Pathfinder (video game)

Lore & Background

In Pathfinder, the player controls the Pathfinder to collect canisters of radioactive waste scattered throughout an underground maze. The maze is inhabited by three types of radioactive creatures: Nukes, which absorb power from nuclear waste; Phantoms, which move through walls; and Minelayers, which traverse the entire level placing mines. The player is armed with a plasma gun that fires in eight directions. Shooting a mine starts a fire that can spread through the maze. A level is completed when all radioactive waste is removed. The game features nine levels, each distinguished by color changes and occasional alterations to the maze structure.

Reader's Guide

The Addison-Wesley Book of Atari Software 1984 noted the game's ambiguous reception, stating: 'It's very hard to classify this game as either good or bad. While on the one hand it appeared to be a superficial and repetitious game, many of the teens who played it enjoyed seeing half of the maze on fire and then trying to put it out.' This highlights a split between critical assessment and player enjoyment, particularly around the emergent gameplay of fire spreading. The game's legacy is tied to its unique fire mechanic and the polarized reactions it generated, as documented in the 1984 software guide.

Did You Know?

• The game was published in 1982 by Gebelli Software.
• The game has nine levels, each with color changes and sometimes maze structure changes.