History
Star Raiders was released by Atari in 1979 for the Atari 8-bit home computers. Designed and programmed by Doug Neubauer, it was a landmark title that brought real-time 3D space combat to home gaming years before Elite or Wing Commander existed.
The game was revolutionary for its time: a first-person perspective, a strategic galactic map, ship systems management, and an energy economy that forced players to think tactically. It was widely considered the killer app for the Atari 400/800 and went on to sell over a million copies.
Star Raiders is often credited as a direct inspiration for later space combat games including Elite (1984), Wing Commander (1990), and Star Fox (1993). It was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame in 2021.
Quick Start
- Open the game — you'll see the title screen
- Select a difficulty with Up/Down arrows and press Enter
- Press G to open the Galactic Chart
- Move the cursor to a sector with red dots (enemies) and press H to hyperwarp there
- Use arrow keys to steer, Space to fire torpedoes
- Destroy all enemies across the galaxy to advance to the next wave
Keyboard Controls
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Arrow Keys | Steer (pitch and yaw) |
| Space | Fire photon torpedo |
| + / = | Increase speed |
| - / _ | Decrease speed |
| S | Toggle shields on/off |
| C | Toggle attack computer on/off |
| F | Front view |
| A | Aft (rear) view |
| G | Galactic Chart |
| L | Long Range Scan |
| H | Hyperwarp to selected sector |
Gamepad Controls
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| Left Stick / D-Pad | Steer |
| A | Fire / Confirm |
| B | Toggle shields |
| X | Toggle computer |
| Y | Hyperwarp |
| LB / RB | Decrease / Increase speed |
| Select | Galactic Chart |
| Start | Cycle front/aft view |
Enemies
| Type | Hit Points | Speed | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warrior | 1 | Fast | 40 |
| Cruiser | 2 | Medium | 80 |
| Basestar | 3 | Slow | 120 |
| Mothership | 3 | Slow | 1,000 |
The Mothership is a rare bonus enemy that appears during combat and flees after 8–14 seconds — destroy it quickly for 1,000 points.
Ship Systems
Your ship has six systems that can be damaged in combat. System health is shown as coloured squares in the HUD: green (≥70%), yellow (<70%), red (0%).
| System | Effect When Damaged |
|---|---|
| Engines | Slower turning, reduced max speed, less accurate hyperwarps |
| Shields | Reduced damage protection |
| Computer | Reduced targeting accuracy |
| L.R.Scan | Long Range Scan shows static |
| Radio | No starbase attack alerts |
| Photons | Cannot fire torpedoes |
Energy Management
- Maximum: 9,999 energy
- Shields drain: 10 energy/second when active
- Movement drains: 3 × speed per second
- Torpedoes cost: 50 energy each
- Hyperwarp costs: 100 energy × distance in sectors
- Running out of energy ends the mission
Toggle shields off (S) when not in combat to conserve energy.
Starbases
Starbases (green diamonds on the Galactic Chart) are your lifeline. To dock: warp to a starbase sector, clear all enemies, reduce speed to 1 or below, and fly within docking range. Docking fully restores energy and repairs all systems.
If enemies are present in a starbase sector, a timer starts. Fail to clear them in time and the starbase is destroyed (300-point penalty).
Ranks
| Minimum Score | Rank |
|---|---|
| — | Garbage Scow Captain |
| 0 | Galactic Cook |
| 1,000 | Ensign |
| 3,000 | Lieutenant |
| 5,000 | Warrior |
| 8,000 | Commander |
| 12,000 | Star Commander |