#123#
 

Multistart

Video game concept

*123*
13
games
8
platforms

The game is split into multiple start-up media, executables, or such that need to be manually started in sequence as you progress through the game. May artificially limit player's ability to start them out of sequence.

Notable people involved: Pablo Ariza, Jose Antonio Martin Tello and Allen H. Blum III

Alternate names: Multiple start-up executables, Multiple start-up media

Artificial limits may occur via:
* Password provided at the end of one sequence that is needed to start the next.
* A game save from the end of the previous sequence.

Not all of these games may include such limitations and may intentionally allow playing them out of sequence (though likely with recommendation to play them in sequence).

For examples:
* C64 game may have multiple cassettes, you start the game with one, and at the end it just says game over and may include information to load the next cassette, but does not work simply by inserting it and hitting play.
* DOS game may be split into multiple executables (.com or .exe files), after finishing one, the game exits to DOS shell itself or back to main menu (from where the player needs to exit the game manually), and to continue playing the player needs to start the next executable manually.

These kinds of games were later succeeded by games that automatically would load the contents of the next media (cassette, CD, etc.) upon such being inserted, or include all episodes, sequences, or such in same executable, or alternatively have wrapper executable that starts the individual episodes. This tag is specifically for those games that precede that automation/monolithism.

This is NOT for later compilations of episodic series that do the same.

Popular tags

hackandslash runandgun

Parent group

Multi-executable

Games by year

878991939597990103050709111315 41230

The first Multistart video game was released in 1987.

Dinamic published most of these games.

Platforms

MSX3
Amstrad CPC3
MS-DOS2
C1281
Amiga1
Linux1
ZX Spectrum1
Atari ST1

Most common companies