H.E.R.O.

H.E.R.O. is action game originally released by Activision for the Atari 2600 in March, 1984 and was later ported to several other game consoles and home computers. In the game, players take on the role of Roderick Hero and need to use a helicopter backpack to safely navigate through the dangerous mines of Mount Leone to rescue the miners trapped within.

The goal of H.E.R.O. is to guide Roderick Hero (often abbreviated as R. Hero) through each of the danger filled mines to reach the miner trapped at the bottom. Players are equipped with a backpack containing a helicopter that allows them to either fly or hover in a location. Additionally, players have a laser mounted to their helmet and a limited supply of dynamite. On each level players begin with a limited amount of power and must reach the destination before it runs out. The power level drains once each level begins; flying and using the laser will also drain the available power a little faster. If players run out of power or come in contact with one of the many dangers, a life is lost; the game ends when no more lives remain.

The mine is somewhat maze-like and players need to carefully navigate through it to avoid trouble or hitting a dead end. In many places there are rock or lava walls that need to be destroyed; carefully placing dynamite by the wall removes it (players also need to make sure they are far enough away from dynamite when it explodes to avoid losing a life). The laser can also destroy walls, but it takes more time and risks using up too much power to do so. Some rooms in the mine have a lantern; if players accidentally touch the lantern it goes out making the walls of that room invisible. In some areas of the mine the floor is flooded or the walls consist of lava; players need to avoid touching all of these or a life is lost. Spiders, snakes, bats, and other dangerous creatures roam many of rooms in the mine; these can be shot with the laser or simply avoided if possible. As the game progresses, the difficulty increases by having longer mines, more dead ends, and an increased number of dangers.

As was common for many early Activision games, some versions of the game included an offer to receive a patch for high scores: if players earned at least 70,000 points, they could send the coupon in along with a photo of the T.V. screen for an "Order of the H.E.R.O.!" emblem.