Intellivision · 1983
Blockade Runner
A first-person Intellivision shooter in which a small fleet of freighters threads an alien asteroid blockade to deliver supplies to Earth.
- Publisher
- Interphase
- Format
- Cartridge
- Genre
- Genre to verify
- Released
- 1983
01
Overview
Blockade Runner places the player in a nosecone command view, guiding four merchant ships through a mine-filled asteroid belt toward home. Missiles can be aimed at floating mines and enemy craft, while ice crystals serve as refueling points that also cool the ships' deflector shields. The game supports a cooperative mode in which one player handles steering and a second handles missile fire.
02
Why it matters
Interphase was a small Canadian studio, and Blockade Runner stands out in its brief catalog for the pseudo-3D presentation and for its programmable controls that let each player assign button functions. Contemporary reviews of the era noted it as a well-received entry for the system.
03
The physical edition
A typical complete North American copy includes the original box, the accordion-style instruction manual, the cartridge, and a controller overlay. Regional editions differ; French Canadian pressings, for example, use a translated manual and French box markings.
04
Playing it today
On original hardware, the game runs with standard Intellivision controller(s); the control assignment can be chosen at the start of each session. It is also covered by Intellivision emulators, which let you save state and test the two-player mode easily.