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The two difficulty switches on the Atari VCS can further change the rules of the game. The right difficulty switch functions on whether or not there will be a timer in the game. The left difficulty switch changes whether the player has 12 or 24 seconds in the first four game modes. In the other four
233:
The game features eight modes. In the first four modes, the player can choose what number to start with at the top of the equation, and then the computer will decide the second number in line, leaving the player to answer underneath. In the other four modes, both numbers of the equation will be
230:. The player moves the joystick to cycle through numbers zero through nine to fill in number prompts. The player scores one point for each correct answer. At the end of 10 rounds, the total number problems is displayed on the right, while the player's score is displayed on the left.
499:
might be a good way for children to practice arithmetic, it was ultimately a low quality game due to its poor graphics and how complicated it was to adjust the different gameplay modes. Brett Weiss, in his book
159:. The player can edit different gameplay modes to alter how the numbers in the problem are chosen, or if their questions are timed. The game was released in 1977 as one of the earliest releases for the console.
182:. Both contemporary and retrospective reviews were generally unenthused by the game with common criticism being that it had poor quality graphics and was not appealing in terms of gameplay or control.
468:. The reviewer described the game as very basic mathematics and that the controls of the game were more complicated than the game itself, giving the game a ranking of five out of ten. David H. Ahl of
1037:
996:
292:, suggested that these releases were part of a push for the first generation of programmable consoles to be seen as more than game machines and would include educational programs.
162:
The game is the only known game developed for the VCS by Palmer, who initially worked at Atari creating debugging stations for game developers, and later assisted with work on the
508:
wrote that the game never taught the players how to reach a correct answer, which limited it as an educational tool and that it would not be fun for either children or adults.
504:
also spoke negatively about the graphics as well as a lack of a two-player mode, while finding the music jingle and timed challenges to be highlights. Bunch, in his book
1024:"The 103 Classic Games That Did, and Didn't, Make the Atari 50 Anniversary Cut — Retailer Leak Suggests Games from Arcade to Jaguar; Surprises Apparently Still Await"
359:. Atari halted production on new carts of the game by January 1982. The game remained in circulation as late as 1988, selling a little over 6,000 copies that year.
166:
line of computers. It was the first educational video game for the VCS, with others companies also releasing arithmetic-themed cartridges in the same year for the
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also commented that a number keypad would be more suitable for the game, while enjoying the musical tune when a correct answer was given.
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game modes, the player has either two-digit problems with a 24 second time limit or single digit problems with a 12 second time limit.
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released for the Atari VCS. Most of Atari's competitor consoles during this period had similar educational games in 1977, such as
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was her first design work for Atari. She said never played any of the games before designing them, and described the art for
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s lead designer was Gary Palmer. Palmer joined Atari in
February 1977. It is the only known title he developed for the
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as her "most fanciful and loosest in style." Jaekel would go on to make the box art for further Atari games such as
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888:
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1432:
1161:
886:
Ahl, David H. (July–August 1978). "A Creative
Computing Equipment Profile... Atari Video Computer System".
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functionality and left the company after. It is unknown what he did after he left. The game was the first
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in 1983 said it was "an early game, now showing its age.", concluding that the educational game
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creating debugging stations for the companies game programmers. He would later work on the
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listed the game as among his least favorite from Atari in 1983. Skyler Miller's review in
333:. It was not immediately available as the console, as the earliest Atari games other than
8:
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202:. The player controls the line under the zero to manipulate the numbers for the answer.
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was released in
September 1977. It was one of the first titles available for the
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release of the Atari VCS under their Tele-Games label, the game was released as
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has since been re-released in various Atari-themed compilations, such as the
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was designed by Susan Jaekel. She joined the company after studying art at
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The system became known as the Atari 2600 only after the release of the
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997:"A History of Gaming Platforms: Atari 2600 Video Computer System/VCS"
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Williamson, Brian, ed. (August 1983). "Atari System Review".
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Kaplan, Deeny, ed. (Winter 1979). "Atari Video
Computer".
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487:(1982) was better. Author and video game enthusiast
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139:by Gary Palmer. The game involves a series of ten
959:. Vol. 1, no. 5. Reese Communications.
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1147:(January 1983). "Uston's Least Favorite Games".
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355:was re-released in January 1980 under the title
303:and connected with Atari through Rick Guidice.
1198:a 2022 April Fools Day release from Atari via
1114:
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735:
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1151:. Vol. 1, no. 4. Pumpkin Press Inc.
256:. Prior to making the game, Palmer worked at
174:. The game was also released under the title
477:From retrospective reviews, a reviewer from
464:magazine as part of a general review of the
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135:(Atari VCS). The game was developed at
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1040:from the original on 14 September 2022
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1022:Machkovech, Sam (12 September 2022).
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655:
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534:List of Atari, Inc. games (1972–1984)
384:Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration
995:Loguidice, Bill (28 February 2008).
879:Basic Math Game Program Instructions
885:
813:
410:
339:(1977) were initially available by
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1783:Mathematical education video games
1778:Children's educational video games
1158:Classic Home Video Games 1972-1984
1052:
928:Harris, Craig (30 November 2004).
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502:Classic Home Video Games 1972-1984
210:, each game features 10 rounds of
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539:List of educational video games
1234:
907:Atari Archive: Vol.1 1977-1978
854:
506:Atari Archive: Vol.1 1977-1978
290:Atari Archive: Vol.1 1977-1978
288:games. Kevin Bunch, author of
1:
1162:McFarland & Company, Inc.
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1604:Television Interface Adaptor
1433:American Multiple Industries
406:
7:
892:. Vol. 4, no. 4.
