Is Dishaster on Steam?

No. Dishaster 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 Dishaster on?

Dishaster is available on Atari 2600.

When did Dishaster release?

Dishaster was first released on December 31, 1982.

Dishaster

Dec 31, 1982ArcadeAtari 2600

Dishaster — frequently asked questions

Is Dishaster on Steam?: No. Dishaster 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 Dishaster on?: Dishaster is available on Atari 2600.
When did Dishaster release?: Dishaster was first released on December 31, 1982.

About Dishaster

Dishaster is an action game released for the Atari 2600 in 1983 by Zimag. Another version of the game was released by Bit Corporation under the name Dancing Plates which features oriental-themed graphics and adds eight game variations. Dishaster was inspired by the circus tradition of keeping spinning plates suspended on poles. The player controls a girl attempting to keep a group of several spinning plates balanced on poles from falling. The game received negative reviews; criticism focused on the game's repetition and monotony. The girl can stabilize wobbling dishes by pressing the button on the controller. If a plate falls, the player is able to capture it if the girl touches it before it hits the ground, and a new one appears at the top of the pole. The number of poles to spin varies between the selected skill level; there are six on the easiest setting, and ten on the hardest. The player loses if they let four dishes hit the ground

Summary via IGDB.

Dishaster on Wikipedia

Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).

Game details

Platforms: Atari 2600
Developer: ZiMAG
Publisher: Polyvox
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Action

Details via IGDB.

Collector value & authenticity

Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06

Loose

$20

Complete

$75

Sealed

—

Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	Rarity
North America Zimag	Standard	711-111	Rare
Europe Bit Corp	English	—	—
Europe Bit Corp	Re-release	—	Scarce
Europe Bit Corp	German	—	—
Europe Home Vision	—	—	—
Europe Quelle	Short	—	—

Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database

Region: NA
Released: 1983
Controller: Atari Joystick
Players: 1
Authenticity: Low

Not in Atari 50 — other compilations and plug-and-plays are not tracked hereLow counterfeit risk

Atari 2600 prices, all games & how to spot a fake

A spinning-plates game sold under several names, and repetitive under all of them.

Zimag released Dishaster for the 2600 in 1983. Inspired by the circus act of keeping plates spinning on poles, it has you control a girl trying to stop a row of spinning plates from falling. Reviews were negative, mostly about its repetition and monotony.

It is one of the 2600's multi-label games, where the same cartridge was sold by different publishers under different names. Bit Corporation's version, Dancing Plate, has oriental-themed graphics and adds eight game variations, and the game also appeared as Plate Mania and as Tanzende Teller, Teller-Jonglieren!

What the press said at the time

Computer Entertainer Vol. 1 No. 12

March 1983

Graphics ★★½ · Play-Action ★★

“What seemed like an interesting concept when we read the instruction booklet rapidly became boring and repetitive when we actually played the game a few times. Not recommended.”
— Computer Entertainer, March 1983

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 4 KB, measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

Before you buy

Low risk. No reproductions are documented. Because the game exists under several names and publishers, check that the label matches the listing and ask which version it is. The Bit Corporation Dancing Plate version has extra game variations, so it is not identical to Zimag's Dishaster.