Airlock (video game)
A 1982 Atari 2600 submarine escape game.
Released in 1982 for the Atari 2600 by Data Age, *Airlock* is a platform game set inside a damaged submarine. Players have just ten seconds per level to run and jump through the vessel, racing to escape before it sinks. The goal is to ascend through each floor by collecting two hatch keys, which unlock the elevator to the next stage. If time runs out, the compartments flood and the game ends. Adding to the challenge, loose torpedoes from the crash can stun the player on contact, wasting precious seconds. The game tests reflexes and quick decision-making under pressure.
Critical reception was mixed. In a 1982 review, Frank Lovece of *Electronic Fun with Computers & Games* noted that the game offers little variety after the first level, and because leftover time carries over, it actually becomes easier as you progress. Years later, critic Keita Iida described the graphics as drab—typical of Data Age—and the sound as basic beeps and blips, but conceded it was one of the better titles from a company that folded early in the industry’s crash, though he added that this was faint praise. The game remains playable online via the Internet Archive.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Airlock
- Developer
- Data Age
- Released
- NA · 1982
- Genre
- Platform
- Platforms
- Atari 2600
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In Airlock, the player must escape a sinking submarine by moving up each level, collecting two hatch keys to unlock the elevator to the next level. The time limit is ten seconds per level, and taking too long causes the floors to flood, resulting in a loss. Roaming loose torpedoes from the crash add challenge; players must jump over them to avoid being momentarily stunned and losing precious time. The game tests reflexes, decision-making, and calmness under pressure.
Reader's Guide
Airlock was published by Data Age in 1982 for the Atari 2600. Its significance lies in its attempt to create tension through a strict time limit and simple platforming mechanics. Contemporary reviewer Frank Lovece, writing for Electronic Fun with Computers & Games in 1982, noted that the game becomes easier as the remaining time carries over to subsequent levels, and that there is little to the game once the first level is passed. In a later retrospective, Keita Iida described the graphics as drab in typical Data Age fashion and the sounds as mere blips and beeps, but considered it one of the better efforts by one of the first casualties of the classic videogame era, though he added that this was not saying much. The game is now playable for free in the browser at the Internet Archive.
Did You Know?
- The player has only ten seconds to complete each level.
- Two hatch keys must be collected to unlock the elevator to the next level.
- Loose torpedoes can stun the player, causing loss of precious time.
- Remaining time carries over to subsequent levels, making the game easier as it progresses.
More in Platformers 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced