Play Combat Online

Combat came out in 1977 for the Atari 2600, one of the earliest games available for the system. It was developed and published by Atari, Inc., and it arrived at a time when home consoles were just beginning to find their footing. The game offered a collection of simple, competitive two-player modes, all built around direct conflict.

You control either a tank, a biplane, or a jet, depending on the mode, and your goal is to shoot your opponent while avoiding their fire. The tank modes feature ricocheting bullets that bounce off walls, forcing you to think about angles and predict where shots might travel. In the plane modes, you maneuver through an open sky, trying to line up a clean shot while evading pursuit. The pacing is quick, with rounds often ending in seconds, and the difficulty comes from outsmarting a human opponent rather than mastering complex controls. It feels immediate and tense, a pure test of reflexes and anticipation.