Atari: Game Over
A playful excavation documentary revisits Atari’s infamous E.T. cartridges to uncover the human story behind a landmark video game industry collapse.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- warm
- nostalgic
- retro gaming night
- technology history viewing
What critics said
Critics generally found the concise documentary funny, heartfelt, and accessible, while noting that it oversimplifies Atari's downfall and sometimes inflates a modest story.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The search for buried E.T. cartridges supplies the documentary's central investigative structure and visual hook.
Former Atari figures discuss the company's early-1980s practices and the 1983 video game crash.
Howard Scott Warshaw and the E.T. cartridge burial are treated with wit, heart, and attention to technological constraints.
The film presents video game antiquity through concise storytelling, humor, and an accessible excavation premise.
Films like Atari: Game Over, and why
High Score
short, accessible documentary treatment of video game history with humor and nostalgia
Indie Game: The Movie
investigative gaming documentary centered on industry history and cultural memory
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
warm, entertaining nonfiction exploration of a formative technology subculture
Movie Details
- Director
- Zak Penn
- Release Date
- 2014-11-19
- Runtime
- 66 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (246)
Cast
- Zak Penn
- Nolan Bushnell
- Howard Scott Warshaw
- Manny Gerard
- Joe Lewandowski
- Paul Sanchez
- Ernest Cline
- Seamus Blackley
- Raiford Guins
- Mike Mika
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Night Flight Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Atari: Game Over about?
- A playful excavation documentary revisits Atari’s infamous E.T. cartridges to uncover the human story behind a landmark video game industry collapse.
- What is Atari: Game Over like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Atari: Game Over as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Atari: Game Over violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Atari: Game Over.
- What did critics think of Atari: Game Over?
- Critics generally found the concise documentary funny, heartfelt, and accessible, while noting that it oversimplifies Atari's downfall and sometimes inflates a modest story.
- Which films are like Atari: Game Over?
- Films with a similar feel include High Score, Indie Game: The Movie, and The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters.
- How long is Atari: Game Over?
- Atari: Game Over runs 66 minutes.
- Where can I watch Atari: Game Over?
- In United States, Atari: Game Over streams on Amazon Prime Video, Night Flight Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel.
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