River Raid
River Raid — frequently asked questions
- Is River Raid on Steam?
- No. River Raid is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
- What platforms is River Raid on?
- River Raid is available on ColecoVision, Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Intellivision, PC (Microsoft Windows), Atari 5200, DOS, Xbox 360, Legacy Mobile Device, MSX, Commodore 64.
- When did River Raid release?
- River Raid was first released on December 1, 1982.
About River Raid
Mission: Code Name River Raid. Jet down the river. Break the enemy blockade and blast the bridges to halt enemy troop advances. Terrain: Code Name River of No Return. An ever-changing, ever-challenging waterway. Expect huge islands, narrow channels and treacherous bays crawling with enemy choppers, tankers and jets. Weaponry: Code Name StratoStrafer. Your B1 StratoWing Assault Jet has been retrofitted with sophisticated, rapid-fire guided missiles. Your craft is super-sensitive to the stick. Accelerate, slow or bank radically with only a touch. Tactics: Jet low to the river to avoid radar. Stop periodically at depots to refuel. A warning claxxon will alert you. Top speed! Best of luck!
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- ColecoVision, Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Intellivision, PC (Microsoft Windows), Atari 5200, DOS, Xbox 360, Legacy Mobile Device, MSX, Commodore 64
- Developer
- Activision
- Publisher
- Pony Canyon
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Action
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Built by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atari 2600 | 1982 | $11 | $30 | — | 6 reviews | Activision (designed by Carol Shaw) |
Also released on: ColecoVision · Atari 8-bit · Commodore C64/128/MAX · ZX Spectrum · Intellivision · PC (Microsoft Windows) · Atari 5200 · DOS · Xbox 360 · Legacy Mobile Device · MSX · Commodore 64. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06
Label variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Label | $10 | $20 | — |
Release record
| Territory | Label | Catalog # | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America Activision | Standard | AX-020 | Common+ |
| North America Activision | Blue | AX-020 | Scarce |
| North America Unknown | Taiwan Cooper | — | — |
| North America Unknown | Taiwan Cooper | — | — |
| North America Unknown | Beagle Brothers | — | — |
| Europe Activision | White | EAX-020-04I | — |
| Europe Hot Shot | — | — | — |
| Australia HES | — | — | — |
| Australia Rainbow Vision | — | SS-009 | — |
Also released in South America by CCE, Cosmovision, Digitel, Dynacom, Microsoft, Play Time, Polygram, Robby, Polyvox, Video Game, Zirok, Super 2600, Atarimania, Supervision, Star Game, Digivision, Action Games.
Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database
- Region
- NA+EU
- Released
- 1982
- Controller
- Atari Joystick
- Players
- 1 - 2
- Authenticity
- Low
Carol Shaw's scrolling shooter, one of the best and best-selling 2600 games, and still cheap.
River Raid is a 1982 shoot 'em up designed and programmed by Carol Shaw and published by Activision for the Atari 2600. You fly a jet over the River of No Return, destroying tankers, helicopters, fuel depots and bridges while trying not to run out of fuel or crash. Shaw, who had made games at Atari, Inc. before joining Activision, was inspired by the arcade game Scramble and set out to build a continuously scrolling game.
It was one of the best-selling games of 1983, second only to Ms. Pac-Man among 2600 titles that year, and it won year-end awards from The Video Game Update and the Arkie Awards. It is still regularly named among the best games on the system. The same game also turns up under the names Ground Zero and Bermuda.
How it was made
Designed and programmed by Carol Shaw, with occasional advice from other Activision staff. Inspired by Scramble, she aimed for a continuously scrolling screen. Released in North America in December 1982 and in PAL regions in early 1983. Ports to other consoles and computers followed, and a sequel came in 1988.
