Players take on the role of a teenage babysitter (Laurie Strode) who tries to save as many children from an unnamed, knife-wielding killer (Michael Myers) as possible.

The game's primary similarity to the film is the theme music that plays when the killer appears onscreen.

Like Wizard Video's other commercial release, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween was a controversial title at the time due to its violent content and subject matter.

[citation needed] Halloween, along with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, drove Wizard Video Games to bankruptcy.

Halloween had a slightly better reception than their The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,[8] although the limited number of copies sold has made both games highly valued items among Atari collectors.