Beamrider is a 1983 space shooter from Activision for the Atari 2600, programmed by David Rolfe. You pilot a small spacecraft along a perspective grid of beam lanes, fighting your way through 99 sectors of enemy formations. Clear the enemy quota each sector and then destroy the Sentinel boss that appears to advance to the next.
How to play
Move your ship left and right along the beam lanes with the arrow keys. Spacebar fires your cannon; only three shots can be in the air at a time, so fire deliberately rather than holding down. You carry a limited stock of torpedoes per life — save them for Sentinels, not regular enemies. Once you’ve cleared the sector’s required enemy count, the Sentinel arrives; destroy it with a torpedo to move on.
| Action | Key (Player 1) |
|---|---|
| Move | ↑ ↓ ← → |
| Fire / torpedo | Spacebar |
| Pause | Alt+P |
| Reset | F12 |
| Select | F11 |
Tips
- Save torpedoes for Sentinels — they are your most effective weapon against the boss that blocks each sector’s exit.
- Enemy formations repeat fixed patterns within a sector. Watch the first wave to learn which lanes they travel before repositioning.
- With only three shots allowed in the air at once, missing stalls your fire rate. Aim first; don’t spray.
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