Release Date: 1982
Developer: Activision
Publisher: Activision
Some firsts don’t get much notice. When discussing the first commercially successful video game console, most readily mention the Atari Video Computer System, aka the Atari VCS or 2600. When asked who the first third-party publisher of video games was, the video game cognoscenti rapidly point to Activision. But who is credited as the first female game developer of note?
Most so-called video game “historians” flub that answer. It’s not entirely their fault; prior to 1980, a hardcore gamer would be pressed to name ANY developer. In fact, Activision was made up of former Atari developers who were tired of remaining anonymous while their creations became million-sellers. By 1982, Activision programmers like Larry Kaplan (Kaboom!), Steve Cartwright (Megamania), and David Crane (Pitfall!) were virtual rock stars in video game development. In 1982, another name would join them: Carol Shaw, creator of River Raid.
Carol Shaw was a developer well before she was brought into Activision. The first game she is credited with programming was Atari’s 1978 milquetoast title, 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe. She worked on a few other titles while at Atari, including one of my early favorites, Super Breakout. She left Atari in 1980 to work for Tandem Computers, an outfit focused on systems for ATMs and stock exchanges. In 1982, Carol was reportedly called by Alan Miller (Tennis, Starmaster), one of the founders of Activision, and joined his troupe. Her first game while in their employ was the aforementioned River Raid, one of the Atari 2600’s best games.
[youtube id=”kNXQYH-xTK8″ autoplay=”no”]
The game is widely seen as one of the first – if not THE first – top-down scrolling shooters. The player pilots an attack aircraft and flies over an enemy base. The aircraft is only able to fly in through a river and must stay inside the river’s flying area. There are enemies scattered over the river, and the player must destroy them to gain that era’s most precious resource: points.
Actually, there is one more resource more precious than points in River Raid, and that’s fuel. There are fuel tanks strewn about the aircraft’s path. If the player shoots the fuel tanks, more points are earned. But the aircraft is constantly slurping through its own fuel supply, and going over the fuel tanks is the only way to refuel. The fuel tanks offer the first bit of real strategy in a video game: do you shoot the fuel tanks and go for points, or do you refuel and extend your range?
Visually, the game was beautiful for its time. Contrary to many second generation games, which featured basic shapes as avatars, the sprites were all visually identifiable for what they were. The player’s aircraft looked like an airplane, and the ships and helicopters that players shot down resembled their real-life counterparts.
More importantly, the gameplay was visceral in the same way all arcade-style games were back then. Five minutes in, and River Raid was a complete twitch-fest! Later areas required memorization and lightning-quick reflexes. These games were no joke! In fact, the only negative this game has is its arcade-style difficulty. You need to bring your A-game when playing this game!
Unfortunately, this game is also arcade-like in that it’s only good in short bursts. After the 48th death, even the most determined gamers will give up!
Activision had a few more hits in their repertoire before the Video Game Crash of 1983 (a topic I’m about to finally touch on) rendered every video game console moot. Carol Shaw managed ports of River Raid to the Atari 5200 and Atari 800 home computer before leaving Activision in 1984. She returned to Tandem Computer, and then left in 1990.
As for the game: does it still hold up? For folks looking for a challenging shooter, most definitely! Games like River Raid used the arcade game mentality of the time: beat players over the head, make them restart immediately. For people looking for a less demanding classic, look elsewhere.
For those that are looking for a way to play this game, there are numerous options. There are free Android ports of the game; iOS users will need to pay $1.99. The game is also part of Activision Anthology, a collection of Activision games that is available on multiple platforms. Whatever your preference, you are almost guaranteed to find a port of this gem.
Carol Shaw may not have made another game after River Raid, but she made sure to leave her impression with her last game. Video gaming’s first credited female programmer cobbled up a brutal video game, and it is still fun.
Good: Excellent twitch gameplay; great graphics for the time
Bad: Arcade-style difficulty and attention span
Final score: 8.5/10
