Mutant Monty

Copyright : Amsoft | Reviewed by : Ritchardo

In this early arcade release, you take the titular role of Monty who must outwit the equally titular mutants and rescue the fair maiden at the end of forty ?exquisite? caverns, collecting all the treasure along the way.

A fairly simple ?collect em-up? where all the action takes place on one screen (or cavern) at a time, the game didn?t set the heather alight upon it?s release in 1984 gathering only mediocre reviews - how does it stand the test of time?

Graphics

As with a number of Amsoft?s releases, the developers have once again gone for the big colourful sprites and in this type of game it pays dividends.

Monty looks fairly good and he can move across the screen at a fair speed too! Likewise the aliens are also well drawn and there is enough variety in the obstacles and foes to make you want to continue exploring, if only to see what creatures are on the next screen.

Sound

A constant tune plays upon loading and repeats on a loop throughout the gaming pausing only when you leave a cavern and your points are added up or you collide with a nasty. The tune itself isn?t that bad but as with most ditties of this type, it can quickly become irritating and you may find yourself reaching for the volume control before too long.

Gameplay

Once you get accustomed to Monty?s peculiar control method (he doesn?t stand still and to get him to stop moving you have to get him to walk into a wall!) this is a surprisingly addictive game to get into. Starting off with five lives (you?re topped back up to five when you reach level 20 - regardless of how many you have or haven?t lost in between) the difficulty level is cranked up steadily and although the caverns are all logical in terms of timing, a simple slip can cost you a life and before long you find yourself out of lives and back at the beginning.

One minor gripe I have about the game though is the boastful ?40 exquisite caverns? that was made in the literature at the time and even forms a scroll on the title screen: some of the caverns are simply a case of running from one side of the room to the other with the door already open and no monsters to collide with! A bit of a cheat that one!

Still good fun though, and a game that even after all these years I still haven?t completed (although I?ve came real close a couple of times!) The constant will to uncover the next cavern will keep you coming back.