Atari 8-bit Magazines

This is a list of major maganizes published in North America and the U.K. that covered the Atari 8-bit computers.

In most cases, the direct links point to the scanned images at The Computer Magazine Archives at the Internet Archive. Computer Gaming World is archived at the Computer Gaming World Museum.

Note

I’m trying to collect physical copies of the magazines. If you’d like to help out by donating some magazines that I don’t have, please email me at feedback@playermissile.com! I have copies of the issues highlighted in green.

My “big 4” magazines, the magazines covered in the most detail, are ANALOG, Antic, Compute!, and Creative Computing. Those are the magazines I read regularly in the 80s and the publications that I have the most nostalgia for. The other magazines will be covered more superficially except for articles I find especially interesting.

1979	ANALOG	Antic	Compute!	Creative Computing	APX Catalog	Atari Connection	BYTE	Computers & Video Games	Computer Gaming World	Hi-Res	Micro 6502	ROM	Softline	Soft Side	Atari Input/Output	Atari User	Page 6	Personal Computer World
Apr				5.4			04.04				11
May				5.5			04.05				12							2.1
Jun				5.6			04.06				13							2.2
Jul				5.7			04.07				14							2.3
Aug				5.8			04.08				15							2.4
Sep				5.9			04.09				16							2.5
Oct			001	5.10			04.10				17							2.6
Nov				5.11			04.11				18							2.7
Dec				5.12			04.12				19							2.8
1980	ANALOG	Antic	Compute!	Creative Computing	APX Catalog	Atari Connection	BYTE	Computers & Video Games	Computer Gaming World	Hi-Res	Micro 6502	ROM	Softline	Soft Side	Atari Input/Output	Atari User	Page 6	Personal Computer World
Jan			002	6.1			05.01				20							3.1
Feb				6.2			05.02				21							3.2
Mar			003	6.3			05.03				22							3.3
Apr				6.4			05.04				23							3.4
May			004	6.5			05.05				24							3.5
Jun				6.6			05.06				25							3.6
Jul			005	6.7			05.07				26							3.7
Aug				6.8			05.08				27			8				3.8
Sep			006	6.9			05.09							9				3.9
Oct				6.10			05.10				29			10				3.10
Nov			007	6.11			05.11				30			11				3.11
Dec				6.12			05.12				31			12				3.12
1981	ANALOG	Antic	Compute!	Creative Computing	APX Catalog	Atari Connection	BYTE	Computers & Video Games	Computer Gaming World	Hi-Res	Micro 6502	ROM	Softline	Soft Side	Atari Input/Output	Atari User	Page 6	Personal Computer World
Jan	01		008	7.1			06.01				32			13				4.1
Feb			009	7.2			06.02				33			14				4.2
Mar	02		010	7.3		1.1	06.03				34			15				4.3
Apr			011	7.4			06.04				35			16				4.4
May	03		012	7.5			06.05				36			17				4.5
Jun			013	7.6	1	1.2	06.06				37			18				4.6
Jul			014	7.7			06.07				38			19				4.7
Aug			015	7.8			06.08				39			20				4.8
Sep	04		016	7.9	2	1.3	06.09				40		1.1	21				4.9
Oct			017	7.10			06.10				41			22				4.10
Nov			018	7.11			06.11	001	1.1		42		1.2	23				4.11
Dec			019	7.12	3	1.4	06.12	002			43			24				4.12
1982	ANALOG	Antic	Compute!	Creative Computing	APX Catalog	Atari Connection	BYTE	Computers & Video Games	Computer Gaming World	Hi-Res	Micro 6502	ROM	Softline	Soft Side	Atari Input/Output	Atari User	Page 6	Personal Computer World
Jan	05		020	8.1			07.01	003	2.1		44		1.3	25				5.1
Feb			021	8.2			07.02	004			45			26				5.2
Mar			022	8.3	4	2.1	07.03	005	2.2		46		1.4	27				5.3
Apr		1.1	023	8.4			07.04	006			47			28				5.4
May	06		024	8.5			07.05	007	2.3		48		1.5	29				5.5
Jun		1.2	025	8.6	5	2.2	07.06	008			49			30				5.6
Jul			026	8.7			07.07	009	2.4		50		1.6	31				5.7
Aug		1.3	027	8.8			07.08	010			51			32				5.8
Sep	07		028	8.9	6	2.3	07.09	011	2.5		52		2.1	33				5.9
Oct		1.4	029	8.10			07.10	012			53			34				5.10
Nov	08		030	8.11			07.11	013	2.6		54		2.2	35				5.11
Dec		1.5	031	8.12	7	2.4	07.12	014			55			36	01		01	5.12
