| Shamus | |
|---|---|
The C64 version of Shamus. |
|
| Developer(s) | William Mataga |
| Publisher(s) | Synapse Software |
| Designer(s) | William Mataga |
| Platform(s) | Atari 8-bit, various ports |
| Release date(s) | 1982 |
| Genre(s) | action |
| Mode(s) | single player |
| Media/distribution | cassette, cartridge |
Shamus is a computer game written by William Mataga and published by Synapse Software. Originally released for the Atari 8-bit computers in 1982, it was later ported to a number of platforms including the VIC-20, Commodore 64, TRS-80 Color Computer, TI-99/4A, IBM PC and Nintendo Game Boy Color; several of these ports were made by Atarisoft. It was followed by a sequel Shamus: Case II, available on the Atari and C64.
Official ports of both Shamus and Shamus: Case II are available for iOS devices.
Inspired by the arcade game Berzerk, the objective of the game is to navigate the eponymous robotic detective through a 4-skill level, 128-room maze of electrified walls. The ultimate goal at the end of this journey is "The Shadow's Lair".
Opposing the player are a number of robotic adversaries, including spiral drones, robo droids and snap jumpers. Shamus is armed with 'Ion SHIVs'...SHIV being an acronym for Short High Intensity Vaporizer...and is able to hurl up to two at a time at his enemies. Like many other games in this genre, touching an electrified wall results in instantaneous death. Upon the completion of each level, the gameplay speeds up, increasing the chances of running into a wall.
The main gameplay involves clearing the room of all enemies, picking up special items on the way and then leaving through an exit. Upon returning to the room, the enemies are regenerated and returned to their original positions. In exactly the same way as Berzerk, the player is attacked if he or she spends too much time in a room. In this case, the Shadow himself emerges from off-screen and hops directly at Shamus, unhindered by the walls.
The game differs from Berzerk in that the player may pick up items along the way - for example, bottles containing extra lives, mystery question marks, and keys which would open exits, thus expanding the game area.
The game was unique in that its combination of locks and keys required the player to complete each of its four levels in a particular order. To complete the game in its entirety would take several hours, which combined with the lack of a pause function, the necessity of remembering the location of dozens of rooms and keys, and the frenetic gameplay meant that this was extremely difficult to accomplish.
The game was also notable for using Funeral March of a Marionette, the well-known theme song from Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
The various maze layouts are all named after famous fictional detectives or agents, such as "Clouseau", "Marlowe", "Holmes" or "Bond".