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The Commodore 64 version of Shamus.

Shamus is a computer game written by William Mataga and published by Synapse Software. Originally developed for the Atari 8-bit computer system in 1982, it later appeared as a title for the Commodore 64 and IBM PC Jr. and has since been released for the Nintendo Game Boy Color.

It also was released for the TI-99/4A, TRS-80 and VIC-20.

Inspired by the arcade game Berzerk, the objective of the game is to navigate the eponymous robotic detective through a 4-skill level, 128-room maze of electrified walls. The ultimate goal at the end of this journey is "The Shadow's Lair".

Opposing the player are a number of robotic adversaries, including spiral drones, robo droids and snap jumpers. Shamus is armed with 'Ion Shivs' and is able to hurl up to two at a time at his enemies. Like many other games in this genre, touching an electrified wall results in instantaneous death. Upon the completion of each level, the gameplay speeds up, increasing the chances of running into a wall.

The main gameplay involves clearing the room of all enemies, picking up special items on the way and then leaving through an exit. Upon returning to the room, the enemies are regenerated and returned to their original positions. In exactly the same way as Berzerk, the player is attacked if he or she spends too much time in a room. In this case, the Shadow himself emerges from off-screen and hops directly at Shamus.

The game differs from Berzerk in that the player may pick up items along the way - for example, bottles containing extra lives, mystery question marks, and keys which would open exits, thus expanding the game area.

The various maze layouts are all named after famous fictional detectives or agents, such as "Clouseau", "Marlowe", "Holmes" or "Bond".

• Shamus game map (Atari 8-bit version)
• Shamus at MobyGames