Haunted House (video game)

Infobox VG| title = Haunted House
name = Haunted House


developer = Atari
publisher = Atari
designer = James Andreasen
engine =
released = 1982
genre = Action-adventure, Survival horror
modes = Single player
ratings = N/A
platforms = Atari 2600
media =
requirements =
input = Joystick

"Haunted House" is an Atari 2600 video game, first released in the winter of 1982, in which the player (represented by a pair of eyes) must navigate the haunted mansion of the late Zachary Graves to recover the three pieces of an urn. The game was one of the first home video games to feature scrolling graphics and a multi-level playing field, and has been identified as one of the earliest examples of the survival horror genre by a GameSpy article. [cite web | url = http://www.gamespy.com/articles/490/490366p1.html| title = "Haunted House: Origin of the Genre" | author = Buecheler, Christopher | publisher = Gamespy | date = 2002-12-08 | accessdate=2007-09-19]

Gameplay

The house has three floors and a basement. The player's character may pick up only one of three items at a time (a key to open doors, a sceptre to ward off evil spirits, or the urn) and must avoid a bat, a tarantula, and the ghost of Mr. Graves himself. If the player is hit by the monsters nine times, the game ends. If the player escapes the house with the urn, the player wins.

The items (and house layout in higher difficulties) can only be seen when the player uses the 'fire' button on the joystick to light a match, illuminating a small radius directly around his character; this can be done an infinite number of times, although the match only lasts for a limited amount of time before being snuffed out. If a monster enters the same room as the player, a howling wind from the monster will blow out any lit match.

Haunted House has a total of 9 different levels of increasing difficulty. [cite web | url=http://www.atariage.com/manual_html_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=233 | title="Atari 2600 Manuals (HTML) - "Haunted House" | author=Atari | publisher=AtariAge | accessdate=2007-12-18]

References

External links

* [http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=233 "Haunted House"] at AtariAge