Cosmic Commuter

Cosmic Commuter is a horizontally scrolling shooter designed by John Van Ryzin and for the Atari 2600 and published by Activision in 1985. The player pilots a space craft that operates like a bus, picking up commuters along route while avoiding hazards and monitoring fuel. Once at least one person is collected, the player can return to a launch pad and perform the task again with more obstacles. Cosmic Commuter was Van Ryzin's first game for Activision, after developing a few games for the Apple II computer. After developing it for nine months, play testers did not find the game fun, leading Van Ryzin to develop a new game titled H.E.R.O. which was released in 1984.