2 reviews
Mappy, an intrepid grey mouse in a police uniform, is trapped in a mansion full of cat burglars (of course they're all literally cats!), platforms, trampolines, electronic doors and stolen goods. In order to escape, he has to retrieve all the stolen goods, stun the cats with dizzying waves of energy by opening the doors in their faces, and bounce around a lot. I remember playing this compulsive, addictive platform game as a kid, and wondering why it never took off in England in a big way - maybe it was too cute, with not enough action or violence (Mappy never 'dies', he just falls on his head, dazed, whenever one of the feline fiends makes contact with him) to satisfy the Space Invaders crowd - but I'm told it was more successful in its native Japan. It's a shame a home computer version was never made available, since it was a lot more entertaining than its most famous ancestor, Jet Set Willy, and the added attraction of being immune while you were bouncing on a trampoline offered a brief oasis of calm amidst all the running about. There is an online version called 'Muppy' which is quite primitive compared to the arcade original, but better than nothing!
- world_of_weird
- May 11, 2005
- Permalink
This game is another of my favorite video games, it's another classic I really love from one of my favorite video game companies Namco. This game was a sleeper hit in the 80's and I say that because it never really rose to the same popularity as any other classic held in high regard like "Pac Man" also from the same company; but all the same I really did love the game and sometimes games I love don't have to be highly popular. This game is truly unique as it's sort of a combo of both maze and platform action with one feature to set them apart.
Plotline isn't anything much, where you're a mouse cop that is trying to stop some sort of gang/mafia of cat burglars robbing mansions. That's it in a nutshell, it's really not important like all video games in the 80's we're in it for the gameplay and this game has great gameplay. It's seems like your typical cat and mouse, though in this game it's more the hunter and the hunted. Your objective is to collect/protect the targeted items placed within the mansion from the cat burglar while trying to avoid getting tagged by them. What makes this game unique is how you not just use your wits to outmaneuver and outsmart the cat burglar but also use your environment to your advantage.
There are two types of door you can use as weapons, from the regular door that you can open from the outside which will knock you back but also bump your opponent/s and stun them. You also can open them from the inside to bump them. However, the regular doors can only stun one to few opponents and they need to be within close enough range to do it, plus the doors must always be closed to do this. You even have bells up top you can drop on to stun enemies if they ever get on the same trampoline as you.
But the best weapon for me is the door alarm, which is a lighted door and if you open in from the inside or out the alarm will set off and the enemies within the pathway of the sound waves will be carried away. This is very handy because the sound waves can carry numerous enemies within your path and are out of the arena for a longer period, which gives you enough time to get to where you want to go. However, these door alarms are few and set in certain locations so use them sparingly and try to memorize where they are in case you really need them or lure as many enemies as you can.
And of course, we get to the platform action which is great, it seems a little awkward at first, but you get the hand of it and you'll soon become a trampoline master. Instead of having the usual jump function here you must use the physics of the trampoline to get you to where you want or need to go. The trampoline really does work to your advantage because you can access areas faster and helps you outmaneuver even get one step ahead of them. But there is a catch, you can't be on the trampoline too long otherwise it will break so don't take too much time and pick your jumps carefully.
The character animation is solid the characters look like the typical old cartoon characters you'd see. From the mouse whom is cute looking, along with the Hench cats whom are these tiny pink furballs. And then you have the big red cat whom is dressed like a crime boss, sort of like Fat Cat from "Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers". That's a character you need to watch out for as he's the slyest, he can hide behind the items and ambush you so be careful. Though on a side note you could gain additional points if you get the item while he's still hidden, if your willing to take the risk that is.
Music is good fits the nature of the game. But what impresses me the most are the level designs of the mansions. Their a maze of platform but each of them on every level are always different which makes the game even more challenging as it is as everything in the environment is rearranged which causes you to adjust and adapt quickly.
Mappy bounce high.
Rating: 4 stars
Plotline isn't anything much, where you're a mouse cop that is trying to stop some sort of gang/mafia of cat burglars robbing mansions. That's it in a nutshell, it's really not important like all video games in the 80's we're in it for the gameplay and this game has great gameplay. It's seems like your typical cat and mouse, though in this game it's more the hunter and the hunted. Your objective is to collect/protect the targeted items placed within the mansion from the cat burglar while trying to avoid getting tagged by them. What makes this game unique is how you not just use your wits to outmaneuver and outsmart the cat burglar but also use your environment to your advantage.
There are two types of door you can use as weapons, from the regular door that you can open from the outside which will knock you back but also bump your opponent/s and stun them. You also can open them from the inside to bump them. However, the regular doors can only stun one to few opponents and they need to be within close enough range to do it, plus the doors must always be closed to do this. You even have bells up top you can drop on to stun enemies if they ever get on the same trampoline as you.
But the best weapon for me is the door alarm, which is a lighted door and if you open in from the inside or out the alarm will set off and the enemies within the pathway of the sound waves will be carried away. This is very handy because the sound waves can carry numerous enemies within your path and are out of the arena for a longer period, which gives you enough time to get to where you want to go. However, these door alarms are few and set in certain locations so use them sparingly and try to memorize where they are in case you really need them or lure as many enemies as you can.
And of course, we get to the platform action which is great, it seems a little awkward at first, but you get the hand of it and you'll soon become a trampoline master. Instead of having the usual jump function here you must use the physics of the trampoline to get you to where you want or need to go. The trampoline really does work to your advantage because you can access areas faster and helps you outmaneuver even get one step ahead of them. But there is a catch, you can't be on the trampoline too long otherwise it will break so don't take too much time and pick your jumps carefully.
The character animation is solid the characters look like the typical old cartoon characters you'd see. From the mouse whom is cute looking, along with the Hench cats whom are these tiny pink furballs. And then you have the big red cat whom is dressed like a crime boss, sort of like Fat Cat from "Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers". That's a character you need to watch out for as he's the slyest, he can hide behind the items and ambush you so be careful. Though on a side note you could gain additional points if you get the item while he's still hidden, if your willing to take the risk that is.
Music is good fits the nature of the game. But what impresses me the most are the level designs of the mansions. Their a maze of platform but each of them on every level are always different which makes the game even more challenging as it is as everything in the environment is rearranged which causes you to adjust and adapt quickly.
Mappy bounce high.
Rating: 4 stars
- hellraiser7
- Oct 12, 2018
- Permalink