Here is the second half of my list of favorite Atari 2600 games.  How about you…any games that you really like that are not on this list?  Send me your comments!

Kaboom by Activison- A great game for paddle controllers and one of my favorite game for the 2600. Kaboom has a pretty simple premise…catch the bombs before they hit the ground. In each round, the Mad Bomber gets faster and faster.  Despite being such a simple game, there is some strategy involved and it is a great party game!

Midnight Magic by Atari-If you like pinball games, then Midnight Magic is a must have for your collection.  The graphics are great and it plays like a real pinball machine. Midnight Magic is much improved over Video Pinball and is lots of fun to play.

Missile Command by Atari- Missile Command for the 2600 only has a single missile battery and simplified graphics, but is still a blast to play.  Missile Command is another game that I have played for hours and hours and belongs in every Atari Collection.

Ms. Pac-man by Atari- Pac-man was Atari’s best selling game for the 2600, but a real disappointment  to gamers. Ms. Pac-man was a dramatic improvement over Pac-man; it  featured better graphics and better gameplay.  Skip Pac-man and pick up a copy of Ms Pac-man instead!

Pitfall/Pitfall II  by Activison-  Ok, I cheated here and included both Pitfall and Pitfall II as one.  Pitfall was Activision’s best selling game for the 2600 and sold over four million copies.  Developed by David Crane, Pitfall was an incredible programming feat. David managed to program an awesome game with non-flickering, multi-color sprites, and 256 screens in only 4K!  Pitfall is a must have!!!

River Raid by Activison- Programmed by Carol Shaw, River Raid was one of the first vertical scrolling games for the 2600. In River Raid, you must fly your jet and attack a variety of targets.  Periodically, you must refuel  and you must also maneuver to avoid the river band. River Raid is one of the all time classics for the 2600.

Space Invaders by Atari- Space Invaders for the 2600 was a smash hit and the first video game to sell over a million copies. It is credited with dramatically increasing sales of 2600 consoles and, while simplified, is every bit as fun as the arcade version. See more about Space Invaders in October 20^th post.

Super Breakout by Atari- Super Breakout improved on Breakout, but retained the simple, but fun, game play. I always liked paddle games, probably as they provided some much needed variety. After all these years,  Super Breakout  is still worthy of a home in any 2600 collection.

Warlords by Atari- Warlords is another paddle game in my top 20 and, probably, the best of the bunch.  If you had a second set of paddles, four people could play at the same time. This made Warlords the ultimate party game and I remember playing it whenever a group of friends would come over.

Yars’ Revenge by Atari- Yar’s Revenge was one of Atari’s best selling titles for the 2600.  Yar’s Revenge was programmed by Howard Scott Warshaw and was named for Atari CEO Ray Kassar.  In an era of arcade conversions, Yar’s Revenge is a refreshing, original game that is blast to play. Make sure that you add a copy of this game to your 2600 collection!