Lead is a fast paced Atari 2600 shooter that will keep you on your toes! There are four types of stages: "Fire", in which you must shoot enemies down. "Dodge" where you must dodge asteroids plummeting towards you. "Scramble" where you must avoid sentinels. And "Catch" stages where you must catch satellites. There are Smart Bombs and Power-ups you can capture to help you in your goal to stay alive!
Lead also features two variations: Lead 1K, which is a simpler 1K version of the game (only one stage type), and Lead 4K, which features two stage types.
Includes cartridge and eight-page, full-color manual. Lead supports both NTSC and PAL60 television modes.
AtariVox Support
An AtariVox, AtariVox+, or SaveKey can be used with this game to store your high scores. Each Lead variation (the main game, Lead 1K and Lead 4K) can have one score saved for it. Audio options for the main game are also saved for later use.
Get a Lead Box!


If you'd like a boxed copy of Lead, please select "Box Upgrade: Yes" at the top of the page before adding Lead to your cart. Our boxes are professionally printed and include a box insert to hold your Lead cartridge in place. We want you to play our games, so we have not sealed or shrinkwrapped the boxes in any way, allowing you easy access to the game cartridge and manual.
These boxes are the same size as boxes Atari produced for their games "back in the day". They look great sitting on a shelf with your other boxed homebrew games, or alongside games from the classic Atari 2600 library. We only have a limited number of boxes for each game, and there is no guarantee they will become available again once our supplies are exhausted. Click on the images to the right to see larger photos of the box.
Author | Simone Serra |
Number of Players | 1 |
Controller | Joystick |
Cartridge Size | 16K |
Label Design | Hernan Callo |
Manual Design | Nathan Strum |
I really like the use of 'spray firing' requiring holding down the fire button and dragging your 'stream' back
I can only assume by the tagline "will you lead?" that this is "lead" as in "leader"; believe me the other "lead" may be more appropriate, as you will be slinging it at a frantic rate!
What can I say? The thing is just crazy, crazy fun. Best shooter for the 2600 ever, in my opinion. That statement might collide with River Raid fans, but believe me, that storied classic cannot compare to the insane pace of this game.
The music, as stated above, is rad. I LOVE it.
Get this game. Today.
I watched the video online and thought it looked pretty cool, but wasn't completely enthralled with the thought of purchasing it.
I went to bed that night realizing that the games tune was playing over in my head with an addictive planted seed that spoke to me and said "you have to buy this game"...yeah like a haunting yet taunting subliminal message lol.
Needles to say I purchased the game and it seemed to have practically arrived the next day. "Praises for Atariage."
The minute I plugged this cartridge in and turned on my system this pulsating beat starts unlike any other 2600 game for the Atari that you "thought" had an infectious tune. You will find yourself jamming out to it when you realize you've been tapping your foot to the rhythm and not only does this game rock, but it really does ROCK! It has to be among some of the greatest shooters for Atari with a little bit of infusion from quite a few great shooting games, but with its own touch of originality with great music.
I can play this game for hours without tiring of it quickly. The tune changes slightly with every advanced stage which is a real nice change-up keeping your interest in what the next stage might bring besides the need of more intricate skill.
The kind of game that you will not want to put down and will remain in your top ten rotation for years to come. An instant classic in my eyes the begs the attention of every Atari fan out there. I highly recommend this game, you won't be disappointed.
Lead packs more firepower into a vertical shooter than any other 2600 game I've ever seen. Blasting out a steady stream of weapons fire, you must wipe out every single enemy that flies towards you, while navigating a twisting tunnel. But that's not all that Lead is, since other stages require you to dodge asteroids, capture satellites, and maneuver around sentinels.
As the game progresses, it picks up speed and throws more twists at you, such as walls that you shouldn't touch and power-ups that improve your odds of surviving. You'll need all the help you can get too, since you only get one life. That's right - just one! You can continue your game after you die, however you'll lose your score, smart-bombs and power-ups, and will have to restart the last level you played (or be sent back two levels, if playing on the harder difficulty setting).
Lead has varied and frenetic gameplay. The action never stops, but because of the different types of stages, the game never feels repetitive. It's a lot of fun, and one of the best vertical shooters you'll find on any system. As far as the 2600 goes, it's quite unlike anything else. Lead pulses with great music throughout the game, and even allows you to customize it to your liking. Your music settings and high scores are automatically saved if you have an AtariVox or SaveKey plugged in to your console, too.
Lead also includes earlier 1K and 4K versions of the game, which not only give some insight into the development of Lead, but also play a bit differently. Both of these variations are much harder than the main game, which make them a great way to get in some practice.
Lead offers tremendous bang-for-your-buck. If you're a fan of shoot-'em-ups, or just rock-solid arcade action, Lead is a must-have!