8 of the Best Atari 2600 Games to Play Today

The Atari 2600, originally released during the 1970s, remains one of the most cherished consoles in history. Its gaming library had some of the best retro games ever, which you can play today on the Atari 2600+. Such games remain extremely engaging because great gameplay, rather than fancy graphics, was what sold them. These are some of the best Atari 2600 games to play today.

Asteroids

Asteroids is an Atari 2600 game in which players blast away rocks and other debris with a spaceship. This Asteroids game was a design triumph because of its physics-based mechanics that combined 360-degree aiming and shooting with momentum and inertia. The vector graphics and wraparound screen in Asteroids were also revolutionary for their era.

Today, you can play an Asteroids: Recharged remake on modern game consoles, like the Switch and PlayStation 5. That remake retains the original’s core arcade shooting mechanics while mixing them with modern visuals. It also includes new features such as modern power-ups and global leaderboards for score-chasers.

Pitfall

Pitfall was the 1982 game that pioneered side-scrolling platforming games on the Atari 2600. In Pitfall, players control Harry through hazardous jungles to collect treasures within 20 minutes. This was, and still is, one of the best Atari 2600 games because of its thrilling gameplay mechanics and continuous jungle levels that were revolutionary for Pitfall’s time.

Pitfall was also among the first third-party games in history. This became Activation’s flagship game title. Pitfall showed that third-party games could match and even eclipse first-party alternatives with more than four million copies shifted.

Space Invaders

Space Invaders was a legendary arcade game and a massive hit on the Atari 2600 when ported to that console. The basic, yet addictive Space Invaders gameplay of blasting away lines of aliens with a laser cannon has enthralled players for decades. It was one of the best Atari 2600 games because of its endless score loop, escalating audiovisual tension, and pioneering one vs. many shooting formula.

There are a few Space Invaders remakes you can play today. Space Invaders Extreme for the PC, Nintendo DS, and Xbox 360 is among the more notable remakes that blend space shooting with block-breaking mechanics. The more recent Space Invaders Forever is a modernized version of the classic original game with vibrant visuals and electronic soundtracks.

Ms. Pac-Man

While the original Pac-Man arcade port was a bit of a let-down on the Atari 2600, Ms. Pac-Man was a lot better. Ms. Pac-Man was one of the best Atari 2600 games because of how it expanded on the Pac-Man formula with its more dynamic maze layouts, superior ghost AI, and bouncing bonus fruits. This game also broadened the appeal of Pac-Man with a female protagonist.

Missile Command

Missile Command is a game in which players defend cities against incoming warheads with their artillery bases. The incredibly tense gameplay, masterful control mapping, satisfying audio design, and intense atmosphere in Missile Command made it one of the best Atari 2600 games. It was among the Atari 2600’s biggest hits, with about 2.76 million copies shifted.

Missile Command is also one of those Atari 2600 games with a remake. That is a fast-paced reimagining of the original Missile Command with modern gameplay mechanics, updated visuals, and multiple game modes. You can play Missile Command: Recharged on the PC, Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.

River Raid

The 1982 River Raid game was another classic Activision game for the Atari 2600. In River Raid, players blast their way through river canyons with a jet fighter. This became one of the best Atari 2600 games because of how it revolutionized the shoot ‘em genre with its ingenious fuel management mechanic, vertical scrolling terrain, and responsive controls.

River Raid 3D is an unofficial fan remake of River Raid that you can play on PCs. This is basically a 3D version of the River Raid game. It recreates the classic gameplay loop from the original game of fuel management, shooting enemies, and bridge blasting.

Kaboom!

Activision’s Kaboom literally blew players away with its pure, addictive simplicity and ultra-responsive Atari paddle controllers. This is a game in which players catch bombs dropped with water buckets. The simple mechanics and escalating tension of this game amounted to adrenaline-pumping gameplay that few other Atari 2600 games matched.

Adventure

Adventure was a game that pioneered the action-adventure fantasy genre before the era of modern open-world gaming. In Adventure, players must navigate through a kingdom by dodging roaming dragons and a thieving bat to retrieve a magical chalice. Adventure was an innovative game for its time because of its sprawling open-world kingdom, sneaky bat AI, item inventory, and first video gaming easter egg.

Playing the best Atari 2600 games above is a great way to explore foundational game design. Such games demonstrate that great gameplay is timeless. The best legal way to play those original games today is to get an Atari 2600+ or GameStation. However, you can also download ROMs for Atari 2600+ emulators, which is technically illegal.