Play Atari 2600 Video Games Online

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The Atari 2600 was first released in North America in September 1977 and featured 9 launch titles: Air-Sea BattleBasic MathBlackjackCombatIndy 500Star ShipStreet RacerSurround and Video Olympics. The final licensed Atari 2600 game released in North America was Secret Quest in 1989, and the final licensed game released in Europe was Klax and Acid Drop in 1990 and 1992. Even with their 1980s limited colors and block graphics these games are still entertaining to play today! We have over 500 Atari 2600 games for you to play online for free using our Atari 2600 Javascript Emulator.

This game is mobile device friendly and Iphone compatible. Enjoy!

Instructions and Keyboard Controls towards bottom of page.
Click “Game Reset” or F12 to Start Game

Star Ship

INSTRUCTIONS:
If you grew up in the 80’s you shouldn’t need instructions!! You might find some help at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Atari_2600_games and look up the game you need assistance playing.

CONTROLS:
Click “Game Reset” or F12 to Begin/Restart Game
Arrow Keys – Move
Space bar to fire/action button


TRANSCRIBED ORIGINAL ATARI GAME MANUAL AND INSTRUCTIONS
	STAR SHIP
	Game Program Instructions

	Atari
	A Warner Communications Company
	Atari, Inc., Consumer Division
	1195 Borregas Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086
	copyright 1977 Atari Inc.    C011405-03


Use Joystick Controllers with this game program.  Be sure the Controllers
are firmly connected to your Video Computer System.  See your owner's manual
for details.  Hold the Controllers with the red button to your upper left
towards the television screen.

NOTE: To prolong the life of your Atari Video Computer System and protect
the electronic components, the Console unit should be OFF when inserting a
Game Program.


CONTROLLER ACTION
Controller action depends on the game being played.  Details for Joystick
Controller action can be found under each game heading.  In all cases, hold
the Controller with the red button to your upper left towards the television
screen.

DIFFICULTY
Want to really test your aim in space?  Slide the Difficulty Switch to the
"A" position during Star Ship games and your laser missiles become weaker.
This makes it necessary for you to hold the Enemy Space Objects on target
longer.
Slide the Difficulty to "A" position during Lunar Lander games and you must
be exactly on target before you score points.  As you attempt to land the
Lunar Lander on the moon, make sure that you are landing DIRECTLY on the
moon target as you fire the landing rockets with the red controller button.


STAR SHIP
You're sitting in your Star Ship cockpit.  And your television screen is
suddenly transformed into the window of your Star Ship.  With the Joystick
Controller, steer the ship deep into space.  A constant barrage of meteors
whiz toward your window.  Eerie Enemy Space Objects float from the darkest
parts of space.

Asteroid (yellow speckles)
Cannot be destroyed.

Star Fighter (blue ship which looks like a Klingon ship)
1 point.

Flying Saucer (looks like a flying saucer)
2 points.

Space Robot  (looks like a pink bug)
3 points.

Space Module (the other player's ship in some variations)
2 points.

[Diagram of Joystick Directions]
Joystick Forward: To Dive (Moves Objects Up)
Joystick Back: To Climb (Moves Objects Down)
Joystick Right: To Turn Right (Moves Objects Left)
Joystick Left: To Turn Left (Moves Objects Right)


JOYSTICK ACTION
The movement of the Joystick affects the direction you travel through space.
For example, to avoid collision with space objects on your ship's left,
steer the ship to the right by moving the Joystick to the right; dive by
moving the Joystick forward; soar upward by moving the Joystick back towards
you.

Your mission in space is to destroy Enemy Space Objects to score points.
You are helpless against asteroids -- they can NOT be destroyed.  Lose one
point when an Enemy Space Object or asteroid crashes into your ship.  Score
one point when you destroy a star fighter.  Score two points when you zap a
flying saucer or space module.  A space robot is worth three points when you
destroy it.

Destroy Enemy Space Objects with laser beams fired by pressing the red
button on your Joystick Controller.  Laser beams are only effective when the
objects are in the target area -- the two center bars of the Space Window.
Zap an Enemy Space Object and your score appears at the top right of the screen.

While you blast through space, you'll hear space sounds: computer "BEEPS"
from your space ship controls, collisions and laser beams while you fire.


