Pole Position is Namco’s influential 1982 arcade racing game brought to the Atari 2600. Players take the wheel of a Formula One car to qualify on the Fuji Speedway track before competing against rival racers in a high-speed Grand Prix against the clock.
How to Play
Complete a qualifying lap to establish your grid position, then race against competing cars and the countdown clock to finish the Grand Prix. Steer through curves, shift gears, and avoid collisions with rival drivers and roadside billboards, which result in time-consuming crashes.
Browser controls map directly to the Atari 2600 joystick:
- Steer & Accelerate: Arrow keys (Up / Down / Left / Right)
- Trigger / Action: Spacebar
- Turbo: Delete key
- Console Controls: F11 (Select), F12 (Reset), Alt+P (Pause)
Tips
- Downshift or ease off acceleration before entering sharp turns to avoid skidding into roadside signs.
- Stick to the middle of the track when passing groups of cars so you have room to dodge sudden lane changes.
- A clean qualifying lap is critical; hitting obstacles in qualifying drops you to the back of the grid, making the main race much harder.
Leave a Comment / Review: