Bradley Trainer

Experience what it was like to operate an Infantry Fighting Vehicle in Atari’s Bradley Trainer, released in 1980. Inspired by the earlier arcade hit Battlezone, this single-player game offers a unique simulation experience focused on vehicle operation and target acquisition, rather than traditional combat. Players control a Bradley Fighting Vehicle using a joystick and buttons to maneuver across a terrain rendered on screen. The gameplay centers around accurately targeting objects at varying distances; players must estimate size, align the crosshairs with an onscreen gauge, and dial in distance for successful hits. A variety of weaponry is available including a machine gun, cannon firing armor-piercing or high-explosive shells, and TOW missile launcher. Interestingly, enemy tanks do not fire back, and the game concludes if the player runs out of ammunition or inadvertently damages friendly units or helicopters. Developed with input from US Army consultants, Bradley Trainer initially served as a prototype simulator presented at the TRADOC conference in 1981. The project itself was met with internal reservations regarding its application for military training purposes.