Flag Capture (Video Game)

Flag Capture is an early Atari 2600 game from 1978. It's the first video game example of Capture the Flag, though the mechanics are incomplete - there is only one flag, there are no bases to bring it back to, and there is no fighting.

One or two players wander around a 9x7 grid of squares, and press the fire button to find out what's in that square. It may be the flag, or a hint about where the flag is, or a bomb that sends them back to their starting square.

There are 10 variations:

• 1: Free For All: Both players move in real time.
• 2: Double Two-Player: Players take turns moving and checking a square.
• 3: Double Two-Player with a moving flag that bounces off the edges of the screen.
• 4: Double Two-Player with a moving flag that wraps around the screen.
• 5: Solo Two-Player: Players take turns moving and checking until they find the flag.
• 6: Solo Two-Player, moving flag with wall.
• 7: Solo Two-Player, moving flag with wrap-around.
• 8: Single Player Timed.
• 9: Single Player Timed, moving flag with wall.
• 10: Single Player Timed, moving flag with wrap-around.

Flag Capture provides examples of:

• Capture the Flag
• Color Coded Multiplayer
• The Golden Age of Video Games
• No Plot No Problem
• Player Versus Player: Games 1-7.
• Scoring Points
• Timed Mission: Games 8-10, 75 seconds.
• Top Down View
• Wrap Around