Super Cobra
1981 video game
title: "Super Cobra" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1981-video-games", "adventure-vision-games", "arcade-archives-games", "arcade-video-games", "atari-2600-games", "atari-5200-games", "atari-8-bit-computer-games", "colecovision-games", "entex-industries-games", "handheld-electronic-games", "helicopter-video-games", "horizontally-scrolling-shooters", "intellivision-games", "konami-arcade-games", "konami-games", "magnavox-odyssey-2-games", "msx-games", "multiplayer-and-single-player-video-games", "multiplayer-hotseat-games", "parker-brothers-video-games", "stern-video-games", "video-games-developed-in-japan"] description: "1981 video game" topic_path: "geography/japan" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Cobra" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary 1981 video game ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox video game"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| title | Super Cobra |
| image | Super Cobra Arcade Flyer.png |
| caption | North American arcade flyer |
| developer | Konami |
| publisher | |
| platforms | |
| genre | Scrolling shooter |
| modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
| arcade system | Konami Scramble |
| released | {{collapsible list |
| 2600{{vgrelease | |
| ColecoVision{{vgrelease | |
| 5200{{vgrelease | |
| :: |
| title = Super Cobra | image = Super Cobra Arcade Flyer.png | caption = North American arcade flyer | developer = Konami | publisher = | platforms = | genre = Scrolling shooter | modes = Single-player, multiplayer | arcade system = Konami Scramble | released = {{collapsible list|title=March 1981| Arcade M5 Adventure Vision Odyssey² 2600 Atari 8-bit Intellivision MSX ColecoVision 5200
Super Cobra is a 1981 horizontally scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Konami for arcades. It was released in Japan in March 1981 and in North America by Stern on June 22, 1981. It is a spiritual successor to Scramble, using the same arcade hardware.
The game was a commercial success, selling 12,337 arcade cabinets in the United States within four months, becoming Stern's third best-selling arcade game. Super Cobra was widely ported by Parker Brothers, and there are Adventure Vision and standalone versions from Entex.
Gameplay
The player controls a helicopter through tight caverns. A laser and bombs can be used to destroy defenders, tanks, and UFOs while infiltrating 10 Super Cobra defense systems. The ship has a limited fuel supply, which is depleted over time. More fuel can be acquired by destroying fuel tanks in the game. Players navigate through ten levels and a base, where they must safely make it through the level and extract loot.
Ports
The game was ported to the Atari 2600, Atari 5200, ColecoVision, Intellivision, Odyssey², and Atari 8-bit computers by Parker Brothers. It was also released for Sord M5, MSX, Entex Adventure Vision and Casio PV-1000. Entex produced a standalone tabletop version.
Reception
| rev1 = Arcade Express | rev1Score = 9/10 (Adventure Vision) | rev2 = Computer Entertainer | rev2Score = (ColecoVision) | award1Pub = Arkie Awards (1983) | award1 = Best Action Videogame (Certificate of Merit)
The game was a commercial success, selling 12,337 arcade cabinets in the United States within four months, by October 2, 1981, becoming Stern's third best-selling arcade classic after Berzerk and Scramble. Scramble sold 15,136 cabinets in the U.S. in five months earlier that year, adding up to 27,473 U.S. cabinet sales for both.
Arcade Express in November 1982 gave the Adventure Vision port a score of 9 out of 10. They concluded that it "takes real skill to master, and represents the state-of-the-art of scrolling shoot-outs".
The Atari 2600 version was awarded a Certificate of Merit in the category of "Best Action Videogame" at the 5th annual Arkie Awards for 1983. They compared it to Vanguard and said it "provides the same brand of relentless, multi-scenario action".
Legacy
Super Cobra appeared alongside Scramble on the retro compilation Konami Arcade Classics, released for the PlayStation in 1999. Hamster Corporation released the game as part of their Arcade Archives series for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in October 2020.
Notes
References
References
- "Atari VCS game release dates".
- "Colecovision game release dates".
- "Atari 5200 game release dates".
- . ["スーパーコブラ まとめ [アーケード]"](https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=25909). *[[Enterbrain*.
- (15 September 1981). "Overseas Readers Column - Konami Industry Grants a License on "Super Cobra" to 3 Foreign Companies". [[:ja:アミューズメント通信社.
- Stern. "Super Cobra Manual".
- (May 3, 2013). "Entex Arcade Defender and Super Cobra Handhelds".
- (January 1984). "Critically Speaking..ColecoVision-Compatible".
- (2012-05-01). "Stern production numbers and more CCI photos".
- (November 7, 1982). "The Hotseat: Reviews of New Products". Arcade Express.
- (January 1984). "Arcade Alley: The Arcade Awards, Part 1". Reese Communications.
- (January 1984). "1984 Arcade Awards". Reese Communications.
- Lane, Gavin. (2020-03-13). "Every Arcade Archives Game On Nintendo Switch, Plus Our Top Picks".
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