Jawbreaker

Last updated: January 10, 2026

Overview

Jawbreaker is a maze-chase action game originally developed by John Harris for the Atari 8-bit computers and published by On-Line Systems (later Sierra On-Line) in 1981¹. The game is essentially a Pac-Man clone that tasks players with controlling a small yellow set of animated jaws through a maze, collecting dots while avoiding enemy “jawbreakers” that patrol the corridors². Originally intended to be a fairly straightforward Pac-Man clone, Jawbreaker emerged as a relatively inventive version with unique gameplay elements that distinguished it from its arcade inspiration³.

The game became notable for being one of the first third-party titles for the Atari 800 to make exceptional use of the machine’s special hardware capabilities⁴. It was widely lauded by contemporary reviewers, with Computer Gaming World noting that “when I first saw the program, I could not bring myself to believe the game was not written by Atari”⁵. Jawbreaker became a major seller for Sierra On-Line and won the Best Computer Action Game award at the 1982 Arkie Awards⁵. The story of its creation forms a significant portion of Steven Levy’s influential book Hackers³.

Jawbreaker’s history is intertwined with one of the early video game industry’s notable legal disputes, as Atari threatened lawsuits against On-Line Systems for the game’s similarities to Pac-Man⁶. This legal challenge led to significant modifications of the game and eventually spawned a sequel, Jawbreaker II, which departed substantially from the original’s Pac-Man-style gameplay⁷.

Game Info

Developer: On-Line Systems¹ Designer: John Harris, Olaf Lubeck¹ Publisher: On-Line Systems, Tigervision (Atari 2600)⁸ Engine: Machine Language⁶ Platforms: Atari 8-bit, Apple II, Atari 2600, Commodore 64, VIC-20, TI-99/4A² Release Year: 1981 Series: Jawbreaker Protagonist: Animated Jaws/Teeth Sierra Lineage: Core Sierra

Story Summary

Jawbreaker does not feature a traditional narrative storyline, instead presenting players with an arcade-style gameplay experience set in a candy-themed maze environment¹. The player controls a set of animated jaws—represented as a small yellow chomping mouth—navigating through corridors filled with purple dots to collect⁹. The antagonists are the titular “jawbreakers,” colorful spherical enemies that pursue the player through the maze in patterns reminiscent of Pac-Man’s ghosts⁶.

The candy store theme permeates the game’s visual design and power-up items¹⁰. Rather than fruit bonuses as in Pac-Man, Jawbreaker features candy-themed bonus items including candy canes, lollipops, and candy hearts that appear for additional points¹¹. A sailing boat also rarely appears in the maze as a special bonus item⁹. The game’s death sequence is notably memorable—when hit by a jawbreaker enemy, the player’s set of false teeth loses all its individual teeth, creating a humorous visual representation of defeat⁶.

Between levels, the game displays a charming intermission sequence showing the player character brushing its teeth, adding personality to what could have been a straightforward clone⁶. This attention to thematic detail helped establish Jawbreaker’s unique identity despite its obvious Pac-Man influences.

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Jawbreaker utilizes straightforward arcade-style controls, supporting both joystick and keyboard input⁹. On the Apple II version, players can use the arrow keys or A/Z keys for movement, with the spacebar starting the game¹¹. The Atari versions support the standard 4-way joystick input typical of maze games of the era². The game requires an Apple II with 48K of memory or an Atari 400/800 system to run¹.

Structure and Progression

The game follows the standard maze-chase formula established by Pac-Man². Each level presents the player with a maze filled with dots that must be collected to advance. The player has three lives represented by teeth at the start of each game¹⁰. Completing a level by collecting all dots advances the player to a new maze with increased difficulty.

The scoring system awards 5 points per dot and 5 points per power pill, with 588 total dots and 4 power pills per level, yielding a minimum of 2,960 points per level before enemy bonuses¹¹. When energized by a power pill, players can pursue and eat the jawbreaker enemies for escalating point values of 200, 400, 600, and 800 points¹¹. The power pill effect lasts approximately 7 seconds with a 1-second warning before expiration¹¹.

Puzzles and Mechanics

The core mechanic mirrors Pac-Man’s formula: navigate the maze to collect all dots while avoiding contact with the pursuing jawbreaker enemies². Power pills located in the maze corners temporarily allow the player to turn the tables and chase the enemies for bonus points¹¹.

