The Terminator
A 1991 DOS game based on the 1984 film.
Bethesda Softworks both developed and published this 1991 action-adventure game for DOS. It adapts the 1984 film of the same name and holds the distinction of being the first video game based on the Terminator film series.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Bethesda Softworks
- Director
- Julian LeFay
- Producer
- Christopher Weaver
- Artist
- Nancy Freeman
- Sheila McKisic
- J. Rainey
- Writer
- Julian LeFay; Craig Walton
- Composer
- Tom McMail
- Series
- Terminator
- Released
- July 1991
Facts from the source article.
Development and release
Bethesda Softworks secured the rights from Hemdale Film Corporation in mid-1990 to develop a computer game based on The Terminator. The entire program, exceeding 35,000 lines, was coded in assembly language and contained roughly 20,000 three-dimensional objects. Development relied on Turbo Assembler and Turbo Debugger, running on 286 and 386 machines, while graphics were produced on IBM and Amiga systems. Digitized speech appeared in the opening and victory sequences. The game launched in July 1991, timed with the release of Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Reception
Critics praised the game for faithfully recreating the film's atmosphere, with Todd Threadgill calling it an "excellent" adaptation. The Los Angeles Times commended the city's design but slammed the controls, which required over fifty keystroke combinations even with a joystick. Computer and Video Games liked the option to play as either Reese or the Terminator, though they found the manual unclear and noted that the 3D effects could glitch. The Age highlighted the title sequences and Terminator theme music. Guido Alt of Aktueller Software Markt panned both the graphics and controls. Despite this, the game was a chart-topper at launch.
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