Christmas Carol: Play The Game, Read The Book

+DZ-Jay · November 26, 2021

Christmas is coming, and what better way to celebrate the wintry season than by taking some time to play your favorite Christmas-themed Intellivision game, Christmas Carol vs. The Ghost Of Christmas Presents.

As some of you may know, I had hope to have a new release ready for this year, but as things happen, life tends to get in the way (and maybe also the supply chain crisis). No worries, because the original ROM is still available for free download, and it is every bit (and byte and decle) the same as the 2012 boxed version!

Download the ROM right here:

Ready-to-run package for Windows -- includes emulator:
- Christmas Carol - ROM Edition (Win).exe

Ready-to-run package for Mac -- includes emulator:
- Christmas Carol - ROM Edition (Mac).dmg

ROM-only, for LTO Flash! or your own emulator:
- Christmas Carol - ROM Only.zip

And for those who wish to have the full "CIB" experience, you can also download and print copies of the assets for your own personal use:

Playing on emulation is fine, but this game was painstakingly designed to be played using the Intellivision disc controller -- it is fluid and responsive in a way seldom experienced on the Intellivision. So make sure to give it a go on an LTO Flash!, CC3, or Ultimate Flashback.

... But you know what is even better than just playing Christmas Carol on the Intellivision? Experiencing her adventure first hand, just as Santa Claus always intended!

"Christmas Carol vs. The Ghost Of Christmas Presents" is the book based on the story, inspired by the video game, which itself was inspired by my childhood memories and aspirations of Christmas Time -- and everyone has an opportunity to get their own copy!

The book is available for sale for $24.99 + shipping, directly from the promotional web page or from eBay.

cvg-book-3d.png.549ce21b03adb88cb523b489624eee76.png

[ Order on Website ] | [ Order on eBay ]

$24.99 + Shipping

The book is written for children ages 7 to 9 years old, and for everyone who is young of spirit and retains a fondness for the innocent wonder of Christmas (like myself!). It is the perfect gift for children, whether read as a bedtime story to the young'uns, or read straight through by the older ones Carol's magical tale of adventure is sure to inspire the joy and splendor of Christmas in all of them.

You do not have to have played the game in order to enjoy the book; it stands on its own as a full-fledged adventure story, full of action, exciting discoveries, funny character interactions, and heartwarming moments. But if you enjoyed the game, you will love the book, for it will bring Carol's adventure to life in spectacular fashion.

Printed in large format and hardbound cover, with beautiful illustrations.

All your favorite parts of the game are there -- all those cut-scenes that hint at the antics of Carol & Co. are described in exciting prose. In turn, more than mere levels, each maze in the game is transformed into a cave for Carol to explore, with its own atmosphere, charm and mystery.

Experience Carol Greenleaf's journey of adventure as she explores the mysterious Frozen Ice-Cube Caverns. Armed with a crinkly old map given to her by Santa Claus, follow along as Carol ...

... Discovers the awesome majesty of the Haunted Hollow:

High above it all, a vaulted ceiling spanned the entirety of the chamber, interrupted only by the richly adorned capitals of ice cube columns. It too was made of ice, carved and polished to a high sheen, glowing softly, and reflecting gently the wintry snow blanketing the ground.

“Sweet candy canes!” she exclaimed, so awestruck she could barely utter the words.

... Gets lost in the twisty corridors of the Frosted Maze:

Stretching in front of her, as far as her eyes could see, was the main corridor—interrupted every few steps by criss-crossing inlets and alleys. Behind her, leading north-west, was a brief tunnel ending in (according to the map) a small cul-de-sac.

“I must explore every nook and cranny in this tangled place,” she told herself, trying to organize a plan of action, “every one of those little rooms could contain a hidden present.”

... Finds the Ghost's hidden stash of Halloween candy in the Candy Cove:

Carol ran into the chamber, excitedly waving her arms and jumping up and down. She had never seen so much candy in one place. Along with peppermint candy canes, the room was bursting with all sorts of confectionery: lemon drops, red hots, cherry bonbons, licorice strings, gum balls, candy corns, butterscotch hard candies, sweet caramels, and chocolate-covered-everything!

... Learns the secret of the Ice-Cube Mountain and the ancient magic of the Snowflake Gardens:

As she approached the brilliant blossom to take a closer look, she noticed the flowers had no stems and no leaves—just lovely white, fluffy petals, shimmering brightly, apparently just floating in mid-air. “Wait a minute! These aren’t flowers—” she suddenly realized, “t–they’re snowflakes! Prancing reindeers! They’re magical snowflakes glowing with magical light!”

[...] Carol was witness to the miracle of the mysterious and powerful forces of ancient lore which shaped and formed the caverns. She could see first hand the wondrous magic of yore in every one of those shimmering snowflakes, and she was fascinated by it all.

