Slot Racers

Name:	Slot Racers
Company:	Atari
Model #:	CX-2606
Programmer:	Warren Robinett
Year:	1978
Released?	Yes

Slot Racers is one of Atari's earliest efforts and it shows.  The first wave of Atari games were all limited to 2K, and almost all of them used the same large scale blocky graphics.  As time went on, the programmers got better and they were able to use tricks to get more power out of the 2600.

Slot Racers is a two player only shooting/maze game.  Basically it plays like Combat in a maze, but with fewer options.  The controls in Slot Racers take a little getting used to, as your constantly moving forward at breakneck speeds.  As in Combat, there's no reverse so you need to plan your turns well in advance or you could easily pass your opening.  The firing system also take a bit of getting used to, as your bullets will endlessly circle to maze until it either hits something (you or your opponent), or you press the fire button again to fire another shot.

While it didn't break any new ground, Slot Racers is a fun two player shooting contest.  Programmer Warren Robinett later went on to write Basic Programming and Adventure for Atari before leaving Atari in 1980 to help co-found The Learning Company.  Warren's homepage can be found at: http://www.warrenrobinett.com/

Return to 2600 Software