A distinctive feature of Jawbreaker is the inclusion of horizontal corridors with moving doors that open and close, adding a dynamic element not present in the original Pac-Man¹². This mechanic requires players to time their movements carefully when navigating certain passages. The maze design varies across different versions of the game, with the original Atari version using a rotated version of the Pac-Man maze before legal pressure forced redesigns¹³.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Jawbreaker received widespread critical acclaim upon release. Computer Gaming World reviewer John Anderson was effusive in his praise, stating: “As for the graphics and sound, when I first saw the program, I could not bring myself to believe the game was not written by Atari”⁵. Jim Kuchera of Atarimania declared: “I just can’t say enough good about this fantastic Pac-Clone. It is fast, has wonderful graphics, cute between scenes ‘tooth brushing’, and serves up superb sound effects”⁶.

The game’s popularity was validated by industry recognition when it won Best Computer Action Game at the 1982 Arkie Awards⁵. It achieved the remarkable distinction of being the second most popular Atari 8-bit program in 1983 according to Softline Magazine’s Top 30 list, trailing only the legendary Star Raiders¹³.

Modern Assessment

Modern retrospectives have generally maintained positive assessments of Jawbreaker while acknowledging its derivative nature. MobyGames users rate the original version 6.7/10¹⁰, while the Apple II version on MyAbandonware holds a user rating of 4.25/5 based on 4 votes¹⁴. The Atari 8-bit version on Atarimania commands an 8.1/10 rating from 48 votes⁶.

Some retrospective analysis has been more critical, with one reviewer noting that “Jawbreaker is a bit of a rip-off of Gobbler, with the main difference that Jawbreaker takes away the unfair and random bits, but it also takes away some other randomness that’s really necessary. The result is a relatively easy game”¹¹.

Aggregate Scores:

• Atarimania: 8.1/10 (48 votes)⁶
• MobyGames: 6.7/10¹⁰
• MyAbandonware: 4.25/5 (4 votes)¹⁴

Development

Origins

John Harris was only 19 years old when he developed Jawbreaker for On-Line Systems¹³. Harris was brought to the company by Ken Williams, who gave him an opportunity to prove himself with a tight deadline—Williams believed that “if he hadn’t finished a game in two months, he wouldn’t make it in the industry anyway”¹³. Harris was paid $1,500 per month for two months during development and lived in company houses while creating the game¹³.

While Harris loved the Atari computer as a platform, he notably despised Atari as a company¹³. His game was written from the ground up specifically for the Atari 8-bit computers, taking full advantage of their advanced graphics and sound capabilities⁴. The original version closely mimicked Pac-Man, using the arcade game’s maze design rotated 90 degrees, with mustaches and sunglasses added to the ghost-like enemy characters to differentiate them visually¹³.

Production

The Apple II version was ported by Olaf Lubeck, who is credited alongside Harris as a designer on MobyGames¹⁰. The game’s intro music features a chiptune rendition of “The Candy Man,” reinforcing the candy store theme⁵.

Sierra On-Line started modestly as On-Line Systems in 1979, with founders Ken Williams and his wife Roberta programming games and managing the company from their own home¹⁵. Jawbreaker was part of their early catalog that helped establish the company as a significant force in the personal computer gaming industry.

Development Credits:¹⁰

• Designer/Programmer (Atari 8-bit): John Harris
• Designer/Programmer (Apple II): Olaf Lubeck
• Commodore 64 Programmers: Chuck Bueche, Doug Whittaker¹⁶

Technical Achievements

Jawbreaker was notable for being one of the first third-party games for the Atari 800 to make excellent use of the special hardware in that machine⁴. The efficient code loads in seconds with no further disk access required⁶. The graphics utilize artifacting for color display on the Atari platform⁶.

The game’s code was written entirely in machine language, allowing for smooth, fast gameplay that impressed reviewers who initially thought it must have been developed by Atari themselves⁵. The between-level tooth-brushing animations added personality and charm that distinguished it from other Pac-Man clones of the era⁶.

Technical Specifications

Atari 8-bit Version:⁶

• Language: Machine Language
• Controls: Joystick
• Players: 1
• Original Price: $39.95(approximately$150 in 2006 dollars)

Apple II Version:¹

• Memory Required: 48K
• Controls: Joystick or Keyboard (A/Z and Arrow Keys)
• File Size: 16 KB (download size)¹⁴

Atari 2600 Version:⁸

• Publisher: Tigervision
• Media: Cartridge
• File Size: 4 KB¹⁷

Legal Challenges and Modifications

When Atari purchased the license for Pac-Man for home systems, they began threatening lawsuits against clone developers⁶. Atari went after On-Line Systems for Jawbreaker being too close to Pac-Man⁶. According to some sources, the game was pulled from the market during the legal dispute⁶, though others cite Steven Levy’s book Hackers as indicating that Sierra actually won the case⁶.

