Atari Football (revision 2)

Arcade Video game published 46 years ago:

Atari Football [2-Player model] (c) 1978 Atari.

An old black and white American football game where the player characters are represented as X's and O's. Players select either offensive or defensive plays and then control one of the characters on each team by rolling a trackball.

- TECHNICAL -

Dimensions :
31 inches (78cm) high
53 inches (134cm) wide
29.5 inches (74,5cm) deep

Monitor : 23-inch B/W

Game ID : 033xxx

Main CPU : MOS Technology M6502 (@ 750 Khz)
Sound Chips : Discrete circuitry

Screen orientation : Horizontal
Video resolution : 304 x 248 pixels
Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz
Palette colors : 4

Players : 2
Control : trackball
Buttons : 1

Diameter of trackball : 4.5 inches (11.43cm)

- TRIVIA -

Atari Football was released in October 1978, selling at an MSRP of $1495. Exactly 10405 2-player units were produced.

Two versions were released; this 2-Player model and another for 4 players as "Atari Football [4-Player model]".

Atari Football was first created in 1974 by Steve Bristow and originally called 'X's and O's'. It was shelved when Bristow started on "Tank", then resurrected 3 years later. This game was the first true video sports game and also the first Atari game to utilize a trackball controller.

The large trackball used by this game is the same one used by "Atari Baseball", "Atari Basketball", and "Atari Soccer", as well as the Upright and Cockpit versions of "Missile Command".

An Atari Football unit appears in the 1980 movie 'Midnight Madness', and 2 Atari Football units (2 and 4 players) appear in the 1982 movie 'Tron'.

An Atari Football machine was shown at the 2003 classic arcade games show 'California Extreme' in San Jose, California.

- SCORING -

Touchdown : 6 points.
Field goal : 3 points.
Safety : 2 points.
Conversion (run or pass) : 2 points.
Kicked conversion : 1 point.

- STAFF -

Designed and partially programmed by : Steve Bristow
Finished by : Ed Logg, Lyle Rains, Dave Stubbens