Yars’ Revenge

Get out of your own way

The first task is to make an opening in the enemy shield. The second is to use it without being caught in the cannon’s line of fire. Your insect-like Yar becomes both an attacker and an aiming point, so success requires a quick change of position after the shot. The central neutral zone offers partial shelter, but it also prevents firing and cannot stop every enemy attack. A small playfield contains a surprisingly restless negotiation between preparation and retreat.

Start with the normal variation and practise summoning the cannon before chasing a score. Remember that the neutral zone stops Destroyer Missiles but not the Swirl. Once the two attacks are distinguishable, the apparently noisy screen becomes much easier to read.

Learning a new shooting game

Howard Scott Warshaw’s 1982 game was an original design for the 2600. Its manual devotes space to naming the shield, cannon and different threats because the screen alone cannot explain all their relationships. Read beside the machine’s arcade conversions, it shows how a home game could ask players to learn an unfamiliar set of rules rather than recognise a cabinet they already knew.