ALLENTOWN, Pa. – For many people in our area, driving on Route 22 is a no-win task.
Until now.
An Allentown man has designed a nostalgic video game inspired by the stop-and-go traffic along the local roadway.
Inside the workshop of his Allentown home, Matthew Blum is creating his own game and making his own rules.
“Kind of a vintage Atari vibe I was going for. Route 22 and all that,” said Blum.
It’s called “Route 22 Rampage”, inspired by the sounds and feelings of the often clogged and congested highway.
“I like the local appeal. People are drawn to it because it’s local,” said Blum.
The object is simple. It’s a racing game. Weave between slow moving traffic and drive to Allentown. But look out for the potholes!
“I think the horn makes the game. It’s fun. Just kinda go, honk honk!” laughed Blum.
Blum came up with the concept last March. The game coding took a month. Blum did all of his own marketing and built the game cartridges on his 3D printer. He even took the picture of the classic Nova on the cover.
“Actually, I took the photo at the Ritz car show at the downtown fairgrounds,” smiled Blum. “Playing this game brings back all the nostalgic feels, but it’s harder than it looks. Just like driving on Route 22.”
Blum says this is a limited-edition game. He’s only making 42 of his 8-bit masterpieces.
But you can play for free, by going to his company website.
“If people want to play it for free, I have it. It’s there. But if you want to add it to your Atari collection, it’s on the company store to buy.”
The website is www.shop.lightly-salted.com. Try not to crash it.