Space Shuttle: A Journey into Space

Space Shuttle: A Journey into Space is a space flight simulator game designed by Steve Kitchen for the Atari 2600 and published by Activision in 1983.^[1] It is one of the first realistic spacecraft simulations available for home systems. Space Shuttle was adapted to the Atari 8-bit family and Atari 5200 by Bob Henderson (1984),^[2][3] then ported to the ZX Spectrum (1984),^[4] Commodore 64 (1984),^[5] Amstrad CPC (1986), and MSX (1986).^[6] The 1984 Activision Software catalog also mentions an Apple II version.^[7]

The player controls the most critical flight phases such as Launch, Stabilizing Orbit, Docking, Deorbit Burn, Reentry, and Landing, each with its own set of instructions to follow.^[1] The original Atari 2600 version came with an overlay since it made use of all the switches.^[8]

Reception

In an April 1984 review for Video Games magazine, Dan Persons wrote:

Space Shuttle is not a game for everybody. It requires a considerable amount of patience and, perhaps not too surprisingly, a considerable amount of brainpower. Players who seek the visceral thrills of the standard shoot'em-up may ultimately find this simulation's complexity frustrating. But those of you who are ready for a richer, more sophisticated experience will probably recognize Space Shuttle for the monumental achievement it is.^[9]

References