Manos: The Hands of Fate gets retro-fitted iPhone game next week

If you’re a fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000, then you’re no doubt familiar with a stinky gem called Manos: The Hands of Fate.  Often considered the worst movie ever made, this 1966 suspense/horror film found its way into the hearts of MST3K fans when the crew mercilessly made fun of it.  Now, before the Rifftrax gang makes fun of it again live in theaters next month, someone’s actually working on a game adaptation.  We’re not kidding.

FreakZone games, a UK developer, has put together an inspired 8-bit version of Manos: The Hands of Fate, one that will be released in Apple’s App Store on July 26^th.  The game is set up to be a challenging platformer, one where you go through Manos’ creepy world, facing familiar characters like Torgo (and his plane!) and battling against nasty creatures.

“It’s an epic celebration of nostalgic badness, presented as something good,” FreakZone wrote on its blog page. “Mike encounters a wild snake in the desert? Enemy snakes!  An unusually long, lingering shot of a fireplace?  LIVING FIREPLACE BOSS!”  However, the game actually poses an interesting challenge, along the lines of the better NES games.

The Rifftrax crew, who are hosting a live event in theaters on August 16^th to re-record comments for the Manos film, are quite aware of the game’s existence…and looking forward to it.

“Weird, but even at 8-bit resolution, this game looks way, way better than the film!” said Mike Nelson, who also worked on MST 3K. “Can’t wait to ‘master’ the game.”

“It’s about time someone gave Torgo his own tiny airplane, and hopefully they retrofitted it for his huge knees,” says Bill Corbett, another member of the Rifftrax crew who used to work at Mystery Science Theater.  “An airborne, dogfightin’ Torgo can only be a good thing. I predict that this game will be bigger than Skyrim!”

Look for a full review of the game upon its release…if the Master will allow it.  Meanwhile, check out the fun little trailer below.