Atari 8-bit Magazines

This is a list of major maganizes published in North America and the U.K. that covered the Atari 8-bit computers.

In most cases, the direct links point to the scanned images at The Computer Magazine Archives at the Internet Archive. Computer Gaming World is archived at the Computer Gaming World Museum.

Note

I’m trying to collect physical copies of the magazines. If you’d like to help out by donating some magazines that I don’t have, please email me at feedback@playermissile.com! I have copies of the issues highlighted in green.

My “big 4” magazines, the magazines covered in the most detail, are ANALOG, Antic, Compute!, and Creative Computing. Those are the magazines I read regularly in the 80s and the publications that I have the most nostalgia for. The other magazines will be covered more superficially except for articles I find especially interesting.

1979
ANALOG
Antic
Compute!
Creative Computing
APX Catalog
Atari Connection
BYTE
Computers & Video Games
Computer Gaming World
Hi-Res
Micro 6502
ROM
Softline
Soft Side
Atari Input/Output
Atari User
Page 6
Personal Computer World

Apr

5.4

04.04

11

May

5.5

04.05

12

2.1

Jun

5.6

04.06

13

2.2

Jul

5.7

04.07

14

2.3

Aug

5.8

04.08

15

2.4

Sep

5.9

04.09

16

2.5

Oct

001

5.10

04.10

17

2.6

Nov

5.11

04.11

18

2.7

Dec

5.12

04.12

19

2.8

1980
ANALOG
Antic
Compute!
Creative Computing
APX Catalog
Atari Connection
BYTE
Computers & Video Games
Computer Gaming World
Hi-Res
Micro 6502
ROM
Softline
Soft Side
Atari Input/Output
Atari User
Page 6
Personal Computer World

Jan

002

6.1

05.01

20

3.1

Feb

6.2

05.02

21

3.2

Mar

003

6.3

05.03

22

3.3

Apr

6.4

05.04

23

3.4

May

004

6.5

05.05

24

3.5

Jun

6.6

05.06

25

3.6

Jul

005

6.7

05.07

26

3.7

Aug

6.8

05.08

27

8

3.8

Sep

006

6.9

05.09

9

3.9

Oct

6.10

05.10

29

10

3.10

Nov

007

6.11

05.11

30

11

3.11

Dec

6.12

05.12

31

12

3.12

1981
ANALOG
Antic
Compute!
Creative Computing
APX Catalog
Atari Connection
BYTE
Computers & Video Games
Computer Gaming World
Hi-Res
Micro 6502
ROM
Softline
Soft Side
Atari Input/Output
Atari User
Page 6
Personal Computer World

Jan

01

008

7.1

06.01

32

13

4.1

Feb

009

7.2

06.02

33

14

4.2

Mar

02

010

7.3

1.1

06.03

34

15

4.3

Apr

011

7.4

06.04

35

16

4.4

May

03

012

7.5

06.05

36

17

4.5

Jun

013

7.6

1

1.2

06.06

37

18

4.6

Jul

014

7.7

06.07

38

19

4.7

Aug

015

7.8

06.08

39

20

4.8

Sep

04

016

7.9

2

1.3

06.09

40

1.1

21

4.9

Oct

017

7.10

06.10

41

22

4.10

Nov

018

7.11

06.11

001

1.1

42

1.2

23

4.11

Dec

019

7.12

3

1.4

06.12

002

43

24

4.12

1982
ANALOG
Antic
Compute!
Creative Computing
APX Catalog
Atari Connection
BYTE
Computers & Video Games
Computer Gaming World
Hi-Res
Micro 6502
ROM
Softline
Soft Side
Atari Input/Output
Atari User
Page 6
Personal Computer World

Jan

05

020

8.1

07.01

003

2.1

44

1.3

25

5.1

Feb

021

8.2

07.02

004

45

26

5.2

Mar

022

8.3

4

2.1

07.03

005

2.2

46

1.4

27

5.3

Apr

1.1

023

8.4

07.04

006

47

28

5.4

May

06

024

8.5

07.05

007

2.3

48

1.5

29

5.5

Jun

1.2

025

8.6

5

2.2

07.06

008

49

30

5.6

Jul

026

8.7

07.07

009

2.4

50

1.6

31

5.7

Aug

1.3

027

8.8

07.08

010

51

32

5.8

Sep

07

028

8.9

6

2.3

07.09

011

2.5

52

2.1

33

5.9

Oct

1.4

029

8.10

07.10

012

53

34

5.10

Nov

08

030

8.11

07.11

013

2.6

54

2.2

35

5.11

Dec

1.5

031

8.12

7

2.4

07.12

014

55

36

01

01

5.12

1983
ANALOG
Antic
Compute!
Creative Computing
APX Catalog
Atari Connection
BYTE
Computers & Video Games
Computer Gaming World
Hi-Res
Micro 6502
ROM
Softline
Soft Side
Atari Input/Output
Atari User
Page 6
Personal Computer World

