Zenji
Zenji — frequently asked questions
- Is Zenji on Steam?
- No. Zenji 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 Zenji on?
- Zenji is available on ColecoVision, Atari 8-bit, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Atari 5200, MSX, Commodore 64.
- When did Zenji release?
- Zenji was first released on August 1, 1984.
About Zenji
Let us call the "Many" the "Elements." Then let us see that in the vast blackness, beyond the beyond, the Elements assemble around the Source. Some are connected, some are not. Those united with the Source are green with energy, while the disconnected ones are an empty grey. The seeker must connect the Many to the One, thus turning all the Elements green with the power of the Source. In that instant, Zenji occurs.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- ColecoVision, Atari 8-bit, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Atari 5200, MSX, Commodore 64
- Developer
- Activision
- Publisher
- Pony Canyon
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Action
Details via IGDB.
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atari 5200Details ↓ | 1984 | $46 | $147 | — |
| ColecoVisionDetails ↓ | 1984 | $31 | $46 | $74 |
Also released on: Atari 8-bit · Commodore C64/128/MAX · ZX Spectrum · MSX · Commodore 64. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Prices are per version and are not interchangeable, and neither are the reviews: conversions in this era were often built by a different studio than the original, so a score earned on one machine says nothing about how another plays.
Collector value & authenticity
Atari 5200 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-19
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a month
- Complete: about 2 times a year
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-19.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $10.50 in Apr 2010, $40 five years ago, and $46 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2011 | $90 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $23 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $70 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $21 | $42 |
| Jan 2015 | $35 | $42 |
| Jan 2016 | $20 | $38 |
| Jan 2017 | $25 | $38 |
| Jan 2018 | $27 | $59 |
| Jan 2019 | $25 | $76 |
| Jan 2020 | $28 | $76 |
| Jan 2021 | $36 | $151 |
| Jan 2022 | $58 | $125 |
| Jan 2023 | $47 | $102 |
| Jan 2024 | $45 | $100 |
| Jan 2025 | $40 | $145 |
| Jan 2026 | $45 | $150 |
| Oct 2026 | $46 | $147 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Label | Catalog # | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America Activision | Standard | FZ-010 | Rare |
Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 5200 software database
- Region
- NA
- Released
- 1984
- Controller
- Joystick
- Players
- 1 - 2
- Authenticity
- Low
The Atari 5200 version
A rare Activision maze puzzle for the 5200 and Atari computers, with a distinctive idea and little documentation.
Matthew Hubbard designed Zenji for Activision, and it appeared on the 5200 and Atari computers. Electronic Games described it in September 1984: a game inspired by Far Eastern philosophy in which you use the joystick to direct a rolling head around a maze of elements and join the different parts.
Computer Entertainer's release schedules listed it for the fall of 1984 on the 5200. Little else is documented about the 5200 version.
How it was made
AtariAge credits Matthew Hubbard as designer of the 5200 cartridge, published by Activision.
How the Atari 5200 version differs
Computer Entertainer called the 5200 version nearly identical to the ColecoVision version.
Also on other platforms
ColecoVision · Commodore 64
- ColecoVision. Computer and Video Games rated the ColecoVision version 90% in 1989.
- Commodore 64. Compute!'s Gazette found the Commodore 64 edition undeniably enjoyable despite an elusive understanding of the source.
Before you buy
Rated Rare, Standard label, low risk with no documented fake. It is a joystick game, so a worn stick is the thing to test. Activision's late 5200 releases came in 2600-style boxes, some with a sticker reading for Atari 5200, and with photocopied, wrong or missing manuals, so do not mark a complete copy down for that.
Collector value & authenticity
ColecoVision · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-19
How often it sells
- Loose: about 5 times a year
- Complete: about 2 times a year
- Sealed: about 3 times a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-19.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $17.27 in Jul 2018, $23 five years ago, and $31 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2019 | $14.13 | $38 |
| Jan 2020 | $13.44 | $30 |
| Jan 2021 | $16.99 | $31 |
| Jan 2022 | $25 | $40 |
| Jan 2023 | $32 | $42 |
| Jan 2024 | $35 | $60 |
| Jan 2025 | $32 | $60 |
| Jan 2026 | $26 | $52 |
| Oct 2026 | $31 | $46 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory |
|---|
| North America Activision |
- Region
- NA
- Released
- 1984
- Authenticity
- Low
The ColecoVision version
Activision's calm, offbeat path-connecting puzzle on the ColecoVision, scored 90 percent by a British magazine in 1989.
Matthew Hubbard designed Zenji, and Activision published the ColecoVision version in October 1984 with Action Graphics credited as developer. Activision's September 1984 ad laid out the idea: a central source and a maze of grey paths, each of which turns green when you connect it, while flames and sparks of distraction move along the paths.
Computer Entertainer's review of the Atari and Commodore 64 computer versions (issue 3-8) called it the best electronic puzzle game it had played, with multiple skill levels and many puzzle images. In 1989 Computer and Video Games scored the ColecoVision version 90 percent.
How it was made
Designed by Matthew Hubbard; the ColecoVision version was developed by Action Graphics and published by Activision.
How the ColecoVision version differs
Computer Entertainer said the Commodore 64 version is nearly identical to the ColecoVision version.
Before you buy
Plays with the standard controller, no overlay. Activision's Zenji box has a slip-on bottom that names the system, so check that it says ColecoVision before paying a boxed price. The price row shows a small step from loose to boxed and a sealed price above both.
Zenji screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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