H.E.R.O.

H.E.R.O. was one of the last Atari 2600 era masterpieces — published in 1984 when the crash had already decimated the industry. Roderick Hero, equipped with jetpack, laser helmet and dynamite, descended into deep mines to rescue trapped miners. 20 levels of increasing complexity with lava, bats, spiders and walls to explode. John Van Ryzin created a sophisticated action-platformer anticipating games like Spelunky by thirty years. Managing jetpack fuel and limited dynamite added strategy to action. H.E.R.O. proved 2600 programmers were reaching mastery — just as the market was dying.