The Atari 2600 is one of the most iconic home consoles ever released.
It debuted in 1977 to moderate success, before finally going on to sell over 40 million units
worldwide.
Despite such success, the Atari brand doesn't carry the same weight it once did, the 2600
doesn't receive the same love as other retro consoles, and gaming tastes have changed quite
a bit over the past 40 years.
However, some games have aged remarkably well.
So, on today's episode of 5 Games I present 5 Great Atari 2600 games.
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Yars’ Revenge is a fan favorite for the Atari 2600, and rightfully so.
Like many games of the time, this is a single-screen shooter, but rather than blasting waves of
enemies from the top of the screen, the action is far more complex.
You take control of the Yar, who can move and fire in any direction, including diagonals.
The Yar has to shoot or nibble through the barrier protecting the Quotile.
After destroying enough of the barrier, you can then touch the Quotile which activates
your Zorion Cannon.
Fire this into the Quotile to complete the level.
Of course things aren’t this simple.
First, a destroyer missile chases you, meaning you can’t stay in one spot for too long.
Second, you can hide in the neutral zone and not take damage from the destroyer missile,
but you can’t fire either, it is a neutral zone after all.
Finally, the Quotile can turn into a swirl and launch at you, meaning there are two enemies
you have to dodge.
It all adds up for an extremely engaging experience on the primitive hardware, with deep strategies
and quick reaction being key, especially as the action speeds up.
Needless to say, the gameplay holds up.
The crisp controls and twitchy gameplay make this an absolute blast to play, and a must
own for the Atari 2600.
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Next up is Ice Hockey, a game rarely mentioned when talking about the Atari 2600.
On the surface, this should be a terrible game.
For one, it’s a retro sports game, and second it’s a retro sports game on the friggin'
Atari.
But this game has quickly become one of my favorite titles on the platform.
As you can no doubt see, this is a vertically oriented 2 on 2 hockey game.
Despite the small ice rink and primitive, uh, everything, this is a surprisingly awesome
game.
As you would expect, the name of the game is to score goals, but as the Atari joystick
has just a single button, Activision had to get pretty creative to make it all work.
For starters, you only control one player at a time, and the computer is responsible
for switching between them, for you.
This means you have to anticipate when the switch will happen, so your non-playable character
is in a favorable position for when you switch back.
The aiming is also rather intuitive.
The joystick is limited to moving your player, and pressing left or right will cause your
player to switch directions, which is necessary to prevent your opponent from blocking your
shots.
You do have control over the direction of your shots however.
If you look closely, you'll see the puck is moving back and forth, and where it is in
relation to the hockey stick will control it's trajectory.
Pretty forward thinking stuff.
The dead simple controls and gameplay nuances make for an exceptionally playable game of
hockey which is immensely entertaining.
There is also 2-player support, and a fast mode, rounding out the hockey package.
If for some reason you've passed up Ice Hockey, give it a shot, I think you'll be pleasantly
surprised.
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Next up is a port of Konami's arcade classic Frogger.
While I'm sure this wasn't the best port of Frogger in its time, it is one of the most
remarkable Atari 2600 games I've ever played.
If you haven't played Frogger before, the concept is rather simple.
You play the role of a frog, and must journey across a busy highway avoiding traffic, then
adventure over a river avoiding the water.
The brilliance here is how these two concepts are the exact opposite, first avoiding obstacles,
and then needing to jump from obstacle to obstacle.
The goal is to the land the frog in one of the little frog homes at the top of the screen.
Complete this task 5 times and you move onto the next stage, where everything becomes faster
and harder.
Technically speaking, this is an impressive port.
Nearly everything is here and accounted for, including a lives counter and a timer.
Even better, some game modes allow you to ride the logs all the way from one side of
the screen to the other, making this a much more accessible game for newcomers.
And of course, the addictive gameplay is retained.
The name of the game here is pattern recognition, and finding the soft spot in the traffic,
and navigating the water, while under the oppressive timer is an exhilarating experience.
Add in some snappy controls, catchy jingles, and some impressive graphics, and you have
one addicting experience.
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You can't talk about great Atari 2600 games without mentioning the iconic River Raid.
On the surface, this is a fairly straightforward vertically scrolling shmup.
But beneath the surface is some incredibly compelling gameplay.
First, you can speed up and slow down, offering a nice twist to simply moving up and down
the screen.
Second, you have a fuel gauge that you have to manage.
You can refuel by flying over fuel tanks on the playfield.
Of course, you can also shoot the fuel tanks for additional points, adding in some risk
versus reward.
Finally, you have to stay in the blue areas, as outside this area represents canyon walls.
You also have to shoot out bridges rather than fly into them, which act as checkpoints.
The game even utilizes some procedural level generation offering a rather lengthy game
on a miniscule cartridge, which is pretty clever.
In any case, the combination of avoiding the canyon walls, shooting down bridges, managing
your fuel, all while shooting down enemies and avoiding collisions makes for fantastic
experience.
The smooth controls give River Raid a timeless playability that is every bit as refreshing
today as the day it was released.
If you're looking the quintessential Atari 2600 game, this, is it.
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Last but not least is Seaquest.
If River Raid was a single screen shooter, it would probably look a lot like Seaquest.
The goal here is to rescue divers with your submarine.
Once you grab 6 of them, you must make your way to the surface to complete the round,
and collect your points.
Of course, things aren't that easy.
Sharks and other enemies litter the ocean and are equal opportunity hunters.
You either have to shoot them down or avoid them.
If you get hit, you lose a life, and you lose a diver, meaning you've essentially thrown
away points.
There is also an oxygen meter.
When it gets low you'll have to resurface to replenish, but doing so before rescuing
6 divers will result in the loss of a diver, setting up the perfect risk versus reward
scenarios.
Of course you'll want to push the limits of the oxygen, so you can cash in on points.
Finally, the surface of the ocean also has a boat that will crash into you, so you also
have to be careful when surfacing your sub.
With each passing round, enemy patterns get quite dense and the action gets pretty intense.
Seaquest is one of the few games where I can really get into the zone, almost subconsciously
moving my submarine around the screen collecting divers while the world around my ceases to
exist.
That Zen-like feeling earns Seaquest a spot, on this list.
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So there you have it, 5 more great games for the Atari 2600.
Now this is not a definitive list, nor is it intended to be a best of, and the Atari
2600 has far far more than 5 great games.
So, be sure to leave a comment, and let me know some of your, favorites.