Rip-Off

Rip-Off is a 1980 Cinematronics vector-graphics arcade game designed by Tim Skelly, and it holds a real place in history as one of the earliest cooperative video games. The screen shows a cluster of fuel canisters in the center, and waves of pirate ships swoop in to tow them away. One or two players pilot ships to defend the fuel, and the two-player mode lets both fight side by side against the raiders rather than competing, a genuinely forward-thinking idea for its time.

The crisp white vector lines are typical of Cinematronics hardware and give the game a clean, minimalist look that still reads well. The enemy ships display surprisingly clever behavior, feinting and retreating with their loot, which keeps the defense tense. As an early landmark in cooperative design and a solid piece of vector-era action, Rip-Off remains an interesting play for anyone curious about where the co-op tradition began.