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133:Atari Video Computer System
10:
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881:. Atari. 1977. C011402-61.
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736:Montfort & Bogost 2009
639:Montfort & Bogost 2009
214:problems involving either
1793:Single-player video games
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367:for Windows in 2003, the
301:San Jose State University
234:decided by the computer.
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41:cover art by Susan Jaekel
31:
26:
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1731:Atari video game burial
387:(2022) compilation for
314:A Game of Concentration
242:Development and release
978:Dynamite Entertainment
972:Lapetino, Tim (2016).
270:educational video game
203:
129:educational video game
1773:Atari 2600-only games
1624:Starpath Supercharger
1195:Basic Match Recharged
1156:Weiss, Brett (2007).
905:Bunch, Kevin (2023).
193:
1574:Howard Scott Warshaw
1683:Atari Greatest Hits
1658:Emulation and ports
1609:Atari joystick port
1599:Atari 2600 hardware
1085:"Combat in Context"
1067:on 14 November 2014
1009:on 16 December 2021
417:
282:Fairchild Channel F
168:Fairchild Channel F
143:problems involving
940:on 26 January 2023
889:Creative Computing
738:, p. 120-121.
526:Video games portal
471:Creative Computing
415:
295:The cover art for
204:
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1747:
1587:
1586:
1170:978-0-7864-3226-4
1136:978-0-262-01257-7
1083:(December 2006).
987:978-1-5241-0103-9
930:"Atari Anthology"
920:978-1-955183-21-5
452:
451:
381:in 2004, and the
262:Atari 400 and 800
120:
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1768:Atari 2600 games
1763:1977 video games
1705:Related articles
1519:Steve Cartwright
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1677:Atari Flashback
1671:Atari Anthology
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1564:Warren Robinett
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1468:Parker Brothers
1458:Games by Apollo
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1104:. Retrieved
1092:
1089:Game Studies
1088:
1069:. Retrieved
1065:the original
1058:
1055:"Basic Math"
1042:. Retrieved
1029:Ars Technica
1027:
1011:. Retrieved
1007:the original
1000:
974:Art of Atari
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60:Publisher(s)
48:Developer(s)
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1696:Atari 2600+
1690:Atari Vault
1559:Alan Miller
1549:David Lubar
1524:David Crane
1512:Programmers
1488:Tigervision
1423:Atari, Inc.
1328:Bestselling
1200:Archive.org
1149:Video Games
1117:Bogost, Ian
802:Kaplan 1979
760:Harris 2004
421:Publication
317:(1978) and
264:computer's
220:subtraction
198:problem in
194:Solving an
149:subtraction
137:Atari, Inc.
105:Educational
80:Platform(s)
74:Gary Palmer
70:Designer(s)
64:Atari, Inc.
53:Atari, Inc.
1757:Categories
1649:Atari 7800
1644:Atari 2700
1569:Carol Shaw
1493:U.S. Games
1428:Activision
1416:Publishers
1399:River Raid
1269:Basic Math
1236:Atari 2600
1145:Uston, Ken
1071:30 January
1034:Condé Nast
1013:30 January
944:26 January
862:Atari 5200
838:Uston 1983
748:Bunch 2023
724:Bunch 2023
668:Bunch 2023
656:Bunch 2023
627:Bunch 2023
594:Atari 1977
565:Weiss 2007
545:References
497:Basic Math
456:Basic Math
361:Basic Math
353:Basic Math
343:. For the
341:mail order
327:Basic Math
309:Basic Math
305:Basic Math
297:Basic Math
247:Basic Math
212:arithmetic
208:Basic Math
200:Basic Math
141:arithmetic
124:Basic Math
85:Atari 2600
39:Basic Math
27:Basic Math
1718:Atari Age
1634:CompuMate
1534:Rob Fulop
1463:M Network
1392:Adventure
1350:Asteroids
1297:Star Ship
1276:Blackjack
1127:MIT Press
1101:1604-7982
965:0147-8907
898:0097-8140
489:Ken Uston
466:Atari VCS
412:Reception
407:Reception
331:Atari VCS
320:Adventure
286:Math Quiz
254:Atari VCS
1742:Category
1639:GameLine
1592:Hardware
1529:Tod Frye
1453:Data Age
1448:CommaVid
1385:Atlantis
1343:Pitfall!
1311:Surround
1290:Indy 500
1180:TV Gamer
1119:(2009).
1106:28 April
1038:Archived
864:in 1982.
814:Ahl 1978
512:See also
479:TV Gamer
401:Xbox One
323:(1980).
278:Math Fun
228:division
216:addition
196:addition
186:Gameplay
157:division
145:addition
131:for the
100:Genre(s)
1483:Telesys
1406:Kaboom!
1336:Pac-Man
1060:AllGame
1044:16 June
872:Sources
493:AllGame
431:AllGame
284:'s two
111:Mode(s)
91:Release
1665:Stella
1443:Coleco
1438:Imagic
1283:Combat
1253:Launch
1167:
1133:
1099:
984:
963:
917:
896:
787:Miller
399:, and
336:Combat
127:is an
1503:Zimag
1498:Xonox
1244:Games
1095:(1).
956:Video
848:Notes
461:Video
443:Video
436:1.5/5
424:Score
397:Steam
345:Sears
258:Atari
250:'
226:, or
155:, or
1473:Sega
1378:E.T.
1165:ISBN
1131:ISBN
1108:2023
1097:ISSN
1073:2024
1046:2023
1015:2024
982:ISBN
961:ISSN
946:2023
915:ISBN
894:ISSN
448:5/10
379:Xbox
377:and
373:for
349:Math
280:and
180:Math
178:and
170:and
934:IGN
276:'s
266:I/O
206:In
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