be shot. Some are large and stationary and easy to hit, others are small and move rapidly and net more points. To...

Bug Hunt

Atari XEGS - Released - 1987

Bug Hunt is a game designed for the Atari XG-1 light gun, and came bundled with the Atari XEGS and the stand-alone XG-1. The game consists of seven waves. Each wave features more of the little critters (flies, spiders, butterflies, ticks, etc.) on the sections of the PCB, waiting to be shot. Some are large and stationary and easy to hit, others are small and move rapidly and net more points. To progress into the next wave, a certain accuracy percentage must be met (from 25% to reach wave 2 to 80% to reach the final wave). The final score is converted into a performance rating - CEOs, directors...

Choplifter!

Atari XEGS - Released - 1988

Choplifter (stylized as Choplifter!) was originally a 1982 Apple II game developed by Dan Gorlin and published by Brøderbund. It was ported to other home computers and, in 1985, Sega released a coin-operated arcade game remake, which in turn received several home ports of its own. While many arcade games have been ported to home computers and consumer consoles, Choplifter was one of the few games to take the reverse route: first appearing on a home system and being ported to the arcade. In 1988, the game was re-released as an Atari XE video cartridge with minor gameplay improvements.

Crime Buster

Atari XEGS - Released - 1988

The city has become overrun by an ever increasing gang of mobsters and the Commissioner has had enough. As one of the Force's top detectives, you have been sent to stake out gang hideouts and bust their criminial inhabitants. But it won't be easy. Word has leaked out that you're on a cleanup mission and the Mob is planning to rub you out! No matter where you go they'll be after you. On the street they may appear from behind garbage cans or cars. At the warehouse, a secret stronghold, they may be hiding in boxes or crates. At the Pier, beware of that suspicious looking boat moored at the...

Crossbow

Atari XEGS - Released - 1988

In Crossbow, you and several friends are trying to cross many treacherous landscapes in order to retrieve stolen treasures from the castle of the Evil Master. All of the members of your party are unarmed, however you carry a crossbow. Using this, you need to shoot any obstacles or hostile enemies that may get in the way of your friends as they cross the screen. You see the landscape from a first person point of view, and one by one each member of the party will walk from the left to right on the screen. There are many different landscapes that need to be crossed, each with its own variety of...

Crystal Castles

Atari XEGS - Released - 1988

Bentley Bear is trapped in the Crystal Castles! To get out, he will need to collect all of the gems located throughout the castle. The game is played with an isometric view of the multi platformed castle. When Bentley collects all of the gems on the current castle, he will move on to the next, more difficult castle. Wandering throughout the castles are a wide variety of dangerous creatures, which Bentley should avoid. From time to time, a magic hat will appear. If Bentley collects the hat, he will temporarily be invincible to the castles inhabitants.

Dark Chambers

Atari XEGS - Released - 1988

Dark Chambers is an arcade action game similar to Gauntlet. You are an explorer in an underground maze; your goal is to survive the 26 different levels and collect as many of the hidden treasures as you can. Hidden somewhere in each of the levels is an exit which will take you on to the next level. Trying to stop you from completing your quest are a wide variety of creatures, including zombies, wraiths, skeletons, wizards, and the grim reaper. Each of the creatures in the game has a different strength; when you shoot a creature, it will transform into the next weaker creature. Eventually a...

David's Midnight Magic

Atari XEGS - Released - 1987

David's Midnight Magic is a simple pinball game designed for 1-4 players. The game was modeled on the popular Black Knight pinball table released by Williams. Unlike Black Knight, however, David's Midnight Magic contains a mixture of bright colors. Featuring dual flipper controls, upper and lower playing fields, tilt mechanism, multiple ball play, electromagnetic deflectors, and many special effects, the game represents the first generation of home computer pinball simulations available with relatively realistic pinball features.

Desert Falcon

Atari XEGS - Released - 1988

Desert Falcon is an arcade style shooter. Many of the Pharaoh's great treasures are lost throughout the desert, and your goal is to steal as many as you can to earn points. The game features a scrolling, isometric point of view as you control your falcon through the various desert landscapes. The treasures you are after are guarded of course. Many desert creatures including vultures, warriors, flying fish, sphinxes and more will all attempt to stop you from succeeding in your task. Also, at the end of each level you will need to face a large, howling sphinx before you can continue on. Your...

Donkey Kong

Atari XEGS - Released - 1988

Donkey Kong is a platform-action game that has Mario scale four different industrial themed levels (construction zone, cement factory, an elevator-themed level, and removing rivets from girders) in an attempt to save the damsel in distress, Pauline, from the big ape before the timer runs out. Once the rivets are removed from the final level, Donkey Kong falls, and the two lovers are reunited. From there, the levels start over at a higher difficulty. Along the way, Mario must dodge a constant stream of barrels, "living" fireballs, and spring-weights. Although not as powerful as in other...