... Finds the mother-lode of stolen presents hidden away within the ramparts of the Krystal Keep:

At each corner, breaking the perimeter of the wall, stood four tall, circular towers. Each tower was hollowed out to form a small chamber inside, which could be accessed freely from the inner courtyard.

However, Carol did not notice the massive surrounding wall, the tall towers, nor the small rooms. Indeed, she did not even notice the courtyard at all—for in the middle of it, capturing her undivided attention in a spectacular way, lay a huge pile of Christmas presents! There were lots and lots of them, stacked up high, all colorful and radiant with their elegant ribbons and festive wrappers!

... Confronts her enemies in an final epic battle of might and magic -- a truly Twisted Toyland:

Trapped between the incoming Snowball and the targeting robot, Carol had only a split second to think. She thought of her magical weapon, but knew there was no time to reach in and grab it. In desperation, she ran, looking for a place to hide.

Alas! It was too late, for the Bad Toy had already taken aim at her and, with its laser weapon charged and ready, let out a blast of bluish electric light across the field!

“Bzzzzzzt!”

... And so much more!

So, this Christmas Season, immerse yourself in the wondrous world of Christmas Carol by playing the game, reading the book, and sharing the exciting story with friends and family as Carol Greenleaf embarks in her epic adventure to save Christmas from the clutches of the Evil Snowman!

This is your mission.

The children of the world are counting on you.

Can you save Christmas?

ORDER NOW:

[ Order on Website ] | [ Order on eBay ]

https://www.CarolVsGhost.com/book

“Christmas Carol vs. The Ghost Of Christmas Presents” the book, title, characters, and all other related materials are wholly owned by James Pujals, and are not to be used or distributed, in whole or in part, without the express permission of the author. The electronic materials offered for download herein are made available in good faith, strictly for personal use.

Edited November 27, 2021 by DZ-Jay

carlsson · November 26, 2021

Also if anyone not only plays your fine game, but also makes a mental note for how long time they have been enjoyed, feel free to enter the classic tracker about it (and every other Intellivision game of course).

Here are the stats about the most played games on every system (console, computer, arcade, handheld etc) released between ~1950 and 1999:

1. Kaboom! (Atari 2600) - 231826 min.

2. Solar Fox (Atari 2600) - 34217 min.

3. Pac-Man Collection (Atari 7800) - 16734 min. (most played homebrew)

4. The Lawnmower Man (SNES) - 14730 min.

5. Christmas Carol vs. the Ghost of Christmas Presents (Intellivision) - 13390 min.

6. Galaxian (Atari 2600) - 13342 min.

7. Silent Hunter (PC DOS) - 13129 min.

This year, Galaxian has catched up 292 min on Christmas Carol and is now only 48 min behind as you can see, so she might need your help with more than her own enemies.

BTW, the list of most played Intellivision games with more than 1000 minutes:

5. Christmas Carol vs. the Ghost of Christmas Presents - 13390 min.

46. Tower of Doom - 4578 min.
55. Lock 'n' Chase - 4177 min.
99. Bowling / PBA Bowling - 2698 min.
150. BurgerTime - 2294 min.
243. Astrosmash - 1625 min.
244. Q*bert - 1620 min.
249. AD&D: Cloudy Mountain - 1592 min.
283. Thunder Castle - 1454 min.
319. Diner - 1356 min.
352. USCF Chess - 1263 min.
365. Snafu - 1229 min.
393. Championship Tennis - 1168 min.
404. World Championship Baseball - 1142 min.

Edited November 26, 2021 by carlsson

+DZ-Jay · November 27, 2021

If anybody has any questions about the book, or about ordering or shipping, just shoot me a PM! :)

-dZ.

+DZ-Jay · November 27, 2021

For those looking for a different payment option, I've set up a listing on eBay that allows any payment method supported on that platform.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/154722303060

-dZ.

RetroAl · November 27, 2021

Wow, I just finished a few rounds of Christmas Carol and was about to grab the book and post about it on here.

any interest in posting high scores. I’m not very good at it but it could be a fun event.

+DZ-Jay · November 27, 2021

30 minutes ago, RetroAl said:

Wow, I just finished a few rounds of Christmas Carol and was about to grab the book and post about it on here.

any interest in posting high scores. I’m not very good at it but it could be a fun event.

Hi, @RetroAl,

We use to run an annual competition several years when the game first came out and indeed it was a lot of fun. I do not have any plans at the moment of reviving the championship, but perhaps the guys who organize the Intellivision High Score Club would like to include the Christmas Carol in the roster for December, as they've done in years past.

Although I rather keep this thread on the topic of the book, feel free to bump any of the old Carol vs. The World topics or create a new one to post your scores. Maybe others would like to share their scores as well.

If you decide to purchase a copy of the book, make sure to let me know what you think of it! :)

-dZ.

