King Kong
King Kong — frequently asked questions
- Is King Kong on Steam?
- No. King Kong 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 King Kong on?
- King Kong is available on Atari 2600.
- When did King Kong release?
- King Kong was first released on December 31, 1982.
About King Kong
Rescue the lady from King Kong's clutches atop the Empire State Building. You must climb to the top of the building while avoiding (jumping) the bombs King Kong is throwing at you. The quicker you save her, the greater the bonus.
Summary via IGDB.
King Kong on Wikipedia
King Kong is an American monster media franchise that consists of thirteen films, as well as television shows, novels, comic books, video games, attractions, and other merchandise. The franchise is centered on King Kong, a giant ape living on a primordial island inhabited by prehistoric creatures. The original film King Kong was co-directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack and was released on March 2, 1933; it was a box office success, despite opening during the Great Depression. The film's stop motion effects by Willis H. O'Brien revolutionized special effects, leaving a lasting impact on the film industry worldwide.
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Game details
- Platforms
- Atari 2600
- Developer
- Tigervision
- Publisher
- Tigervision
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Action, Science fiction, Horror
- Series
- King Kong
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Collector value & authenticity
Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06
Release record
| Territory | Label | Catalog # | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America Tigervision | Standard | 7-001 | Rare |
Also released in South America by Cosmovision.
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
Tigervision's first cartridge is a licensed Donkey Kong clone with a different ape on the label.
Karl T. Olinger programmed King Kong, and Tigervision released it in July 1982 as its first 2600 cartridge, with a PAL release in 1983. It uses the licensed King Kong character, but the game itself is a clone of the first level of Donkey Kong.
Its interest today is mostly historical. It marks the start of Tigervision as a 2600 publisher.
How it was made
Programmed by Karl T. Olinger, developed by Software Electronics and published by Tigervision in 1982 as the company's first cartridge.
What the press said at the time
| JoyStik January 1983 | January 1983 | ★ |
“This poorly executed lev- el game requires the player to rescue "the lady" from Kong's clutches by climbing the Empire State Build- ing while jumping over bombs that the crudely animated ape hurls down at him. We'd rather play Coleco's Donkey Kong any day.”
“King Kong is a Donkey Kong variant that is worse than the otherwise poor VCS version of the arcade game. … Lousy graphics and repetitive game-play make this cartridge one to avoid.”
“Tigervision's King Kong got the title right but the game wrong. A crude simulation of the venerable movie, the table-top version of King Kong is actually superior to the videogame version on the 2600.”
JoyStik’s capsule ratings run from one star to five.
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 and moderately priced. Tigervision carts have their own shell and label style, so a quick comparison against a known copy is enough. No reproduction cases are documented for this title.
King Kong screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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