Star Ship

Star Ship (Atari 2600)   1977

First color 3D game, first console 3D game

Gameplay video

Review - All Game Guide (1998) by Brad Cook
Like many Atari 2600 games of its era, Space Ship tries to fool you into thinking you're getting more than you really are by advertising "17 games" on its packaging and the cartridge itself. The only differences in some of the games are the number of space objects and how fast they move. In reality, there are actually only three separate types of gameplay.
The Star Ship games are weak. The sound effects are bizarre and don't fit an outer space adventure. The graphics aren't bad except for the bug-like space robot. Who came up with that idea? Each game lasts for two minutes and change, but you'll probably get bored before then.
There are two-player versions of each variation, but they would work better if they were presented from a third-person perspective like in the game Combat. Just give us two spaceships flying around trying to blast each other. That would have been fun. From the first person perspective, though, it just doesn't work.
I was hoping that the Lunar Lander games would be similar to the Arcade Lunar Lander, but they're not. Basically, you have to fly around and sort of intercept the moon to land on it. In the two-player version one person gets to control the moon, which is odd to say the least.
There are also two Warp Drive games, which are definite snooze fests. You have to try and avoid asteroids that look more like explosions. That's it.
As far as I know, this is the first game to present a first-person perspective, which makes it groundbreaking in a way. But since it is executed in such a poor manner, you won't be missing anything if you pass Star Ship by. It isn't very good, even by late '70s standards."

Trivia:

1) Inspired by Atari arcade game Starship 1.

2) First-person space shooter game.

3) Rereleased on Xbox 360 in 2011 as part of "Atari Anthology".

4) Emulated in: Stella