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

Gameplay

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. 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. The game was inspired by the UK miners' strike of 1984–85, and even featured a character based on union leader Arthur Scargill.

Music

Reception

Wanted: Monty Mole reached number 2 in the all-formats sales charts behind Daley Thompson's Decathlon in the week up to 13 September 1984. It topped the ZX Spectrum charts in the same week before being replaced by Daley Thompson's Decathlon the following week. Gremlin Graphics reported that they had sold 20,000 copies in the first six weeks. 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". 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. It also won Crash magazine's readers award for best platform game in 1984.

Sequels