A Strange 70's Game[]
Do you know about...Hide n’ Run?
Apparently, it was some sort of obscure game released back in the day, like the old days, the beginnings of video games. It came in one of those game box, but very cheaply made (duct tape with the tittle written in Sharpie cheap), just a black house on blue background and the tittle. Most likely a bootleg of sorts. From what I heard, it was very infamous in a few neighborhoods around here. I did not even know it even existed until now, but let me tell you more, as our character walks to the door.
I got a few screenshots of my playthrough, and it looks pretty normal, minus the tombs outside of the house. Once inside, with the background stuff being battered or broken, a green girl proceeds to walk to the wall and turn her back; a timer slowly goes down from 30. This was just the first phase, or the hiding phase.
This is where it gets interesting. Once the first timer runs out, a new one comes in with an ominous track playing and the lights shutting off in red. Now you have to avoid the green lady. You cannot stay put for too long, either, as she just finds you and kills you outright.
What's even more interesting is that in this game, sound plays a major role. Your character makes loud steps as they walk, which attracts the lady’s attention. But this also applies to her, though not directly, as the simple music gets faster the closer she is. You kind of have to dance with her in a game of patience and maneuvering in order to not get caught, sense, as you can see, she has no good intent in anyway whatsoever.
It did not help that there were not many hiding spots in the game, so sometimes the computer would be unfair and attack you at random within the enclosed spaces. Not to mention that some glitches would get in the way, such as the music and sound not playing, objects being pierced through walls and blocking the way, and your character getting stuck when walking and hiding. The guy who made this was definitely not a programmer. This makes winning just a mere trial of luck a tiny bit of skill.
If you won, you just get “you win” on a black background, that's it. There was not even a tune to hint of your victory, like think of a general "game over" screen, and there you go. It was THAT disappointing and lackluster that there is no point in showing you a screenshot. But that's not what is intriguing…
If you lost, the screen would go black, as the player is then blasted by a loud, distorted screech, with the lady's screaming face appearing on-screen, bloodstains taking her cheeks and gaping mouth and eyes. Not to mention the rapid flashing colors blinding the player to a abrupt frenzy. The sound would get louder and louder, until the game and console would crash. Making it unusable with any attempts to turn it on were met with nothing but silence. The graphic screech and face embedded themselves in the few people's memories who witnessed its muffled cry.
From my research, there were not many copies of this game available, given that it was only sold locally back in 70s, specifically in 1979; the only thing marked around the cartridge itself, the games' box gave no further hint of its origins, no publisher or developer. I only managed to get my copy because one of my old relatives having played half of it long ago, being a clever fellow and shutting it off before the crash. Though they commented that, despite its technical incompetence, the game was very compatible with most gaming devices of those times, they added that the green lady was nicknamed "The Console Killer" by kids and teens on the block for the shock, screams and cries it caused them all, along a newly murdered game console.
The old geezer tolled me that one of his friends suffered a seizure because of it. Thankfully, he did not die; he just rested for a few days in the hospital, along a few other kids. I can imagine, given the damage it did, that maybe the creator of said copies was reported and arrested or something like that. I mean, they were developing copies of a dubious game without any supervision, let alone permission, and on many consoles that were prevalent back then, as well as the obvious safety hazards violations. It would not be surprising.
Still, I have yet to wonder why my old gramps still hold on to it given all of this; nostalgia taints our glasses, I guess. It's kind of nice to share this story around the family table and with you all. Just something a bit obscure and a bit strange, yet...
If the tombs and graphic screen is anything to go by, for what purpose was it made? I just hope that face is not based from any life reference, otherwise...
I'm being silly, believing that nonsense, it just a game after all. I cannot still fathom why would somebody create it though; there is no profit, no recognition, just lost in time, well, until now.
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