Ladies and gentlemen, here it is... A brand spankin' new Combat Two cartridge in all its glory. Almost twenty years after Atari gave the 2600 game the axe and disappointing many enthusiasts, Retrodesign will begin offering the game to the public exclusively at Classic Gaming Expo 2001 this coming weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. The details of the game's release are as follows:

Total Combat Two production: 260

Price: $30.00

Distribution: 200 to be sold at CGE (each cart to be labeled #1-200)
9 to press (SA1 to SA9 for press and contributors)
1 for Retrodesign
50 copies are reserved for "The Rest Of The World" enthusiasts who are NOT based in North America and would have difficulty getting to CGE. These folks may order the game directly by mailing mao@atarivcs.de.

The ROM image of Combat Two will also be simultaneously released publicly on this site with the opening of Classic Gaming Expo. What you'll get for your $30 is exactly what you see in the top picture -- complete with cartridge, box and instruction manual, almost exactly as Atari would have done it had it released the game back in 1981-82. The presentation of the game is amazing; the cartridge is shiny and laminated, and the artwork on the cartridge and box are similar to all the other Atari-released silver-labeled 2600 games. It's definitely a first-rate production by the folks at Retrodesign.

It's time to make another periodic update to your Atari 2600 game list, because yet another prototype cartridge has been uncovered from the grave: Combat Two. When you think about it, it's really mind-boggling. We don't often hear about too many NES, Sega Master System, or ColecoVision games being discovered, yet it seems that prototype Atari titles are turning up at an astonishing rate... even over fifteen years after the fact.

The eagerly awaited sequel to the original 2600 pack-in cartridge, Combat Two never made it out for the machine. Say what you may about the old, first generation game -- we loved it then and still adore it now. Tons of game variations featuring bi-planes, tanks, and even the option for bank shots, and simple yet addicting two-player action made for more restless nights than we care to admit. Although playable in its current form, we are guessing that Combat II was in its early stages of development. Game options are few, and only tanks are playable in this sequel.

You get a choice of three somewhat different screens, but the goal remains the same -- blast your opponent before he gets you. Each player starts at opposite corners of the screen. The player basically makes his way through the terrain - and sometimes some obstacles depending on which game you play - while making his way toward his foe. There's a large river that divides each players' territory but it does not affect the movement of the tanks in any way. The only noticeable on-screen environment that factors into play are the barriers (or walls) that block the path and shot of the tanks. As in the original Combat, they can be used as strategic hideouts as well as temporary repreives when you're under agressive attack. Overall, however, the outcome of your battle is more or less contingent on your ability to aim and shoot your cannon. Without taking under account that this game is probably not in its final form, Combat Two is disappointing. Graphics are hardly an improvement over its predecessor. The variety is lacking with no options for such cool features like invisible tanks, bank shots and planes. Finally, it seems like Atari tried more for a simulation feel with this one, and lost much of the high-action fun of the first Combat in the process.

Title	Combat II (Prototype)
Publisher	Atari
Reviewer	Keita Iida