Tutankham

For many years, Tutankham was one of the most heavily-rumored Videopac titles, showing up on cartridge lists and rarity databases as one of those games that probably existed but couldn't be confirmed. Originally a 1982 Stern/Konami coin-op, Tutankham was licensed by Parker Brothers, who ported it to home systems like the Atari 2600 and Intellivision. A Videopac G7000 version of the game was advertised in German gaming magazines, but it was not released. For a time, it was reported (on this very web site) that the game may have been commercially sold in Brazil, but that rumor evaporated when the person who reported it realized that he had confused Tutankham with the game O Segredo do Faraó! (both games have Egyptian themes).

In 2002, Maurice "BuckyB" Simon conducted an interview with Gil Williamson of The Amazon Systems, a company that developed many Parker Brothers games. He confirmed that Tutankham was completed and that prototypes had existed at one time. Then, in August 2004, the Brazilian site Odyssey Mania (then Odyssey 2000) reported that BuckyB had obtained a Tutankham prototype from a former Philips employee. The prototype, which is just a labeled EPROM chip, seems to be complete. The game is quite well-done, with more levels and challenges than even the 2600 version. Classic Consoles Center has prepared detailed Tutankham pages, complete with a review, game instructions, and a map!

In the game, the player takes on the role of an explorer who is searching through a maze-like Egyptian tomb, hunting treasures while fighting off various enemy creatures.