1983	ANALOG	Antic	Compute!	Creative Computing	APX Catalog	Atari Connection	BYTE	Computers & Video Games	Computer Gaming World	Hi-Res	Micro 6502	ROM	Softline	Soft Side	Atari Input/Output	Atari User	Page 6	Personal Computer World
Jan	09		032	9.1			08.01	015	3.1		56		2.3	37				6.1
Feb		1.6	033	9.2			08.02	016			57			38			02	6.2
Mar	10		034	9.3	8	3.1	08.03	017	3.2		58		2.4	39	02			6.3
Apr		2.1	035	9.4			08.04	018			59			40				6.4
May	11	2.2	036	9.5			08.05	019	3.3		60		2.5				03	6.5
Jun		2.3	037	9.6	9	3.2	08.06	020			61			41	03			6.6
Jul	12	2.4	038	9.7			08.07	021	3.4		62		2.6	42			04
Aug		2.5	039	9.8			08.08	022			63	1		43				6.8
Sep	13	2.6	040	9.9	10	3.3	08.09	023			64		3.1	44	04		05	6.9
Oct		2.7	041	9.10			08.10	024	3.5		65	2						6.10
Nov	14	2.8	042	9.11			08.11	025		1	66		3.2	45			06	6.11
Dec		2.9	043	9.12	11	3.4	08.12	026	3.6		67	3						6.12
1984	ANALOG	Antic	Compute!	Creative Computing		Atari Connection	BYTE	Computers & Video Games	Computer Gaming World	Hi-Res	Micro 6502	ROM	Softline	Soft Side	Atari Input/Output	Atari User	Page 6	Personal Computer World
Jan	15	2.10	044	10.1			09.01	027		2	68		3.3	46			07	7.1
Feb	16	2.11	045	10.2			09.02	028	4.1		69	4		47				7.2
Mar	17	2.12	046	10.3		4.1	09.03	029		3	70		3.4		05		08	7.3
Apr		3.1	047	10.4			09.04	030	4.2		71	5						7.4
May	18		048	10.5			09.05	031		4							09	7.5
Jun	19	3.2	049	10.6		4.2	09.06	032	4.3		72	6						7.6
Jul	20	3.3	050	10.7			09.07	033			73						10	7.7
Aug	21	3.4	051	10.8			09.08	034	4.4		74	7						7.8
Sep	22	3.5	052	10.9			09.09	035			75						11	7.9
Oct	23	3.6	053	10.10			09.11	036	4.5		76	8						7.10
Nov	24	3.7	054	10.11			09.12	037									12	7.11
Dec	25	3.8	055	10.12			09.13	038	4.6			9						7.12
1985	ANALOG	Antic	Compute!	Creative Computing			BYTE	Computers & Video Games	Computer Gaming World			ROM				Atari User	Page 6	Personal Computer World
Jan	26	3.9	056	11.1			10.01	039	5.1								13	8.1
Feb	27	3.10	057	11.2			10.02	040				10						8.2
Mar	28	3.11	058	11.3			10.03	041									14	8.3
Apr	29	3.12	059	11.4			10.04	042	5.2									8.4
May	30	4.1	060	11.5			10.05	043								01	15	8.5
Jun	31	4.2	061	11.6			10.06	044	5.3							02		8.6
Jul	32	4.3	062	11.7			10.07	045								03	16	8.7
Aug	33	4.4	063	11.8			10.08	046								04		8.8
Sep	34	4.5	064	11.9			10.09	047	5.4							05	17	8.9
Oct	35	4.6	065	11.10			10.10	048								06		8.10
Nov	36	4.7	066	11.11			10.11	049	5.5							07	18	8.11
Dec	37	4.8	067	11.12			10.13	050								08		8.12
1986	ANALOG	Antic	Compute!				BYTE	Computers & Video Games	Computer Gaming World							Atari User	Page 6
Jan	38	4.9	068				11.01	051	25							09	19
Feb	39	4.10	069				11.02	052								10
Mar	40	4.11	070				11.03	053	26							11	20
Apr	41	4.12	071				11.04	054	27							12
May	42	5.1	072				11.05	055	28							13	21
Jun	43	5.2	073				11.06	056	29							14
Jul	44	5.3	074				11.07	057								15	22
Aug	45	5.4	075				11.08	058	30							16
Sep	46	5.5	076				11.09	059	31							17	23
Oct	47	5.6	077				11.10	060								18
Nov	48	5.7	078				11.12	061	32							19	24
Dec	49	5.8	079				11.13	062	33							20
1987	ANALOG	Antic	Compute!				BYTE	Computers & Video Games	Computer Gaming World							Atari User	Page 6
Jan	50	5.9	080				12.01	063	34							21	25
Feb	51	5.10	081				12.02	064								22
Mar	52	5.11	082				12.03	065	35							23	26
Apr	53	5.12	083				12.04	066	36							24
May	54	6.1	084				12.05	067	37							25	27
Jun	55	6.2	085				12.06	068	38							26
Jul	56	6.3	086				12.08	069								27	28
Aug		6.4	087				12.09	070	39							28
Sep	57	6.5	088				12.10	071								29	29
Oct	58	6.6	089					072	40							30
Nov		6.7	090				12.13	073	41							31	30
Dec		6.8	091				12.14	074	42							32
1988	ANALOG	Antic	Compute!				BYTE	Computers & Video Games								Atari User	Page 6
Jan		6.9	092					075								33	31
Feb		6.10	093					076								34
Mar		6.11	094				13.03	077								35	32
Apr	59	6.12	095				13.04	078								36
May	60	7.1					13.05	079								37	33
