Flag Capture

Atari exclusive

Flag Capture was one of the eleven Atari 2600 titles that were part of the second wave of games released in 1978. It can best be compared to a very early and primitive Minesweeper. One or two players must attempt to discover which tile a flag is hidden under. Players are given clues such as directional arrows which indicate the flags location, or numeric tiles which indicate the flag's distance. Players must also watch out for bombs which explode if revealed.

Released: 1978
Platforms: Atari 2600
Genres: Puzzle Strategy
Developers: —
Publishers: —
Perspective: Bird view / Isometric
Themes: Action
Country: United States

About

Flag Capture is a puzzle video game published in 1978 by Atari, Inc. for the Atari Video Computer System (renamed to the Atari 2600 in 1982). It is based on the traditional game Capture the flag, and was designed and programmed by Jim Huether.

The game was later included with the Atari Flashback 3 console.

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The player is shown a grid with white squares in it and must guess which square the flag is behind. To aid the locating of the flag the player may be shown an arrow or a number to indicate where the flag may be.

The game may be played in single-player mode, or in a two-player mode where the players play together.

Reception

In a retrospective review, videogamecritic.com criticised the controls, the gameplay, the sound, and the graphics. In Classic Home Video Games, 1972-1984: A Complete Reference Guide, Brett Weiss described it as "one of the most primitive looking (and sounding) games ever".

In 1981, Capture the Flag was among a number of Atari games recommended by neuropsychologist Lance Trexler for use in cognitive rehabilitation as it trained coordination of visual input with motor output. It was also used in a psychological test carried out on subjects from the US Navy related to skill-retention.

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

Platform	Released	Regions
Atari 2600	31 December 1978	North America

Editions and related releases

Included in: Atari Greatest Hits Volume 1Atari Vault Atari: 80 Classic Games in One!Atari Flashback Classics Vol. 2Atari Flashback Classics32 in 1Atari Flashback XAtari Flashback 6Atari Flashback 4Atari Flashback X DeluxeAtari Flashback 3Atari Flashback 4: 40th Anniversary - Deluxe EditionAtari AnthologyAtari Flashback 8 Gold: Activision Edition