AIRBORNE RANGER

One of the earliest action games ever made was an Atari 2600 game called Airborne Ranger. It captured some of the thrill and challenge of playing a tactical simulation of modern warfare, but it had more in common with Pac-Man than with a traditional war strategy game. You controlled a helicopter that dropped off troops and then picked them up again, navigating your way through enemy territory.

Enemy tanks, planes and soldiers could shoot you down if they got close enough, so you had to stay nimble and strategically use your limited fuel as you flew from one location to the next. This wasn’t an easy task—you were given very little information about where enemies were located or what each mission objective was, which meant you often spent a lot of time flitting around until you stumbled upon them.

The few civilians in the game would randomly appear onscreen, which meant you didn’t want to accidentally run into them because that’d cause your entire squad to be killed (the harsh punishment for crashing into even one civilian is what earned this game its “action simulation” billing). Though it was deliberately simplified to fit in with other games of its era, Airborne Ranger offered a taste of what tactical simulations could deliver that other games couldn’t: an experience where every second counted and every decision mattered.

When you see a colorful screenshot of Airborne Ranger, you’re probably going to think the same thing I did: “What the heck is that?” If you were born in the 80s or earlier, it immediately looks like some kind of computer game—or maybe an old handheld game from back in the day. Maybe even something on an Atari 2600. Maybe an arcade cabinet.