Atari 8-bit computer software

This article covers various significant pieces of software available for the Atari 8-bit home computers (400/800, XL and XE series). Because the company marketed them as home computers, games dominated the 8-bit software library.

For coverage of the operating system, please refer to the section within the main article.

After Atari's 8-bit machines entered the realm of retrocomputing in the late 1990s, cross platform development tools such as XASM, TASM, and cc65, most commonly run on PCs, have been much used by enthusiasts to do programming intended for the machines.

Because of graphics superior to that of the Apple II and Atari's home-oriented marketing, the computers gained a good reputation for games. Jerry Pournelle wrote in 1982, when trying to decide what computer to buy his sons, that "if you're only interested in games, that's the machine to get. It's not all that expensive, either". Games dominated the Atari software library and there were fewer business applications than for the Apple II. A 1984 compendium of reviews used 198 pages for games compared to 167 for all others. It noted the existence of a distinct "graphics look" to native Atari software: "Multiple graphics modes, four directional fine scrolling, colorful modified character-set backgrounds, and, of course, player missile graphics."

Star Raiders was Atari's killer app, akin to VisiCalc for the Apple II in its ability to persuade customers to buy the computer.Antic in 1986 stated that "it was the first program that showed all of the Atari computer's audio and visual capabilities. It was just a game, yes, but it revolutionized the idea of what a personal computer could be made to do."

...
Wikipedia