Xonox

Xonox, a division of K-tel Software Inc., was an American third-party manufacturer of cartridges for the Atari 2600, ColecoVision, Commodore 64 and Commodore VIC-20 in the early 1980s. Xonox was one of many small video game companies to fold during the Video Game Crash of 1983.

Company logotype

History

Xonox, based in Minnesota, started developing Atari cartridges during the height of the 2600's popularity.[1] Xonox capitalized on the novelty and perceived value of "double-ender" cartridges. These could be inserted into the console on one of the two ends, each end offering a different game. Different double-ender configurations could package the same game with different counterparts. Xonox was not the first company to try this; Playaround did it earlier with their adult-themed titles.[2] Xonox eventually abandoned this idea and began releasing single versions of some of the titles previously offered as double-enders as well as a few new titles.

Games released

For the Atari 2600

Xonox "double-ender" cartridge
Xonox "double-ender" cartridge (top row, middle) compared to single title cartridges
Inside view of a Xonox "double-ender" cartridge

Standard cartridges

Double-enders

  • Artillery Duel/Chuck Norris Superkicks
  • Artillery Duel/Ghost Manor
  • Artillery Duel/Spike's Peak
  • Chuck Norris Superkicks/Ghost Manor
  • Chuck Norris Superkicks/Spike's Peak
  • Ghost Manor/Spike's Peak
  • Robin Hood/Sir Lancelot[3]
  • Motocross Racer/Tomarc the Barbarian

Standard cartridges

Double-enders

  • Artillery Duel/Chuck Norris Superkicks
  • Motocross Racer/Tomarc the Barbarian
  • Robin Hood/Sir Lancelot

For the Commodore 64

  • Artillery Duel
  • Chuck Norris Superkicks
  • Ghost Manor
  • Motocross Racer
  • Robin Hood
  • Sir Lancelot
  • Spike's Peak
  • Tomarc the Barbarian

References

  1. Buchanan, Levi (August 27, 2008). "Xonox and the Double-Enders". IGN. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  2. Yarusso, Albert. "Companies - Xonox". AtariAge. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  3. "Atari 2600 - Xonox - Double Ender Label Variation". AtariAge. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
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