Hunchback (1983). Play online

Summary

Arcade Hunchback (shown as Hunch Back on its title screen) throws you onto a gritty castle wall where the goal is simple: dash left‑to‑right and ring the bell at the far end. Each static screen piles on hazards—deep pits you must swing over on a rope, sturdy ramparts to leap, speared knights and even swooping fireballs or arrows that force you to duck or jump. A climbing knight scrambles up the wall as a ticking timer; if he reaches the top you lose a life.

After surviving enough screens you finally free Esmeralda, and the game rewards you by restarting at a blistering new speed. The character’s outfit is a nod to its early concept as a Robin‑Hood‑type hero: a Lincoln‑green costume that never got redesigned when the setting shifted to a Notre‑Dame‑inspired castle wall. Despite the last‑minute re‑theming, the bell‑ringing mechanic gave the title its distinctive hook.

I love how the frantic pacing and the need to time every swing keep the adrenaline pumping, even after decades of arcade history.

Storyline

The arcade title Hunchback (often just called Hunchback) is loosely based on Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel *The Hunchback of Notre‑Dame*. You play as Quasimodo, the hunchback, sprinting along the top of a castle wall from left to right across a series of static, non‑scrolling screens. Each screen is littered with pits, ramparts, knights, fireballs and arrows that must be dodged.

The goal on every screen is to reach the far‑right edge and ring the church bell. After surviving several screens Quasimodo rescues Esmeralda, and the game restarts at a higher speed, increasing the challenge for the next run.