Flash Gordon, published by 20th Century Fox in 1983 for the Atari 2600, is in fact a relabeling of Spider City, a side-scrolling shooter from Sirius Software originally created for home computers: you have to rescue astronauts trapped in tunnels and destroy pods that hatch spider warriors, firing from a ship flying across the scenery. Beyond the cover art featuring the hero of the 1980 film, the plot and gameplay bear no direct relation to the character or his universe. It's a clear example of how, in the licensing fever of the early '80s, the right name on the box was enough to sell a game that was, underneath, something completely different.
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