During the lawsuit, a trial hybrid version was created that blended elements of Head On with Pac-Man gameplay and featured an original maze design¹³. This version was essentially broken when it was accidentally released—a demo version was mistakenly copied over the masters and sold to the public¹³.

The legal pressure eventually led to the creation of Jawbreaker II, which departed significantly from the Pac-Man formula⁷. Unlike the first computer Jawbreaker, Jawbreaker II is not a Pac-Man clone; rather, it’s similar to the console version of the first game⁷.

Version History

Version	Date	Platform	Notes
Original	1981	Atari 8-bit	Initial release, 90-degree rotated Pac-Man maze13
Apple II Port	1981	Apple II	Ported by Olaf Lubeck1
90-degree maze #1	1981	Atari 8-bit	Has Pause feature, calibrated for Jawbreaker Construction Set6
Quad symmetry #2	Early 1982	Atari 8-bit	More refined version6
Final #3	Late 1982	Atari 8-bit	Tunnels on all 4 sides and short twisty corridors6
Atari 2600	October 1982	Atari 2600	Significantly different due to hardware limitations8
Jawbreaker II	1983	Multiple	Non-Pac-Man gameplay7
Commodore 64	1983	Commodore 64	Programmed by Doug Whittaker and Chuck Bueche16

Atari 2600 Version Development

The Atari 2600 version of Jawbreaker had to be written considerably differently from the original computer version due to the 2600’s limitation of only two player objects per line⁴. John Harris himself worked on the 2600 port after Tiger Electronic Toys approached On-Line Systems to convert their computer games to Atari 2600 versions⁴.

Harris and two other programmers were flown to Chicago to learn 2600 programming⁴. Harris programmed the 2600 version using a SYM 6502 board as a cartridge emulator and wrote custom remote screen-oriented debugging tools that ran on his Atari 800⁴. Tiger Electronic Toys had reverse-engineered the 2600 hardware for the port⁴.

When Harris saw the home computer versions that were created by other programmers (including the later C64 port), he was reportedly appalled at the quality compared to his original vision¹³.

Technical Issues

The Apple II version archived at Asimov has some known bugs, with copies labeled “Jawbreaker1&11.err” experiencing issues¹¹. These include occasional game freezes and enemies sometimes passing through walls in the corners¹¹. The Atarimania archive notes some little glitches in emulators when player missile graphics overlap with artifacting⁶.

Easter Eggs and Trivia

• The game was originally titled as two separate words: “Jaw Breaker”⁶
• The intro music is a chiptune version of “The Candy Man”⁶
• A sailing boat rarely appears in the maze as a special bonus⁹
• The death animation showing teeth falling out of the player character’s mouth was considered memorable and distinctive⁶
• The original price of $39.95wouldbeequivalenttoapproximately$150 in 2006 dollars⁶

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

Jawbreaker became an instant bestseller for On-Line Systems¹³. It achieved second place on Softline Magazine’s Top 30 list of popular Atari 8-bit programs in 1983, surpassed only by the system-defining Star Raiders¹³. The game won the Best Computer Action Game award at the 1982 Arkie Awards, cementing its reputation as one of the premier action titles of its era⁵.

The game’s success was significant enough that its creation story became a notable portion of Steven Levy’s influential 1984 book Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution³. This inclusion ensured that Jawbreaker’s place in early gaming history would be remembered by enthusiasts and historians.

Sequels and Ports

The legal challenges from Atari led to the creation of Jawbreaker II in 1983, which was released for multiple platforms including Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, VIC-20, and TI-99/4A⁷. The sequel was programmed by Dan Drew rather than John Harris and adopted gameplay more similar to the Atari 2600 version rather than the original Pac-Man clone formula².

The Commodore 64 version of Jawbreaker, while different from other ports, was considered excellent by some reviewers: “Even though it is not the same as the other ports, the C-64 version of Jawbreaker is excellent. Sure, there are still those animations and the characters themselves, but the sprites are bigger and there is actual music as you play the game”⁷. However, the same reviewer noted “One bad thing I can say about the C-64 version is that it’s way too easy”⁷.