What the press said at the time
| AllGame | 4.5/5 | |
| Game Informer | 9/10 | |
| The Video Games Guide | 3/5 | |
| Computer Entertainer Vol. 1 No. 10 | January 1983 | Graphics ★★★ · Play-Action ★★★½ |
| Electronic Fun with Computers & Games Vol. 1 No. 5 | March 1983 | 3 joysticks |
| JoyStik July 1983 | July 1983 | ★★★★★ |
“The first home videogame credited to a woman, Activision's River Raid by Carol Shaw, is not exactly tea and crumpets. … one of the best blood and thunder blast-'em-ups ever inserted into a VCS slot.”
“This is a very easy game to learn, but a difficult one to master completely. Graphics are good, but not dazzling, with some attractive effects such as the tilt of your jet's wings as it banks”
“The novelty of the everchanging scenery (48 different frames in all) and the resulting feeling that you never really know what lies ahead are the game's greatest assets.”
“A great action game that stands up next to anything in Activision's library, River Raid is a certified rave.”
Computer Entertainer rated graphics first and play action second, from four symbols (excellent) to one (poor) — stars in most years, diamonds in 1986–87 — comparing each game only with other games for the same system. Electronic Fun rated games out of four joysticks. JoyStik’s capsule ratings run from one star to five.
Cartridge & preservation record
Program size 4 KB, measured from the preserved dump.
Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.
How the Atari 2600 version differs
The 2600 original fits in four kilobytes. Carol Shaw's Atari 800 version doubled that to eight, and she called it a "whole new game" because most of the code had to be rewritten.
On the 2600, the difficulty switches choose between straight and guided missiles. The Atari 8-bit port adds a choice of starting bridge, bonus points for bridges with tanks on them, and helicopters that fire back.
InfoWorld found the Atari computer version more challenging than the 2600 cartridge, and AllGame said the sound and graphics that were revolutionary on the 2600 looked dated on the ColecoVision.
Also on other platforms
Commodore 64 · ColecoVision
| Atari 2600 | Activision (designed by Carol Shaw) |
| Atari 8-bit computers | Activision (Carol Shaw) |
| Atari 5200 | Activision (Carol Shaw) |
- Intellivision. The Video Game Update praised its bright graphics and said it played most like the 2600 game. Brett Weiss later judged its controls poor and ranked it the worst of the four console ports.
- ColecoVision. Brett Weiss found it faster-paced than the other versions but with a slight delay in the controls.
- Commodore 64. Reviewers found the graphics average. Zzap!64 called it simple and a little repetitive by 1987 standards.
How the other versions reviewed
| ColecoVision | AllGame | 3.5/5 |
| Commodore 64 | Commodore Force | 50% |
| Commodore 64 | Zzap!64 | 70% |
These are the other versions’ scores, not this one’s. Ports of this era were frequently built by different studios, so they do not transfer.
Worth knowing
- Second only to Ms. Pac-Man. River Raid was the second best-selling Atari 2600 game of 1983, behind only Ms. Pac-Man.
- A credited designer. Arcade Express reported in January 1983: "Designer Carol Shaw is the first woman to have her name listed on a videogame cartridge as its creator".
- 1984 Arkie Award. River Raid won Best Action Videogame in the 1984 Arkie Awards.
- Sold as "rare" in 1986. By spring 1986 the 2600 market had moved on far enough that Computer Entertainer's mail-order list sold brand-new copies under the heading "RARE GAMES — THESE ARE YOUR SPECIAL PRICES", at $17.00 (good through 10 May 1986).
Before you buy
Low risk for an original; Activision carts of this period were made in quantity and are not reproduction targets. Two labels are priced: the standard cart and a Blue Label cart. Activision's blue labels are later re-releases of the same game, and both are inexpensive. One caution: since 2021 Atari has issued new official 2600 cartridges, including an Atari x Activision Collection. Those are legitimate products, but a modern reissue sold as a 1982 original is a misdescription, so compare the shell and label with a period cart. If a listing says Ground Zero or Bermuda, check the label photo against the title.
River Raid screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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