How to play The Texas Chainsaw Massacre online
- Move: arrow keys
- Use the chainsaw: Space bar
- Start a game: F12 (the console’s Reset switch)
- Save and load your progress: Ctrl + 0–9 saves to a slot, Alt + 0–9 loads it
The game has no variations and does not use the difficulty switches or the Select switch.
Gameplay
You control Leatherface as he chases people who run away from him. Each time you catch one and use the saw, you score 1,000 points. It is a one-player game about scoring as many points as possible before you run out of fuel.
Fuel is what really decides the game. You start with three tanks of gas. The saw uses a little fuel all the time while idling, and much more each time you press the button to rev it. You earn another tank every 5,000 points. Obstacles such as fences, cow skulls, wheelchairs and thickets appear at random. Running into one holds you up for a moment and gives the people you are chasing time to get away. Thickets can be cut through, but that costs fuel. When the last tank is empty the game ends, and one of the people you chased comes back to give Leatherface a kick in the pants.
Tips
- Only rev when you are close. Revving burns fuel fast, so wait until you have actually caught up.
- Steer around obstacles. Every bump costs time, and time is fuel.
- Avoid cutting thickets. Go around them when you can, to save gas.
- Aim for 5,000. Every five catches gives you an extra tank, so a good run keeps itself going.
History
Wizard Video was a home video company started by film producer Charles Band. In 1983 it tried the video game market with two Atari 2600 cartridges based on horror films in its catalogue: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween. The developer, VSS, was founded by Ed Salvo together with programmers who had worked at Games by Apollo.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is one of the first horror video games, and its violent theme made it controversial at release. Many shops refused to stock it, some that did kept it behind the counter away from children, and there were protests against it. It sold poorly, and Wizard Video made no more console games. Because so few copies reached shops, the original cartridge is now very rare, and a complete boxed copy is a prized item among Atari collectors.
Similar games to play next
- Halloween – Wizard Video’s other horror-film game
- Haunted House – Atari’s spooky, family-friendly exploration game
- Ghost Manor – a light-hearted haunted-house adventure
- Frankenstein’s Monster – a classic horror theme from Data Age