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Atari consoles, particularly the Atari 2600, 5200, and 7800, had a variety of games with cheat codes, tricks, and secrets that players could unlock. Here’s a list of some of the most well-known cheat codes and secrets for Atari consoles:
Atari 2600 Cheat Codes:
- Adventure (2600) – Hidden Yellow Castle
- Cheat: In Adventure, there’s a hidden yellow castle that doesn’t appear on the map. To unlock it, you must find the “Gray Dot” on the screen and place it on the gray bridge. The yellow castle will then be revealed.
- Adventure (2600) – Infinite Lives
- Cheat: In Adventure, by collecting the “Gray Dot” (which functions like a key) and using it, you can respawn after death, effectively giving you infinite lives.
- Pac-Man (2600) – Power Pellet Invincibility
- Cheat: In Pac-Man on the Atari 2600, pressing Up while eating a power pellet lets you remain invincible indefinitely.
- Combat (2600) – Change Game Mode
- Cheat: In Combat, press the Game Reset button during the match to cycle through various game modes, changing the type of gameplay (e.g., tank battles, planes, etc.).
- Missile Command (2600) – Secret Modes
- Cheat: In Missile Command, if you hold the Fire button while playing, the game will enter a secret mode where missiles explode more dramatically, giving the game a different feel.
- Space Invaders (2600) – UFO Cheat
- Cheat: To make the UFOs in Space Invaders move faster, press Right on the joystick during gameplay.
- Asteroids (2600) – Infinite Lives
- Cheat: In Asteroids, press Up and Left on the joystick, followed by Fire, to unlock infinite lives during gameplay.
- River Raid (2600) – Speed Boost
- Cheat: In River Raid, hold Down on the joystick to make the player’s plane fly faster, increasing the challenge and excitement.
- Pitfall! (2600) – Extra Lives
- Cheat: In Pitfall!, entering the water and performing a certain sequence of jumps will reward players with extra lives. The cheat involves jumping over specific objects at key times in the game.
- Dragster (2600) – Faster Car Cheat
- Cheat: In Dragster, if you press Down on the joystick during a race, your car will speed up significantly, making it easier to win.
Atari 5200 Cheat Codes:
- Super Breakout (5200) – Extra Balls
- Cheat: In Super Breakout on the Atari 5200, hold Left and press Reset during the game to unlock extra balls, allowing for longer play sessions.
- Missile Command (5200) – Invincibility
- Cheat: In Missile Command for the Atari 5200, you can hold Right + Fire during gameplay to activate invincibility, making your cities unbreakable to missiles.
- Pac-Man (5200) – Infinite Lives
- Cheat: In Pac-Man on the Atari 5200, you can get infinite lives by pressing Up + Down while the game is running, ensuring you never run out of chances.
- Galaxian (5200) – Extra Ships
- Cheat: In Galaxian for the Atari 5200, press Up + Left while playing to add extra ships to your game. This cheat gives you more chances to continue your space battle.
- Donkey Kong (5200) – Unlimited Time
- Cheat: To get unlimited time in Donkey Kong for the Atari 5200, hold Up + Fire during the title screen. This cheat will remove any time limits, giving you more freedom to complete each level.
- Asteroids (5200) – Extra Asteroids
- Cheat: In Asteroids on the Atari 5200, pressing Down + Right activates an extra set of asteroids, making the game more challenging and exciting.
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (5200) – Invincibility
- Cheat: In Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back for the Atari 5200, pressing Left + Right at the same time activates invincibility, making your ship immune to enemy fire.
Atari 7800 Cheat Codes:
- Asteroids (7800) – Infinite Lives
- Cheat: In Asteroids for the Atari 7800, enter the cheat code Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A during the title screen to unlock infinite lives.
- Pole Position II (7800) – Extra Points
- Cheat: In Pole Position II, press Down + Left + A on the controller during the race to get extra points, helping to increase your score.
- Robotron: 2084 (7800) – Extra Lives
- Cheat: In Robotron: 2084 for the Atari 7800, press A + B together while playing to receive extra lives.
- Super Breakout (7800) – Unlimited Balls
- Cheat: Press Up + Right during the game in Super Breakout to unlock unlimited balls, allowing you to continue playing without losing the ball.
- Frogger (7800) – Extra Time
- Cheat: In Frogger for the Atari 7800, hold Up + Left to unlock extra time in each level, making it easier to cross roads and rivers.
- Galaga (7800) – Bonus Ships
- Cheat: In Galaga for the Atari 7800, press A + B during gameplay to unlock bonus ships. This cheat adds extra ships to your collection for a better chance at survival.
- Joust (7800) – Extra Points
- Cheat: In Joust for the Atari 7800, pressing Right + A will unlock extra points, helping you rack up a higher score during your gameplay.
- Xevious (7800) – Unlimited Bombs
- Cheat: In Xevious for the Atari 7800, enter the cheat code Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, A, B to activate unlimited bombs.
- Super C (7800) – 30 Lives Cheat
- Cheat: In Super C on the Atari 7800, enter Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, A, B on the title screen to get 30 lives, allowing you to survive longer in the game.
- Pitfall! II: Lost Caverns (7800) – Skip Levels
- Cheat: In Pitfall! II: Lost Caverns for the Atari 7800, press Left + Right + A on the title screen to skip directly to the next level.
Conclusion:
The Atari consoles, particularly the 2600, 5200, and 7800, provided players with a variety of cheat codes and tricks to enhance their gameplay experience. While cheat codes weren’t as widespread as they are today, they were still a fun and exciting way to extend playtime, gain extra lives, unlock hidden content, or modify game mechanics. Many of these cheats became beloved staples of retro gaming culture, often passed down among enthusiasts as part of the nostalgia that continues to surround Atari consoles. Whether you were invincible in Asteroids, got extra lives in Robotron: 2084, or received unlimited bombs in Xevious, these cheats helped make the Atari experience even more enjoyable.