Monster Bash (1982)

The player must use a 4-way joystick to take control of a man called "Bashman" (although he is referred to as "Little Red" on the US flyer) - and the first stage takes place in the mansion of Count Dracula, where Bashman must zap the defending bats while lighting the four candles to energize the Magic Sword. When Bashman touches that Magic Sword while it is energized, he will gain SuperZap power, which is required to kill Count Dracula; once he has done so, he will move on, to the castle of Frankenstein's Monster, where he must zap the defending Wolfmen (who can crouch down, to avoid getting killed) while lighting two additional candles to energize the game's second Magic Sword (and gain SuperZap power, which is again required to kill Frankenstein's Monster). Once he has done so, Bashman will move on, to the graveyard of Chameleon Man - where he must zap defending Spiders and light the single candle in the crypt to energize the game's third and final Magic Sword. However, Chameleon Man has the ability to change his colour and become invisible; Bashman must walk over one of the three colour-change spots on the left side, right side, and bottom of the screen, to change the colour of the background and make Chameleon Man visible again. Much like Count Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster, Chameleon Man can only die after Bashman has touched the Magic Sword while it's energized and gained SuperZap power - and once he's done so, the game will begin again.

• Release Date: December 31, 1982
• Developer: Sega/Gremlin