Jan

09

032

9.1

08.01

015

3.1

56

2.3

37

6.1

Feb

1.6

033

9.2

08.02

016

57

38

02

6.2

Mar

10

034

9.3

8

3.1

08.03

017

3.2

58

2.4

39

02

6.3

Apr

2.1

035

9.4

08.04

018

59

40

6.4

May

11

2.2

036

9.5

08.05

019

3.3

60

2.5

03

6.5

Jun

2.3

037

9.6

9

3.2

08.06

020

61

41

03

6.6

Jul

12

2.4

038

9.7

08.07

021

3.4

62

2.6

42

04

Aug

2.5

039

9.8

08.08

022

63

1

43

6.8

Sep

13

2.6

040

9.9

10

3.3

08.09

023

64

3.1

44

04

05

6.9

Oct

2.7

041

9.10

08.10

024

3.5

65

2

6.10

Nov

14

2.8

042

9.11

08.11

025

1

66

3.2

45

06

6.11

Dec

2.9

043

9.12

11

3.4

08.12

026

3.6

67

3

6.12

1984
ANALOG
Antic
Compute!
Creative Computing
Atari Connection
BYTE
Computers & Video Games
Computer Gaming World
Hi-Res
Micro 6502
ROM
Softline
Soft Side
Atari Input/Output
Atari User
Page 6
Personal Computer World

Jan

15

2.10

044

10.1

09.01

027

2

68

3.3

46

07

7.1

Feb

16

2.11

045

10.2

09.02

028

4.1

69

4

47

7.2

Mar

17

2.12

046

10.3

4.1

09.03

029

3

70

3.4

05

08

7.3

Apr

3.1

047

10.4

09.04

030

4.2

71

5

7.4

May

18

048

10.5

09.05

031

4

09

7.5

Jun

19

3.2

049

10.6

4.2

09.06

032

4.3

72

6

7.6

Jul

20

3.3

050

10.7

09.07

033

73

10

7.7

Aug

21

3.4

051

10.8

09.08

034

4.4

74

7

7.8

Sep

22

3.5

052

10.9

09.09

035

75

11

7.9

Oct

23

3.6

053

10.10

09.11

036

4.5

76

8

7.10

Nov

24

3.7

054

10.11

09.12

037

12

7.11

Dec

25

3.8

055

10.12

09.13

038

4.6

9

7.12

1985
ANALOG
Antic
Compute!
Creative Computing
BYTE
Computers & Video Games
Computer Gaming World
ROM
Atari User
Page 6
Personal Computer World

