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Gravitar

Arcade

Arcade

The evil being called Gravitar is out attempting to destroy the universe! With each galaxy he conquers he leaves behind extreme gravitational forces, a powerful, explosive reactor and deadly bunkers. Your job is to stop Gravitar by taking back the twelve solar systems located in four galaxies tha...

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Developer
Atari

Released on
1982

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Shooter

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

The evil being called Gravitar is out attempting to destroy the universe! With each galaxy he conquers he leaves behind extreme gravitational forces, a powerful, explosive reactor and deadly bunkers. Your job is to stop Gravitar by taking back the twelve solar systems located in four galaxies that are under his control! In each solar system there is a sun, an alien reactor base, and three to four planets. To free the solar system, you have two choices; either visit all of the planets and destroy all enemy bunkers, or activate the reactor at the core of the alien base and escape before it explodes. On each of the planets and the alien base, there will be strong gravitational forces to deal with; make sure you keep your ship in space, since a crash into the ragged landscape will be fatal! After a galaxy has been freed, you then automatically move on to the next galaxy which will be even more difficult to save. The game includes five different skill levels which vary in difficulty by supplying different amounts of ships to begin the game as well as different strengths of gravity.

Gravitar

Overview & History

Released by Atari, Inc. in 1983 and designed by the legendary Mike Hally, Gravitar is notoriously celebrated as one of the most brutally difficult vector-graphics arcade games of its era. Building upon the foundational thrust-and-inertia physics of Asteroids and Lunar Lander, Atari added a complex exploration layer where players pilot a sleek red spaceship across multiple uncharted solar systems. Commercial success eluded the original cabinet because casual arcade-goers found the steep learning curve and unforgiving gravitational pull overwhelmingly punishing. Consequently, production numbers were low, making original Gravitar upright cabinets exceptionally rare collector's items today. Despite its initial commercial struggle, the game achieved cult status among retro enthusiasts for its brilliant risk-reward mechanics, atmospheric vector aesthetic, and deep strategic freedom.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike standard static-screen shooters, Gravitar tasks players with navigating a cosmic map and entering various planetary systems. Inside each planet, the core objective is dual-pronged: destroy the pulsating reactor core to destabilize the planet, or tractor-beam capture all floating fuel pods scattered across hostile subterranean caverns. The constant, invisible pull of gravity dictates every movement, requiring precise, rhythmic bursts of thruster power to counteract natural descent. Players must also manage a dwindling fuel gauge that acts as a strict time limit, depleting rapidly while firing weapons or using the tractor beam. If you completely strip a solar system of its planets by either destroying them or letting them detach and roam space as mobile death-ships, you warp to a brand-new, increasingly frantic galaxy.