PARTICIPATE AND WIN! (Automatically translated into English) This article claims to be exhaustive. But no one is perfect: If you know an Atari 2600 title that meets the criteria set out opposite and manage to find an additional game that is not listed on this page, go to the bottom of this page to win an animated book by the history of video games!

(Automatically translated into English) We are well aware of the color problems on the screen with Atari 2600 Ntsc games on the Pal console, not to mention the Secam. But what is less known is the difference in color of some boxes when they have been "converted" to Pal.

(Automatically translated into English) Video Pinball's color change could be due to a colorimetry error as we can see that even the illustration has turned purple, as if the printing process had lightened the image to cyan. In addition, the texts have undergone a rearrangement which will be generalized on the Pal boxes: the title is moved and the variants (Game Select) have disappeared. Indeed, the Pal boxes including additional texts in five languages, there is not enough space to display them.

(Automatically translated into English) It is astonishing that the green background of Golf (which nevertheless evokes the ground on which the action takes place), has turned blue. The main idea was surely to bring a better contrast between the general color of Steve Hendricks illustration and that of the case. From a symbolic point of view, the case now evokes the sky in which the ball flies, rather than the grass on which it lands.

The very light green of the Ntsc version of Surround gives way to a rather dark purple, almost plum. This change makes a few color reminders with the design of Cliff Spohn, and the whole case thus gains in readability: the title stands out much better, as well as the additional texts. This simple change reinforces the character of the packaging.

Third green box in our series, that of Pelé's Soccer has also changed colors in Pal to become ... green! But this time, it is much deeper and enhances the illustration of James Kelly. As for the boxes commented above, this one also gains in visibility with a slightly heightened contrast.

No doubt, this time the color of the box has been intentionally changed. Berzerk's green, perhaps deemed too dull by the marketing department, has been drastically replaced by a bright red in accordance with Hiro Kimura's illustration. We note in passing two peculiarities on the Ntsc box: on the one hand the reduction of the title of the game in favor of the Atari brand, which appears seems to be generalized from 1981. In addition, there is a yellow triangle at the bottom on the right, mentioning that the game is accompanied by a strip. These comics have never been translated into French (or any other language).

(Automatically translated into English) Warlords and Slot Racers originally had brown boxes, the first light and the second rather dark. The Pal versions are more attractive: Warlords turned orange has a better dynamic and the general color of the case echoes the image of the warrior (it is one of the programmers at Atari, Jim Huether, who served as a model for illustrator Steve Hendricks).

As for Slot Racers, the change of color made towards blue gives a depth, which evokes a little the universe of Tron (illustration by John Enright). Everyone who has tried this crazy game has had a hard time understanding anything, but after overcoming the first difficulties, they were treated to frenzied duels.

(Automatically translated into English) Created by students in 1961 on MIT's PDP-1, Spacewar! is one of the first video games and will be adapted for the first video game terminals ten years later: Galaxy Game and Computer Space (by the company Syzygy which will quickly become Atari). It is always on this basis of gameplay that Space War is conceived: two ships which move like that of Asteroids, confront each other in space. The change of the box from red to purple offers a beautiful harmony with the illustration (by Rick Guidice) and better immerses the viewer in the magic of space.

As for Math Gran Prix, it gains in dynamics with a box which is this time orange-yellow (illustration by Warren Chang). As with Berzerk, the Ntsc box of this 1982 game has a reduced title and the large Atari logo.

(Automatically translated into English) Hunt & Score is a memory game. The title did not hit the mark, because Atari finally decided to rename this game A Game of Concentration (including later for the Ntsc version). The editor took the opportunity to change the fuchsia box to a beautiful apple green. Less aggressive, this packaging harmonizes better with the illustration of Susan Jaekel.

(Automatically translated into English) Defender was first edited in Pal in a box that had the same blue as the Ntsc (not shown here). It was later that the Pal game was reissued in a light blue box (opposite). Note in passing the two peculiarities of the Ntsc box that we had already mentioned for Berzerk and Math Gran Prix.

(Automatically translated into English) Although outside the scope of our article on the change of bottom color of Atari 2600 boxes, this case seemed close enough to appear here: this time, it is the illustration that has been changed. Originally, Hiro Kimura had made the image on the right, but the marketing department preferred that the hero of the game be recognized unambiguously, and asked the illustrator to simplify his drawing to the extreme. In the end, only the Pal version knew the box with the handsome Pac-Man on the right.


Do you know of a similar case that is not listed here? Send us your photos. and receive a copy of the History of Video Games flip-book (in french).