Star Raiders

Star Raiders (1980)

by Atari, Atari Corporation
Genres:Shooter, Simulator
Themes:Action, Science fiction
Game modes:Single player
Story:Star Raiders is a first-person space combat simulator for the Atari 8-bit family of computers. It was written by Doug Neubauer, an Atari employee, and released as a cartridge by Atari in 1979. The game is considered the platform's killer app. It was later ported to the Atari 2600, Atari 5200, and Atari ST. The game simulates 3D space combat between the player's ship and an invading fleet of alien "Zylon" vessels. Star Raiders was distinctive for its graphics, which, in addition to various map and long range scan views, provided forward and aft first-person views, with movement conveyed by a streaming 3D starfield as the player engaged enemy spacecraft. While there had already been target-shooting games using the first person perspective (including 1978's Cosmic Conflict), Star Raiders had considerably higher quality visuals and more complex gameplay. It inspired imitators throughout the 1980s as well as later-generation space combat simulation games including Elite, Wing Commander, and Star Wars: X-Wing. In 2007, Star Raiders was included in a list of the 10 most important video games of all time, as compiled by Stanford University's History of Science and Technology Collections.Show more
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Stories about this game (2)
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user avatar@ProphetPXuser avatar@ProphetPX
February 01, 2025
In the early 1980s, I was only 12 years old when i first watched with WIDE EYES my uncle play this game on his Atari 2600!!! i was so blown away by everything that i saw because this was one of (IF NOT THE) MOST ADVANCED GAME that was yet out for the Atari 2600 at that time. I had NEVER seen anything like this before and i was just stunned, shocked, amazed....
user avatar@GoodGuyAuser avatar@GoodGuyA
February 02, 2025
Star Raiders is a game you would have never expected to exist in 1980. A fully 3D, dynamic world with lots of combat options and objectives. This is one of the less known Atari legacies and absolutely deserves a place to shine again.
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