Gremlins (lost build of cancelled Atari arcade movie tie-in game; 1984)

This article has been tagged as Needing work due to its lack of content.

A draft of what the cabinet could've looked like.

Status: Lost

Gremlins is a cancelled arcade game based on the hit 1984 horror-comedy film of the same name. The game would have included three segments:

Playing as Lynne Peltzer, you defend your kitchen against the Gremlin onslaught.
Playing as Billy Peltzer, you melt Gremlins using your flashlight outside in the streets.
Playing as Gizmo, the game switches to a top-down view of the Mogwai driving his pink convertible throughout the Montgomery Ward department store, navigating through maze-like aisles, shooting obstacles until finally reaching Stripe in the fountain. There is no boss battle or boss fight; players just go back to the first level with increased difficulty.

The game was meant to be released back in 1985, but it was cancelled for unknown reasons.^[1]

Minimal footage has been released online, but no prototypes or other information of the game has resurfaced.

Gallery

The only known gameplay of the game courtesy of Atari Age.

The complete development history of the game featuring gameplay and design documents by The Strong Museum.