[ It was the first title from U.S. Games.[3]Space Jockey was shipped on a 2K cartridge at a time when most games were 4K;[3] Atari, Inc. stopped internal development of 2K games for the console in 1980.[4]]Kitchen went on to program the 2600 port of Donkey Kong for Coleco.[2]
Gameplay
The player controls an "Attack Saucer" that flies to the right over undulating terrain. The goal is to shoot ground-based tanks and flying enemies: jet planes, prop planes, helicopters, and hot air balloons.[9] Trees and houses appear on the ground as obstacles which also can be destroyed by shooting them. The saucer can only move vertically and stops just before it hits the ground.
Reception
Space Jockey was one of three runners-up for the "Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Videogame" category in the 1983 Arcade Awards.[5]According to a 2014 interview with Kitchen, Space Jockey sold over a million copies, but he believes most of those were at a discount.[3] A February 1983 Billboard article on retailers lowering game prices mentioned, "US Games recently sold off one of its older hits, the 2K Space Jockey, at rock bottom prices through its distributors."[6]
References
1. ^{{cite web |last1=Stilphen |first1=Scott |title=Interview with Todd Marshall |url=http://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/interviews/todd_marshall/interview_todd_marshall.html |website=Atari Compendium |date=2014}}
2. ^1 {{cite web|title=The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers|url=https://dadgum.com/giantlist/ |last1=Hague |first1=James}}
3. ^1 {{cite web |title=Garry Kitchen |url=https://www.retrogamer.net/profiles/developer/garry-kitchen/ |website=Retro Gamer |date=March 24, 2014}}
4. ^{{cite web |title=Wizard |url=http://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/wizard/wizard.htm |website=AtariProtos.com}}
5. ^{{cite journal |title=The 1983 Arcade Awards |journal=Arcade Express |date=November 7, 1982 |volume=1 |issue=7 |url=https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n7/page/n3}}
6. ^{{cite journal |last1=Sweeting |first1=Paul |title=Vidgame Retailers Using Low Prices to Build Traffic |journal=Billboard |date=February 26, 1983 |page=60}}
7. ^1 {{cite web |title=Space Jockey Manual |url=https://archive.org/details/Space_Jockey_1982_US_Games |website=archive.org |publisher=US Games |date=1982}}
8. ^1 2 {{cite journal |last1=Hacker |first1=Randi |title=Software Update: Eight's Company |journal=Video Games |date=October 1982 |volume=1 |issue=2 |page=16 |url=https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_Volume_1_Number_02_1982-10_Pumpkin_Press_US/page/n15}}