Action is the largest category in the Atari 2600 library. It covers games where quick reactions decide everything: running, jumping, dodging and shooting, often all on the same screen. That suits the console well. The standard Atari joystick has one stick and a single fire button, so action games keep their controls simple and put the challenge into timing and movement.
The hardware shaped these games just as much as the controller did. The 2600 has only 128 bytes of RAM, and its graphics chip offers just two player sprites, two missiles and a ball to work with. Programmers got around this with flicker, repeated sprites and screens drawn one line at a time, which is why so many action games pit one hero against a small group of enemies. Here are a few good places to start:
Pitfall! (Activision, 1982): David Crane’s jungle run, with vines, tar pits, crocodiles and treasure spread over many screens.
Yars’ Revenge (Atari, 1982): Howard Scott Warshaw’s shooter, in which an insect-like Yar nibbles through a shield to reach its enemy.
Berzerk (Atari, 1982): the arcade robot maze, with Evil Otto chasing you out of every room.
Warlords (Atari, 1981): castle defence for up to four players on paddle controllers.
Frostbite (Activision, 1983): hop across drifting ice floes to build an igloo before the cold gets you.
Tutankham (Parker Brothers, 1983): a tomb-exploring shooter based on Konami’s arcade game.
Browse the full list below and play any of these action games right here in your browser.
About the Game Pitfall! is a platform video game designed by David Crane for the Atari 2600 and released by Activision in 1982. The player controls Pitfall Harry and is tasked with collecting all the treasures in a jungle within 20 minutes. The world consists of 255 screens which are horizontally connected in a flip … Read more
Overview Victory Announcement: Spectra-warriors, rejoice! The long battle against the planet Spectra’s invaders, the Morpuls, has finally ended. These foes have retreated to Tzoris, but our quest for justice isn’t over. Now, armed with our secret weapon, the Spectron, it’s time to strike back and honor our fallen. Introducing the Spectron: Our latest arsenal addition, … Read more
Crossbow Overview “Crossbow” is an innovative light gun shooter game, initially launched in arcades by Exidy in 1983 and subsequently brought to the Atari 2600 by Atari Corporation. This game stands out for its unique control mechanism, which involves a positional gun designed to mimic the look and feel of a full-sized crossbow, offering players … Read more
Crackpots is a 1983 Activision game for the Atari 2600, and the first 2600 game by designer Dan Kitchen. You play Potsy, a rooftop gardener in Brooklyn, whose building is being eaten by bugs crawling up from the sewer. Your only defence is a row of flowerpots on the roof ledge, which you push over onto the bugs below. It is easy to pick up, and it gets surprisingly tense as the bugs speed up. You can play it here in your browser, with nothing to install.
Cosmic Swarm for Atari 2600 Overview: In the vast expanse of space lies WAYPOINT, a major interstellar trading hub operated by a small crew at a strategic crossroads among the stars. It’s a role that promises tranquility but hides unexpected dangers. Lurking within one of its compartments, a colony of giant, alien, mineral-eating termites from … Read more
Communist Mutants from Space Overview Game Development “Communist Mutants from Space” is a classic fixed shooter game, crafted by Stephen H. Landrum for the Atari 2600, utilizing the Starpath Supercharger cassette add-on for enhanced gameplay. Released in 1982 by Starpath (originally known as Arcadia), the game is often compared to “Galaxian,” albeit with more diverse … Read more
Commando Raid is a 1982 Atari 2600 shooting game published by U.S. Games, the video game division of the cereal company Quaker Oats. It was developed by James Wickstead Design Associates and programmed by Wes Trager. Helicopters drop squads of android paratroopers over your city, and a single anti-aircraft gun is all that stands between them and your buildings. This page runs the North American (NTSC) cartridge. You can play it here in your browser.
Atari 2600 Coconuts: A Jungle Adventure Dive into the wild with “Coconuts,” where Coco the mischievous monkey is causing chaos by throwing coconuts at Stanley I. Presume, our fearless jungle explorer. It’s your mission to help Stanley dodge these aerial attacks. Watch out, though; Coco’s antics escalate with your success, making the coconuts come at … Read more
Atari 2600 Chuck Norris Superkicks Instructions Embark on an adventure in an exotic Oriental setting as “Chuck Norris,” on a mission to rescue a prominent leader held captive in an ancient monastery. Begin your quest as a novice with a White Belt, striving to master karate and earn a Black Belt to gain entry into … Read more
China Syndrome is an Atari 2600 action game from Spectravision, one of the smaller third-party publishers of the early 1980s. An earthquake has damaged the nuclear reactor on Spectra Island, and in a training simulator you steer a robot arm through the reactor’s nine levels, collecting leaked fuel particles before the radiation gets out of hand. It is a simple, fast catching game with an unusual theme. You can play it here in your browser.