Eastern Front (1941)

Atari XEGS - Released - 1988

A strategic turn-based wargame for the Atari 8-Bit computer line. Eastern Front puts you in charge of the German armada as they start their infamous Russian campaign, or as it was known at the time "Operation Barbarossa". The game is played from an overhead scrolling map that encompasses the entire eastern European theater, and from which you select your units and issue orders based on their action points and strength which are defined by their appropriate control zones. Isolate units, and their strength starts to go down proportionally. Only 1-player mode is supported against an AI that...

Fight Night

Atari XEGS - Released - 1987

Fight Night is a boxing game in which players box 11 different opponents on the way to the final match with the champ, Bronx Bomber. Each boxer has unique strengths and weaknesses, along with one specialized "super punch". There are four different modes of play; the single-player Main Event and the multi-player Tournament (on disk/cartridge versions only), and also Training and Sparring modes. Players can also create their own boxer, setting the appearance and abilities.

Flight Simulator II

Atari XEGS - Released - 1987

This flight simulator simulates a real aircraft, the Piper PA-28-181 Archer II. For those with the knowledge, it offers practice with the variables of flight, including the avionics. The Atari ST and Amiga releases instead simulate the Cessna 182RG single engine propeller aircraft and the Gates Learjet 25G twin engine jet. The game has more features than first generation flight simulators. Pilots are expected to pay attention to small details. SubLOGIC encouraged the players to go to flight stores and purchase flight-training manuals and aeronautical charts to help them understand the...

Food Fight

Atari XEGS - Released - 1987

In Food Fight, the player controls a young boy named Charley Chuck. The object of the game is to eat an ice cream cone located on the opposite side of an open playfield. The ice cream is slowly melting, and must be consumed before it melts completely. Standing between Charley and the ice cream are four chefs named Angelo, Jacques, Oscar, and Zorba. The chefs appear from holes in the floor of the level and will chase after Charley. The chefs are identified by the shape of their toques: Angelo's is short and rectangular; Jacques' is curved; Oscar's is big and round; and Zorba's is tall and...

GATO

Atari XEGS - Released - 1987

GATO is a real-time submarine simulator first published in 1984 by Spectrum HoloByte for MS-DOS. It simulates combat operations aboard the Gato-class submarine USS Growler (SS-215) in the Pacific Theater of World War II. GATO was later ported to the Apple IIe, Atari ST, and Macintosh. In 1987 Atari published a version on cartridge for the Atari 8-bit family, to coincide with the launch of the Atari XEGS

Ghouls 'n Ghosts

Atari XEGS - Homebrew

Three years have passed since Arthur defeated the Demon King Astaroth and rescued his beloved Princess Prin-Prin (see Ghosts 'N Goblins). A new villain, the Great Demon King Lucifer (Loki in some versions) has become the new leader of Ghoul Realm. While returning from a journey, Arthur sees the Princess' castle and her village under attack by Lucifer's forces. While rushing towards her beloved knight, the Princess is struck by one of Lucifer's laser beams. Now, Arthur must venture back to the Lucifer's palace and destroy the demon in order to rescue the Princess' soul and bring her back to...

HardBall!

Atari XEGS - Released - February 1, 1987

Play is controlled with a joystick or arrow keys and an action button. One of the four cardinal directions is used to choose the pitch, and again to aim it towards low, high, inside (towards batter), or outside (away from batter). The same directions are used to aim the swing when batting. When fielding after a hit, the defensive player closest to the ball will flash to show it is the one currently under control. The four directions are then used to throw to one of the four bases. The game incorporates a pitcher perspective, often used in MLB broadcasts. There are also managerial options...

Into the Eagle's Nest

Atari XEGS - Released - 1988

Into the Eagle's Nest is a computer game developed by Pandora Software and released by Mindscape in 1986 for the Apple II and in 1987 for the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, IBM PC and ZX Spectrum. The player character is an Allied soldier whose orders are to infiltrate the top-secret Nazi fortress called the Eagle's Nest (which consists of four castles), rescue three Allied saboteurs being held there, save art treasures the Nazis have stolen, and then destroy the Nest with explosives. In 1988 Atari Corporation released a version on cartridge for the Atari 8-bit family...

