Satan's Hollow

The game begins at the base of the mountain pass leading to Satan's Hollow. Players control a combination cannon-bridge-builder, which moves horizontally across the bottom of the screen by means of a Tron-like joystick. The object of the first screen is to build a bridge across the fiery river leading through to Satan's Hollow, to do battle with Satan himself. Your ultimate foe will not let you through without a fight so he has sent out formations of demonic gargoyles to bar the way.

The gargoyles fly back and forth across the screen in tight formations.

When you are in really tight situations, press the Shield button to activate a protective aura around the cannon, but it has use of a limited duration.

Every time a gargoyle is killed, an angry squawk is sounded off and a bridge segment will appear at the bottom left side of the screen. To pick one up move the cannon over it and it will automatically latch on to it. If it is successfully towed to the far right side of the screen, it forms a segment of the bridge under construction. Although each time a gargoyle is destroyed a segment can appear, it only does so if the previous segment has already been positioned on the bridge.

If all gargoyles in the formation are killed, Lucifer, Old Nick or Beelzebub will appear circling above the ground while breathing enormous streams of fire at the cannon. Although the shield protects the cannon against collision and projectiles, it gives very little protection against the huge streams of fire breathed by Lucifer, Old Nick or Beelzebub.

When the bridge has been finished, the cannon can cross over the river of fire to Satan's Hollow on the other side of the mountain where the player finally has a chance to do battle with Satan, who will hurl deadly tridents at the cannon. After the player has destroyed Satan, a bonus is awarded and the game begins again with increased difficulty.

During most of the game, you battle green gargoyles and build a bridge over a river of fire, which you then attempt to cross over. The gargoyles will dive at you and attack with fireballs and explosive eggs. When you shoot a gargoyle, a piece of bridge will appear. Grab it and carry it to the river of fire to slowly build your bridge. Watch out, as the occasional gargoyle will try to capture one of your spare cannons! Shoot it before it gets away to win the cannon back.

As you defeat waves of enemies, flags will be placed on the castle. They will come into play when you face Satan.

Sometimes, after you destroy all the gargoyles, you will be confronted by either Lucifer, Old Nick or Beelzebub and each of them will breathe streams of fire at you.

After you have completed the bridge and crossed over it, you will be face to face Satan who will throw deadly tridents at you which your shield cannot block. After you have defeated Satan, you will get a bonus score based on the flags on the castle, and the game will begin again with increased difficulty.

Some wiring harnesses are labeled "Satan's Master" and others have "Satan's Power" on the tag. These may have been pre-production titles for the game. It has also been said that they may simply indicate two different types of harnesses used for this game.

Midway had a mail-in offer to purchase a T-shirt of Satan's Hollow back in 1982.

There was an advertisement for this game which had a rather interesting description of it. The upper part of the ad said: "The hot new battle game that dares you to cross the blazing Bridge of Fire to do battle with the Master of Darkness -- Satan of the Hollow!". The lower right-hand part of the ad said: "The Dark Scrolls warn of the perils of Satan's hollow. He, the Prince of Darkness, reigns over an infernal underworld so abhorrent, the grotesque gargoyles who safeguard his lair cower at his clovenhoofed approach. 'Tis he who rules surpremely his domain, by twisted swirls of flame and obediant creatures so wretched, no mortal dareth traverse the Bridge of Death crossing the River of Fire. Beware him. He is darkness, he is the omnipotent demon Lucifer, he is SATAN OF THE HOLLOW."

The game was released in upright, cabaret, and cocktail table-style cabinets.

Play the game on-line requires Shockwave at http://www.shockwave.com/sw/content/satanshollow