Atari Corporation

Atari Corporation at a Glance

Atari Corporation operated as a distinct entity from 1984 until 1996 after Warner Communications sold the original company to Jack Tramie. This publisher released 87 games on PlayPile, with 23 of those developed in-house. Their catalog spans multiple platforms but shows a heavy reliance on their own hardware. The Atari Lynx holds the top spot with 23 titles, followed closely by the Atari Jaguar with 22 releases. They also maintained a significant presence on older systems like the Atari 7800 and Commodore C64/128/MAX, while supporting formats such as DOS and the Atari ST. The company shifted its focus significantly over time. During the 1980s, they released 32 games, but output increased to 50 titles in the 1990s. Their genre portfolio is dominated by shooters with 32 entries, followed by sports games at 18 and arcade style titles at 16. Other categories include simulators, racing games, adventures, fighting games, platforms, strategy games, and puzzles. The quality of their work varies across this large catalog. Across 15 rated titles, the average IGDB score sits at 63.1 out of 100. This breaks down into one great title, nine good ones, four mixed entries, and a single poor game. Specific releases highlight this uneven track record. Nebulus from 1987 stands out as their best work with a rating of 84.6. Kasumi Ninja followed in 1994 with a strong 79.7 score. Other notable titles include Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters and Blue Lightning, both from 1989. By the mid-1990s, they released several 3D games including SuperCross 3D and Missile Command 3D in late 1995. Their final releases on record include Fight for Life in early 1996. The company eventually merged with JTS Inc. to form JTS Corp. before being sold to Hasbro Interactive, which changed the name to Atari Interactive.

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