Jun	61	7.2						080								38
Jul	62	7.3					13.07	081								39	34
Aug	63	7.4						082								40
Sep	64	7.5						083								41
Oct	65	7.6						084								42
Nov	66	7.7						085								43
Dec	67	7.8						086									35
1989	ANALOG	Antic					BYTE	Computers & Video Games									New Atari User
Jan	68	7.9					14.01	087
Feb	69	7.10						088									36
Mar	70	7.11					14.03	089
Apr	71	7.12					14.04	090									37
May	72	8.1					14.05	091
Jun	73	8.2						092									038
Jul	74	8.3						093
Aug	75	8.4					14.08	093b									039
Sep	76	8.5						094
Oct	77	8.6					14.10	095									040
Nov	78							096
Dec	79	8.7					14.12	097									041
1990		Antic					BYTE	Computers & Video Games									New Atari User
Jan								098									042
Feb		8.8						099
Mar								100									043
Apr		9.1						101
May								102									044
Jun		9.2						103
Jul								104									045
Aug								105
Sep							15.09	106									046
Oct								107
Nov								108
Dec							15.13	109									047
1991							BYTE	Computers & Video Games									New Atari User
Jan							16.01	110
Feb							16.02	111									048
Mar							16.03	112
Apr								113									049
May								114
Jun								115									050
Jul								116
Aug								117									051
Sep								118
Oct								119									052
Nov								120
Dec								121									053
1992							BYTE	Computers & Video Games									New Atari User
Jan							17.01	122
Feb							17.02	123									054
Mar							17.03	124
Apr							17.04	125									055
May							17.05	126
Jun																	056
Jul							17.07
Aug							17.08										057
Sep							17.09
Oct																	058
Nov								132
Dec																	059
1993							BYTE	Computers & Video Games									New Atari User
Jan
Feb																	060
Mar
Apr																	061
May
Jun																	062
Jul
Aug								141									063
Sep
Oct																	064
Nov							18.12
Dec																	065
1994																	New Atari User
Jan
Feb																	066
Mar
Apr																	067
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct																	068
Nov
Dec																	069
1995							BYTE	Computers & Video Games									New Atari User
Jan
Feb																	070
Mar
Apr																	071
May
Jun																	072
Jul
Aug																	073
Sep							20.09
Oct																	074
Nov								168
Dec								169
1996								Computers & Video Games									New Atari User
Jan								170									075
Feb								171
Mar								172									076
Apr								173
May								174
Jun								175
Jul								176									077
Aug								177
Sep								178									078
Oct								179
Nov								180
Dec								181									079
1997								Computers & Video Games									New Atari User
Jan								182									080
Feb								183
Mar								184
Apr								185
May								186
Jun								187									081
Jul								188
Aug								189
Sep								190
Oct								191
Nov								192
Dec								193
1998								Computers & Video Games									New Atari User
Jan																	082
Feb
Mar																	083
Apr
May																	084
Jun

Note

Compute! Magazine dropped support for the Atari 8-bits after the April 1988 issue, but continued publication until 1994.

Note

Computer Gaming World stopped the regular ‘Atari Playfield’ column in issue 34 but continued some Atari 8-bits coverage at least through 1987. It continued publication through 2006!

Note

Creative Computing began publishing in 1974 but the first mention of Atari 8-bit computers occurred in the April 1979 issue’s coverage of the Winter 1979 Consumer Electronics Show.

Note

SoftSide began publishing in 1979 but did not start covering the Atari 8-bit computers until August 1980.

Note

Atari User stopped publication in 1988 and its subscriber list merged into Page 6, which was subsequently renamed New Atari User