Bobby is Going Home

About

Bobby is Going Home is a single player platformer for the Atari 2600 that tasks you with guiding a kid named Bobby across seven screens to reach his house. Each level is a gauntlet of obstacles like fluttering butterflies and ducks you must jump over while avoiding other hazards. Mechanics are straightforward but demand precise timing as you navigate narrow paths and scattered dangers. The goal is simple, get Bobby inside the house to advance, but execution requires careful maneuvering. The game uses the Atari 2600's hardware to its limits with its side scrolling layout, a rare feature for the system at the time. The game includes a quirky customization feature where pressing reset and select changes the flower patterns at the bottom of the screen, adding minor visual variety. While similarities to Pitfall! are obvious, Bobby is Going Home leans into its own minimalist charm. With its 1983 release date and Bit Corporation's development, it’s a relic of early home console gaming. Community discussions note its technical ambition for the Atari 2600, though completion times remain surprisingly brisk for modern players.