an atari(-ish) game by jak locke
AFTER YOU READ THE MANUAL,
PLAY THE GAME IN THIS BROWSER
(MUST SUPPORT HTML5 TO RUN -- GAMEPAD ONLY CONFIRMED TO WORK IN CHROME AND FIREFOX)
DOWNLOAD IT FOR PC
For a brief time in 1983, rumors circulated about an advanced Atari VCS cartridge slated for release called "Black Lodge".

It was to be packed with enhanced chips, producing sound and graphics that were unprecedented on the system to that point.

Though production got far enough that a prospectus advertisement in Atari catalogs was run in select markets, the project was abruptly discontinued.



The next year, Pitfall 2: The Lost Caverns was released by Activision utilizing similarly enhanced chips, though it was nowhere near the sophistication that "Black Lodge" had promised.

Many in the industry assumed the designer had defected from Atari and brought the technology with him...



...except that the game was fully completed and was ready for release in 1983 when it was suddenly abandoned.

Stranger still, it quite directly references Twin Peaks, a television show that wouldn't air for another seven years.

What could this game's story be?

  QUOTES
"Jak Locke’s vintage Atari-aping indie Twin Peaks game Black Lodge 2600 does a damn fine job of being as haunting, bewildering and maddening as its legendary source material."
-Alec Meer, Rock Paper Shotgun

"Yes, it is creepy, and yes, it's hilarious, especially to us Twin Peaks fans, which you now undoubtedly are, right?"
-Mike D'Alonzo, G4TV Attack of the Blog

"It’s nothing short of brilliant. Let me repeat that: BRILLIANT! Special Agent Jak Locke, you are my hero!"
-Twin Pie, Welcome To Twin Peaks

"The visual motifs and utterly unnerving sound effects make this as downright bonkers as its source material."
-Lewis Denby, PC Gamer

"As for the game itself; it's truly amazing."
-Matthew Hawkins, Game Set Watch
 
RELEASE HISTORY
2017.07.06 - RELEASE v1.1.1.1 - fixed a frozen player bug
2017.05.18 - RELEASE v1.1.1.0 - more efficient control routine, gamepad support
2017.05.18 - HTML and PC RELEASES MERGED
2017.05.17 - HTML5 RELEASE v1.1.0.0 - initial HTML5 release (sans gamepad support)
2017.05.17 - PC RELEASE v1.1.0.0 - recoded from scratch, added WASD+gamepad support, intro, CRT fx, numerous logic fixes
2017.05.17 - MAC RELEASE DISCONTINUED
2015.04.10 - PC RELEASE v1.0.4 - manufacturer removed specialty graphics chip from cartridge (degraded owl and horse graphics)
2011.07.18 - MAC RELEASE v1.0.3 - added subtitle to secret
2011.07.18 - PC RELEASE v1.0.3 - added subtitle to secret
2011.06.29 - MAC RELEASE v1.0.2 - initial Mac release
2011.06.26 - PC RELEASE v1.0.2 - fixed hallway boundary discrepancy
2011.06.23 - PC RELEASE v1.0.1 - initial release
KNOWN ISSUES (as of 2017.07.06)
+ The latest release is new enough that I haven't come across any yet -- please send a message to the game's Facebook page if you run across any really big problems and I'll either fix them or I won't.



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cartridge art by Sarah Gramelspacher
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