How to play Tutankham online
- Move through the maze: arrow keys
- Fire left or right: hold Space and press the left or right arrow key
- Laser flash (clears the screen): hold Space and press the up arrow key
- Start a new game: F12 (Reset)
- Choose a game (1–8): F11 (Select)
Gameplay
The tomb has four chambers, each a maze that is harder than the last. To leave a chamber you need its key, which opens the door to the next one. Treasures such as crowns, rings, rubies and chalices lie along the way and are worth extra points. Secret passageways let you jump from one side of a chamber to the other.
Each chamber has its own three creatures. In the first you meet snakes, scorpions and bats; in the second turtles, jackals and condors; in the third snakes, lions and moths; and in the last viruses, monkeys and a “mystery weapon”. Touching any of them costs a life. Shooting them scores a few points each, while keys and treasures are worth much more.
The time band on screen shows how much ammunition is left in the laser. The longer you stay in a maze, the faster it drains, so the game pushes you to keep moving. You have three lives and three laser flashes, each of which wipes out every creature on screen for a moment. Clear all four chambers and you move up a level; after Level Four the game goes back to Level One. The game ends when your last life is lost.
Game variations
There are eight games. Games 1 to 4 are for one player and games 5 to 8 are for two players taking turns. The games differ in difficulty, and the two-player games include tougher settings.
Tips
- Line up horizontally. You cannot shoot up or down, so creatures coming along a vertical corridor are the real danger. Step into a side passage and wait for them to cross your line of fire.
- Go for the key first. The time band drains faster the longer you stay, so pick up the key early and grab treasures only if they are close to your route.
- Save flashes for dead ends. You only get three, and they are your one escape when creatures trap you from above or below.
- Use the secret passages. They are the quickest way across a chamber when creatures block the main corridors.
History
Konami’s arcade Tutankham first appeared at European trade shows in early 1982 and was released in North America by Stern. Parker Brothers handled the home conversions and released them in 1983 for the Atari 2600, ColecoVision, Intellivision and several computers, backed by a large advertising campaign in North America. The 2600 version sold well and received good reviews at the time, with critics praising its colours and how much of the arcade game it kept.
