Is Killer Satellites on Steam?

No. Killer Satellites 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 Killer Satellites on?

Killer Satellites is available on Atari 2600.

When did Killer Satellites release?

Killer Satellites was first released on December 31, 1983.

Killer Satellites

Dec 31, 1983ShooterArcadeAtari 2600

Killer Satellites — frequently asked questions

Is Killer Satellites on Steam?: No. Killer Satellites 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 Killer Satellites on?: Killer Satellites is available on Atari 2600.
When did Killer Satellites release?: Killer Satellites was first released on December 31, 1983.

About Killer Satellites

For decades, the weapons satellites have orbited Earth harmlessly. Now, for unknown reasons, they have dropped from the sky to obliterate mankind. You are a test pilot with an experimental craft that can stop the satellites. It is up to you to protect your home town. You fly above your town's forcefield. Satellites will drop from the sky and show on the radar area at the screen top. You must fly to them and shoot them before they reach the town as they have the ability to penetrate the town's shields. Be aware of your fuel because if you run out of fuel, you lose a life. Also, be aware of the laser heat indicator just below the fuel gauge. If the laser gets too hot, it will not fire until it cools. The town's forcefield may not be able to stop the satellites, however, it will stop your craft so flying into it is detrimental to your health. In later levels, you must contend with meteors as well as satellites. You cannot shoot the meteors but they cannot penetrate the town's shields. You will be destroyed and lose a life, however, if you ram into one.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Atari 2600
Developer: Starpath
Publisher: Starpath
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Action, Science fiction

Details via IGDB.

Collector value & authenticity

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

Loose

$15

Complete

$35

Sealed

$48

Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	Rarity
North America Starpath	Cassette	AR4103	Scarce+

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

Region: NA+EU
Released: 1983
Controller: Atari Joystick
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 lesser-known Starpath tape, cheap enough to add if you already own a Supercharger.

Starpath released Killer Satellites on cassette for its Supercharger in 1983, with a PAL release the same year. It is one of the ten retail Supercharger tapes. Little else is documented about the game beyond its publisher and release date.

What the press said at the time

Computer Entertainer Vol. 2 No. 1	April 1983	Graphics ★★★½ · Play-Action ★★½
Electronic Fun with Computers & Games Vol. 1 No. 9	July 1983	2½ joysticks
Video Games Player Vol. 2 No. 1	August-September 1983	A

“on cassette tape for the Supercharger is an attractive-looking, but unremarkable scrolling shoot-out for one player. … Game play doesn't measure up to the graphics, however, because it's just too similar to many other scrolling space games.”
— Computer Entertainer, April 1983

“Killer Satellites is a disappointment. … Game play is way too simplistic, and it really doesn't compare to other Supercharger games, like Phaser Patrol. The folks at Starpath should have done better.”
— Electronic Fun with Computers & Games, July 1983

“Killer Satellites is far above the average game for the VCS. It’s sensa- tional!”
— Video Games Player, August-September 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. Electronic Fun rated games out of four joysticks. Video Games Player graded games like a report card, A+ down to C-.

Cartridge & preservation record

Program size 8.3 KB (8,448 bytes), measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

Before you buy

This is a cassette, not a cartridge. To play it you need a Starpath Supercharger plugged into the console and a cassette player with an earphone output. Ask the seller to confirm the tape actually loads, not just that it plays sound. Side A is the quick-load side and Side B the standard-load side, so a tape that loads from either side is fine. Check that the label is printed on the cassette shell, and be wary of a blank or home-labeled cassette in an original box.

Authenticity & condition — Atari 2600

Specific to the format this title shipped in

Buying a Starpath Supercharger game

This game is an audio cassette, not a cartridge. It loads through the Starpath (originally "Arcadia") Supercharger, a long cartridge with extra RAM and a cable that plugs into a cassette player, so the tape on its own will not play on a 2600.

You need three things: the Supercharger, a cassette player with an earphone (or "ear"/"monitor") output, and the Supercharger's built-in cable.
Ask the seller to confirm the tape LOADS, not just that it plays audio. Side A is the quick-load side and Side B the standard load; Starpath's own manual warns some players will not load the quick side reliably, so a tape that loads from Side B only is normal. A tape that loads from neither side is the real failure.
Set the player's volume and tone near maximum and keep it away from the TV, as Starpath's manual advises. Expect the occasional reload.
The Supercharger works on the 2600, 2600 Jr. and Sears Video Arcade, but may fail on some later NTSC Atari 7800s. We found no confirmation that it works on the Atari 2600+, so assume it does not until you have tested it.
A cassette is trivially copied. On the higher-value tapes, check that the label is printed on the cassette shell itself and that both sides load, and be wary of a blank or home-labelled tape in an original box. (Our inference; we found no documented fraud case.)
Check the Supercharger's own cable for breaks near the strain relief — it is the single point of failure for every tape you own.

What a complete copy includes

Cassette
Instruction booklet
Retail box or sleeve
The Supercharger itself shipped with its attached cable, a manual and the Phaser Patrol tape. Early units are "Arcadia"-branded and later ones "Starpath"; both are genuine. The company had to drop the Arcadia name because Emerson's Arcadia 2001 console reached shelves first (Arcade Express, 26 September 1982).