Atomic Runner Chelnov
Atomic Runner Chelnov — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Atomic Runner Chelnov on?
- Atomic Runner Chelnov was released on Arcade, Sharp X68000, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis.
- When did Atomic Runner Chelnov release?
- Atomic Runner Chelnov was first released on January 1, 1988.
About Atomic Runner Chelnov
The player takes the role of Chelnov, a coal miner who miraculously survives the malfunction and explosion of a nuclear power plant. Chelnov's body gains superhuman abilities due to the massive amount of radiation given off by the explosion, and a secret organization seeks to harness those abilities for its own evil purposes. Chelnov must battle and defeat the secret organization using his newfound abilities.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Developer
- Data East
- Publisher
- Data East
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Action, Science fiction
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Genesis | 1992 | $38 | $73 | $258 | 7 reviews | Medium |
Also released on: Arcade · Sharp X68000 · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release | $19 | $59 | — |
| Japanese release (Chelnov) | $114 | $220 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about 2 times a month
- Complete: about 2 times a month
- Sealed: about once a year
Prices marked “few sales” rest on about one recorded sale a year, so treat them as a rough guide: the next copy could sell well above or below. Expect to wait for one to come up.
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $2.12 in Apr 2009, $27 five years ago, and $38 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $2.42 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $2.89 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $4.95 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $5.28 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $9.77 | $24 |
| Jan 2015 | $12.50 | $40 |
| Jan 2016 | $11.87 | $19.99 |
| Jan 2017 | $21 | $52 |
| Jan 2018 | $29 | $51 |
| Jan 2019 | $25 | $58 |
| Jan 2020 | $28 | $62 |
| Jan 2021 | $36 | $71 |
| Jan 2022 | $24 | $91 |
| Jan 2023 | $49 | $120 |
| Jan 2024 | $32 | $91 |
| Jan 2025 | $42 | $88 |
| Jan 2026 | $43 | $87 |
| Oct 2026 | $38 | $73 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Barcode | Known board |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | July 1992 | T-13036 | 013252014046 | — |
| Europe / PAL | 1992 | MK-1144-50 | — | 171-5978BA |
| Japan | 16 October 1992 | T-13073 | 4961082500030 | — |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1992
- Authenticity
- Med
A good-looking Data East run-and-gun that is among the pricier US carts, and far dearer still from Japan.
Atomic Runner is the Genesis version of Data East's arcade game Chelnov, which Japan received as Chelnov on 16 October 1992. North America got it in July 1992. The port is not a straight copy: it was ported with a different theme and many parts were remade, and the story was changed considerably to remove the connotations of the Chernobyl disaster.
Mean Machines Sega praised its graphics, calling the sprites gorgeous, the backgrounds breathtaking and some of the bosses truly amazing, and said it breathes new life into the run-and-shoot genre.
What the press said at the time
| Mean Machines Sega Issue 1 | October 1992 | 91 |
| MegaTech Issue 17 | May 1993 | 80% |
| MegaTech Issue 18 | June 1993 | MT RATING: 80% |
| MegaTech Issue 19 | July 1993 | 80% |
| MegaTech Issue 23 | November 1993 | 80% |
| MegaTech Issue 26 | February 1994 | 80% |
| Sega Pro Issue 36 | September 1994 | 59% |
“This cart is a cross between Strider and Sonic the Hedgehog. If that mutant pairing makes your Geigers count, you'll love Atomic Runner.”
“even that doesn't affect the game-play at all and the end result is o superb blaster”
“AGreat background graphics and a decent, if unusual blend of shoot 'em up and platform action. Atomic Runner sprite is a bit weedy.”
“Great background graphics and a decent, if unusual blend of shoot 'em up and platform action. … Atomic Runner sprite is a bit weedy.”
How the Sega Genesis version differs
The Genesis port remade many parts of the game and changed the plot completely: Chelnov is a regular human in a combat suit rescuing his sister, not a coal miner caught in a nuclear meltdown.
Enemies and backgrounds were changed to ones reminiscent of an ancient civilization, and the North American and European releases were titled simply Atomic Runner.
Mean Machines previewed it as having some of the best graphics yet seen on the Megadrive.
Also on other platforms
Arcade · X68000
| Arcade | Data East |
| X68000 | Dempa (publisher) |
- X68000. The 1993 X68000 version is almost identical to the original arcade game.
Before you buy
Among US carts this one sits well above the middle. The European cart usually costs noticeably less than the US one, while the Japanese cart (Chelnov) usually costs far more and has a different cartridge shape. This is a cart worth checking carefully, so compare a photo of the board with the board listed on this page, and remember that a flat Western-style shell with a notch is a repro sign.
Atomic Runner Chelnov screenshots
Watch on YouTube
Listings on The Game Traders
No active listings for Atomic Runner Chelnov yet.
Be the first to list →Buyers looking for this
No active want ads for Atomic Runner Chelnov yet.
Post a want ad →More games like Atomic Runner Chelnov
Latest news mentioning Atomic Runner Chelnov
No recent news mentions in our 30-day feed window.