Shark Jaws

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Shark Jaws
Developer(s)	Atari Inc./Horror Games
Distributor(s)	Atari Inc./Horror Games
Platform(s)	Arcade
Release date	^{North America} February, 1975
Genre(s)	sport
Input methods	8 way joystick
Cabinet	unique
CPU	discrete
Sound	Amplified Mono (one channel)
Display	Horizontal orientation, raster (black and white) with color overlay, Standard Resolution.

Shark Jaws is a 1 player arcade game by Atari Inc. under the name of Horror Games, originally released in 1975. An unlicensed tie-in to the movie Jaws, it was created to do a game about sharks eating people.^[1]. Atari head Nolan Bushnell originally tried to license the Jaws name for the game, but was unable to secure a license from Universal Pictures. Deciding to go ahead with the game anyways, it was retitled Shark JAWS, with the word Shark in tiny print and JAWS in large all caps print to create greater prominence. Bushnell also created a second hidden subsidiary corporation, Horror Games - the previous being Kee Games, to help isolate Atari from possible lawsuit.^[2] According to Bushnell, the game was successful enough to sell a couple thousand units. ^[1]

[edit] Technology

The game is housed in a custom cabinet that includes a single joystick and start button. The cabinet bezel uses blue and green colors, and portrays sharks swimming around along with a solitary swimmer. The game PCB is composed of discrete technology, and although the game was released under Horror Games the PCB clearly states Atari. ^[3].

[edit] Gameplay

You are a deep-sea diver trying to catch small fish while avoiding a great white shark that is trying to eat you. Points are scored by running over the fish to catch them.^[4]