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Commodore Format
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Author: Cathy Parnham
Publisher: Codemasters
Machine: Commodore 64/128
Published in Commodore Format #20
Murray Mouse (Codemasters)
This game is a real hard cheese. It makes you want to throw it to the ground and jump up and down on it several times until it has been shattered into a million tiny pieces, never to be played again.
The idea is that the not-so-cute Murray Mouse Supercop has got to prevent an attempt to steal the Cheesy Moon and put an end to the Mouse Mafia. (If you believe this, you'll believe anything.) Set in a sewer and on Cheesy Moon, this platformer is full of traps to foil you. You have to bump off ten mice - all members of the gang - solving puzzles and using collectables as you go. The music fits the game; it sounds like a load of mice squeaking! [A mouse organ? - Ed]
This game may sound relatively straight-forward, put it's a real rat. The flick screen scrolling, although it shows you where you have to jump to, can be really annoying, especially in the opening scene. The on-screen messages are initiating, but do prove useful once you're in the sewer as they give you clues about what to look out for.
![Murray Mouse Supercop](/ills_small/c64/codemasters/tapes/Murray-Mouse-Supercop-000.gif)
The graphics lack sparkle and imagination, but then so does a dank, dark sewer (if you've ever been down one). Some collectables blend into the background, so it's annoying if you miss them and get stuck later on, as you may have to start from scratch.
Fire and water kill. But you sometimes have to jump towards a light to open a secret passage. Be daring and rely on luck in the hope that you choose the right one and avoid those fatal flames! The first water you come to is extremely perilous and one of the most tricky parts of the game. You'll probably take a ducking or two here, and lose a couple of those precious lives.
You must guard your three fives very carefully, as it seems the less you have the harder it is to jump and, more importantly, the less accurate you are. If you can enter the secret sewer (find the hidden entrance in the main sewer) with all three lives intact you have a vague chance of killing a couple more mice (note, not completing the game).
A receptive joystick is essential to this game, as is a great deal of luck. If you hold the joystick pressed upwards and then move it slightly to the left or right, Murray can do bigger leaps. However you get the feeling that Murray decides if you're going to survive a jump and not you. On one of the water jumps, because the flick screen doesn't let you see where Murray is supposed to land until you've taken a gambled leap, you can't even use skill to make sure you land safely
Murray Mouse Supercop is extremely tough. It's not a game you could finish fast as it relies too much on luck and not enough on skill. If you like solving a puzzle, have bags of time on your hands, and are determined not to be beaten by a mere mouse then this game is for you. But if you've got a temper, and a life to get on with, then this game is for you. But if you've got a temper and a life to get on with, then maybe not.
Bad Points
- You need more luck than skill to get through this game.
- It's much too hard, and there's little chance of finishing.
- It's too easy to lose your lives (you need a good supply just to cross the water bits).
- You seem to have little control over Murray's jumping ability.
- The graphics are pretty dire.
- One of the water jumps is just too tough - unless you can swim!
Good Points
- If you like solving puzzles, there are plenty here.
- It's certainly a challenge.
- The on-screen messages are useful most of the time.
- If you like cheese, this is a real stinker of a stilton.