Yars' Revenge 1981 By: Atari

Overview:

This was one of the best games for the 2600. What is a yar anyway? In a far away galaxy the people known as the Yars were attacked by the evil Qotiles. The Yars' fought back with their ships that look like giant metal insects. The Qotiles have laser cannons that are shielded by celluliod barriers that can destroy the Yars. It's up to you to use your Yar ship to chew or shoot your way through the shields and fire your Zorlon Cannon into the Qotiles. The enemy will never give up; there are thousands of laser cannons surrounding the people of Yar, which are capable of firing energy swirls at the Yars. They are also protected with a missile that will track you down and detonate your Yar ship.

The Qotile's Laser Cannon is shielded by a group of red cells. Some Qotiles have a moving shield which makes it super hard to hit them. If you fire your small missiles into it, it will destroy small portions of it. You can also fly up to it and bite off portions of it. When you eat the sheild you get energy to fire your Zorlon Cannon. The Zorlon Cannon is the only weapon you posses that is capable of destroying the Qotile. The thing is that the Zorlon Cannon is so dangerous that it will destroy you if you dont get out of the way. There is also something else the Qotiles will do in their defense. They have a destroyer missile guarding every Qotile Laser Cannon. The missile hunts you down and if it hits you, your Yar ship will be destroyed. The Qotile's Laser Cannon also has the ability to turn into a swirl of terror and shoot at you, killing you if you are hit. Fortunatly, you are not alone in your struggle. In the middle of the screen, there is an energy field. This is the neutral zone. As long as you stay in it you are safe from the destroyer missile. Although, you will not be able to shoot your weapon either. This isn't really a totally safe place though, because the Qotile's swirls can still get you.
As you go through the game, the Qotiles get smarter and faster.

Directions:

The object is to destroy the barrior around the Qotile, then destroy him.