Combat Atari 2600 Review

[Atariperson23]

Combat is one of the most recognized games in Atari 2600 history. People know it was the pack-in game with the 2600 we all know and love, but is it too primitive to play? Read on!

Originality: B Combat is a very interesting game. That's because it's a rip-off of Kee Games's Tank arcade game. But then again, Kee Games was a fancy name used by Atari to gain more money. Kee Games was another name for Atari. So let's consider it original, even though it technically was made by a company with a different name. But let's not get into the technicallity and just call Combat a original game.

Gameplay: A- Gameplay is fresh and entertaining, and it's simplistic but addicting. The shooting and the spawn-killing are worth a laugh, and the action can get fast and furious pretty quickly. Combat is a pleasure to play, not a chore (See Dishaster) and Combat holds elements of gameplay you won't see in most other games (like shoot or die) and Combat is not a bad game (Again, see Dishaster) but the flaws are it only lasts 136 seconds and it's two player only. But that's better than one player only (See Dishaster) and Combat is probably the best 2KB game, and is better than a lot of other 4KB games (See Dishaster)
Graphics:A For a game that only took 2048 characters to write, the game's graphics aren't that horrendous. Blockiness is kept to a bare minimum and the color palette doesn't hurt your eyes (See Dishaster), so there isn't too much i can say about it. But I must say, sometimes the minimal blockiness can get really annoying, and I don't like that.

Sound Effects: A. The engine noises are 8-bit, but very realistic. It makes me feel "in the mood". There is no background music, but that's no bad thing (See Fire Fly, Sorcerer, Dishaster, Inca Gold, and even Pitfall II to an extent) All in all, simplistic but right.

Total Grade:A-. Fair grade, in my opinion. Combat is only not an A or an A+ because it's too short, two-player only, and sometimes the controls are non-intuitive. Otherwise, a must-have game for any Atari 2600 owner

[keithbk]

That's the most references I've seen to Dishaster in ANY review of the Combat game cartridge!

[Foxsolo2000]

Back in the 80's a lot of people panned this game and I was one of them but in 2000 dug it out and played with a couple of friends and boy were we converted.  Tank Pong has to be one of the wildest, most frantic games ever released for the 2600 for you lose all thought but getting in that telling shot as the score flashes down.  Like a fine wine its fun has aged well. 

[chas10e]

Combat, I'd say is my favorite game. It is hard at times to get a 2'nd player so I bring my Atari to family gatherings & try to get a game in or two.

 

The "short play time" affords the opportunity to try and play all 27 levels in one-go. (28 times actually; to swap controllers for the "bomber vs 3 bi-planes") this also affords the opportunity to really experience the hand cramping we all remember wrenching on the joysticks :P

 

In the Atari "Log book"(s) http://www.atarimania.com/catalog-atari-atari-usa-_153_2.html

&

http://www.atarimania.com/catalog-atari-atari-usa-co18262-rev-1_95_2.html

there IS a challenge for a single player to shoot as many enemy drone planes in the time allowed. game 15, difficulty on "b" 

 

a great review for a great game and I lernt something new about "Kee games" \o/

[davyK]

 

I had a Tank Pong competition in work a few years ago. Rigged the 2600 up to a projector via a VCR.

 

Our interns were baffled by the controller having never used a joystick. And the idea that the reset/start button was on the console caused bemusement.

 

They loved the game though. It was one of my most successful "office gaming" events I used to run regularly before we moved from our own building into a main building with too many other people around who would judge us from a position of ignorance. 

 

Early rounds were Tank Pong, no direct shots, simple maze. With the final using the complex maze. 

Edited November 26, 2019 by davyK

[Foxsolo2000]

I loved the random factor of the tanks warping around the screen to often end up right behind your tank.  As chas10e already mentioned the biggest problem of the game was finding a 2nd player but when you did hours of fun awaited you.