1985 · Atari Corporation · US · computer
Atari ST
After Jack Tramiel was ousted from Commodore, he bought Atari and launched the 16-bit Atari ST in 1985 before the Amiga hit shelves.
Essential Easy to run Needs a keyboard ▶ Watch on YouTube ↗
After Jack Tramiel was ousted from Commodore, he bought Atari and launched the 16-bit Atari ST in 1985 before the Amiga hit shelves. Built around GEM graphical desktop and native MIDI ports, it became a music recording and gaming staple.
FTL Games created Dungeon Master on the ST in 1987, creating the world’s first real-time 3D grid dungeon crawler and setting sales records across Europe and North America.
Under the hood
- CPU
- Motorola 68000 @ 8.0 MHz with 512 KB to 4 MB RAM
- Sound chip
- Yamaha YM2149 3-channel sound chip + Built-in MIDI In/Out Ports
- Graphics
- 320 × 200 (16 colors from 512 palette), 640 × 200 (4 colors), 640 × 400 (Monochrome 71 Hz monitor)
- Media
- 3.5" Floppy Disks & ACSI / SCSI Hard Drives
What it cost
about half a month’s pay in 1985 · about $2,329 today
| US 520ST package ($799 monochrome monitor, $999 color) | $799 (1985) |
|---|---|
| Typical street price | — No verified mass-market street price recorded yet. |
| UK 520ST launch price (£399) | £399 |
| Units sold | ≈3,000,000 estimate Approximately 3 million units sold. |
Why it mattered
FTL Games created Dungeon Master on the ST in 1987, creating the world’s first real-time 3D grid dungeon crawler and setting sales records across Europe and North America.
Emulating it today
| Emulators | Hatari, Steem, Hatari (libretro) |
|---|---|
| Setup effort | Easy to run (3 on this site's scale) |
| Controls | Many games use a mouse, while setup screens and computer software still expect a keyboard. |
| Runs on a handheld | Yes |
Uses Hatari core in RetroArch. Requires TOS ROM image (`tos104.img` or `tos206.img`). Disk images (.st / .msa / .ipf) load via GEM desktop. The emulator names above are starting points, not a promise that every title or accessory behaves identically. Computer platforms usually add model selection, disk handling and keyboard setup even when CPU emulation itself is mature.
system firmware or BIOS
Requires Atari TOS ROM image (`tos.img`, e.g. TOS 1.02, 1.04 Rainbow TOS, or EmuTOS open-source ROM).
How many files you need: 1. Start with the firmware for the exact model and region you are emulating; some families need additional revisions for later models.
Where it stands legally: Firmware normally remains copyrighted. The clean route is to extract it from hardware you own unless the rights holder offers a download or licensed package.
Firmware details checked 2026-08. Emulator requirements change — see Libretro documentation for the current list.
Where the software is
TOSEC catalogues computer disks and tapes broadly, including many revisions. It is useful for preservation, while a smaller curated selection is usually easier to play.
Copyright: Commercial software remains copyrighted unless its owner explicitly released or relicensed it. Homebrew, public-domain programs and current reissues should be treated separately from abandoned commercial titles.
This site names preservation projects and explains what they are. It does not link to ROM downloads.
Where to start
- Dungeon Master Real-Time 3D Dungeon Crawler
The groundbreaking RPG that invented real-time dungeon crawling with spatial 3D audio.
- Starglider 2 3D Space Exploration
Jez San’s solid-3D interplanetary space combat that led directly to Star Fox.
- Carrier Command 3D Real-Time Tactical Sim
Command a robotic aircraft carrier with amphibious vehicles and fighter jets in real-time 3D.
- Populous God Simulation
Peter Molyneux’s iconic land-shaping civilization god game.
- Another World (Out of This World) Cinematic Action Adventure
Éric Chahi’s vector-animated sci-fi masterpiece was developed on an Atari ST.
- Oids Thrust / Gravity Rescue
Rescue android slaves in subterranean caverns with inertia physics.
- Llamatron: 2112 Arena Shooter
Jeff Minter’s frenetic Robotron tribute with sheep, llamas, and lasers.
The verdict
an early computer with built-in MIDI ports. Dominated 1980s music studios (Fatboy Slim, Chemical Brothers) and featured legendary games like Dungeon Master, Populous, and Starglider 2.
The strongest software can be rewarding, but original controls and setup assumptions may matter more than screenshots suggest.
- Worth it if
- Players curious about atari computers and handheld and willing to learn how the original machine worked.
- Not for
- Anyone who wants a large, instantly accessible library and no model, firmware or control decisions.
Scored 4/5 for fun today and 5/5 for historical importance. Those two scores decide the label at the top — a machine can matter enormously and still be no fun.
Read more & watch
This page is 50% complete against the facts we try to record for every system. Gaps are shown as gaps.