Manos: The Hands of Fate is a video game developed and published by FreakZone Games, based on the cult filmManos: The Hands of Fate (1966).[2] It was published in 2012 for iOS, with retro graphics and sound inspired by the 8-bit era for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was later ported to Windows and Android. Manos: The Hands of Fate features Mike, a husband and father who attempts to expunge a man known as "The Master" in order to escape a lodge and rescue his family.
Plot and gameplay
Mike makes his way through the first stage of Manos: The Hands of Fate.
Manos: The Hands of Fate is a side-scrolling platform game. Players control Mike, as he ventures through a haunted lodge in order to rescue his family from "The Master," the owner of said lodge.[3] He is armed with a revolver, which can be upgraded to a more powerful shotgun. Mike is also able to locate hidden "Hands of Fate" which increase his vitality. At the end of each level, Mike encounters a boss, which must be defeated before he is able to advance to the next level.[4]
Development
The idea of creating a Manos-themed video game was a running joke between developer Sam Beddoes and his friend.[5] Beddoes realized the film was in the public domain and that making such a game would be legally possible.[5] The initial idea was to resemble Shadowgate for NES; however, after watching an episode of Angry Video Game Nerd, Beddoes realized "what Manos was destined to be".[5] When asked by Eurogamer how they could turn the movie into a video game, the developers replied "[B]y latching onto memorable moments in the movie and blowing them wildly out of proportion!", noting that a kissing couple drinking beer in the film are represented in the game as an enemy that throws beer bottles at the player.[6]
Manos: The Hands of Fate contains references to Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes and films; however, they were made intentionally obscure to avoid copyright infringement.[6] During the MST3KKickstarter telethon, the Game Grumps played the game along with Crow T. Robot in MST3K's trademark "Shadowrama" style.
Reception
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Manos: The Hands of Fate has received mixed reviews from critics. Cody Musser, reviewing the iOS version for IGN, gave it a 6.0 out of 10. He praised the graphics and sound, but criticized the controls, bugs, and hit detection.[1] A review of the Windows version for ScrewAttack gave it a 6.5 out of 10. They praised the gameplay, graphics, and sound, but said it is too easy and short.[7]
