Space Invaders

Yes, this was a great translation, considering the hardware limitations. I know of a trick that you can use to shoot two bullets instead of the usual one. Before turning on the 2600, hold down the RESET switch while turning it on. Let go of the RESET switch and play the game. When you press and hold down the fire button, you'll find that the base now shoots two bullets, instead of one!! A friend of mine told me about this trick and you can even turn the score over quickly!!

This was one of those early, highly popular arcade games that lent itself splendidly for the 2600. With plenty of difficulty variations (invisible invaders, anyone?), there were plenty of hours of fun to be had here.

This was also a rarity in that it was far superior to the one designed for the Atari 8-bit system. The programmer on that one inexplicably decided to redesign the invaders so they're unrecognizable. You also had them depart from a mothership or whatever that thing is, slowly trotting out in the beginning so you could shoot them right away.

This game alone made the 2600 what it was (is). I remember seeing 2600's FLY of the shelves during that holiday season and this game was the reason why. Plays almost as well as the real thing and the 112 options were incredible at the time. Incredible arcade port and a masterpiece of 2600 programming. Rick Maurer was clearly a genius in that he was able to design this game with NO flicker.