Manhunter: New York

Manhunter: New York was a point-and-click adventure game released in 1988 for the Apple II computer. Created by Dave Murry and Barry Murry at Evryware and published by Sierra On-Line, the game took place in a future New York City controlled by alien invaders called the Orbs.

In this game, you played as a detective forced to work for the alien overlords. The Orbs conquered Earth in 2002 and turned humans into slaves. As a Manhunter, your job was to track down humans who broke the aliens' rules. The game started in 2004, two years after the invasion. Players used surveillance cameras and tracking devices to follow suspects through Manhattan's streets.

The gameplay mixed detective work with arcade sequences. You spent most of your time watching security footage and following clues on a map of New York. When you found evidence, you had to piece together what happened by watching recordings from different camera angles. Between investigations, the game threw in action scenes where you dodged obstacles or fought enemies using the arrow keys.

What made Manhunter different from other adventure games was its dark atmosphere and serious story. While Sierra's other games like King's Quest featured fantasy worlds and humor, Manhunter showed a destroyed New York with dead bodies and violence. The Apple II version used simple graphics with only four colors, but the artists created memorable scenes of ruined landmarks like Central Park and Times Square.

The game's interface was simple compared to other Sierra adventures. Instead of typing commands, players selected options from menus. This made the game easier to play but limited what you could do. The arcade sequences frustrated many players because they required quick reflexes and perfect timing. If you failed, you had to start the sequence over.

Manhunter received mixed reviews when it came out. Some players loved the science fiction setting and detective gameplay. Others found the story too depressing and the arcade parts too hard. The game sold well enough for Sierra to make a sequel, Manhunter 2: San Francisco, in 1989.

The technical side showed smart programming for the Apple II's limits. The game fit on two floppy disks and ran smoothly on machines with only 64K of memory. Sound effects were basic beeps and clicks, but they added tension during chase scenes.

Today, Manhunter: New York remains an interesting example of 1980s adventure gaming. It tried new ideas that influenced later games, even if not all of them worked perfectly. For Apple II owners in 1988, it offered a unique experience that stood apart from the cheerful adventures that dominated the market.