Atari 2600 · 1983
Halloween
A 1983 Atari 2600 horror chase game that borrows the film's title, poster art, and theme music while keeping its on-screen characters unnamed.
- Publisher
- Publisher to verify
- Format
- Cartridge
- Genre
- halloween video game
- Released
- 1983
01
Overview
You play a babysitter in a two-story house, rescuing children to safe rooms or finding the killer's dropped knife while a masked intruder patrols the floor. The game presents the story through simple room-to-room movement rather than named characters, and the film's main music cue signals the killer's appearances. It was developed after the closure of Games by Apollo and published by Wizard Video, a company formed to distribute independent films and related entertainment products.
02
Why it matters
Halloween is a small example of early movie tie-in games trying to translate horror cinema into a home console format. Its cover art and audio borrow from the 1978 film, but the gameplay itself is a compact single-player rescue and chase exercise.
03
The physical edition
A complete copy is typically expected to include the box, instruction card or booklet, and cartridge. Some cartridges were sold without a printed label and instead carried a hand-written tape strip, so the label type can vary by copy rather than by the game itself.
04
Playing it today
The game runs on an Atari 2600 console with one joystick controller in the left controller port, and it does not use the console's select or difficulty switches. It can also be experienced through emulator software, though physical cartridges should be verified for authenticity before purchase.