• Platform: Arcade
• Release Date: 1980
• Similar Games: Air Combat (PlayStation), Battlezone (Arcade), Battlezone (Commodore 64/128), Red Baron (IBM PC Compatible), Battlezone (Atari Video Computer System), Air Combat (Arcade), Battlezone (IBM PC Compatible), Air Combat (PlayStation)

Game Description

Atari's Red Baron is a one-player vector graphic game that simulates flying in a World War I biplane as one of the greatest flying aces the world has ever known. The game is viewed from the cockpit of the Red Baron's plane. Your objective is to destroy as many enemy planes, blimps, pillboxes and buildings as possible while avoiding enemy bullets.

The biplane is controlled with a single analog joystick that operates as any common flight stick; it's coupled with a red fire button on its top that fires the machine guns. If the machine guns are left on too long, they will overheat and require a few seconds to cool down.

Early in the game, enemies do not attack the player, with the exception of biplanes which will shoot you down if they manage to get behind you.

Later, enemy planes, blimps and pill boxes will fire square bullets at your oncoming aircraft.

Although it is not possible to crash your plane into the ground, you can still crash into mountain ranges. ~ Michael Schwartz/Joan Dykman, All Game Guide

Roots & Influences

The upright version of Red Baron was built using Battlezone cabinets in many cases; it drew a lot of its gameplay and graphics from its predecessor.

This game is based on the dogfights which took place in the skies during World War I. Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen was the German ace pilot who was nicknamed The Red Baron during the war. He flew a triplane and was credited with at least 80 kills before he was shot down and killed in 1918. ~ Michael Schwartz/Joan Dykman, All Game Guide

red baron	snoopy vs the red baron