How to play Super Cobra online
- Fly up, down and forward: up, down and right arrow keys
- Hover in place: left arrow key
- Fire a missile and drop a bomb: Space bar
- Choose the speed (slow, medium or fast): F11 (the consoleās Select switch)
- Start a new game: F12 (the consoleās Reset switch)
- Save and load your progress: Ctrl + 0ā9 saves to a slot, Alt + 0ā9 loads it
Gameplay
The screen scrolls to the right as your helicopter flies a 10,000-mile course over enemy territory. Each press of the fire button launches one missile forward and then drops one bomb, so a single button handles both air and ground targets. Pushing the joystick left does not fly you backwards: the helicopter simply hovers, which gives you a moment to line up a shot or wait for an opening.
A blue fuel gauge at the bottom of the screen drains as you fly. You refill it by reaching fuel tanks along the way, and a warning sound tells you when you are running low. Every level has its own mix of threats: some have rockets and guns switched off, some add flying fireballs, and on level 7 the mines start dropping bombs. On level 11 you pick up the booty, shown as a dollar sign.
You start with four helicopters, one in play and three in reserve. The game ends when all of them are gone, but if you press the fire button within five seconds you can carry on from the level you reached.
| Target | Points |
|---|---|
| Rocket, fireball or mine | 50 |
| Ground artillery | 100 |
| Every 1,000 miles flown | 900 |
| Booty (level 11) | 5,000 |
Tips
- Use the hover. Holding left slows your advance, which is the safest way through tight gaps and past rising rockets.
- Keep firing near the ground. Every press also drops a bomb, so flying low and tapping fire clears the ground artillery below you, the most valuable regular target.
- Never skip fuel. Running dry costs a helicopter just as surely as a crash.
- Try the slow speed first. It makes learning the later levels much easier, and the distance points still add up.
- Use the five-second continue. It lets you practise the hardest levels without flying the whole course again.
History
Konami created Super Cobra as a spiritual successor to its arcade shooter Scramble, on the same hardware, and Stern Electronics released it in North American arcades in 1981, where it sold well. Parker Brothers, which also held the home rights to Konamiās Frogger, brought it to the 2600 in 1983. AtariAge credits Mike Brodie as the programmer. The cartridge received a Certificate of Merit in the Best Action Videogame category at the 1983 Arkie Awards, and reviewers compared its mix of different stages to Vanguard. Parker Brothers also ran a contest with a Super Cobra flight jacket as the prize.
