Crossfire

Last updated: January 10, 2026

Overview

Crossfire is a fast-paced arcade shooter developed by Jay Sullivan and published by Sierra On-Line (then known as On-Line Systems) beginning in 1981.¹ The game serves as a home adaptation of the 1980 Exidy arcade game Targ, challenging players to defend a city from waves of alien invaders attacking from all four directions on a grid-based playing field.² Initially released for the Apple II, the game quickly became one of the most sought-after titles in the early personal computer gaming scene, eventually expanding to multiple platforms including Atari 8-bit computers, Commodore 64, VIC-20, and IBM PC.³

The game distinguished itself through its exceptionally smooth controls and responsive gameplay, which was remarkable for home computer games of the era.⁴ “Crossfire is what happens when you throw a tank into a maze, give it infinite ammo, and tell it to go wild,” as described by Abandonware DOS, capturing the game’s frantic arcade essence.⁵ The title earned a Certificate of Merit in the “Best Arcade/Action Computer Games” category at the 4th annual Arkie Awards in March 1983 for the Atari 8-bit version, cementing its status as one of the premier action games of the early 1980s.¹

Game Info

Developer: Sierra On-Line¹ Designer: Jay Sullivan¹ Publisher: Sierra On-Line, IBM (PC versions)² Engine: Machine Language⁶ Platforms: Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, VIC-20, IBM PC, IBM PCjr¹ Release Year: 1981 Series: N/A Protagonist: Unnamed pilot Sierra Lineage: Core Sierra

Story Summary

The narrative framework of Crossfire is straightforward but evocative of the era’s arcade sensibilities. Aliens have invaded and are systematically taking over a city, destroying everything in their paths as they advance steadily across town.⁶ The town’s civilian population has been evacuated, and the player’s military regiment has retreated, leaving the player completely alone in the city at the mercy of the extraterrestrial invaders.⁶

The aliens have surrounded the player’s position, and laser fire flies from all directions as the enemies swarm inward with relentless aggression.⁶ Though the player’s movements are confined to the grid-like streets of the city, hope remains. Survival depends entirely on concentration—tracking where enemy shots originate and carefully planning escape routes while returning fire.⁶ One moment of lost focus means getting “caught in the Cross Fire.”⁶

The game’s premise perfectly encapsulates the desperate last-stand scenarios popular in early 1980s science fiction gaming, where a lone hero faces overwhelming odds armed only with quick reflexes and determination.⁷

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Crossfire employs an innovative two-handed keyboard control scheme that anticipated the WASD-style controls that would become standard nearly fifteen years later.⁴ Players use the IJKL keys for movement and ESDF for shooting in four directions, allowing simultaneous navigation and firing in independent directions.¹ This control scheme gives keyboard players a significant advantage over joystick users, as the joystick only permits firing in the direction of travel.²

Contemporary reviewers at Softline magazine noted that “macho arcade players would be baffled by the two-handed controls which actually require moving your fingers to comfortably hit all the keys.”⁴ The Data Driven Gamer blog later observed: “Finally – an arcade style Apple II game with controls that are smooth and responsive!”⁴

Structure and Progression

The game takes place on a 7×6 grid representing city streets, viewed from a top-down perspective.⁸ Players begin each game with three ships and earn a fresh ship for every 5,000 points scored.² Ammunition is limited—players start with 35 shots, and this decreases by 5 each level until reaching a minimum of 15 shots.¹ When ammunition runs low (10 shots remaining), players must collect a fresh supply that appears on the grid.⁸

Four bonus crystals appear per level, each worth twice as much as the previous one (100, 200, 400, and 800 points).⁸ These crystals spawn after the player fires 12 shots and disappear if not collected within 5 additional shots.⁸ The game employs a restriction where only one shot can be active at a time, requiring precise timing and positioning.¹

Puzzles and Mechanics

While Crossfire is primarily a reflex-based action game rather than a puzzle game, it incorporates significant strategic elements. Players must balance aggressive pursuit of enemies with defensive positioning, managing limited ammunition while maximizing scoring opportunities from bonus crystals.²

“Crossfire starts out as an easy game of reflexes: shoot everything you can in all four directions,” observed Trixter in a PC Booter review. “The more insects that get released into the grid, the harder it gets. After about five minutes of playing, you’re intensely aware that your life hangs by a thread, and the entire world around you disappears as you concentrate on not merely blowing away the bad guys, but staying alive!”⁹

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Crossfire received strong critical acclaim upon release. Softline magazine praised the game for providing “a new twist on arcade games with delightfully colorful beasties and smooth animation” and noted that it “offers hours of challenge and enjoyment for the dedicated and persevering gamester.”¹ BYTE magazine called it “one of the most difficult and challenging arcade games to play,” adding that “the reflexes take a long time to master, but, once you get the hang of it, it’s addictive.”¹

