Most people don't associate Ikari Warriors with Atari. Usually it's the arcade version or the NES port that comes to mind. However, ports were also produced for both the Atari 2600 and Atari 7800. I haven't had a chance to try the 2600 version yet, but I really like the 7800 release. I've even seen more than a few people say they prefer it over the NES port. Whether that's honest opinion or just a little system loyalty, I couldn't tell you... but I can say it's a pretty fun game.
I was lying in bed playing it on my Atari GameStation Go while listening to a livestream of old Japanese ghost shows when a question suddenly popped into my head.
Who actually made this game?
Was SNK involved at all?
After all, Atari had a pretty good relationship with Namco around this time, which is why so many Namco games ended up being published under Atari's Tengen label. That got me wondering how Ikari Warriors ended up on the 7800.
So I started digging.
Let me tell you... information on some of these oddball Atari 7800 releases isn't exactly easy to come by.
The game was developed by a company called Imagineering and published by Atari sometime around 1989 or 1990. The exact release date seems a little fuzzy, which isn't too surprising considering how publishing dates were handled back then. That time frame certainly sounds right, though, because I distinctly remember seeing advertisements for the 7800 version in gaming magazines around that time.
More specifically, I remember Atari really pushing the artwork they used in those ads. I honestly feel like I've seen that particular piece of Ikari Warriors artwork more than any other artwork associated with the original game.
Admittedly, I've always preferred Ikari Warriors II, so that's the game that's gotten most of my attention over the years.
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