Karateka

Atari XEGS - Released - 1988

Released on Atari XE game cartridge in 1988, but originally created in 1984. A martial arts action game by Jordan Mechner, first released on the Apple II. The evil Akuma has destroyed the protagonist's homeland, killed many of his friends and kidnapped the princess Mariko. Fortunately, the hero is skilled in martial arts, so his inevitable quest to reach Akuma's palace and rescue Mariko has a chance of success. Karateka is viewed from the side and features a succession of increasingly difficult opponents. Three types of punches and kicks are available to both the player character and his...

Lode Runner

Atari XEGS - Released - 1987

The player controls a stick figure who must collect all the gold in a level while avoiding guards who try to catch the player. After collecting all the gold, the player must travel to the top of the screen to reach the next level. There are 150 levels in the game which progressively challenge players' problem-solving abilities or reaction times.

Mario Bros.

Atari XEGS - Released - 1988

1988 Release of Mario Bros. for the Atari XE lineup. Cart was backwards compatible with XL and XE range. Mario Bros. features two plumbers, Mario and Luigi, having to investigate the sewers of New York after strange creatures have been appearing down there. The objective of the game is to defeat all of the enemies in each phase. The mechanics of Mario Bros. involve only running and jumping. Unlike future Mario games, players cannot jump on enemies and squash them, unless they were already turned on their back.

Necromancer

Atari XEGS - Released - 1988

Necromancer is a 1982 computer game for the Atari 8-bit series created by Bill Williams and distributed by Synapse Software. A port to the Commodore 64 followed in 1983, and it was re-released by Atari in cartridge form for the Atari XEGS in 1987. The player controls the wizard Illuminar who attempts to grow an army of trees to attack Tetragorn the Necromancer and his evil minions who are attempting to take over a graveyard. The game is an arcade action title, but is unusual in that there are three distinct segments of gameplay, each of which affects the one following it.

One-on-One Basketball

Atari XEGS - Released - 1987

Dr. J and Larry Bird Go One on One, commonly known as One on One, is a 1983 computer basketball game written by Eric Hammond for the Apple II and published by Electronic Arts. It was ported to the Atari 8-bit family, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Tandy Color Computer, and later to the Macintosh, Amiga, and Atari 7800. In Europe the publisher was Ariolasoft. Rereleased on Atari XEGS cart in 1987.

Pole Position

Atari XEGS

In this game, the player controls a Formula One race car. The player completes a time trial lap within a certain amount of time to qualify for an F1 race at the Fuji Racetrack. After qualifying, the player races against other cars in a championship race.

Rescue on Fractalus!

Atari XEGS - Released - 1987

1987 XE rerelease of Rescue on Fractalus! There are thirty levels you can choose from in this version instead of sixteen in the original release. The game uses fractal technology to create the craggy mountains of an alien planet, where the visilibility was drastically reduced by the dense atmosphere. The player controls a fictional "Valkyrie" space fighter (converted for search and rescue duty) from a first-person view, attempting to land and pick up downed Ethercorps pilots. Some of these mountains hold anti-aircraft guns, which have to be avoided or destroyed. Due to the varied terrain,...

River Raid: Cold Winter

Atari XEGS - ROM Hack - 2019

River Raid "Cold Winter," as the name makes it clear, brings completely new graphics with a winter scenery. The fighter you pilot now is black, but also much nicer-looking. The enemies and the fuel tanks' graphics are also improved. The ships are replaced by icebergs, although they can still float. All that combined won’t give you a brand new River Raid version, but certainly delivers a welcome “downloadable content update” if we want to use a modern gaming concept that will keep you hooked for many more hours!

Star Raiders II

Atari XEGS - Released - 1987

Star Raiders II is a video game released in 1986 for the Atari 8-bit home computers, and later several other home computers and game consoles. The game was originally developed as part of a tie-in with the movie The Last Starfighter, which featured an arcade game of the same name as part of its plotline. Versions for the Atari 5200 and the Atari 8-bit computers were developed in 1984, although those were never released. Later the tie-in was dropped, and the game converted into a sequel to Star Raiders by changing a number of gameplay elements. The gameplay remained quite different from the...

Summer Games

Atari XEGS - Released - 1988

The game is presented as a virtual multi-sport competition called the "Epyx Games" (there was no official IOC licensing in place) with up to eight players each choosing a country to represent, and then taking turns competing in various events to try for a medal.

ThunderFox

Atari XEGS - Released - 1988

A heavily defended transporter carries Disilicate Energy Crystals for the approaching Phalon Mothership. Once installed, these will power the deadly Phalon War machine said to be capable of destroying entire solar systems in minutes. The Federation's only hipe is the latest in the slick, maneuverable space fighters: THUNDERFOX! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to locate and destroy these crystals, thus preventing the War Machine from being built. You must take care to avoid deadly lasers and lengthy exposure to dangerous radiation as you navigate your way to the Disilicate...