How to play Dumbo’s Flying Circus online
- Fly Dumbo around the screen: arrow keys
- Shoot peanuts from Dumbo’s trunk: Space bar
- Start a game: F12 (the console’s Reset switch)
- Save and load: Ctrl + 0–9 saves, Alt + 0–9 loads
Gameplay
Think of it as Kaboom! turned upside down. Balloons float up from below, and you fly Dumbo around to catch them or shoot them before they reach the top. Some balloons carry bombs, and those have to be shot with peanuts. Others carry clowns, and you need to catch the clown before the balloon reaches the top, where clowns start dropping things on you. Every time three balloons escape, the ceiling moves a little lower and your flying space shrinks.
After each wave there is a bonus round: Dumbo’s friend Timothy Q. Mouse flies in from the left, and catching him before he leaves the screen earns points and raises the ceiling again. After every two waves a short intermission shows Dumbo flying with a banner.
Tips
- Deal with bombs first. Bomb balloons can only be shot, so clear them before chasing the rest.
- Never skip Timothy. The bonus round is your only way to win back ceiling height.
- Look for the hidden message. Score exactly 10,000 points and the balloons turn into the letters PCN, the programmer’s initials.
Why it was never released
Four dated prototypes are known, from April to July 1983. The game was shelved before Atari’s children’s line reached it. One likely reason is its difficulty: even the final version is quite hard for young children and would probably have needed more tuning. For older players, that challenge is exactly what makes it worth a try.
