Space Jockey (video game)

Space Jockey is a horizontally scrolling shooter designed by Garry Kitchen for the Atari VCS (later renamed to the Atari 2600). It was published under the Vidtec brand of U.S. Games in 1982[4]—the initial release from the company.[3] It was the first video game Kitchen wrote.[5]

Space Jockey
Developer(s)James Wickstead Design Associates[1]
Publisher(s)U.S. Games
Designer(s)Garry Kitchen[2]
Platform(s)Atari 2600
ReleaseJanuary 1982[3]
Genre(s)Scrolling shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Space Jockey shipped on a 2K cartridge at a time when most VCS games were 4K.[6] Atari, Inc. stopped internal development of 2K games for the console in 1980.[7]

Kitchen went on to program the 2600 port of Donkey Kong for Coleco.[2]

Gameplay

The player controls an "attack saucer" that flies to the right over scrolling, undulating terrain. The saucer only moves vertically and stops just before it hits the ground. The goal is to shoot ground-based tanks and flying enemies: jet planes, propeller planes, helicopters, and hot air balloons.[8] Trees and houses appear on the ground as obstacles which can also be destroyed.

Reception

Space Jockey was one of three runners-up for the "Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Videogame" category in the 1983 Arcade Awards.[9]

According to a 2014 interview with Kitchen, Space Jockey sold over a million copies, but he believes most of those were at a discount.[6] A February 1983 Billboard article on retailers lowering game prices mentioned, "US Games recently sold off one of its older hits, the 2K Space Jockey, at rock bottom prices through its distributors."[10]

Dan Gutman wrote in Electronic Fun with Computers & Games, "The graphics here don't knock you out. The sound is nothing to phone home about. Space Jockey is a pure test of your reaction time and doesn't pretend to be anything more."[11]

References
  1. Stilphen, Scott (2014). "Interview with Todd Marshall". Atari Compendium.
  2. Hague, James. "The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers".
  3. Hacker, Randi (October 1982). "Software Update: Eight's Company". Video Games. 1 (2): 16.
  4. "Space Jockey". Atari Mania.
  5. Kitchen, Garry (October 28, 2020). "How I Spent My Summer of 1982". medium.com.
  6. "Garry Kitchen". Retro Gamer. March 24, 2014.
  7. "Wizard". AtariProtos.com.
  8. "Space Jockey Manual". archive.org. US Games. 1982.
  9. "The 1983 Arcade Awards". Arcade Express. 1 (7). November 7, 1982.
  10. Sweeting, Paul (February 26, 1983). "Vidgame Retailers Using Low Prices to Build Traffic". Billboard: 60.
  11. Gutman, Dan (December 1982). "Review: Space Jockey". Electronic Fun with Computers & Games. 1 (2): 62.
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