Crack’ed is an eccentric 1988 action shooter for the Atari 7800, originally designed by Robert Craig for the Atari ST. You take on the role of an ornithologist defending the nests of rare hornbills from a constant onslaught of predators. Instead of a spaceship or a soldier, you control a simple crosshair, fending off waves of snakes, rats, and predatory birds that swoop in to steal your clutch.
How to play
Use the D-pad (mapped to your arrow keys) to move the crosshair, and the action buttons (Z or X) to fire. Your goal is to survive five distinct levels by keeping your nests safe. If a predator manages to grab an egg, quickly shoot them before they escape off-screen. They will drop the egg, giving you a brief window to move your crosshair under it and catch it mid-air to return it to the nest. You only need to save a single egg to advance to the next round.
Tips
- Because the game was initially designed around a computer mouse, the joystick controls are notoriously sensitive. Use light, quick taps on the D-pad to adjust your aim rather than holding the direction down.
- Prioritise catching a falling egg over shooting more enemies. If an egg hits the ground, it is permanently lost.
- During the “Rooster Ranch” bonus rounds, the game switches to a gallery shooter format; focus entirely on speed and reaction time here as you shoot roosters popping out of windows.
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