Combat
(From Show #MAMA0101)
October 14, 1977
(2600/USA)

Combat, came packed in with
the Atari VCS
when it debuted in 1977.
It pits two tanks against
each other in an all-out
battle for supremacy in
the living room. The first
group of game variations
represent a port of Kee
Games' Tank and Tank Two
released in arcades in
1974 and 1975.
The battlefield will be a
little bare. But this was
the first thing you saw
when you got your shiny
new VCS working on the TV.
You and your adversary move
across this blank screen
taking shots at each other
until one of you gets hit.
The player with the highest
score when time runs out
is the winner. You'll know
time is running out when the
scores start to blink.
If you flick the game
select switch, you can
start cycling through
the different game
variations, with the first
14 options being tank mode. 
Options two through five
display barriers to make the
game more interesting.
If you do get in the
mood for Pong though
there is a Tank Pong
variation in options
six through nine. When
you shoot, your bullet
will bounce off the walls
and hopefully hit your
opponent. With option
ten, your tanks become
invisible. This is where
things get real, real quick.
You move around the screen,
but your tank only becomes
visible when you shoot,
AND when you get hit. If
you want to go all the way
with invisible Tank Pong
with barriers, you can
select option 14 and get
ready to bust a cap
in a mutha. 
Starting with option 15,
things change. Tanks are
replaced by biplanes. The
object is still the same,
hit your opponent as many
times as you can before
time runs out. Selecting
option 17 and 18 gives
you machine gun fire.
Option 21 swaps out the
biplane with jets.
In each of these modes,
you can turn the clouds
on and off depending on
which option you selected.
You can also select whether
you want to control more
than one plane or jet
whether it be two versus
two, or one versus three.
Combat may look simple
to you, and if you just
play by yourself, it is.
But once you play with
a friend or sibling it
may lead to hours of fun,
stained friendships, and
maybe even a grounding or
two. Looking at it with
modern eyes may lead
one to believe that
there's nothing much
to the game, especially
when you first fire
your VCS up, but once
you fiddle around with 
the game variations,
you may be surprised at
how complex this game’s
experience can be.
Combat is currently 
available as part of
the Atari 50th
Anniversary Collection
for all modern consoles
and PC.