Starship 1

Pilot Starship 1 through asteroid fields and combat alien spacecraft in this early first-person shooter from Atari, released in 1977. As the lone operator of the starship, you maneuver using a steering yoke and throttle stick to navigate the dangerous space environment while defending the Federation. The game’s unique visual presentation utilizes a mirrored screen and layered artwork around the monitor bezel to create an immersive, pseudo-3D experience. Players use three buttons to control their ship: firing a standard laser, launching torpedoes for greater damage, and applying brakes to adjust speed. Destroying enemy ships is key to progressing through each encounter; as they approach, sprite scaling creates the illusion of depth. The game's design was influenced by Star Trek, and its spacecraft design would later inspire similar vessels in Star Trek films. At the conclusion of a round, players are prompted with humorous messages encouraging them to insert another quarter for continued gameplay. A hidden Easter egg can be triggered by manipulating several controls and inserting a coin – rewarding the player with free credits and displaying a message acknowledging one of the game’s designers.