+DZ-Jay · November 27, 2021

I updated the first post with the eBay links. You can pay with PayPal or any other supported method from there. It's the same price as before.

I also added some discounts if you buy more than one, just in case.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/154722303060

dZ.

Edited November 27, 2021 by DZ-Jay

RetroAl · November 27, 2021

I have the book, really enjoyable!!!??????. I also have 1 patch from the old competition. ?

+DZ-Jay · November 28, 2021

12 hours ago, RetroAl said:

I have the book, really enjoyable!!!??????. I also have 1 patch from the old competition. ?

Oh wow! Those patches are really cool.

I see that you made it to the Runners Up listing of Top Elite Novice Elves on the 2014 CvW Championship:

Level #16, that's the "boss level" -- you met the Bad Toy. Have you managed to save Christmas already?

If you read the book, would you mind sharing your impressions on how it expands on the whimsical story arc depicted simply in the game's cut-scenes and ending? That is what inspired the entire book.

-dZ.

Mik's Arcade · November 28, 2021

holy cow, this is fantastic, thank you. I never knew this was your game! I got to level 4 on my first try. That damn snowman is relentless and fast. Fantastic level design and use of graphics. Love the small cutscenes. Very inspiring. So many small details that make the game a complete package, like when poor Carol turns into ice and crumbles. I mention that especially because I am trying to work out just how to animate the death scene in my game right now.....poor Sasuke! But just playing your game is a lesson on how to do it right.

I knew you were talented, but not MULTI-talented...lol. Game designer, tool builder, invaluable resource to the community AND author! I feel small being surround by so many talented people here but we all start somewhere.

I will admit, It's so odd seeing a 'face' to go along with your name and avatar. At least now I get your avatar. Then again, I have a Emil face as my avatar. Not many people know what this is, and there is literally no reason why I use it other than that I like it and have some rather odd tastes.

Edited November 28, 2021 by Mik's Arcade

+DZ-Jay · November 28, 2021

2 hours ago, Mik's Arcade said:

holy cow, this is fantastic, thank you. I never knew this was your game! I got to level 4 on my first try. That damn snowman is relentless and fast. Fantastic level design and use of graphics. Love the small cutscenes. Very inspiring. So many small details that make the game a complete package, like when poor Carol turns into ice and crumbles. I mention that especially because I am trying to work out just how to animate the death scene in my game right now.....poor Sasuke! But just playing your game is a lesson on how to do it right.

I knew you were talented, but not MULTI-talented...lol. Game designer, tool builder, invaluable resource to the community AND author! I feel small being surround by so many talented people here but we all start somewhere.

I will admit, It's so odd seeing a 'face' to go along with your name and avatar. At least now I get your avatar. Then again, I have a Emil face as my avatar. Not many people know what this is, and there is literally no reason why I use it other than that I like it and have some rather odd tastes.

Hi, @Mik's Arcade,

Thank you for the kind words, I'm very flattered, and I'm glad that you enjoyed the game.

Although both the game and the book were created by me, I did have lots of help in both endeavors, from many people much smarter and talented than me. For example, the idea of Carol freezing and crumbling to snow when killed was mine (inspired by Chuck Jones cartoons, of course), but what makes it come to life is the fantastic sound effect created by @intvnut.

My contributions to the community are just my small way of paying forward all the help I got myself. ?

Anyway, I'm sure you will come up with something clever and cool for your own game, just don't give up.

-dZ.

RetroAl · November 29, 2021

On 11/28/2021 at 6:28 AM, DZ-Jay said:

Oh wow! Those patches are really cool.

I see that you made it to the Runners Up listing of Top Elite Novice Elves on the 2014 CvW Championship:

Level #16, that's the "boss level" -- you met the Bad Toy. Have you managed to save Christmas already?

If you read the book, would you mind sharing your impressions on how it expands on the whimsical story arc depicted simply in the game's cut-scenes and ending? That is what inspired the entire book.

-dZ.

I haven't saved Christmas yet, this is the year. The book really expands the story of the game. Great companion piece. Very heartwarming story with a great ending. planning to pull it out in a week or two for the Christmas season.

+DZ-Jay · November 29, 2021

2 minutes ago, RetroAl said:

I haven't saved Christmas yet, this is the year. The book really expands the story of the game. Great companion piece. Very heartwarming story with a great ending. planning to pull it out in a week or two for the Christmas season.

??

Here are some tips and tricks from past competitions, in case they help you complete the game:

+DZ-Jay · December 19, 2022

Seasonal bump!

There is still time ...

dZ.

Jaxivision · December 19, 2022

Can we get the book autographed by you?

+DZ-Jay · December 19, 2022

23 minutes ago, Jaxivision said:

Can we get the book autographed by you?

Of course! It would be an honor for me.

When you place the order, just send me a PM and let me know if you want it autographed or inscribed with a personalized message.

-dZ.

Christmas Carol: Play The Game, Read The Book

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