Softalk magazine provided particularly effusive praise: “Critters come at you from four directions on a grid laid out like city blocks. Strategy and intense concentration required. Superb, smooth animation of a dozen pieces simultaneously. One of the great ones.”¹⁰ The French magazine Tilt awarded the game 5 out of 6 stars (approximately 83%) in their January 1983 issue.¹⁰

Not all reviews were uniformly positive. PC Magazine found the IBM version merely “adequate, but nothing spectacular.”¹ Ahoy! magazine was more critical of the VIC-20 version, asking “do we really need a bare bones grid shooting game (the VIC graphics are absolutely starved), with no character or atmosphere?”¹ InfoWorld split the difference, calling it “an engrossing waste of time.”¹

The Addison-Wesley Book of Atari Software 1984 awarded the game a B+ rating, calling it “one of the best strategy shoot-‘em-ups.”¹

Modern Assessment

Modern retrospective assessments have been generally favorable. User “dmsph” on Abandonware DOS declared: “I think this game is much better than most of the games today! Agility and strategy are key.”⁵ The Data Driven Gamer blog concluded that “for its time, this was arguably the best arcade-at-home experience.”⁴

Aggregate Scores:

• MobyGames: 7.0/10 Moby Score, 79% Critics Average, 3.4/5 Players Average (32 player reviews, 3 critic reviews)²
• Abandonware DOS: 3.70/5.00 (33 votes)⁵
• MyAbandonware: 3.5/5 (8 votes)⁹
• Lemon64 (C64 version): User ratings from 41 votes¹¹

Development

Origins

Crossfire was conceived as a home adaptation of the arcade game Targ, translating the coin-op experience to personal computers.² Jay Sullivan, a Sierra On-Line employee, designed and programmed the original Apple II version, which is believed to be the first and definitive version of the game.⁴ The game was originally published under Sierra’s earlier name, On-Line Systems, in a small folder format before later being re-released in the larger SierraVision box packaging.⁶

Production

Development occurred at Sierra On-Line’s facilities, with the Apple II version serving as the template for subsequent ports. The game’s grid-based layout and movement system closely mirror those of Targ, but Sullivan’s implementation featured notably smooth animation that set it apart from other home computer arcade adaptations of the era.¹

Development Credits:²⁸

• Designer/Programmer (Apple II): Jay Sullivan
• Atari 8-bit Port: Chris Iden
• Commodore 64 Port: Chuck Benton (who also wrote Softporn Adventure)²
• IBM PC Port: Jay Sullivan and Frank Randak⁸
• VIC-20 Port: “Gordon” (credited pseudonymously)⁴
• Cover Artwork: Chris Dellorco²
• Commodore 64 Music: Chuck Benton¹¹

Technical Achievements

Crossfire achieved remarkable technical sophistication for its era. The game featured smooth simultaneous animation of up to a dozen moving objects on screen, which Softalk specifically highlighted as “superb.”¹⁰ The Commodore 64 version notably included background music—a SID-cover of the “Peter Gunn” theme—that was absent from other versions.¹¹¹

Technical Specifications

Apple II Version:³¹⁰

• Storage: 5.25” diskette
• Memory: Varies by system
• Input: Keyboard (ESDF/IJKL controls), Joystick
• Display: Fixed screen 2D, top-down perspective

Atari 8-bit Versions:¹

• Cartridge Version: Runs on 16K RAM, uses character mode graphics
• Floppy Version: Requires 32K RAM, uses bitmap mode graphics duplicating Apple II appearance

IBM PC Version:⁵

• Format: Self-booting disk
• Display: Color Graphics Adapter (CGA), composite mode colors match Apple II version
• Storage: 5.25” diskette

IBM PCjr Version:⁵

• Format: Cartridge
• Graphics: “More aesthetically pleasing colors” than PC version

Commodore 64 Version:¹¹

• Storage: Disk or Tape
• Control: Joystick (Port 2)
• Players: 1 or 2 simultaneous
• Audio: SID music (Peter Gunn theme)

Cut Content

No documented cut content has been identified in available sources.

Version History

Version	Date	Platform	Notes
1.0	1981	Apple II	Initial release under On-Line Systems3
1.0	1981	Atari 8-bit	Cartridge and floppy versions1
1.0	1981	VIC-20	Port by “Gordon”4
1.0	1982	IBM PC	Self-booting disk, ported by Sullivan/Randak2
1.0	1983	Commodore 64	With SID music, ported by Chuck Benton11
1.0	1984	IBM PCjr	Cartridge version with enhanced colors5

Note: The IBM PC version was later patched or republished to support Tandy/PCjr graphics, as that graphics standard did not exist until 1984.¹²

