Commando

Name:	Commando
Company:	Atari
Model #:	CX-7838
Programmer:	Dwain Skinner (Sculptured Software)
Year:	1989
Released?	Yes
Notes:	One of only two 7800 games with a built in Pokey sound chip

Port of the 1986 Capcom coin-op, Commando is and overhead shooter in the same vein as Ikari Warrior and Guerrilla War.  You play the role of a generic commando (whom we'll call Joe).  Joe is a one man army who must rescue his captured comrades while waging battle against an unknown rebel insurgency in an unnamed country.  Yeah... so the plot isn't all that deep, but then again who plays an action game for the plot anyway?

Commando is separated into eight different areas, each with its own distinct theme.  The game begins with Joe being dropped off by a helicopter with what can only be described as having the coolest blade animation ever seen in an 8-bit game.  After you've been dropped off in an area, you must battle your way through waves of various foes to the heavily fortified gate at the end.  These gates contain waves of enemy soldiers which must be eliminated before moving onto the next area.  

As a one man army, Joe comes equipped with the standard gun with infinite ammo and several grenades that have a surprising limited blast radius.  As you make your way through each level you'll shoot countless generic soldiers  Some soldiers will run straight at you, while others will hide behind bunkers or in trenches (use grenades to get these guys).  Other enemies include rocket launcher soldiers, motorcycles which toss grenades at you from the bridge tops, deadly jeeps and trucks which will attempt to run you over, snipers hiding in guard towers, and of course those evil pill boxes...

As you travel each level, keep an eye out for a knife or gun.  These power ups will give Joe even more superhuman powers than he already possesses.  The machine gun allows Joe to shoot bullets at a unbelievable rate, while the knife will allow Joe to kill enemies by running into them.  Other things to watch out for include secret underground passages which contain treasure and hostages, and enemy soldiers transporting hostages.  These guys can be shot for extra points.

The Atari 7800 version of Commando is very impressive, and about on par with the NES version of the game (a major plus for the 7800).  Commando is also one of only two Atari 7800 games to have a Pokey chip built into the cartridge for enhanced sound and music.  Unfortunately unlike Ballblazer (the other game to use a Pokey), Commando only makes minimal use of the chip for the background music.  In fact, many people play Commando on emulators without ever knowing that there are missing sounds and music.

Interestingly it appears that there were two different versions of Commando for the 7800 in development.  The original version was being done by Don Heiden at Draudt and Associates and was originally scheduled to be finished by September of 1988.  However something happened and the programmer stopped working on this version by July of that year and the contract was canceled sometime in September.  Atari then scrambled to find a new developer and chose Sculptured Software who also programmed the unreleased Atari XE version.  Programmer Dwain Skinner managed to not only get the port done quickly, but he also managed to make one of the best games on the 7800.  No small feat for a programmer with no other 7800 games to his credit.  It's just too bad that Commando was released so late in the 7800's lifespan that few people got to experience it.

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