Secret Quest
Secret Quest — frequently asked questions
- Is Secret Quest on Steam?
- No. Secret Quest 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 Secret Quest on?
- Secret Quest is available on Atari 2600.
- When did Secret Quest release?
- Secret Quest was first released on February 1, 1989.
About Secret Quest
It started with one station, then three, then eight. If something isn't done, the aliens will overrun Earth. It is up to you to destroy the stations by setting their self destructs. You move from room to room, fighting any enemies you encounter. When you beat an enemy, you get an energy pod or oxygen bottle. Fighting aliens depletes you energy and/or oxygen so kill quickly. Each weapon inflicts different damage, and depletes a different amount of energy. As a rule, the stronger a weapon is, the more energy it requires. You also use oxygen at the rate of one bottle per minute while exploring. Along the way, you will sometimes find sonic keys, and energy sword, sonic blaster or particle beam. Sonic keys are needed for certain doors you encounter in later stations. Once you set the self destruct code, a clock starts and you must make it to the teleporter before the time runs out. The game ends when you destroy all eight stations, run out of oxygen or do not get off a station before it self destructs. If you run out of energy, the game does not end but you will not be able to use any weapon so you can't kill monsters so you can't replenish oxygen. Hence, the game won't go long if you run out of energy.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Atari 2600
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Action
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Collector value & authenticity
Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06
Release record
| Territory | Label | Catalog # | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America Atari | Red | CX26170 | Scarce+ |
Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database
- Region
- NA
- Released
- 1989
- Controller
- Atari Joystick
- Players
- 1
- Authenticity
- Low
One of the last 2600 cartridges, sold on Nolan Bushnell's name and face, and on Atari 50 today.
Axlon developed Secret Quest and Atari Corporation published it in May 1989, near the very end of the console's life. You control a humanoid character fighting monsters and collecting items across a series of space stations. The cartridge holds more ROM than most 2600 games, plus a small amount of RAM.
The box credits Nolan Bushnell, Atari's founder, and carries his photo on the front and back. Programmer Steve DeFrisco said Atari thought his name would entice people to buy some more 2600 titles. It is on Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration.
How it was made
Programmed by Steve DeFrisco at Axlon and published by Atari Corporation in May 1989.
Cartridge & preservation record
Program size 16 KB, measured from the preserved dump.
Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.
Worth knowing
- Bushnell's name sold the box. Nolan Bushnell is credited on the box with his photo on both sides. According to programmer Steve DeFrisco, Atari thought his name would entice people to buy more 2600 games.
Before you buy
Low risk. This is a late Atari Corp release, so expect the plain universal shell without a dust door and the cheaper gray-style label of that era. Do not mistake those for signs of a fake. Loose, complete and sealed copies are all close together in price, so buying complete is an easy call.
Secret Quest screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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