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The Activision Atari 2600 release date list below is from a thread at AtariAge by Klove. I added notes below the entries that confirm (✔) or question (???) the dates. I'll put a green eight spoked asterisk (✳) next to an entry when the date seems to be close enough.
I consider a release date to be when people could buy a game. Most of the dates on this page seem to be when the games were shipped to the stores.
Original Re-Release Date: 04/22/88. ???
[According to the February 1988 issue of Computer Entertainer The Newsletter, the game was already recently re-released, so April may not be correct.]
Original Release Date: 03/01/82. ✔
[Confirmed.]
Original Re-Release Date: 03/12/88. ???
Originally released as PETE ROSE BASEBALL.
[Shipped in February 1989 according to the March and April 1989 issues of Computer Entertainer The Newsletter. The game was not reviewed.]
Original Release Date: 01/24/84. ???
[Seems to have been released in June 1984.]
Original Release Date: 07/01/80. ✳
[The earliest mention of Boxing in a newspaper ad that I've found so far was from August 1980. Maybe release date actually means when the game was shipped?]
Original Release Date: 12/01/80. ✔
[Confirmed.]
Original Release Date: 07/01/80. ✳
[The earliest mention of Checkers in a newspaper ad that I've found so far was from August 1980. Klove had to have been talking about when the games were shipped, not when people could buy them in stores.]
Original Release Date: 05/01/82. ✳
[Seems to have been released in June 1982. Probably shipped in May and sold in June.]
Original Release Date: 01/29/88. ???
[According to the July 1988 issue of Computer Entertainer The Newsletter, the game was shipped in June 1988. It was reviewed in the July 1988 issue of Computer Entertainer The Newsletter.]
Original Release Date: 11/09/84. ???
[Not released until 1985. It was reviewed in the November 1985 issue of The Video Game Update newsletter.]
Original Release Date: 05/16/83. ???
[Seems to have been released in August 1983.]
Original Release Date: 03/18/83. ???
[Seems to have been released in August 1983.]
Original Release Date: 04/22/88. ???
Demon Attack was originally published by Imagic in 1982.
[According to the February 1988 issue of Computer Entertainer The Newsletter, the game was already recently re-released, so April may not be correct.]
Original Release Date: 12/27/83. ???
[Seems to have been released in April 1983.]
Original Release Date: 06/23/89. ???
[Tossed in the fourth quarter section of the list in the December 1989 issue of Computer Entertainer The Newsletter and still not marked as shipped.]
Original Release Date: 07/01/80. ✳
[Close enough. The earliest mention of Dragster in a newspaper ad that I've found so far was from August 1980. Klove had to have been talking about when the games were shipped, not when people could buy them in stores.]
Original Release Date: 02/01/83. ???
[Seems to have been released in May 1983.]
Original Release Date: 07/01/80. ✳
[Close enough. The earliest mention of Fishing Derby in a newspaper ad that I've found so far was from August 1980. Klove had to have been talking about when the games were shipped, not when people could buy them in stores.]
Original Release Date: 07/01/81. ✔
[Confirmed.]
Original Release Date: 08/14/83. ???
[Seems to have been released in October 1983.]
Original Release Date: 05/10/85. ???
[The October 1985 issue of Computer Entertainer The Newsletter said that Activision recently released two Atari 2600 games and Ghostbusters was reviewed in that same issue.]
Original Release Date: 03/01/82. ✔
[Confirmed.]
Original Release Date: 03/23/84. ✳
[Close enough.]
Original Release Date: 12/01/81. ✔
[Confirmed.]
Previously Unreleased. Development Period: Late 1984.
Original Release Date: 07/01/81. ✔
[Confirmed.]
Original Release Date: 01/25/83. ???
[Released in April 1983.]
Original Release Date: 05/12/87. ???
[Shipped in September 1987 according to the October 1987 issue of Computer Entertainer The Newsletter. It was reviewed in the October 1987 issue of Computer Entertainer The Newsletter.]
Original Release Date: 03/01/81. ✔
[Confirmed.]
Original Release Date: 04/09/82. ???
[Seems to have been released in late September/October 1982.]
Original Release Date: 04/22/88. ???
Moonsweeper was originally published by Imagic in 1983.
[According to the February 1988 issue of Computer Entertainer The Newsletter, the game was already recently re-released, so April may not be correct.]
Original Release Date: 12/27/82. ???
[Seems to have been released in April 1983.]
Original Release Date: 04/20/82. ???
[Seems to have been released in September 1982.]
Original Release Date: 09/16/83. ???
[Seems to have been released in February 1984.]
Original Release Date: 02/22/83. ???
[Seems to have been released in June 1983.]
Original Release Date: 08/26/83. ???
[Seems to have been released in November 1983.]
Original Release Date: 09/19/83. ???
[Seems to have been released in February 1984.]
Original Release Date: 02/07/89. ???
[Shipped in May 1989 according to the June 1989 issue of Computer Entertainer The Newsletter. It was not reviewed.]
Original Release Date: 08/19/82. ???
[Seems to have been released in December 1982.]
Original Release Date: 07/28/88. ???
[Shipped in November 1988 according to the December 1988 issue of Computer Entertainer The Newsletter. It was reviewed in the December 1988 issue of Computer Entertainer The Newsletter.]
Original Release Date: 03/24/83. ???
[Seems to have been released in July 1983.]
Original Release Date: 09/27/83. ???
[Seems to have been released in February 1983.]
Original Release Date: 12/01/80. ✔
[Confirmed.]
Original Release Date: 07/14/87. Distributed by Activision in 1987. ???
[According to the February and March 1988 issues of Computer Entertainer The Newsletter, the game was shipped in January of 1988.]
Original Release Date: 11/01/82. ✔
[Confirmed.]
Original Release Date: 09/07/83. ???
[Seems to have been released in December 1983.]
Original Release Date: 09/27/82. ???
[Seems to have been released in January 1983.]
Original Release Date: 12/01/81. ✔
[Confirmed.]
Original Release Date: 06/23/82. ✔
[Confirmed.]
Original Release Date: 03/01/81. ✔
[Confirmed.]
Previously Unreleased. Development Period: Late 1984.
Original Release Date: 07/14/87. Distributed by Activision in 1987. ???
[According to the November and December 1987 issues of Computer Entertainer The Newsletter, the game was shipped in October 1987.]
Tomcat: The F-14 Flight Simulator
Original Release Date: 02/17/88. Distributed by Activision in 1988. ???
[According to the March and April 1989 issues of Computer Entertainer The Newsletter, the game was shipped in February 1989.]
February 1988
Text from Computer Entertainer The Newsletter (Feb 88)
Classic Atari 2600 Games Revived by Activision
Activision has recently re-released some classic Atari 2600 games of their own, plus some titles originally done by Imagic. The newly added titles are THE ACTIVISION DECATHLON, ROBOT TANK, ATLANTIS, DEMON ATTACK, and MOONSWEEPER. These games are distributed primarily to nationwide toy store chains, such as Toys “Я” Us and Kaybee Toys.
Activision List
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