Released by Imagic in 1982 for the Atari 2600, Cosmic Ark is a fast-paced action game and an early console sequel, picking up the story from the developer’s earlier hit, Atlantis. The game alternates between two distinct phases: defending your ship from incoming meteor showers in deep space, and descending to planetary surfaces to beam up alien specimens before the local defenses can destroy your shuttle.
How to play
In the first phase, push the joystick to fire lasers in four directions and destroy meteors before they hit your ark. In the second phase, maneuver your shuttle to the planet’s surface and press the button to activate your tractor beam, collecting the roaming specimens while dodging the moving planetary defense lasers. In the browser, use the Arrow keys to move and Spacebar to fire or use the tractor beam. Press F12 to reset the game or F11 for Select.
Tips
- During the meteor shower phase, listen carefully to the warning sirens. Their pitch and timing indicate which direction the next meteor is approaching from.
- Don’t linger on the planet’s surface. The longer your shuttle remains deployed, the faster and more dangerous the planetary defense lasers become.
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