Commando

Commando for the Atari 2600 is Activision's 1988 conversion of Capcom's military-themed arcade run-and-gun game. Reprogrammed for the system by Mike Reidel through Imagineering, Inc., it places a lone soldier in hostile territory with a direct assignment: reduce the enemy force, destroy vehicles and reach the fortress at the end of each mission. Activision published the cartridge under licence from Capcom USA, making it a late Atari 2600 adaptation of the 1985 arcade hit rather than the arcade game itself.

The action is viewed from above as the Commando advances through scrolling enemy ground. A standard joystick supports movement in all eight directions, and the same directions determine the aim of the rapid-fire machine gun when the fire button is pressed. Gunfire is unlimited, so survival hinges on positioning, keeping clear of incoming threats and choosing a line through the terrain instead of conserving ammunition. Palm trees can be destroyed or used for cover, while bridges, barricades and fox holes create hazards and routes that need to be read quickly.

Grenades give Commando its second essential attack. The player begins with three, throws one by holding the joystick button, and each grenade travels straight toward the top of the screen. Passing over a pair of grenade boxes adds four more, turning those pickups into useful targets amid the combat. Grenades are particularly valuable for removing danger ahead, and the scoring system also awards more points for an enemy defeated with one than for an enemy shot with the machine gun. Extra lives arrive at each 10,000-point milestone, encouraging both steady progress and careful score-building.

Every level culminates at a mega-fortress. After the player has eliminated the required number of guards, the building's entrance becomes available; entering it destroys the fortress and sends the Commando to the next stage. There are eight levels before the game returns to the first layout. The repeat is not a reset of the challenge: subsequent rounds become faster and more demanding. That loop gives the Atari 2600 version a clear long-term objective while retaining the arcade-style pressure of fighting forward alone.

Commando also includes two-player play, selected from the Atari 2600 console before starting, alongside the solo option. The manual identifies the on-screen information clearly: score at the top, then grenade supply, remaining lives and level status along the bottom. It is a compact adaptation shaped around a single-button controller, but it preserves the source game's central contrast between freely aimed automatic fire, limited grenades and constant forward movement through enemy territory.

The Atari 2600 release belongs to a broad family of Commando versions, yet it should be understood on its own terms. The original arcade game was developed and published by Capcom in 1985, while Activision's 1988 cartridge was a distinct Imagineering reprogramming designed for Atari hardware and credited to Reidel. For players exploring Atari 2600 action games, Commando offers an eight-direction, top-down mission structure built around its specific console controls, fortress progression and escalating repeat rounds.