Personal Computer Games


Murphy

Author: PC
Publisher: Mogul
Machine: Commodore 64

 
Published in Personal Computer Games #10

Murphy

An Irish name but an American game from Mogul - one with a familiar concept, but none the less playable and enjoyable for that.

Murphy is a miner and is desperate to retrieve all the moneybags scattered underground and put them in his wheelbarrow on the surface. Of course, it's not so easy. There wouldn't be much to computer games if everybody could just wander around getting rich whenever they wanted. No. Murphy has got problems.

For a start there are lots of rogue carts speeding along the tunnels. They have a nasty habit of crushing Murphy just as he's about to grab one of those moneybags.

But Murphy can protect himself by jumping up to the cross beams and, if he wants, dropping into the cart. More of a problem are the robbers who want to get their hands on Murphy's gold. Dressed in what look like prison pyjamas, they keep up a tenacious pursuit. Greed gives them a lot of stamina.

Robbers can be dealt with by either bonking them with one of the pickaxes lying around or by dropping a moneybag on them as they chase Murphy up one of the ladders in the shafts.

The game scrolls sideways through three screens of underground action, so there's plenty of mine to explore. Murphy's wheelbarrow is at the top left, but can be moved to make depositing moneybags easier. This is very useful since moneybags slow him down and he is more likely to be trapped by a robber.

Graphics in this game look very American - chunky but clear. The mine is well-designed and it will take some time to get familiar with all its nooks and crannies. Animation is reasonable but the sound is repetitive and, ultimately, pretty annoying.

PC

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