How to Play Atari Games on a PC
Best known for its groundbreaking home video game systems of the late 1970s and 1980s, Atari was an early pioneer of the gaming industry. While their forays into the home gaming market have long since past, the company continues to this day as a video game producer that outsources its games to other contemporary gaming systems such as the Xbox or Wii. For those looking for Atari's classic games, their web site has a space to play them in a manner that is both easy and fun.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Log onto your Internet browser. The Atari website works with all browsers, so you may use whichever one is set as your default
-
2
Go to the Atari website. Before going any further on the site, be sure that all of your Java settings are up to date. The classic games on the Atari site run on Java. If it is not up to date, the games will not work properly. If your Java client is not up to date, right click on the Java icon and click on the 'update' option. Java will automatically update. On computers with Windows installed, a notification will appear on the bottom right of your screen when Java needs to updated.
-
-
3
Click on 'Play Atari' button on the front of the Atari homepage. This will take you to the 'Play Atari' page which houses a library of games, both classic and new.
-
4
Select the 'Arcade Classics' tab. This will bring you to a library of 13 classic games including "Missile Command," "Centipede," and "Asteroid." If you wish to play other types of games, the 'Play Atari' library has other options including several online games and downloadable content.
-
5
Read the instructions for the game you choose to play. Instructions will be at the top of screen. You will also find multiplayer and full screen options as well. Note that you will need to use your keyboard to successfully complete the game.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
For older computers it may be best to have only your Internet browser open while playing your game; quit other applications.
The Atari website has an option allowing you to register with Atari for the latest news on Atari games. You may also sign in using your Facebook profile. Neither is necessary for playing the classic arcade games but may be needed for online games. Signing up with Atari gives you access to sneak previews to newer games.
Atari updates the 'Play Atari' site semi-frequently, adding more classic games as well as new online content.
