Night Stalker
Also released as Dark Cavern (Atari 2600, M Network)
Night Stalker — frequently asked questions
- Is Night Stalker on Steam?
- No. Night Stalker is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
- What platforms is Night Stalker on?
- Night Stalker is available on Atari 2600, Intellivision, DOS, Apple II, Aquarius, IBM PC, Mattel Aquarius.
- When did Night Stalker release?
- Night Stalker was first released on May 6, 1982.
About Night Stalker
Night Stalker (released as "Dark Cavern" on Atari 2600) is a top-down maze shooter designed by Steve Montero and released for the Intellivision console in 1982. Night Stalker was ported to the Atari 2600 as Dark Cavern and released under Mattel's M Network label. Apple II and IBM PC versions were published in 1983. Robots, bats, and spiders chase you around a maze in Night Stalker, which boasts similar gameplay, if some what slower, to the arcade smash Berzerk. Players must pick up a gun that is randomly placed in the maze. The gun provides the player with a certain number of shots. Once depleted, the gun is again placed in a random part of the maze.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Atari 2600, Intellivision, DOS, Apple II, Aquarius, IBM PC, Mattel Aquarius
- Developer
- Mattel Electronics
- Publisher
- Mattel Electronics
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Action, Fantasy
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Built by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atari 2600Details ↓ | 1982 | $6 | $17 | $34 | Graphics ★★★½ · Play-Action ★★★½ | APh (designed by Hal Finney) |
| IntellivisionDetails ↓ | 1982 | $5 | $12 | $18 | 3 reviews | Steve Montero |
Also released on: DOS · Apple II · Aquarius · IBM PC · Mattel Aquarius. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Prices are per version and are not interchangeable, and neither are the reviews: conversions in this era were often built by a different studio than the original, so a score earned on one machine says nothing about how another plays.
Collector value & authenticity
Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a week
- Complete: about once a month
- Sealed: about 6 times a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-19.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $0.01 in Oct 2008, $3.85 five years ago, and $4.97 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2009 | $0.01 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $1.99 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $0.59 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $1.00 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $2.64 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $1.99 | $5.99 |
| Jan 2015 | $2.99 | $0.99 |
| Jan 2016 | $3.89 | $6.95 |
| Jan 2017 | $4.25 | $5.98 |
| Jan 2018 | $3.93 | $7.93 |
| Jan 2019 | $4.87 | $13.08 |
| Jan 2020 | $4.15 | $11.17 |
| Jan 2021 | $3.66 | $13.04 |
| Jan 2022 | $4.55 | $11.13 |
| Jan 2023 | $6.73 | $13.44 |
| Jan 2024 | $3.38 | $13.27 |
| Jan 2025 | $4.72 | $13.27 |
| Jan 2026 | $8.62 | $15.59 |
| Oct 2026 | $4.97 | $16.00 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Label | Catalog # | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America M Network | Black | MT5667 | Common+ |
| North America Telegames | Silver | — | Rare |
Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database
- Region
- NA+EU
- Released
- 1982
- Controller
- Atari Joystick
- Players
- 1
- Authenticity
- Low
The Atari 2600 version
M Network's 2600 port of the Intellivision maze shooter Night Stalker, cheap and on Atari 50.
Dark Cavern is the Atari 2600 version of Night Stalker, a top-down maze shooter that Steve Montero designed for the Intellivision in 1982. Mattel released the 2600 port under its M Network label in November 1982. APh developed it, with Hal Finney credited as designer.
It is a modest cartridge, but it is easy to find and it is on Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration if you only want to play it.
How it was made
Developed by APh with Hal Finney credited as designer, and published under Mattel's M Network label in November 1982. The original Night Stalker was designed and programmed by Steve Montero for the Intellivision.
What the press said at the time
| Computer Entertainer Vol. 1 No. 8 | November 1982 | Graphics ★★★½ · Play-Action ★★★½ |
“is a VCS version of Intellivision NIGHT STALKER that out-does the original. … This is a must for maze game fans--Recommended.”
“"Dark Cavern" maintains a high degree of excitement throughout play and is certainly the best arcade-style contest produced by the M-Network so far.”
“are essentially the same maze-war against mechanoids. Ironically, the Intellivision edition, though all right, is the weakest of the three.”
Computer Entertainer rated graphics first and play action second, from four symbols (excellent) to one (poor) — stars in most years, diamonds in 1986–87 — comparing each game only with other games for the same system.
