The Ten Best-Selling Atari 2600 Games Quiz

Answer: Pac-Man

Developed by Namco, this maze-action game was released in 1980. Originally named "Puck Man," the game involves a character trying to eat all of the dots in a maze while avoiding being killed by the ghosts - Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde.

Answer: Pitfall!

"Pitfall!" involves a character collecting treasures in a set amount of time while avoiding hazards such as crocodiles, snakes, quicksand, and fire. Some argue that running to the left is "cheating" because it saves time. It was the best-selling game for the Atari 2600 from the last quarter of 1982 to the first quarter of 1983, and the number two overall best-selling game according to Game Rant, with 4.5 million units sold.

Answer: Asteroids

Released in 1979 for arcades and in 1981 for the Atari 2600, this game involves a spaceship shooting asteroids and the occasional flying saucer. It was designed by Ed Logg and Lyle Rains and sold over 4.3 million units for the Atari.

Answer: Missile Command

Released for the Atari 2600 in 1981, "Missile Command" involves shooting down ballistic missiles as an enemy seeks to destroy six cities. Designed by Dave Theurer, who also designed "Tempest," the game has sold over 2.7 million units.

Answer: Space Invaders

"Space Invaders" was later released for the Atari 2600 in 1980. It was developed by Tomohiro Nishikado and has sold over 2.5 million units. It was the first fixed shooter game and inspired many to follow. The game involves defeating waves of descending aliens with a laser.

Answer: Frogger

Developed by Konami and manufactured by Sega, "Frogger" was released for the Atari 2600 in 1981. Players must get a green frog across a highway of moving traffic without getting run over and then move across a waterway containing moving logs before being pushed off the screen. The game sold approximately 2.2 million units.

Answer: Demon Attack

"Demon Attack" sold 2.13 million units. Published by Imagic in 1982, it was written by Rob Fulop for the Atari 2600. In the game, players are marooned on the ice planet Krybor and must uses a laser cannon to defend against demons descending from above.

Answer: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

The adventure video game was released for the Atari 2600 in 1982. Players guide E.T. on his journey to collect three parts of a telephone that will enable him to contact his home planet. Though it eventually sold at least 1.97 million copies, "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" did not do as well as expected and received significant criticism for its quality. Development of the game was rushed in order to capitalize on the movie, and developer Howard Scott Warshaw was given only about five weeks to get it ready for the Christmas season.

Answer: Ms. Pac-Man

Sue replaces the ghost Clyde from the earlier "Pac-Man." Other difference from "Pac-Man" include solid walls of the maze and semi-random behavioral patterns from the ghosts, making it difficult to use patterns to clear each maze. The fruits also bounce randomly around the maze instead of being located in the center as they are in "Pac-Man." Developed by General Computer Corporation and released in 1982, "Ms. Pac-Man" has sold 1.65 million units for the Atari.

Answer: Dig Dug

Developed by Namco, distributed by Atari, and released in 1982, "Dig Dug" was designed by Masahisa Ikegami and Shigeru Yokoyama. The titular character digs through dirt to connect tunnels and either destroys enemies by inflating them or by moving under rocks to loosen the rocks to crush his enemies. The game sold 1.64 million units.