Previous Next

In a rare agreement, Gremlin have acquired the official licence for a computer game version of Walt Disney's Basil The Great Mouse Detective.

The plot for this adventure is based around the kidnapping of Basil's chubby assistant, Dr. Dawson, by the evil Professor Ratigan. Basil sets out to rescue his friend by collecting clues from three scenarios, and has only twelve game hours to complete his task.

The player directs Basil left and right through a series of platform screens, and enters the letterboxes of surrounding houses, to enter different areas of the level.

The most important aspect is the examination of objects. This is done by pressing the space bar, causing anything of interest to be shown in the magnifying glass at the bottom of the display. The main items of note are clues, five of which are found in each level to advance to the next. Basil holds up to five objects in his pockets at any one time, and uses his magnifying glass to identify which of these clues are false. Once he has all five correct clues in his pockets, he uses his glass to direct him to the level's exit.

Basil's energy is depleted when he's touched by Ratigan's henchmen, who patrol every screen. Should his energy run out completely, he becomes inanimate and the adventure ends.

I suppose Basil The Great Mouse Detective is aimed at an age group to match that of the film. In considering this, I find the game to be none too easy: Basil is incessantly 'attacked' by Ratigan's men (mice?) and his energy is constantly drained. There's no way to avoid his adversaries if you want to examine nearby objects, and unless many mousetraps are found, death is not far away.

The graphics are very good, and the game is pretty massive, but rather inappropriate for youngsters I feel.

There's nothing original about a platform arcade adventure, but this is a pretty good example of the genre. The graphics are very pretty and nicely animated, and the game is delightfully simple to play, with three large levels to explore.

Unfortunately, the action is very repetitive, with many of the rooms looking similar. Although this has been designed to appeal to a younger market, the quality is not sub-standard, as so many conversion deals for 'kiddie' characters are. Check this out if you like arcade adventures, but don't expect anything especially innovative.

The graphic artists have done an excellent job, and the sprites have a lovely cartoon quality about them. However, I think that they're let down a little by the actual game - which is nothing more than a platform arcade adventure.

This is by no means a Bad Thing, but I find it sad that the designers haven't produced something more original for such a great licence. The going is tough from the start, but with a little mapping, the playing area soon becomes familiar, and adversaries are dodged with relative ease.

Basil has plenty of challenge on offer, and should appeal to ardent arcade adventurers.

Presentation 77%
Few options, but pleasant screen layout and instructions.

Graphics 83%
Effective, colourful screens with smart, well animated sprites.

Sound 62%
A tuneful melody plays on the title screen, but the sound effects are paltry.

Hookability 68%
The familiar platform format isn't too appealing, but is immediately playable.

Lastability 73%
Despite its simplicity, the game is massive, tough, and throws down a strong challenge.

Overall 77%
A very good platform game, which is possibly too difficult for its designated market.