Page 12 - OSG Presents Video Game Trader Magazine #14

hours of entertainment and not looking back. Need-
less to say that when I heard of an upcoming Atari In-Game Screen Shot
2600 game based on the movie, I wasn‘t really ex-
cited at all. Let‘s face it….a lot of movie tie in video-
games are average at best, and usually fail in the
game play department. I am here to say that I
ready to eat my words about all movie tie ins, as
Phantasm for the 2600 will shatter the stereotype of
movie tie-in video games.
First there is the packaging. The game graciously
comes in a very ingenious use of an old school VHS
rental case and very nicely done outside artwork. and started to play the game, only to be reminded
This game begs to be proudly displayed on a collec- that I should first read the manual to figure out how
tor‘s shelf. Inside I was greeted with several pieces the play the game properly. The premise is fairly
of true hardcore greatness: straight forward. Simple up, down, left and right
commands are given to move your person though a
 A picture of Angus Scrimm who plays ―Tall maze. The screen shows a randomly generated
Phantasm first person maze, in which the goal is to find the
For the Atari 2600 dimensional gate and destroy it. This requires find-
ing and locating a tuning fork in the maze. As the
Original Gameplay and Programming - David Weavil levels progress, you will have to do additional tasks
Additional Programming - Fred Quimby (BATARI BASIC before the dimensional gate is visible. Along the
Phantasm Title Music - Fred Quimby (BATARI BASIC way there are enemies Tall Man and Dwarves. A
Produced by - Scott Dayton (NEO GAMES shotgun can be found to attack enemies, which can
Label Artwork Provided by - Ray Catuto (www.myspace.com/ be avoided. When you are hit by an enemy, you
raycatuto) loose a hit point. The game ends when your hit
points reach zero. Ice Cream cones can be found
Released by NEO Games Autographed Original Version Carts to give you one point of HP.
Cartridge and Manual Services - AtariAge
The games graphics and sound are above average,
Phantasm was originally made for a special auto- but what really stands out in this simple game is the
graph cartridge to be signed by the Tall Man (Angus gameplay. At first, I really did not get the game, but
Scrimm) at the 2008 Spookey Empire Screamfest in like so many other ―thinking man‖ titles, two hours
Orlando Florida. Scott Dayton has been getting Atari later I was hooked. This game even inspired me to
2600 cartridges made and signed by several celeb- Man‖ in the Phantasm Series. grab some good old graph paper to map out a game
rities including Elvira, Freddy Kruger and almost the level, even though I knew it was different every time
entire cast of Dawn of the Dead. Last year Scott  Authentic looking full color 8 page manual I played.
opened it up to any programmers who wanted to get After playing the game several times, I find myself
involved. David came up with the game for Phan-  Custom duel sided artwork wanting to play it more. This to me is an indicator of
tasm. The original game only had one location an excellent title that underneath its crazy movie tie-
(Morningside Cemetery). The new version has  Limited Edition numbered card in license is an excellent game that can be way
several new locations as well as a final battle  more than an awesome collectors mantle piece. If
against the Tall Man. High quality artwork on cart itself…complete this is an example of what can be done for an Atari
with Velcro strip for usage in case for secure
I have to honestly admit something right up placement 2600 homebrew, then the future for other projects is
front….even though I saw the original 1979 Phan- a very bright one.
tasm back in the 80s(and some of its sequels), I For a collector as much as a gamer, these are the
didn‘t think much of it other than filling a couple of types of items that make any person smile. The The Tall Man Signing Carts
quality is top notch and really stands out as more
than just a homebrew 2600 title. This game has
Title Screen better production value than most official 2600
games had back in the day.
Although the packaging of this great game is excel-
lent, it means nothing if the game sucked. I am
happy to report that this game is as excellent in
game play as it is in packaging. As I booted up the
game, I was pleasantly surprised by the intro
screen, which faithfully does a good job of recreat-
ing the Phantasm theme music.
Like many games, I quickly jumped into the action

12 • Video Game Trader Magazine • Issue #14 • Winter 2009/2010 • www.VideoGameTrader.com