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"The OTHER Friday the 13th video game"

Many people remember Friday the 13th for the NES. However, even hardcore Friday the 13th fans seem clueless about this oft ignored C64 gem, which shares nothing in common with the later NES game other than themeing. Two very different, very distinct games… and as this came before even Suito Homu, this might be the first survival horror game.

Please note that I'm going to take into account the era of this game… otherwise, the score would be an easy 1. So, this is sort of a re-tro-view. Keep that in mind when viewing the score.

-Gameplay- 8/10
Straightforward: Go around the area, find a weapon (melee or missile), which are scattered about, then find Jason. If you see one of your friends morphing to some guy in black, that's Jason. Start attack, when he dies, start again as another player.

Jason WILL kill your friends, and this is bad. If you can, find the church's cross, and bring it to a location, then gather your friends up there to protect them (Jason is apparently a vampire). You can kill your friends too, which is fun for at least one level… but, once they're all dead, Jason will come for you.

You also have the odd option to resuscitate your friends… stand near the body and attack with a weapon, but try to miss them while doing it (harder than it sounds). They will get up… usually going right back down because you hit them. Eventually, you can make them live again. Zombies? I don't know. I don't even know if it was intended or an error, but it's key to the game, and keepin' that score up.

-Story- 6/10
So, you and your friends are vacationing at Crystal Lake holiday camp… despite what they MUST know about the place. Then, one night, someone finds a bloody machete! Clearly, Jason has returned!

It seems that Jason is disguising himself as one of the people there, then killing off everyone else one by one. I prefer to think that his spirit has inhabited someone… honestly, this makes the story a bit more palpable for me. Also, every level you play through is with a different, “unique,” character (read, stereotyped). But, they're at least all different stereotypes, so they gave it something. They tried!

Your goal is to kill Jason and save other people! Games back then weren't that complicated.

Oddly enough, though, there are some story problems when compared to the movies (which one must). First, Jason doesn't have a mask… we see a mask on the cover, and in credits, but never actually on Jason… his head is completely flesh colored. Also, Crystal Lake holiday camp (the name is bad too) has a church, and a cemetery, but it lacks a lake.

-Graphics/Sound- 7/10
The C64 could do better in the graphics department at the time. The occasional scary screen pop ups are an example of good graphics. Everything else is an example of bad graphics. How do you know who's female and who's male? Why, if they have long hair, or if they have a skirt (one girl has pants… she's the butch one). Jason is all in black, and has a flesh colored face: no sign of a hockey mask, which is rather terrible.

Weapons are confusing… some, like a chainsaw and spear, are obvious. After that, your guess is as good as mine. Jason himself carries a white stick, though you can get your own white stick to whack him with if you which (is that dirty?). Or there's a flying dinner fork!

On the plus side, all of the areas have details which distinguish them from one another, so they put some good effort into that.

The music is okay, except when in the woods: The Teddy Bears Picnic is played, in horribly digitized fashion. Annoying.

Sounds are worth mentioning though; gritty, terribly digitized screams are included. These, however, are pretty cool, and can even make you jump when they occur with a picture of a bloody severed head.

But no ch's, and ha's, sadly.

-Playtime/Replayability- 3/10
In this area, the review is not retroactive… it just can't be.

If you're a big Friday the 13th fan, you might get two hours out of this. I'm a pretty big fan, but one of the sane ones, and got an hour (which surprised even me). Normal people will probably get a half hour out of it. You won't try to replay it. Unless it's just to kill everyone.

-Final Recommendation- 6/10
There is no reason to own this game, unless you're a Friday the 13th or C64 collector. In this case, try Ebay, as you won't find it new. Otherwise, you have no need to have. But it could be fun for a play through… once, at least.



Reviewer's Score: 6/10 | Originally Posted: 09/01/06