#telegames

“GAME OVER” -

Shamus

Synapse Software was only alive for a few years in the early-to-mid 1980s, but during their brief existence, they developed a reputation for publishing excellent software, primarily for Atari 8-bit computers. One of their hallmark games was Shamus, developed by Cathryn Mataga. While the title suggests something to do with investigative work (a “shamus” is slang for a detective), it’s actually a little misleading, considering it stars a knife-flinging robot in a hat and trench coat, infiltrating the lab of his evil counterpart, Shadow. The title screen features a rendition of the tune “Funeral March of a Marionette”, more widely known as the song that accompanied Alfred Hitchcock movies.