DESCRIPTION

Ghost Manor was released by Xonox as a double-ended Atari 2600 cartridge. Flip the cartridge over, and you could play Spike's Peak if you wanted.

Survival horror in its earliest form, Ghost Manor puts you outside of the dreaded Ghost Manor, where your friend is trapped inside. Play as either the boy or the girl and rescue your friend from certain doom. You must save him before dawn, or else the game is over.

Above the main game screen, the score display details your points score, while an hourglass shows your time: there are eight grains of sand, each grain representing thirty seconds; a shot counter that indicates the number of spears you have remaining; a lamp to indicate you have acquired the lantern; and cross tokens to indicate the number of crosses you possess to repel Dracula.

There are five stages to beat in order to save your friend. In stage one, you must play tag in the graveyard with a friendly Rainbow Ghost or Bones, the friendly skeleton. Catch him 25 times to advance to the next level

Stage two is set just outside Ghost Manor Castle. Many flying spooks guard the castle entrance, lead by their leader, the axe-wielding Mummy. Use your spears to defeat the guards and then the Mummy to enter the castle.

Stage three is in the first floor of the castle. Unless you select the easy level, you will only be able to see the walls of the room when lightning flashes. Don't touch the walls or you will be momentarily stunned, and be sure to avoid the moving wall that can crush you to death. Collect treasure and crosses from the caskets and use the stairs to exit to stage four, which is the second floor of the castle and similar in design to the first. Exit this stage and face the final stage, Dracula.

Fend off Dracula with your crosses and rescue your friend. If you make it through this level, you are reunited with your friends back at the graveyard.

There are four different difficulty levels to select by adjusting the difficulty switches. Players may opt to be the boy or the girl by using the B/W/Color switch.

You only get one life in Ghost Manor. Die, and the game is over. ~ Michael Schwartz/Joan Dykman, All Game Guide