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Domark follow on in their classic 'Game-of-the-Film'
series with new release Friday the 13th, a story
of naughty Jason, a man with a view to a kill. The program
is not all you get upon purchasing the game; included
within the terrifyingly packaged box are two really
frightening blood capsules to scare and amaze your friends.
Also included is a special effects competition where
you have to match up the ghoulish noises with the captions
listed on the cassette inlay. The prize is one of five
colour monitors for the 64.
The
game itself revolves around well-known mass murderer
Jason. Jason is vacationing at the Crystal Lake holiday
camp. The only trouble is that other people are also
staying there and, running true to type, Jason decides
to kill them one by one. This is where you come in --
having been cast as one of the 'plot's' ten characters
by the computer, you must play the hero and save as
many campers as possible. Silly proles that they are,
the other inhabitants are more interested in having
a good holiday than avoiding the ice hockey-masked Jason.
Thing is that Jason is disguised as one of the other
guests and only comes out of his shell when he's trying
to kill someone.
A
good example of the pseudo 3D perspective --
the church, could this be sanctuary?
The
best way of protecting everyone is to set up o sanctuary
safe from Jason's clutches. First the sanctuary cross
needs finding, but it is hidden at a random location
in the holiday camp. The cross needs to be picked up
and carted to a large but contained room like the barn.
Drop the cross here and you've created a safe room with
everyone in that location immune to Jason's gory advances.
All the other campers need to be warned and directed
to the sanctuary room for their own safety, but they
like being on holiday so much that after a few minutes
waiting around they're likely to wander off for a sunbathe
and risk getting dismembered.
Looking
quite similar to Creative Sparks' Mad Doctor,
the screen is represented from a side-on pseudo three-dimensional
view. The character in your control is moved with the
joystick in all eight directions. The fire button allows
an object to be picked up and placed in the one object
store on the status screen. If not moving, fire also
drops objects, but when on the run fire uses the object
in your grasp. Most of the items around the camp are
from Jason's weapon collection that he carelessly leaves
lying around the place.
SHIVER,
SHUDDER, SHAKE! --
the grinning mask of Jason.
Like
all good villains, Jason dresses in black when not disguised
as a camper and attacks his victims with a big white
stick. If you stumble across Jason, then repeated bashings
with the weapon in your possession should kill him.
With Jason dead, the next level is entered with a replacement
Jason and you playing a different holidaymaker at Crystal
Lake. If boredom sets in because you don't enjoy being
the hero, it's possible to rush about massacring the
camp residents instead, although when you're the last
one left Jason's attention shifts in your direction.
Underneath
the main screen is a status section, displaying various
bits of choice information. The eight campers are shown
on the status screen, those done in by Jason are replaced
with a little tombstone engraved RIP. A face of 'yourself'
is shown on the left hand side and as more of the campers
get smeared the more your hair sticks up as things get
frightening. Next to the portrait an energy bar shows
what life is left in you and score is shown next to
that. If the energy band hits zero, then a ghastly synthesised
scream leaks from the speaker as the game ends.
If
a sanctuary room is set up then the other persons in
peril can be sent there. If, by mistake, Jason gets
sent off to the sanctuary room, all the people there
run off terrified. Throughout the game various effects
are employed to try and scare you. Sometimes when a
holiday camper gets the chop, a gory picture flips up
to a synthetic scream. Lots of spooky music is put in
to add to the atmosphere. Instructions on playing the
game are clear and, to quote the inlay:
'Before
playing the game make sure you:
1)
Close and lock all doors, windows and curtains.
2)
Turn off all lights, use a candle if necessary.
3)
Make sure granny isn't in the room.
4)
Set the computer volume at maximum, load the game and
you will be surprised!'
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