Combat was published by Atari, Inc., released in 1977.

What kind of game is Combat?

Combat is a action, shooter game for the Atari 2600.

Can two people play Combat?

Yes. Combat supports multiplayer (Multiplayer). Player 1 uses the arrow keys, player 2 uses WASD, and two USB or Bluetooth gamepads can be connected instead.

How much data does Combat load?

The Combat ROM is 2 kB. It is fetched once when you press play and then cached by your browser, so returning to the game does not download it again.

Which emulators can run Combat?

Combat runs on Atari 2600 and Javatari / Stella JS Engine. You can switch between them from the emulator list further down this page if one performs better on your device.

Combat Game (1977) - Atari 2600

Name: Combat
Availability: InStock
Author: Atari, Inc.

Action / Button	Keyboard Key
D-Pad (Up / Down / Left / Right)	`Arrow Keys`
Button A	`Z` or `J`
Button B	`X` or `K`
Button X / Turbo A	`A` or `U`
Button Y / Turbo B	`S` or `I`
Select	`Shift`
Start	`Enter`

Gamepad Input	Retro Function	Keyboard Key
D-Pad / Analog	Character Movement / Steering	`▲` `▼` `◄` `►`
Button A (East)	Primary Action / Attack / Fire	`Z` / `K`
Button B (South)	Secondary / Jump / Cancel	`X` / `J`
Button X / Y	Special / Turbo / Extra Fire	`A` / `S`
Select	Insert Coin / Select Option	`Right Shift`
Start	Game Start / Pause Game	`Enter`

Gamepad Input

Retro Function

Keyboard Key

D-Pad / Analog

Character Movement / Steering

▲ ▼ ◄ ►

Button A (East)

Primary Action / Attack / Fire

Z / K

Button B (South)

Secondary / Jump / Cancel

X / J

Button X / Y

Special / Turbo / Extra Fire

A / S

Select

Insert Coin / Select Option

Right Shift

Start

Game Start / Pause Game

Enter

Emulator Core Engine	Technology	Multiplayer	Gamepad	Touch	Ads	Action / Switch
EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)	`WebAssembly / JS`	YES	YES	YES	NO	▶ ACTIVE
Atari 2600 (Recommended)	`WebAssembly / Libretro`	YES	YES	YES	NO	PLAY ⚡
Javatari / Stella JS Engine	`WebAssembly / Libretro`	YES	YES	YES	NO	PLAY ⚡

Emulator Core Engine

Technology

Multiplayer

Gamepad

Touch

Ads

Action / Switch

EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)

WebAssembly / JS

YES

▶ ACTIVE

Atari 2600 (Recommended)

WebAssembly / Libretro

YES

PLAY ⚡

Javatari / Stella JS Engine

WebAssembly / Libretro

YES

PLAY ⚡

Combat is a 1977 head-to-head vehicular action shooter developed and published by Atari, Inc. as a launch title for the Atari 2600. Designed by Larry Kaplan and Joe Decuir, the game features 27 competitive two-player game modes across tank warfare, biplane dogfights, and jet combat.

How to Play

Combat is exclusively a two-player competitive experience. Matches run on a two-minute timer, with players scoring points by landing shots on their opponent before time expires. Modes include open-field Tank battles, ricocheting Tank-Pong, stealthy Invisible Tank matches, and fast-paced Jet and Biplane aerial combat.

Default browser controls for Atari 2600 emulation:

Player 1 Movement: Arrow Keys (Up, Down, Left, Right)
Player 1 Fire: Spacebar
Player 2 Movement: T / G / F / H
Player 2 Fire: A Key
Game Select / Reset: F11 / F12

Tips

Master Ricochet Shots in Tank-Pong: In Tank-Pong variations, bounce shells off maze walls at sharp angles to hit opponents hiding behind solid barriers.
Fire to Reveal in Invisible Tank: Tanks only become visible when firing; launch a single shell to spot your opponent’s location, then maneuver out of their counter-line of fire.
Maintain Altitude in Biplane Dogfights: Flying near the top of the arena gives you wider turning angles to dive down on enemy aircraft from behind.