Description

"Superman" for the Atari 2600, released in 1979, is an action-adventure game that is one of the earliest console games to feature a superhero. In the game, players step into the role of Superman, the iconic hero from DC Comics, tasked with the mission to repair the bridge of Metropolis, which has been destroyed by Lex Luthor in the opening sequence. The gameplay revolves around flying through the cityscape of Metropolis, using Superman’s abilities to capture criminals, including the primary antagonist, Lex Luthor, and returning them to jail, all while avoiding Kryptonite which saps Superman's abilities. To win, the player must collect the pieces of the bridge, reconstruct it, and return to Clark Kent's apartment, all in the quickest time possible.

Developed by John Dunn, "Superman" was one of the first games to incorporate multiple gameplay objectives and is noteworthy for being one of the first to use a telephone booth for changing identity, a reference to the classic Superman narrative. The game’s map design was relatively complex for its time, featuring a multi-screen layout that players could navigate in a non-linear fashion. This open-environment approach was ambitious given the limitations of the Atari 2600 hardware. The game was an early example of a licensed video game and sought to capitalize on the popularity of the 1978 movie "Superman," starting a trend of video games built around movie and comic book franchises that continues to this day. Despite its simple graphics and sounds by today's standards, "Superman" on the Atari 2600 remains a pioneering game that endeavored to translate a superhero’s adventures into the video game medium.

Title

Superman - Title

Close

Gameplay

Superman - Gameplay

Close