Secret Quest
Secret Quest is a 1989 action-adventure game developed by Axlon and published by Atari Corporation for the Atari 2600. The player controls a humanoid character that fights monsters and gathers items on a series of space stations. It was one of the last cartridges released for the console and has a larger ROM capacity than most 2600 games plus a small amount of RAM. The box credits Nolan Bushnell for the game and includes his photo on both the front and back.
Secret Quest
- Date
- 1989
- Genre
- action-adventure game
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Documentary summary
Secret Quest is a 1989 action-adventure game developed by Axlon and published by Atari Corporation for the Atari 2600. The player controls a humanoid character that fights monsters and gathers items on a series of space stations. It was one of the last cartridges released for the console and has a larger ROM capacity than most 2600 games plus a small amount of RAM. The box credits Nolan Bushnell for the game and includes his photo on both the front and back.
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In this article
The object
The object
According to Secret Quest programmer Steve DeFrisco, "Atari thought that his name would entice people to buy some more 2600 titles".
Key facts
Key facts
• Title — Secret Quest • Developer — Axlon • Publisher — Atari Corporation • Programmer — Steve DeFrisco • Platforms — Atari 2600 • Released — May 1989 • Genre — Action-adventure • Modes — Single-player • Illustration — Secret Quest on the Atari 2600
Plot
Plot
The player controls a hero trying to stop several alien space station attacks. He is dressed in a space suit fighting aliens released from the space stations. He is trying to defuse a bomb set by the aliens, and detonate bombs in the space stations using codes.
Development
Development
The game was inspired by Nintendo's The Legend Of Zelda (1986) for the Nintendo Entertainment System, with the final space-themed concept developed and programmed by Steve DeFrisco. Chris DeFrisco was hired to complete the artwork. A save-game mechanic was incorporated due to the design concept of having many locations in an adventure-style format. The development team faced data-size issues when trying to fit the game onto the cartridge ROM. According to Vintage Games, the game was created as a final attempt to prove the 1977 console could compete with more modern hardware. The cartridge is expanded with 256 bytes of RAM and 16 kilobytes of ROM.
Reception
Reception
NexGam believed the graphics were simple yet respectable. The A.V. Club thought the title was surprising and abstract in the wake of the Atari 2600's final days. Classic Home Video Games called the game ambitious, almost to a fault. Classic Videogame Hardware Genius Guide described it as a "final swan-song" and a way of squeezing the last money out of the console.
Legacy
Legacy
Secret Quest was included in the Atari FlashBack 2 and subsequent consoles in the series with the exception of the FlashBack 4. In 2022, it was included as part of the Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration compilation for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Steam, and Xbox One.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Hague, James. The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers.
- 2.Atari VCS game release dates. Atari Archive.
- 3.Hague, James. Halcyon Days: Interviews with Classic Computer and Video Game Programmers. Dadgum Games. March 1997.
- 4.Good Deal Games interview with Steve DeFrisco
- 5.Weiss, Brett. Classic Home Video Games, 1972–1984: A Complete Reference Guide. McFarland. 103. April 4, 2011. 9780786487554.
- 6.Atari Compendium. www.ataricompendium.com.
- 7.Loguidice, Bill. Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time. CRC Press. August 21, 2012. 9781136137587.
- 8.www.neXGam.de. Secret Quest. www.nexgam.de.
- 9.Wanserski, Nick. The last licks: 14 surprising games from a console's dying days. The A.V. Club Games.
- 10.Weiss, Brett. Classic Home Video Games, 1972–1984: A Complete Reference Guide. McFarland. April 4, 2011. 9780786487554.
- 11.Imagine Publishing. Classic Videogame Hardware Genius Guide. 9781908222220.
- 12.Machkovech, Sam. 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. Ars Technica. Condé Nast. September 12, 2022.
References
Citations
References
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 20 August 2026.
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