Wanted: Monty Mole

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Wanted: Monty Mole
Wanted Monty Mole.jpg
Developer(s) Peter Harrap [1] (Spectrum)
Antony Crowther (C64)
Publisher(s) Gremlin Graphics
Platform(s) Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum
Release
  • EU: 29 July 1984
[2]
Genre(s) Platformer
Mode(s) Single-player

Wanted: Monty Mole is a platform video game published in July 1984 [2] for the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 home computers. It is the first game released by Gremlin Graphics [2] and the first game in the Monty Mole series. Monty Mole is a fictional mole created by Ian Stewart, the director of the company. [2]

Contents

Gameplay

Commodore 64 screenshot Wanted Monty Mole Commodore 64 Gameplay Screenshot.png
Commodore 64 screenshot

The player controls the titular mole who has to travel around a coal mine collecting pieces of coal and other miscellaneous objects while avoiding various nasties and the infamous crushers. [3] The style of gameplay is typical of platform games of the 1980s. The ZX Spectrum version is a flip-screen game while the Commodore 64 version uses scrolling. [4] The game was inspired by the UK miners' strike of 1984–85, and even featured a character based on union leader Arthur Scargill. [3]

Music

Reception

Wanted: Monty Mole reached number 2 in the all-formats sales charts behind Daley Thompson's Decathlon [5] in the week up to 13 September 1984. It topped the ZX Spectrum charts in the same week [5] before being replaced by Daley Thompson's Decathlon the following week. [6] Gremlin Graphics reported that they had sold 20,000 copies in the first six weeks. [7]

The game received a positive reception from critics. Crash rated it 92%, describing it as a "fantastic Jet Set Willy type of game with excellent graphics and a good use of colour throughout". [8] Personal Computer Games gave it 80%, saying "if you can put up with a measure of frustration, Monty Mole will unearth a great deal of action for your money", while also praising the graphics. [9]

It also won Crash magazine's readers award for best platform game in 1984. [1]

Sequels

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References

  1. 1 2 "Crash Readers Awards 1984". Crash . No. 12. Newsfield. January 1985. pp. 94–95. ISSN   0954-8661.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Gremlin – The Rising Star". Commodore Computing International. Croftward Ltd. December 1986. p. 27. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  3. 1 2 Purchese, Robert (13 April 2011). "Peter Harrap wants new Monty Mole". Eurogamer . Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 16 April 2011.
  4. ↑ "The Potty Programmer".
  5. 1 2 "Charts". Personal Computer News. VNU. 22 September 1984. p. 5. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  6. ↑ "Charts". Personal Computer News. VNU. 29 September 1984. p. 4. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  7. ↑ "Top 50". Personal Computer Games. No. 12. VNU. November 1984. p. 21. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  8. ↑ "Wanted: Monty Mole". Crash. No. 9. Newsfield. 27 September 1984.
  9. ↑ "Personal Computer Games Magazine Issue 11".
  10. ↑ "Moley Christmas". Your Sinclair . No. 25. Dennis Publishing. January 1988. p. 17. ISSN   0269-6983.
  11. ↑ "School-developed Monty Mole Game Released for launch of Games Britannia 2013" (Press release). Games Britannia. Games Press, Gamasutra. 7 February 2013. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021.
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