Cartridge & preservation record
Program size 4 KB, measured from the preserved dump.
Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.
Also on other platforms
Intellivision · Apple II · Aquarius · IBM PC
| Atari 2600 | APh (designed by Hal Finney) |
| Intellivision | Steve Montero (designer); released as Night Stalker |
Before you buy
Low risk, with no documented reproductions. Loose carts are inexpensive. The game is listed under both M Network and Telegames, with a later PAL release in 1989, so check the label for the publisher name so you know which release you are buying. Boxed copies cost a few times the loose price.
Collector value & authenticity
Intellivision · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-20
Label variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sears Tele-Games release | — | $6 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a month
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about 2 times a month
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-20.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $1.50 in Apr 2009, $2.10 five years ago, and $4.67 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $2.99 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $3.35 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $0.98 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $0.99 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $1.00 | $2.50 |
| Jan 2015 | $6.99 | $2.89 |
| Jan 2016 | $4.95 | $6.00 |
| Jan 2017 | $2.50 | $2.99 |
| Jan 2018 | $3.52 | $6.43 |
| Jan 2019 | $3.21 | $5.99 |
| Jan 2020 | $4.99 | $6.52 |
| Jan 2021 | $1.32 | $8.84 |
| Jan 2022 | $5.91 | $7.12 |
| Jan 2023 | $4.74 | $6.61 |
| Jan 2024 | $2.64 | $9.57 |
| Jan 2025 | $3.40 | $9.57 |
| Jan 2026 | $4.87 | $10.74 |
| Oct 2026 | $4.67 | $12.21 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Product # |
|---|---|
| North America Mattel Electronics | 5305 |
| North America Sears (Tele-Games) | 49 75236 |
- North America: Product number confirmed by Mattel's own catalogue and the game's own manual.
- North America: Sears catalogue number, printed on the Sears Tele-Games box.
- Region
- NA
- Released
- 1982
- Controller
- Hand controller
- Players
- 1 or 2
- Authenticity
- Low
The Intellivision version
The original, and a tense maze shooter that asks a lot of the disc controller.
Steve Montero designed and programmed Night Stalker for Mattel, and it reached the Intellivision in 1982. You roam a maze exchanging shots with robots while avoiding bats and spiders. Every other version descends from this cart.
Computer Entertainer found the graphics very good and the action interesting, but said the controller hampered play. Moving and aiming with the disc takes practice, and that remains the main complaint.
How it was made
Designed and programmed by Steve Montero for the Intellivision; Mattel's 2600 and computer versions came afterward.
What the press said at the time
| Computer Entertainer Vol. 1 No. 5 | August 1982 | Graphics ★★★½ · Play-Action ★★½ |
| JoyStik Vol. 1 No. 3 | December 1982 | Rating PG · Graphics 7 · Game Play 8 · Longevity 7 |
| JoyStik Vol. 1 No. 4 | January 1983 | ★★★ |
“Graphics are typically very good, and play action is interesting, but somewhat hampered by the controller.”
“The run-and-shoot action is really clever and entertaining. Night Stalker could easily be among the best of this year's new videogames if the firing routine wasn't so eccentric.”
“Think of Night Stalker as a slightly more complicated variation of Berzerk. … We score it as a top contender in the search-and-shoot maze competition.”
“Night Stalker is a challenging, graphically entertaining encounter. Hope you're not afraid of the dark.”
Computer Entertainer rated graphics first and play action second, from four symbols (excellent) to one (poor) — diamonds through early 1987, stars after — comparing each game only with other games for the same system. JoyStik’s capsule ratings run from one star to five.
Also on other platforms
Mattel Aquarius
| Intellivision | Steve Montero |
- Mattel Aquarius. Mattel also published a Night Stalker version for its Aquarius computer in 1983.
Worth knowing
- From the Intellivision manual. The man can run or shoot but not both at once, and can only fire while standing still; each weapon holds six shots.
- From the Intellivision manual. Past 5,000 points shot bats are replaced by grey robots, and tougher blue, white, black and invisible robots appear as your score climbs.
- From the Intellivision manual. The bunker in the center of the maze is the only safe place, but yellow energy bolts after 50,000 points can wear it away.
Before you buy
Mattel included two keypad overlays, so look for both. A Sears Tele-Games copy exists and is priced well below the Mattel boxed copy. The box and manual carry much of a complete copy's value.
Night Stalker screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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