Creator’s Career

John Harris left Sierra for Synapse Software following his work on Jawbreaker¹⁸. According to Jimmy Maher’s historical analysis, “Ken had decided that dealing with artistically-tempered programmers like John Harris of Jawbreaker fame just wasn’t worth the trouble, that programming really shouldn’t be considered a creative endeavor at all”¹⁸. This tension between creative programmers and management would become a recurring theme in the early game industry.

Speedrunning Community

Jawbreaker maintains a small but active speedrunning community on Speedrun.com. The current world record for the Atari 2600 version’s “1 Loop” category stands at 34 seconds, held by PulMatrox¹⁹. The community includes 3 active players with 4 total submitted runs¹⁹.

Critical Perspective

Jawbreaker represents an important moment in the early personal computer gaming industry—a successful third-party title that demonstrated the commercial viability of home computer games while simultaneously highlighting the legal tensions surrounding game cloning that would shape the industry for years to come. Its technical excellence on the Atari 8-bit platform proved that talented independent programmers could create experiences rivaling official first-party releases.

The game’s significance extends beyond its gameplay. The legal battle with Atari over Pac-Man similarities foreshadowed similar disputes that would continue throughout gaming history. While the outcome of that particular case remains somewhat disputed in gaming lore, Jawbreaker’s evolution from blatant clone to more original design demonstrates the pressure that intellectual property concerns placed on early developers.

From a historical perspective, Jawbreaker is perhaps most valuable as documentation of the wild west era of computer gaming, when a 19-year-old programmer could create a bestselling game in two months while living in company housing. Its story, preserved in Steven Levy’s Hackers, captures the enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit that defined the birth of the personal computer game industry.

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

• GOG Dreamlist - Community wishlist

Download / Preservation

• Internet Archive – Apple II Version¹
• Internet Archive – Atari 8-bit Version²⁰
• MyAbandonware¹⁴

Manuals & Extras

• Atari Jawbreaker Manual²¹
• Jawbreaker II Manual²²

Series Continuity

Jawbreaker spawned a sequel, Jawbreaker II, released in 1983 for multiple home computer platforms⁷. While the original game was a Pac-Man clone, the sequel departed significantly from this formula, instead adopting gameplay more similar to the unique design created for the Atari 2600 version of the first game⁷. The series represents Sierra On-Line’s early efforts in action gaming before the company became primarily known for adventure games like Mystery House and the King’s Quest series¹⁵.

• Next: 1983 - Jawbreaker II

References

Footnotes

1. Internet Archive – Jawbreaker Apple II – developer, publisher, system requirements, release date ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

2. Academic Encyclopedia – Jawbreaker – platforms, gameplay description, release dates ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

3. Games Database – Jawbreaker – development history, Hackers book reference, critical reception ↩ ↩² ↩³

4. Halcyon Days – John Harris Interview – Atari 800 hardware usage, 2600 development details ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

5. Wikipedia – Jawbreaker (video game) – John Anderson review quote, Arkie Award, The Candy Man music, Softline ranking ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

6. Atarimania – Jawbreaker – user reviews, version history, trivia, legal dispute, technical specifications ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³ ↩²⁴

7. MobyGames – Jawbreaker II – sequel information, platform releases, C64 version reviews ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

8. Dial Up Games – Jawbreaker Atari 2600 – Tigervision publisher, gameplay description ↩ ↩² ↩³

9. Sierra Chest – Jawbreaker Walkthrough – controls, bonus items, gameplay mechanics ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

10. MobyGames – Jawbreaker – ratings, designer credits, game description ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

11. GameFAQs – Jawbreaker Apple II FAQ – point values, gameplay mechanics, bugs, version comparison ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

12. Atari Magazines – VG Update – moving doors feature, CES listing ↩

13. Retro365 – Jawbreaker Development History – John Harris age, development timeline, legal dispute details, version history ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³

14. MyAbandonware – Jawbreaker – file sizes, user ratings, platform availability ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

15. Dynamix Wiki – Sierra Entertainment – company founding, On-Line Systems history ↩ ↩²

16. Lemon64 – Jaw Breaker – C64 version credits, Atari lawsuit information ↩ ↩²

17. RetroGames.cz – Jawbreaker – file size, version information ↩

18. The Digital Antiquarian – Jawbreaker – John Harris departure from Sierra, Ken Williams quote ↩ ↩²

19. Speedrun.com – Jawbreaker – speedrunning community statistics, world records ↩ ↩²

20. Internet Archive – Atari 8-bit Version – archival preservation ↩

21. Internet Archive – Atari Jawbreaker Manual – game manual ↩

22. Internet Archive – Jawbreaker II Manual – sequel manual, TI-99/4A version ↩