River Raid

Information

Genre

Shoot'em Up! - Vertical Scrolling

Language

Machine Language

Controls

Joystick

Players

1, 2 (alt.)

Programmer(s)

Shaw, Carol

Year

1983

Publisher

Activision

Developer

[n/a]

Country

USA

License

Commercial

Medium

Cartridge

Rarity

3

Serial

CZ-001-02

Votes / Statistics

Rating: 8.0/10 · Votes: 859 · Downloads: 21,205 · Hits: 68,132

Screenshots (3)

Cover Art (3)

Instructions (8)

Ads (2)

Comments (21)

• the big m — 1 Nov 2025

  Best Version of River Raid The Good Carol Shaw created River Raid for the 2600 and programmed the Atari 800. / 5200 as well. A great game becomes even better. The sprites and backgrounds have much better details. And now your foes shoot back! The Bad The game looks great, plays great and sounds great….Any complaints?…Nope! The Bottom Line I really enjoy the 2600 River Raid, but this is even better.

• zoran zemljište — 4 May 2024

  An excellent version with a better colour palette and good controls is what makes me appreciate this Atari 8-bit conversion more than the Atari 2600 version. This is definitely my favourite game for the system and nothing can top it! (In my opinion)

• dtm-artist — 16 Mar 2024

  This is one of the better ports of an Activision 2600 classic, with notably improved graphics and sound. The original art design and gameplay are still fully intact, which only demonstrates how Carol Shaw got it right the first time. There really is no need to tinker beyond a new coat of paint and some POKEY midrange richness.

• Gildahl — 19 Jul 2022

  Back in the day uninspired ports like this just made me mad. After seeing the enhancements to games like Pac Man, Missile Command, Donkey Kong, Defender, Star Raiders, and others where gameplay and graphics were a generational leap over their 2600 versions, and the reason why one would pay bigger bucks for a gaming computer, River Raid seemed so lame. "Where's the beef" comes to mind. I upgraded for this? Yeah, its still a fun game, but I certainly wouldn't have found any reason to fork over the dough for a computer if ports like this had been the norm.

• Ivan — 16 Apr 2017

  Hack lifes. Inquired for byte is over set. Changes according to storage and version. Therefore is best search sequence in hexadecimal editor(frhet free). Is that a byte entry $04. Find by the help of sequence :Copy, find out and last but one byte($04) them to transcribing of the number of lifes. From 0 to the ff to taste. 0 as far as 256 lifes.

• eppy2000 — 10 Feb 2017

  As a shoot 'em up, it's sort of like a Blue Max-lite, and a fun one at that. But the only area it falls short is that, as with other Activision conversions from their 2600 counterpart, the enhancements were marginal at best.

• Punkydudester — 20 Dec 2014

  Really good game.

• Daniel Thomas MacInnes — 9 May 2011

  Classic videogame, but still a lazy 2600 port. Synapse's Blue Max, frankly, blew this game out of the water on the Atari 800. I really wish Activision would have created new sequels to their classic 2600 titles, taking full advantage of the powerful home computers. Instead, they just dump the old games with a few new colors.

• Archie — 5 Nov 2009

  One of the best game ever!

• Mazla — 26 Apr 2009

  river raid is totally awesome! i have not played it much though

• rick — 9 Feb 2009

  If you have a 8-bit Atari, you need this game!

• Brygadier — 5 Jan 2008

  In its time River Raid ruled!

• Slaanesh — 19 Oct 2007

  I remember playing this at one of the earlier computer expos held during the early 80's here in Melbourne, Australia. I loved it! I played it for half an hour or so. I think it was my first taste of vertical shooters on a home computer.

• atari 4ever — 10 Apr 2007

  best of the bes games !

• Tomas — 21 Apr 2006

  Excellent game ...

• Nixon — 17 Apr 2006

  actualy it went x-rated in germany due to its violent content ..and been rerated for a retro compilation i think couple of years ago, considering that it was made by a girl its a even more impresive shooting game 11/10 :p

• twh — 27 Jan 2006

  absolut brilliant. dieses spiel motiviert immer und immer wieder!

• jac_Cac — 7 Aug 2005

  well, that's the very first computer game I've ever played. I remember long nights spent on trying to get past 70th bridge or so. Oh, memories. 10, of course.

• m4rtin — 26 Nov 2004

  Das waren Schlaflose Nächt! Einfach nur super.

• vcs king (qtone) — 15 Jun 2004

  i love this game... it´s realy fun if you start at bridge 50 (game 7) do you know how many levers there complet?

• solo/ng — 31 Mar 2004

  Hehe nice :-). Onbe of the most popular game ever was written by a woman. =] I loved this game (and didnt love my xc12 tho ; )