Texas Chainsaw Massacre on Atari 2600?

I would say that for most people, even people that were alive when Atari was king of the video-game world, would be very surprised to find out that this game even existed on the 2600. Well it did. It goes down in history because it was one of the first horror-themed video games ever produced and it was a bit before its time.

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I say that it was before its time not because it was a great game, it certainly wasn't that and even though I played it at a friend's house whose parents were far more easy-going than my own, I was bored with it after playing it just a few times.

The game sold really poorly because video games at that time were still regarded as something primarily for children and the film Texas Chainsaw Massacre was at that point in time the most gory, disturbing, and violent films to hit the mainstream. It certainly was not a subject matter that many parents were comfortable exposing their children to.

The game itself is quite harmless. You are Leatherface running around with what is meant to be a chainsaw (the graphical limitations were immense on the 2600) looking for children to kill while dodging debris and for some reason, wheelchairs that get launched at you. You also need to constantly monitor your fuel in the chainsaw because running out would cost you a life.

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That looks awesome, right? Ok, not really. The game was terrible and even 6 year old me, who though he was going to get involved in something terribly naughty and taboo was bored before my first set of 3 lives was up. It also featured this really high pitched "bell sound" that was piercing and annoying even to a little kid. My friend told me that his parents would get upset with him if he didn't turn the volume down while playing that one particular game.

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_{look at that variety in terrain! Amazing!}

Many stores refused to carry the the title because of its violent nature and I wonder if any of these store owners even played the game. Ok, so i guess you are killing children and that is taboo of course, but it's not like this piece of crap was going to turn anyone into a serial killer or give them nightmares. Like a lot of other 2600 game, the game had no end that I am aware of not that anyone would ever try to get to it anyway. It was a very mundane game and just poorly made.

Here is a video and I strongly encourage you to turn down your volume else you will lose hearing from the high-pitched bell sound I referenced earlier.

It would be a while before the world was ready for video games with "adult" themes and Texas Chainsaw Massacre was more of a warning to potential game-makers than anything else. Halloween would be released some time later with similar sales results. These games now are considered a collector's item because so few of them remain. You could offer to give me one for free and if in receiving it I was required to actually play it, I would decline your generous offer.