Jan

26

3.9

056

11.1

10.01

039

5.1

13

8.1

Feb

27

3.10

057

11.2

10.02

040

10

8.2

Mar

28

3.11

058

11.3

10.03

041

14

8.3

Apr

29

3.12

059

11.4

10.04

042

5.2

8.4

May

30

4.1

060

11.5

10.05

043

01

15

8.5

Jun

31

4.2

061

11.6

10.06

044

5.3

02

8.6

Jul

32

4.3

062

11.7

10.07

045

03

16

8.7

Aug

33

4.4

063

11.8

10.08

046

04

8.8

Sep

34

4.5

064

11.9

10.09

047

5.4

05

17

8.9

Oct

35

4.6

065

11.10

10.10

048

06

8.10

Nov

36

4.7

066

11.11

10.11

049

5.5

07

18

8.11

Dec

37

4.8

067

11.12

10.13

050

08

8.12

1986
ANALOG
Antic
Compute!
BYTE
Computers & Video Games
Computer Gaming World
Atari User
Page 6

Jan

38

4.9

068

11.01

051

25

09

19

Feb

39

4.10

069

11.02

052

10

Mar

40

4.11

070

11.03

053

26

11

20

Apr

41

4.12

071

11.04

054

27

12

May

42

5.1

072

11.05

055

28

13

21

Jun

43

5.2

073

11.06

056

29

14

Jul

44

5.3

074

11.07

057

15

22

Aug

45

5.4

075

11.08

058

30

16

Sep

46

5.5

076

11.09

059

31

17

23

Oct

47

5.6

077

11.10

060

18

Nov

48

5.7

078

11.12

061

32

19

24

Dec

49

5.8

079

11.13

062

33

20

1987
ANALOG
Antic
Compute!
BYTE
Computers & Video Games
Computer Gaming World
Atari User
Page 6

Jan

50

5.9

080

12.01

063

34

21

25

Feb

51

5.10

081

12.02

064

22

Mar

52

5.11

082

12.03

065

35

23

26

Apr

53

5.12

083

12.04

066

36

24

May

54

6.1

084

12.05

067

37

25

27

Jun

55

6.2

085

12.06

068

38

26

Jul

56

6.3

086

12.08

069

27

28

Aug

6.4

087

12.09

070

39

28

Sep

57

6.5

088

12.10

071

29

29

Oct

58

6.6

089

072

40

30

Nov

6.7

090

12.13

073

41

31

30

Dec

6.8

091

12.14

074

42

32

1988
ANALOG
Antic
Compute!
BYTE
Computers & Video Games
Atari User
Page 6

Jan

6.9

092

075

33

31

Feb

6.10

093

076

34

Mar

6.11

094

13.03

077

35

32

Apr

59

6.12

095

13.04

078

36

May

60

7.1

13.05

079

37

33

Jun

61

7.2

080

38

Jul

62

7.3

13.07

081

39

34

Aug

63

7.4

082

40

Sep

64

7.5

083

41

Oct

65

7.6

084

42

Nov

66

7.7

085

43

Dec

67

7.8

086

35

1989
ANALOG
Antic
BYTE
Computers & Video Games
New Atari User

Jan

68

7.9

14.01

087

Feb

69

7.10

088

36

Mar

70

7.11

14.03

089

Apr

71

7.12

14.04

090

37

May

72

8.1

14.05

091

Jun

73

8.2

092

038

Jul

74

8.3

093

Aug

75

8.4

14.08

093b

039

Sep

76

8.5

094

Oct

77

8.6

14.10

095

040

Nov

78

096

Dec

79

8.7

14.12

097

041

1990
Antic
BYTE
Computers & Video Games
New Atari User

Jan

098

042

Feb

8.8

099

Mar

100

043

Apr

9.1

101

May

102

044

Jun

9.2

103

Jul

104

045

Aug

105

Sep

15.09

106

046

Oct

107

Nov

108

Dec

15.13

109

047

1991
BYTE
Computers & Video Games
New Atari User

Jan

16.01

110

Feb

16.02

111

048

Mar

16.03

112

Apr

113

049

May

114

Jun

115

050

Jul

116

Aug

117

051

Sep

118

Oct

119

052

Nov

120

Dec

121

053

1992
BYTE
Computers & Video Games
New Atari User

Jan

17.01

122

Feb

17.02

123

054

Mar

17.03

124

Apr

17.04

125

055

May

17.05

126

Jun

056

Jul

17.07

Aug

17.08

057

Sep

17.09

Oct

058

Nov

132

Dec

059

1993
BYTE
Computers & Video Games
New Atari User

Jan

Feb

060

Mar

Apr

061

May

Jun

062

Jul

Aug

141

063

Sep

Oct

064

Nov

18.12

Dec

065

1994
New Atari User

Jan

Feb

066

Mar

Apr

067

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

068

Nov

Dec

069

1995
BYTE
Computers & Video Games
New Atari User

Jan

Feb

070

Mar

Apr

071

May

Jun

072

Jul

Aug

073

Sep

20.09

Oct

074

Nov

168

Dec

169

1996
Computers & Video Games
New Atari User

Jan

170

075

Feb

171

Mar

172

076

Apr

173

May

174

Jun

175

Jul

176

077

Aug

177

Sep

178

078

Oct

179

Nov

180

Dec

181

079

1997
Computers & Video Games
New Atari User

Jan

182

080

Feb

183

Mar

184

Apr

185

May

186

Jun

187

081

Jul

188

Aug

189

Sep

190

Oct

191

Nov

192

Dec

193

1998
Computers & Video Games
New Atari User

Jan

082

Feb

Mar

083

Apr

May

084

Jun

Note

Compute! Magazine dropped support for the Atari 8-bits after the April 1988 issue, but continued publication until 1994.

Note

Computer Gaming World stopped the regular ‘Atari Playfield’ column in issue 34 but continued some Atari 8-bits coverage at least through 1987. It continued publication through 2006!

Note

Creative Computing began publishing in 1974 but the first mention of Atari 8-bit computers occurred in the April 1979 issue’s coverage of the Winter 1979 Consumer Electronics Show.

Note

SoftSide began publishing in 1979 but did not start covering the Atari 8-bit computers until August 1980.

Note

Atari User stopped publication in 1988 and its subscriber list merged into Page 6, which was subsequently renamed New Atari User