Part 1

Embark on your adventure in Raiders of the Lost Ark (Atari 2600) with our comprehensive Part 1 guide. Learn controls, room layouts, and essential item usage to find the Ark.

This is the first part of the guide for Raiders of the Lost Ark on the Atari 2600. It covers the introduction, game overview, controls, descriptions of various rooms, and an introduction to items and enemies.

Introduction: The author, Kristine Roper, wrote this FAQ to fill a gap in available resources for the game on Gamefaqs. She welcomes corrections and omissions via email and allows free distribution of the FAQ as long as it remains intact, credit is given, and it's not sold without permission.

Game Overview: Raiders of the Lost Ark is an early adventure game where players control Indiana Jones to find the Ark of the Covenant. It features item management, puzzle elements, and replayability as the Ark's location changes each game. The player has three lives, and the game ends upon losing all lives or finding the Ark. Points are awarded for success and deducted for failure. A high score can unlock Howard Scott Warsaw's initials.

The Controls: The game requires two joysticks. The right joystick controls Indy's movement and item usage. The left joystick is used to select and drop items. A small dot indicates the selected item. Dropping an item with the left joystick button may result in its permanent loss. Using an item is done by selecting it and pressing the right joystick button. The difficulty and game select switches are non-functional. The color/B&W switch changes the display. Reset restarts the game. To begin, push the right joystick button once Indy is lowered on the starting pedestal.

The Rooms:

1. Entrance Room: The starting area, containing a rock, a snake, and Indy's whip.
2. Marketplace: Purchase items like a flute and parachute. Touching baskets triggers a snake attack.
3. Temple Entrance: A green room with four doorways and the timepiece located in the center.
4. Spider Room: Inhabited by a spider that shoots webs and tsetse flies that attack.
5. Room of the Shining Light: Features blue walls and two dungeons. Players are initially placed in a dungeon and must escape using the whip or gun. Avoiding walls and the central light is crucial to prevent returning to a dungeon.
6. Treasure Room: A black room with gold in the center. Taking gold summons a snake, and one of three treasures appears. Exiting after taking a treasure leads to a dungeon. Gold can be repeatedly collected by re-entering the room.
7. Mesa Field: A large room with various yellow mesas, described as potentially more annoying than the Room of the Shining Light.