Yar's Revenge

Yar's Revenge was the best-selling original Atari 2600 game — not an arcade conversion but a title born and raised on the console. The Yar (a galactic insect) had to erode the Qotile's protective shield then destroy it with the Zorlon Cannon, avoiding the guided Destroyer missile. The unique gameplay resembled nothing seen before. Howard Scott Warshaw developed it including a 16-page comic in the package telling Yar mythology. The 'neutral zone' at screen center — made of ROM data displayed as visual noise — was a programming trick turned design element.