

Pong technically never came to the Atari 2600, but there were plenty of games in its spirit. Screengrab via YouTube/Highretrogamelord 8 ) Outlaw
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Fatal Run was one of the rare titles for the 2600 to feature a password system, but after you’re blown up for the hundredth time, you’ll be thankful it has one. Your simple task is complicated by other racers who want to run you off the road and into the grave. One of the biggest games ever released for the 2600, clocking in at a (for the time) massive 32KB, Fatal Run is an oddly dark sci-fi racing game that tasked players with transporting a radiation vaccine to a dying populous. Screengrab via YouTube/vghchannel 7) Fatal Run River Raid remains a blast to play, thanks to its varied level design and challenging refueling requirements. Players control a fighter jet that can move right to the left, but not forward or back, as it blows up enemies and seeks out precious fuel reserves. This vertical-scrolling shooter was a massive hit for Atari, selling over a million cartridges. Screengrab via YouTube/vghchannel 6) River Raid With 27 variations of its three level types, Combat was a diverse game that pushed its simple format to the limit.

Tank levels see you navigate simple mazes as you seek to destroy your enemy, while the biplane and jet levels take you to the clouds for aerial warfare. Looking for the height of Atari two-player military combat? Look no further than Combat, a land and air combination that ruined plenty of friendships over countless fevered battles. Screengrab via YouTube/World of Longplays 5) Combat Secret Quest is beloved for its Easter eggs, including a hidden stats menu only accessible by flipping the system’s “black and white” color switch. At the end of each level, you set off a detonation timer, forcing you to quickly find a teleporter or face your doom. You are an unnamed hero tasked with blowing up eight space stations using a blend of simple sword-based combat and brain-bending puzzle solving. Screengrab via YouTube/World of Longplays 4) Secret QuestĪtari’s answer to Legend of Zelda wasn’t a fantasy game, but instead a science fiction title. On a darker note, Berzerk is also the first game to be tied to the death of a player, when an 18-year-old game had a heart attack after achieving two high scores on the game in 15 minutes. The Atari 5200 version is among the first home console games to feature digitized speech and has been lovingly referenced in everything from News Radio to The Simpsons. Maze games were common in the system, but Berzerk added a shooting component that took its simple mazes to another level. Screengrab via YouTube/World of Longplays 3) Berzerkīerzerk ’s multi-directional shooting action has helped cement its legacy as one of the Atari’s finest action titles. Battlezone is still fun today, a feat made all the more remarkable when you consider its 1980 release date. Battlezone stands as the systems finest graphical achievement, one of the earliest examples of a first-person shooter, complete with 3d graphics. People scoff at the 2600’s admittedly limited capabilities, but in the right hands, the system could produce remarkable things. Screengrab via YouTube/World of Longplays 2) Battlezone From swinging on vines to falling through holes to new levels, we’re still playing with mechanics Pitfall! introduced. Combining an infuriating difficulty level with a 20-minute time limit, Pitfall! helped define the side-scrolling platformer for generations to come. The original king of rage quitting, Pitfall! is the rare 2600 title that remains on the lips and minds of gamers around the world even more than 30 years after its release. Don’t believe us? Take a walk down memory lane with our picks for the best games on the Atari 2600. While they may seem crude by today’s standards, the Atari 2600 help usher in the modern era of games whether current players remember it or not. Despite, or perhaps because of, its limitations, Atari developers found new and exciting ways to stretch the system’s limited capabilities into fully realized games.
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The Atari’s longevity is mostly thanks to its deep catalog of games, ranging from adventure titles to action games, and movie tie-ins. While the modern game systems refresh every few years, the Atari 2600 was a presence in stores for 13 years. The system’s lifespan is hard to fathom in modern times, selling from 1977 until Jan. Hitting shelves at a hefty $199 price tag-about $786 adjusted for inflation-the 2600 came with a single button joystick, a pair of paddle controllers, and a game.
