Jawbreaker
Jawbreaker — frequently asked questions
- Is Jawbreaker on Steam?
- No. Jawbreaker 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 Jawbreaker on?
- Jawbreaker is available on Atari 8-bit, Apple II, Atari 2600, Commodore 64.
- When did Jawbreaker release?
- Jawbreaker was first released on December 31, 1981.
About Jawbreaker
Jawbreaker is a video game programmed by John Harris and released in 1981 for the Atari 400/800 by On-line Systems. Originally intended to be a fairly straight Pac-Man clone, Jawbreaker emerged as a relatively inventive version with unique gameplay. It was widely lauded by reviewers, and became a major seller for Sierra Online. The story of its creation forms a portion of Steven Levy's book, Hackers.
Summary via IGDB.
Jawbreaker on Wikipedia
Jawbreaker is a Pac-Man clone programmed by John Harris for Atari 8-bit computers and published by On-Line Systems. Released in 1981 before an official version of Pac-Man was available, it was widely lauded by reviewers and became a major seller. The story of its creation and Harris's Atari 8-bit implementation of Frogger form a portion of Steven Levy's 1984 book, Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution.
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Game details
- Platforms
- Atari 8-bit, Apple II, Atari 2600, Commodore 64
- Developer
- On-Line Systems
- Publisher
- On-Line Systems
- Game modes
- Single player
- 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 2600 | 1982 | $53 | $145 | — | 2 reviews | On-Line Systems (designed by John Harris) |
Also released on: Atari 8-bit · Apple II · Commodore 64. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06
Release record
| Territory | Label | Catalog # | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America Tigervision | Standard | 7-002 | Rare |
Also released in South America by CCE, Datasoft.
Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database
- Region
- NA+EU
- Released
- 1982
- Controller
- Atari Joystick
- Players
- 1 - 2
- Authenticity
- Low
John Harris's own 2600 redesign of his Pac-Man-style computer hit, inexpensive and low-risk.
John Harris wrote Jawbreaker for Atari 8-bit computers in 1981, and it became a major seller. His 2600 version, published by Tigervision in October 1982, is a different design: because of the console's limits it is not a straight Pac-Man clone. Legal issues then made the 2600 version the template for later computer versions by other programmers.
Atari tried to stop Pac-Man clones in court, but it failed to stop On-Line Systems' Jawbreaker.
How it was made
Programmed by John Harris for On-Line Systems and published on the 2600 by Tigervision, with a PAL release in the second quarter of 1983.
What the press said at the time
| Computer Entertainer Vol. 1 No. 9 | December 1982 | Graphics ★★★½ · Play-Action ★★★½ |
| Electronic Fun with Computers & Games Vol. 1 No. 3 | January 1983 | 3 joysticks |
“But the real shock is this: this new version is actually better than the old one.”
“the horizontal arrangement of the maze with its sliding doors makes the game play differently from others with similar themes. We found this one delightful and quite addictive.”
“But those who enjoy the VCS version of Pac-Man will probably also love Jawbreaker. And there's no question about it, this game does have personality.”
“we have been working on the following awards based on creativity, imagination, sales, and YOUR INPUT. … BEST NEW MAZE GAME: JAWBREAKER (Tigervision for Atari 2600)”
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. Electronic Fun rated games out of four joysticks.
Cartridge & preservation record
Program size 4 KB, measured from the preserved dump.
Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.
How the Atari 2600 version differs
Because of the 2600's technical limits, John Harris made a different game rather than a Pac-Man clone like the Atari 8-bit original.
Instead of a fixed maze, the 2600 version has rows that slide back and forth across the screen. Electronic Games found it faster than earlier versions and better than the original.
The 2600 design became the template for later computer versions, partly because of legal issues over the Pac-Man resemblance. Those versions were sold as both Jawbreaker and Jawbreaker II.
Also on other platforms
Atari 8-bit · Apple II · Commodore 64
| Atari 2600 | On-Line Systems (designed by John Harris) |
| Atari 8-bit | John Harris; published by On-Line Systems |
- Atari 8-bit. The original, a close Pac-Man clone that won the 1982 Arkie for Best Computer Action Game and drew an unsuccessful injunction attempt from Atari.
- Commodore 64. Built by programmers other than Harris from a rough sketch of the 2600 game. It was less successful than the original.
Worth knowing
- It changed the originals. Electronic Games reported that the VCS version "has proven so successful that the Atari and Apple II computer versions are being redesigned in this same format!" It added: "It is, in fact, now possible to design VCS games exclusively on an Apple II computer system."
Before you buy
Low risk. No fakes are documented. Check the Tigervision label condition and ask for a working test.
Jawbreaker screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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