California Games
California Games — frequently asked questions
- Is California Games on Steam?
- No. California Games is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
- What platforms is California Games on?
- California Games is available on Commodore C64/128/MAX, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Amiga, Sega Master System/Mark III, Atari 2600, DOS, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Atari Lynx, Legacy Mobile Device, Atari ST/STE, Amstrad CPC, Apple IIGS, Android, PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Entertainment System, Apple II, Commodore 64, Atari ST, MS-DOS, NES, Master System, Genesis / Mega Drive, Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega Genesis.
- When did California Games release?
- California Games was first released on July 1, 1987.
About California Games
Introducing the gnarliest bunch of games under the sun! Games invented on the beaches by sun-baked beach bums with a fondness for ripping, grinding, and shredding. With six radically thrilling events intended to bring you to the edge and blow your mind. And make adrenaline California's most plentiful natural resource.
Summary via IGDB.
California Games on Wikipedia
California Games is a 1987 sports video game developed and published by Epyx for the Apple II and Commodore 64. Branching from their Summer Games and Winter Games series, it is a collection of outdoor sports purportedly popular in California. The game was successful and was soon ported to other home computers and video game consoles, and was the pack-in game for the Atari Lynx when that system launched in September 1989. It was followed by the sequel California Games II in 1990.
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Game details
- Platforms
- Commodore C64/128/MAX, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Amiga, Sega Master System/Mark III, Atari 2600, DOS, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Atari Lynx, Legacy Mobile Device, Atari ST/STE, Amstrad CPC, Apple IIGS, Android, PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Entertainment System, Apple II, Commodore 64, Atari ST, MS-DOS, NES, Master System, Genesis / Mega Drive, Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega Genesis
- Developer
- Epyx
- Publisher
- U.S. Gold
- ESRB rating
- E
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Action
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Built by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atari LynxDetails ↓ | 1989 | $15 | $50 | $281 | — | — |
| Atari 2600Details ↓ | 1988 | $7 | $24 | $25 | 2 reviews | Epyx (designed by Steve Baker / Peter Engelbrite) |
Also released on: Commodore C64/128/MAX · Wii · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · Amiga · Sega Master System/Mark III · DOS · ZX Spectrum · MSX · Legacy Mobile Device · Atari ST/STE · Amstrad CPC · Apple IIGS · Android · PC (Microsoft Windows) · Nintendo Entertainment System · Apple II · Commodore 64 · Atari ST · MS-DOS · NES · Master System · Genesis / Mega Drive · Sega Genesis/Mega Drive · Sega Genesis. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Prices are per version and are not interchangeable, and neither are the reviews: conversions in this era were often built by a different studio than the original, so a score earned on one machine says nothing about how another plays.
Collector value & authenticity
Atari Lynx · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-08-07
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1989
- Authenticity
- Low
The Atari Lynx version
The pack-in that shipped with most Lynx bundles — so loose carts are everywhere and boxed ones are not.
Epyx's own game on Epyx's own hardware, and the software that sold the machine at launch in 1989. Half-pipe, BMX, surfing, foot bag and roller skating, in colour, on a handheld, two months after the Game Boy launched in four shades of green: this was the demo.
Because it came free in the box with most systems, loose copies are among the most common objects on the platform and boxed copies are comparatively scarce — the same pack-in scarcity curve that makes Mario's Tennis behave strangely on the Virtual Boy. Sealed copies here trade at roughly nineteen times loose, the widest multiple in the licensed library.
What the press said at the time
“California Games, which comes packed as part of the Lynx package, is the best version of the Epyx classic.”
“So what if it comes bundled with the Lynx, it's a damn good game.”
Cartridge & preservation record
Cartridge ROM capacity 1 megabit (128 KB), measured from the preserved cartridge image.
Catalogue part number PA2025
Cartridge data from the No-Intro preservation database (metadata only — names, sizes and checksums, no game data).
