Play Space Jockey Online

Dodge tanks, pick off choppers, and try not to get wrecked by surprise jets—your little UFO’s got its hands full with this chaotic Atari shooter. Those slow prop planes are easy targets until a bouncing tank shell catches you off guard.

Released: 1982

File size: 1.89 KB

Game Overview

Space Jockey is one of those classic Atari 2600 shooters where you’re piloting a little saucer at the bottom of the screen, blasting away at everything that moves. Tanks rumble by, helicopters hover menacingly, and even weather balloons drift past—all of them trying to take you out. The first time I played, I got too trigger-happy shooting houses for points and got nailed by a jet I didn’t see coming.

You’ve got three lives to start, but they go fast if you’re not careful. The enemies don’t just fly in straight lines—some weave around, others dive at you, and the tanks fire shots that bounce along the ground. There’s a weird satisfaction in picking off the slow-moving prop planes, though the helicopters are sneaky and always seem to slip past my shots.

You can tweak the game variations to make it easier or harder, like changing how fast your saucer moves or whether enemies fire back. It’s simple, but the chaos ramps up fast once the screen gets crowded. Just don’t get too distracted shooting trees for bonus points—that’s how I lost my last saucer.