Halloween for the Atari 2600

I just got done spending 2 hours playing the infamous Wizard-made Halloween for the Atari 2600, and it’s a grand old time. The game is simple enough. You take on the role of Lauri Strode and must rescue the children by dragging them to the end of a hallway.

Of course, your brother Michael is stalking you the whole time. The gameplay is pretty simple and the graphics are, well, Atari graphics. What makes this game memorable is blood. Sweet, spouting fountains of 8-bit blood.

Another great thing about the Halloween game was the music. It’s a bit repetitive, but compared to other Atari 2600 soundtracks, it is amazing. Tell me if this sounds familiar.

The game was not a great seller and is very hard to find nowadays. Why? Glad you asked. Since the game was so “violent” it caused a bit of an uproar and most retailers were forced to keep it behind the counter. No shelf fronting = low sales. So sadly we never saw a Halloween II.

I know it’s hard to believe that a simple game like this could get people concerned. Especially when you compare it to modern game violence. Still, if you were playing Atari back when this came out and saw this game, it was pretty exciting. My friend Sean saved up and bought this game with his allowance. When his mother saw it, she freaked out and took the game away. Nothing ever changes — the graphics just get better.

Want to play Halloween on your computer? Download the Atari 2600 emulator, Stella. Then download the Halloween ROM at Atari Age.