Our site has two Tomcat pages, and each one loads a different ROM file. This page runs a file called “F-14 Tomcat Flight Simulator”, which doesn’t match the name of any catalogued release, so we can’t say for sure which build it is. The main Tomcat page runs the standard US cartridge and has the full guide to controls, missions and landing.
How to play Tomcat online
These are the controls from the original manual. They should work the same here, but because the exact build is not known, some details may differ.
- Climb / dive: down arrow pulls the nose up, up arrow pushes it down
- Bank left and right: left and right arrow keys
- Throttle: hold Space and press up or down
- Start a game: F12 (Reset)
- Switch cockpit displays: F11 (Select)
- Landing gear and arresting hook: F4 and F9 (the difficulty switches)
Which versions exist
Absolute released Tomcat in North America, and Activision sold it as Fighter Pilot outside the US. AtariAge also lists a European “F-14 Tomcat” cartridge from the Salu label and an Australian release from HES, and a PAL version later appeared in the Activision Anthology Remix Edition. There was also a separate Atari 7800 version, and AtariAge notes that many cartridges labelled for the 2600 actually contain the 7800 game. The file on this page could be any of these.
