Videos - Activision 2600 | Retro Community

Pitfall! — The Flagship

Pitfall! Atari 2600 cartridge — Pitfall! cartridge - the game David Crane built in 1,000 hours using 15 minutes of design notes.

Pitfall! Classic Game Postmortem - David Crane at GDC 2011

Classic Game Postmortem: PITFALL! - David Crane (GDC 2011)

~38 minutes. The running man origin story, the 10-minute design document, procedural generation, 4K ROM constraints, and the game’s legacy. Essential viewing.

Atari 2600 Longplay [004] - Pitfall!

World of Longplays full playthrough collecting all treasures. See all 255 screens of the procedurally generated jungle world.

Pitfall! 100% Maximum Score 114,000

Maximum score run - all 32 gold bars, 16 silver bars, 8 diamond rings, and 8 money bags collected before time expires.

River Raid — Carol Shaw

River Raid platinum cartridge - photographed by Carol Shaw herself (2011).

Atari 2600 Longplay — River Raid

39,410 point longplay demonstrating River Raid’s procedurally generated infinite river. Watch for the fuel mechanic and the increasingly complex enemy patterns.

Activision History & Retrospectives

The Activision logo - designed by CEO Jim Levy and displayed on every game screen.

History of Activision

HistoricNerd’s 2016 documentary. Covers the Atari revolt, the founding, the lawsuit, and the golden age of 2600 cartridges.

How Four Disgruntled Developers Made Activision

2024 documentary. The founding story in full - Kassar’s dismissal, Jim Levy, the $20 million lawsuit, and the legal precedent that enabled the entire third-party game industry.

The Hidden Story Behind Activision’s Rise to Fame

Historically Gaming’s 2024 documentary. Focuses on the institutional context - how Atari’s corporate culture created the conditions for Activision’s founding.

Activision Atari 2600 Box Art and Catalogues Retrospective

Activision Atari 2600 Box Art & Catalogues Retrospective

A catalogue retrospective covering Activision’s visual identity - the box art and cartridge label art that defined the brand’s aesthetic.

Other Activision Longplays

Kaboom! Atari 2600 gameplay screenshot — Kaboom! - Activision’s first million-seller, designed by Larry Kaplan.

Kaboom! Atari 2600 Longplay

Activision’s first million-seller in action - Larry Kaplan’s bomb-catching game with David Crane’s Mad Bomber graphics.

Enduro Atari 2600 Longplay

Larry Miller’s endurance racing game with day/night cycle and weather - demonstrating how far the 2600 had come by 1983.

Chopper Command Atari 2600 Longplay

Bob Whitehead’s helicopter gunship - watch the Chopper Commandos patch qualifying run at 10,000 points.

Keystone Kapers Atari 2600 Longplay

Garry Kitchen’s multi-floor department store chase - the Billy Club patch required 35,000 points.

Boxing Atari 2600 Longplay

Bob Whitehead’s debut Activision title - fluid animation that exceeded contemporary 2600 standards in 1980.