Summary
- Release Year: 1982
- Genres: Shooter
- Platforms: Atari 2600
- Developers: Men-A-Vision
- Publishers: Men-A-Vision
Air Raid (1982): The Rarest Atari 2600 Game
Air Raid is a fixed shooter game released for the Atari 2600 in 1982. It is considered to be the rarest game released for the console, with only a few hundred copies known to exist.
The game is simple but addictive. The player controls a jet fighter and must destroy enemy planes and avoid bombs. The game is played from a top-down perspective, and the player’s jet can move in any direction.
Air Raid was developed by MenAvision, a small company founded by former Atari employees. The game was originally released in arcades, but was later ported to the Atari 2600.
The Atari 2600 version of Air Raid is very similar to the arcade version. However, there are a few key differences. The Atari 2600 version has only one level, while the arcade version has multiple levels. Additionally, the Atari 2600 version does not have any sound effects.
Despite its simplicity, Air Raid is a challenging and fun game. The player must constantly be on the move, dodging bombs and shooting enemy planes. The game is also very fast-paced, which adds to the challenge.
Air Raid was not a commercial success when it was first released. However, it has since become a cult classic among retro gamers. The game’s rarity and challenging gameplay have made it a sought-after item for collectors.
Gameplay
The goal of Air Raid is to destroy all of the enemy planes and avoid the bombs. The player controls a jet fighter that can move in any direction. The player can shoot in any direction, but the bullets only travel in a straight line.
The game is played in a single level. The level is a large city, and the player’s jet flies over the city, dodging bombs and shooting enemy planes. The enemy planes come in waves, and the player must destroy all of the planes in each wave before moving on to the next wave.
The bombs are dropped from the enemy planes. The bombs fall in a straight line, and the player must dodge them to avoid being hit. If the player is hit by a bomb, they will lose a life.
The player has three lives. If the player loses all of their lives, the game is over.
Development
Air Raid was developed by MenAvision, a small company founded by former Atari employees. The game was originally released in arcades, but was later ported to the Atari 2600.
The Atari 2600 version of Air Raid was developed by a team of two programmers: Mike Feinstein and John Dunn. The game was developed in just six weeks.
Feinstein and Dunn used a number of innovative techniques to create Air Raid. For example, they used a technique called “rasterbation” to create the game’s graphics. Rasterbation is a technique that uses the Atari 2600’s graphics chip to draw shapes directly to the screen. This allowed Feinstein and Dunn to create more detailed graphics than were possible using the Atari 2600’s built-in graphics routines.
Air Raid was released in 1982. The game was not a commercial success, but it has since become a cult classic among retro gamers.
Legacy
Air Raid is considered to be one of the rarest Atari 2600 games. Only a few hundred copies of the game are known to exist. The game’s rarity and challenging gameplay have made it a sought-after item for collectors.
Air Raid has also been praised for its innovative graphics and gameplay. The game’s use of rasterbation to create detailed graphics was groundbreaking at the time. Air Raid’s fast-paced gameplay and challenging difficulty have also made it a popular game among retro gamers.
Air Raid is a classic Atari 2600 game that is still enjoyed by gamers today. The game’s rarity, innovative graphics, and challenging gameplay make it a must-have for any retro gaming collection.
Review Score
8/10
Art
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