ONE PLAYER GAMES
[Screen shot of Space Window for Games 1,2,3,4]

You are alone in these games.  Your television screen becomes your Space
Ship Window as you guide your ship deep into space with the right Joystick
Controller.  Meteors whiz past you.  And on each mission, Enemy Space
Objects make a different strategy.

Score points by destroying Enemy Space Objects.  Just press the red
Controller button when the Enemy Space Object is in the target area and
ZAPPP!  All one-player games last two minutes and 16 seconds.  During the
final 16 seconds, your score flashes off and on the Space Window.

GAME 1
Your mission is to destroy as many SLOW MOVING Enemy Space Objects as
possible in 2 minutes and 16 seconds.  The Enemy Space Objects appear two at
a time as you guide your ship into space.

GAME 2
Your mission is to destroy as many SLOW MOVING Enemy Space Objects as
possible in 2 minutes and 16 seconds.
They appear one at a time as you guide your ship into space.

GAME 3
Your mission is to destroy as many FAST MOVING Enemy Space Objects as
possible in 2 minutes and 16 seconds.  They appear one at a time.

GAME 4
Your mission is to destroy as many FAST MOVING Enemy Space Objects as
possible in two minutes and 16 seconds.
They appear two at a time.

[Screen shot of Space Window for Games 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]

You are sitting in your Star Ship cockpit.  Use the right Joystick
Controller to guide the Star Ship.  The opponent uses the other Joystick
Controller to steer the Space Module that appears through the Space Window.
Your score appears in the top right corner of the Space Window.  The
opponent's score is in the left corner.

Space Module Joystick Action
Joystick Forward, Move Up
Joystick Back, Move Down
Joystick Left, Move Left
Joystick Right, Move Right

Only the Star Ship Commander can score in this game.  But both players have
a turn to be Commander of the Star Ship.  This game lasts 4 minutes and 32
seconds.  During the final 16 seconds of each game half (2 minutes and 16
seconds), the scores will flash at the top of the screen.  After the first
half of the game, the Module at the Space Window changes color from blue to
orange.  Then you become Commander of the Module and your opponent becomes
the Star Ship Commander.

Your mission as Star Ship Commander?  To destroy Enemy Space Objects and the
Space Module you can see through your Space Window.  As you chase the Module
through space, make points when you zap an Enemy Space Object or when you
destroy the Module.  Lose 1 point when you collide with an Enemy Space
Object or asteroid.

As Module Commander, you must avoid collisions and laser missiles from the
Star Ship.  The Module's main defense?  The ability to become invisible.
The Module Commander presses the red Controller button and the Module
disappears when it is near the target area in the center of the Space
Window.  The Star Ship Commander scores 2 points when the Module collides
with an Enemy Space Object or asteroid.


GAME 5
The space chase is on.  And you must destroy the Space Module.  There are no
enemy space objects in this galaxy.  As Module Commander, you must avoid
laser missiles.

GAME 6
Blast off into space after the Space Module.  You must destroy the Module
and try to avoid collisions with the indestructible SLOW MOVING ASTEROIDS
that appear.  If you are the Module Commander, you must avoid collisions and
laser missiles.

GAME 7
Your mission?  To destroy the Space Module and try to avoid collisions with
the indestructible FAST MOVING ASTEROIDS that appear.  As Module Commander,
you must avoid collisions and laser missiles.

GAME 8
The space chase is on!  You must destroy the Space Module and SLOW MOVING
Enemy Space Objects that appear one at a time from deep space.

GAME 9
Catch the Space Module.  You must destroy it and the FAST MOVING Enemy Space
Objects that appear one at a time from deep space.



WARP DRIVE (One-Player Games)
you are sitting in your cockpit watching space whiz by.  With the right
Joystick Controller, steer your ship past the indestructible asteroids.
Your mission?  To cover as much distance as possible.

Your space meter ticks away each parsec (a measure of space distance which
equals 19.2 trillion miles) of distance in the upper right corner of the
Space Window.  You lose one parsec each time you collide with an asteroid.

