Mole Attack

The Good
Back in my early years when I used to celebrate my birthdays at carnivals, one thing that I looked forward to play every time was Whac-A-Mole, a game where you have to hit as many moles as you can with a hammer within a time limit, and the prizes you got varied depending on how many moles you manage to hit.

Now Commodore decided to bring this very game to your home. Mole Attack features a nice attract mode where you are shown the keys you have to use, as well as the scoring method. You score points by hitting the mole when he is facing you, but you lose points when their buttocks are shown. Your overall objective is to beat your previous high score, since it could mean extended time if you manage to get 150 points.

During the game, the holes are formed in a 3x3 grid, and the keys are listed below each one in case you didn't memorize them earlier. The moles that pop up are well designed. Some of them go back down their holes quicker than others, so you can't afford to waste any time. The font that displays your score and time looks good as well. The only sound effect in the game belongs to the timer counting down.

The Bad
If you try to play the game on a PAL machine (ie: use a VIC-20 outside the US), the screen during the game is restricted to a rectangle in the top-left corner; one quarter of the screen will be chopped off, so during the game you will be able to read "ore" instead of "score"; and the instructions during the attract mode seem to be incomplete.

The Bottom Line
Basically, if you have played Whac-A-Mole at a carnival, you know how this game works. Although the game is great for everyone, it just doesn't feel like you are slamming a hammer onto a mole's head. I wish there were other ports of the game instead of Commodore encouraging everyone to buy a VIC-20.