Technical Issues

A notable bug exists in the scoring system: when players reach a certain score threshold, they receive 99 lives instead of the intended 4 extra lives, essentially granting unlimited continues until the next game over.⁵ User “Andy Panda” documented this: “There was a bug in the scoring when you reach a certain level, and when you reach that certain score you get 99 lives, instead of 4 extra lives, then game over.”⁵

The MyAbandonware browser-based emulation of the game carries a warning: “This feature is still experimental, the game may not work properly.”⁹ Users report that “game can be too fast or too slow” in browser emulation.⁹

Easter Eggs and Trivia

• The game was one of the very few Sierra titles re-released for the IBM PCjr, alongside the original King’s Quest.⁶
• Both PC and PCjr bootable cartridge versions exist, with the PCjr version featuring different, more pleasing colors.⁵
• The keyboard controls (ESDF/IJKL) anticipate WASD-style controls by nearly 15 years.⁴
• The Commodore 64 version’s Peter Gunn theme was later reused in the game Ballonjagd (1984).¹¹
• A Windows remake titled Gridfire was created for the Retro Remakes competition in 2006.²
• Crossfire was reportedly “high priority” in the software piracy trade during the 1980s, indicating its commercial popularity.⁹

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

While specific sales figures are not documented in available sources, the game’s longevity and multi-platform releases indicate commercial success. The title accumulated 8,942 page views on Abandonware DOS,⁵ and MyAbandonware reports it was one of the most actively traded titles in the early PC software exchange community.⁹

Awards

• Certificate of Merit – “Best Arcade/Action Computer Games” at the 4th Annual Arkie Awards, March 1983 (Atari 8-bit version)¹

Collections

Crossfire appeared in Sierra’s early catalog releases and was distributed through IBM’s software channel for the PC and PCjr versions.² The game has been preserved across multiple abandonware and archival sites, including:

• Internet Archive (Apple II, Atari, MS-DOS versions)³⁷¹³
• MyAbandonware⁹
• ClassicReload (playable in browser)¹⁴

Fan Projects

A Windows remake titled Gridfire was created for the Retro Remakes competition in 2006, bringing the classic gameplay to modern systems.²

Related Publications

No dedicated strategy guides or hint books have been documented for Crossfire, though the game was featured in numerous magazine reviews and gaming columns of the era.

Critical Perspective

Crossfire represents an important milestone in Sierra On-Line’s early catalog, demonstrating the company’s ability to create polished arcade experiences alongside the adventure games that would define their legacy. While Ken and Roberta Williams are most closely associated with Sierra’s identity, titles like Crossfire showed the company’s broader ambitions in the early home computer gaming market.

The game’s influence can be seen in its innovative control scheme and its achievement of arcade-quality action on home hardware. User “Robotron 2084” on Lemon64 summarized its lasting appeal: “Crossfire is a no-frills reaction test from the stone age of C64 gaming featuring a groovy SID-cover of the ‘Peter Gunn’ theme.”¹¹ While simple by modern standards, the game’s tight mechanics and addictive gameplay loop have ensured its preservation and continued appreciation among retro gaming enthusiasts.

“This game is so simple yet so addictive,” noted user bbagnall, while Jan Wiberg observed: “A game that truly lives up to its title! Not nice to be the shooting target of so many enemy ships which take several shots to destroy!”¹¹

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

• GOG Dreamlist - Community wishlist

Download / Preservation

• Internet Archive – Apple II Version
• Internet Archive – Atari 8-bit Version
• Internet Archive – MS-DOS Version
• MyAbandonware
• ClassicReload – Browser Playable

Manuals & Extras

• Atari Game Manual

References

Footnotes

1. Wikipedia – Crossfire (1981 video game) – release dates, platforms, awards, contemporary reviews, technical details ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹

2. MobyGames – Crossfire – developer, publisher, credits, ratings, trivia, gameplay description ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴

3. Internet Archive – Apple II Version – release date, publisher, platform preservation ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

4. Data Driven Gamer – Game 99: Crossfire – control scheme analysis, contemporary reviews, platform ports ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

5. Abandonware DOS – Crossfire – user ratings, designer credit, platform versions, bugs, user reviews ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

6. Sierra Chest – Crossfire – story description, engine, platforms, packaging history ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

7. Internet Archive – Atari 8-bit Version – gameplay mechanics, platform list, genre classification ↩ ↩²

8. Pixelated Arcade – Crossfire – platform credits, gameplay mechanics, grid specifications ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

9. MyAbandonware – Crossfire – user ratings, platform downloads, user comments, piracy history ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

10. UVList – Crossfire – Softalk review, Tilt magazine rating, technical specifications ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

11. Lemon64 – Crossfire – C64 credits, SID music, user reviews, music reuse trivia ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

12. UVList – Crossfire MS-DOS – Tandy/PCjr graphics patch history ↩

13. Internet Archive – MS-DOS Version – DOS release date, emulation details ↩

14. ClassicReload – Crossfire – gameplay description, browser emulation ↩