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Death Merchant - Atari 7800

Death Merchant - Atari 7800

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Death Merchant

You're desperate. There's no choice but to head out into the blistering heat of the desert and face the reality of your dire situation. You've got 31 days before the fates demand your return, 31 days to earn as much money as you can by buying and selling survival gear. You begin your journey with a $7,500 loan for a month in the desert abyss. Use your time wisely and earn as much money as you can, and try to stay alive amidst all the criminal gangs intent on stealing your gains and doing you harm.

How you make your fortune is up to you.

Death Merchant Box

 

Gameplay

Death Merchant is a turn based strategy game. Throughout the game, you'll have to deal with random events that occur when traveling that can help or hinder your progress. Progressing in the game requires that you travel and is what triggers the start of the next day. Certain options are only available in certain cities, so you'll need to travel to specific destinations based on your current needs in the game. You can examine the map when you travel to determine if the service you require is available at your destination.

Watch your character's statistics, as they will affect your progress. Knives are needed when you get attacked when traveling, or when you start a fight. Your health must remain positive, or the game will end, and the only method to increase your health is to visit the Doctor in the city of New Vegas. Your backpack is an extremely important item in the game, and managing the amount of space you have is critical to success. You start out with a small backpack with enough space to hold 50 tradable items.

Food is necessary to maintain your Stamina level and can be acquired by either resting at the safe house in Bedford, purchasing it from the Death Merchant (who appears randomly when you're traveling), or by randomly receiving rations when traveling. Stamina reflects your overall energy level and affects your ability to fight, as well as your health when it reaches zero. You cannot start or continue to fight if your Stamina reaches zero. The higher your dexterity, the more likely you are to win a fight. Dexterity is earned by training or winning fights. When you encounter the Death Merchant in your travels, be courteous and buy as much as you can. The rewards of doing so will aid you in your journey.

Death Merchant Cart and Manual

 

Screenshots

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Additional Information

Included with Death Merchant is the game cartridge, full-color, 16-page manual, and a professionally printed box.

Number of Players 1
Controller Joystick Controller
Cartridge Size 48K
Programming and Artwork Steve Engelhardt
Cover Art and Packaging David Exton

Customer Reviews

Based on 1 review
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J
Joel Ressler
Civilization collapsed... Let's make some money!

I was intrigued by this game because it's so different than what you usually see on the 7800. And it certainly stands apart from the rest of the library. As the name of the game implies, you're a merchant (although not "The Death Merchant") and you travel city to city buying and selling resources. The core of the game is buying low and selling high, so it's kind of like being a stock trader, but without having to pretend you're civilized. I'll give the game's creator credit for acknowledging that in a ruined world where lives hang in the balance, tobacco is still one of the most sought after resources. We all know it would be true, even if we don't want to admit it. You also get in fights, although that is also a bit of a numbers game rather than any kind of active game play. And to give some strategy to your travels, each city has one unique function. Only one city has a doctor to heal you, one has a bank, and so on. And while it's not always easy to make the big profits, it is pretty easy to stay alive. I thought I'd have to play several times before I survived to the end of the game, but you have to be really careless with your health and stamina to actually die. There's certainly fun to be had trying to rack up more money to get a better rank at the end of the game, but...

It is rather bare bones. I thought there would be some element of text adventure in this game, but there really isn't. I think a little narrative could have gone a long way. A short text scroll to set up the story at the beginning, a few little blerbs along the way with still pictures to accompany events like making a really good sale, or getting robbed by bandits, and maybe a paragraph to close out the game showing what happens to your character after his month in the apocalyptic desert that varies based on your score/money. As far as presentation, there's a certain charm to the simple graphics. Since the game is advertised as using a Hokey Chip, I was expecting some good sound effects and music. But the sound is even more minimalist than the graphics, so that was disappointing.

But before I sound too negative on the game, I still enjoy it and because it's so unique in the 7800's library, I'm glad to have it in my collection. It just feels like there should have been a little more there. I'd recommend people look into it and consider giving it a chance, but it definitely won't be for everybody.

OK, final comment: I love the box art and manual design. Since the physical stuff that comes along with the game is part of what I enjoy about collecting, it's a nice touch.