Play Communist Mutants From Space Online

Communist Mutants From Space came out in 1982 for the Atari 2600, published by Starpath. It was one of those games you’d load from cassette tape, which felt a little more involved than just popping in a cartridge. Back then, a lot of shooters kept things simple, but this one tried something different with its structure and power-ups.

You control a laser cannon at the bottom of the screen, shooting down eggs that drop from the top. Each egg cracks open to release a mutant; if you don’t shoot the mutant quickly, it becomes a bomb that falls toward you. The main goal is to destroy the Mother Creature by hitting it enough times while managing the constant stream of eggs. Two key mechanics are your limited-use shield, which blocks everything for a short time, and the way the Mother Creature moves horizontally, making it a tricky target. The pace is relentless, and the difficulty ramps up fast, especially once bombs start filling the screen. It feels tense and chaotic, but landing a shot on the Mother Creature gives a real burst of satisfaction.