Goodbye Charlie (Norman Overpeak)

Title – Goodbye Charlie
System – Commodore 64
Author – Norman Overpeak
Publication – COMPUTE!, Issue 42, November 1983
Page Scans – 1 2 3 4
Preserved by – eboy71
Recommended Emulator – VICE

Download ROM

Loading the Game –

Mount the disk image (Compute 042 Goodbye Charlie.d64) in your emulator. In VICE, this is done by selecting File → Attach Disk Image
Load the app by typing LOAD”GOODBYE CHARLIE”,8
Once loaded, type RUN to start

Game Instructions

This game requires a joystick in port 2.
You start at the bottom of the screen and your goal is to make it to the top of the screen without hitting a tombstone.
You can press the fire button to briefly illuminate the graveyard, but doing so costs points after the first time, which is free.

Article Text

As you wend your way through the cemetery on a black and tempestuous night, beware of the tombstones. If you run into one, lightning will strike – and it only strikes once. The game includes five difficulty levels. Written for the unexpanded VIC, Atari and 64 versions are also included.

It’s a dark, stormy night with howling winds and bolts of lightning. You’ve got to get home – but first you must cross through the cemetery.

Since you don’t believe in ghosts, you won’t have to worry about them. But the graveyard is very old and there are lots of tombstones. You have to hurry, but you can’t bump into a grave marker- if you do, you’ll be struck by lightning and it’s goodbye, Charlie.

How To Play

“Goodbye Charlie” was originally written for the unexpanded VIC. The Atari and 64 versions include instructions within the programs.

In the VIC version, four keys (Q, A, S, Z) are used to control movement. The L key is used to light up the screen when you need to peek at the graveyard.

Success in this game depends on memory and perception. At the start, the computer will randomly place the tombstones and briefly light up the screen so you can see the obstacles. Get a good look. The first look is free, but any after that will cost you points.

You will have to move across a dark screen relying only on your memory of the tombstones’ locations. Remember – if you lose your nerve, you can get additional glimpses of the cemetery by pressing L, but this will subtract points from your score.

Goodbye Charlie has five difficulty levels. After typing in and saving the program, try the first level so you can acquaint yourself with the game.

Editor’s Notes:

Goodbye Charlie appears to be the only game credited to Norman Overpeak.
An Italian version of the game was published by Edizioni J.C.E. under the name “Cimiterius”, which translates to “Grave” or “Cemetary” in English.
The game is extremely simple, but quite fun, and it has some pretty cool lightning effects ⚡️