How the Atari Lynx version differs
The Lynx's original pack-in cartridge, and EGM #4 rated it the best version of the game on any platform: 'California Games, which comes packed as part of the Lynx package, is the best version of the Epyx classic.'
Also on other platforms
Commodore 64 · Amiga · Atari ST · MS-DOS · NES · Master System · Genesis / Mega Drive · Apple IIGS
- Genesis / Mega Drive. A Genesis conversion followed in February 1992, previewed by EGM #31 as five events on a 4-megabit cartridge — a separate, later product from the 1989 Lynx pack-in, and the two are easy to confuse in listings.
Before you buy
Never buy this loose expecting value — it is the cheapest way into the platform and it should be. Every dollar above that is packaging, so if you are paying it, inspect the packaging: print quality, inserts, and wear consistent with the cartridge inside. This is the single most likely Lynx title to be sold as an assembled "complete" copy.
Collector value & authenticity
Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06
Release record
| Territory | Label | Catalog # | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America Epyx | Standard | 19319R | Scarce+ |
Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database
- Region
- NA
- Released
- 1988
- Controller
- Atari Joystick
- Players
- 1 - 8
- Authenticity
- Low
The Atari 2600 version
Epyx's late 2600 port of its California sports hit, cheap and reasonably well reviewed.
California Games began in 1987 as an Epyx sports collection for the Apple II and Commodore 64, built around outdoor sports such as half-pipe skating, footbag, surfing, roller skating, BMX and flying disc. It was ported widely, and the events vary by platform.
Epyx published the Atari 2600 version in June 1988, with Steve Baker and Peter Engelbrite credited as designers. Computer and Video Games scored the 2600 version 82%.
How it was made
Published by Epyx for the 2600 in June 1988, with Steve Baker and Peter Engelbrite credited as designers.
What the press said at the time
| Computer and Video Games | 82% | |
| Computer Entertainer Vol. 7 No. 4 | July 1988 | Graphics ★★★½ · Play-Action ★★★½ |
“Graphically, the Epyx designers have achieved their usual very high level. … CALIFORNIA GAMES is a must for the 2600 gamer's library.”
Computer Entertainer rated graphics first and play action second, from four symbols (excellent) to one (poor) — stars in most years, diamonds in 1986–87 — comparing each game only with other games for the same system.
Cartridge & preservation record
Program size 16 KB, measured from the preserved dump.
Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.
Also on other platforms
Commodore 64 · Apple II · Amstrad CPC · Amiga · MS-DOS · MSX · ZX Spectrum · Apple IIGS · Atari ST · Master System · NES · Atari Lynx · Sega Genesis/Mega Drive · Sega Genesis
| Atari 2600 | Epyx (designed by Steve Baker / Peter Engelbrite) |
| Commodore 64 | Epyx |
| Apple II | Epyx |
- Atari Lynx. The Lynx version was the console's pack-in game at its September 1989 launch and was later named one of GameSpot's greatest games of all time.
- Atari XEGS. Atari Corporation contracted Epyx for an XEGS version in 1988, but no code was delivered by the deadline.
How the other versions reviewed
| Master System | ACE | 930/1000 |
| ZX Spectrum | CRASH | 36% |
| Commodore 64 | Computer and Video Games | 37/40 |
| Master System | Computer and Video Games | 95% / 94% |
| Commodore 64 | Dragon | 4.5/5 |
| Sega Genesis | Electronic Gaming Monthly | 5/10, 4/10, 4/10, 5/10 |
| ZX Spectrum | SUser | 8/10 |
| Commodore 64 | TGM | 92% |
| ZX Spectrum | YSinclair | 7/10 |
| Master System | Console XS | 83% |
| Sega Genesis | Mega | 60% |
| Sega Genesis | MegaTech | 80% |
These are the other versions’ scores, not this one’s. Ports of this era were frequently built by different studios, so they do not transfer.
Before you buy
Low risk, with no documented reproductions. Loose carts are inexpensive, and sealed copies cost little more than boxed ones. Check the box and manual condition if you are buying complete.
California Games screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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