BadLands (Atari)

BadLands (Atari)

Overview & History

Released by Atari Games in 1989, BadLands is a post-apocalyptic, top-down vehicular combat arcade game heavily inspired by futuristic racing films and arcade classics like Atari's own Super Sprint and RoadBlasters. Set on a desolate, radioactive Earth scarred by nuclear devastation, the game challenges players to pilot heavily armed, rocket-firing armored cars across treacherous, debris-littered tracks. Distinct from traditional racers where speed is the sole objective, BadLands integrates frantic vehicular combat directly into the racing loop, tasking drivers with surviving relentless environmental hazards, landmines, rival scavengers, and automated defense turrets. The cabinet originally featured a unique three-spoke steering wheel and custom throttle setup, accommodating up to three simultaneous players for chaotic, quarter-munching multiplayer showdowns that defined late-80s arcade culture.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

BadLands spans eight distinct, increasingly perilous tracks set against decaying industrial landscapes, toxic waste zones, and ruined cities. Players must complete a set number of laps per stage while managing their vehicle's health bar, which depletes upon crashing into obstacles, hitting walls, or sustaining enemy fire. To turn the tide, drivers can collect scattered power-ups strewn across the asphalt, including shields for temporary invulnerability, heavy armor upgrades, speed boosts, and devastating homing missiles that lock onto rival cars or hostile turrets. The top-down perspective scrolls automatically to keep the pack together, meaning trailing players who fall behind the camera's viewport are instantly vaporized, adding an intense layer of kinetic urgency to every drift, crash, and weapon discharge.

Keyboard Controls

• Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Steer vehicle left and right / Adjust speed
• Action Keys: Fire weapons / Activate power-ups
• Enter: Start / Pause