To increase your speed into space, press the red Controller button.  You'll
hear the engines roar into the fastest speed of all -- Warp Drive.  During
the final 16 seconds of each game, your score will flash off and on at the
top right of the Space Window.  Warp Drive game lasts 2 minutes and 16 seconds.

Throughout your space race against time, you'll hear the sound of your Space
Ship engines, computer "BEEPS" from your Space Ship controls, and collisions.

[Screen Shot of Space Window for Games 10, 11]

GAME 10
Cover as much distance as possible while avoiding collisions with ASTEROIDS
that appear one at a time.

GAME 11
Cover as much distance as possible while avoiding collisions with ASTEROIDS
that appear two at a time.



LUNAR LANDER
[Screen Shot of Space Window for Games 12 - 17]

You've explored space.  Now your mission is to explore the moon.  You
control the Lunar Lander on the Space Window with your Controller Joystick.
The game or another player controls the movement of the moon.  Score one
point for every successful landing your Lunar Lander makes.

NOTE: When the Lunar Lander or the Moon is moved off the top, bottom or
sides of the Space Window, it will reappear at the opposite side.  For
example, the Moon moves off the top of the Window and reappears at the
bottom of the Window.

You'll hear space sounds: computer "BEEPS" from your lander controls,
collisions and retro fire from your rocket engines.

ONE-PLAYER GAMES
Each one-player game lasts 2 minutes and 16 seconds.  The computer controls
the movement of the moon.  You control the movement of the Lunar Lander with
the right Controller Joystick.  Score one point for every successful landing
your Lander makes.  Before you can make a perfect landing, remember to fire
your retro rockets by pressing the red Controller button as you land.

GAME 12
Using the right Controller, you steer the Lunar Lander.  The computer
controls the movement of the moon.  Score one point for every successful
landing.

GAME 13
Using the right controller, you are the commander of the Lunar Lander while
the computer moves the moon.  Score one point for every successful landing.
You must avoid collision with SLOW MOVING METEOR SHOWERS.  Lose one point
when you collide with a meteor.  Meteors do not affect the moon.

GAME 14
You control the Lunar Lander with the right Controller.  The computer
controls the moon.  Score one point for every successful landing.  You must
avoid collision with FAST MOVING METEOR SHOWERS.  Lose one point when you
collide with a meteor.  Meteors do not affect the moon.


TWO-PLAYER GAMES
Control the Lunar Lander with the right Joystick and your score appears in
the top right corner of the Space Window.  The other player controls the
moon with the left Joystick and that score appears in the left corner.  Only
the Lunar Lander Commander can score one point for each successful moon landing.

The two-player games last 4 minutes and 32 seconds.  After the first half of
the game, the Lunar Lander changes from blue to orange, and the right
Joystick controls the moon's movement; the left Joystick then controls the
Lunar Lander.  That way, both players have a chance to score.  During the
final 16 seconds of each game half (2 minutes and 16 seconds), the score
will flash at the top of the Space Window.

GAME 15
You control the movement of the Lunar Lander.  Another player controls the
moon.  Score one point for every successful landing.  As controller of the
moon, you must try to avoid contact with the Lunar Lander.

GAME 16
Score one point every time you land on the moon.  Your only obstacles are
SLOW MOVING METEOR SHOWERS.  When the Lunar Lander collides with a meteor,
you lose one point.  As controller of the moon, you must try to avoid
contact with the Lunar Lander.  Meteor showers do not affect the moon.

GAME 17
Score one point every time you land on the moon.  Your opponent controls the
moon.  Your only obstacles are FAST MOVING METEOR SHOWERS.  When you collide
with a meteor, you lose one point.  As controller of the moon, you must try
to avoid contact with the Lunar Lander.  Meteor showers do not affect the moon.

REQUIRMENTS:
Our Atari 2600 emulator utilizes Javascript to run in your browser. No plugin is required, but a fast modern web browser will enhance the game play.

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SAMPLE IPHONE GAMEPLAY SCREENSHOT

Emulation on mobile devices will drain your battery quite fast. I recommend playing while device is plugged into charger.


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StarShip Arcade Game Emulated on the Atari 2600. Play StarShip in your web browser or mobile phone. This Atari 2600 console emulator provides very accurate StarShip gameplay. StarShip is a classic 1980s Atari 2600 video game.