Mutant Herd
Description
Mutant Herd starts like an usual arcade game: a powerhouse in the middle screen, monsters which want to destroy it and two laser beams (one horizontally and one vertically) at the player's disposal. Those laser beams act more like moveable walls because they don't destroy monsters, but push them back. They disappear for good when they are pushed outside the screen, but retaliation swiftly comes from the other side. The end goal is to destroy the monster queen's burrow to stop the attacks.
Besides monsters, there is also a friendly creature on the screen: the monster slayer. It must be guided towards the burrow entrances with the laser beams. Then the screen changes to a side view: a big ladder which leads to eight horizontal levels. The player controls the monster slayer directly towards the lower floor and needs to plant a bomb to destroy five monster eggs while avoiding falling rocks and the monster queen which moves around the levels. After detonating the bomb on the highest floor, the next round on the surface begins.
Now there are holes in the laser beams and less burrow entrances. During the side-view part, the slayer needs to move closer to the queen because five or the fifteen eggs are already destroyed. The whole sequence is repeated until no eggs are left and the queen herself is bombed. There are ten monster slayers available; a new one appears after dying underground or being pushed off the screen.
Screenshots
Reviews
Critics
Average score: 67% (based on 3 ratings)
Players
Average score: 5.0 out of 5 (based on 1 ratings)
One of the better games from Thorn EMI that requires perfect timing
The Good
Mutant Herd is one of the better games from Thorn EMI that I have played, and it reminds me of a Llamasoft game I played back in the day, but I can’t remember what it was called. The gameplay consists of two screens, each with a different perspective.
In screen one, you are trying to prevent a group of monsters reaching the generator in the center. This can be achieved by moving two sets of laser fields to shove them off the screen. A purple monster slayer will appear, and you need to get it to one of the burrows the monsters come out of. You have to be careful not to let the monster slayer get wiped off. If the monsters occupy all sides of the generator or there are no monster slayers left, you lose a life.
In screen two, you control the monster slayer (which, for some reason, has turned blue) and you guide him down the ladder into the queen’s lair where you place a bomb next to an egg. You then run back up, being careful not to get hit by rocks in either direction. You detonate this bomb to destroy the eggs, and you repeat this until there are no eggs left. You can then kill the queen by blowing her up as well.
Out of these two screens, the second one poses quite a challenge; timing is crucial in successfully detonating the eggs or killing the queen. In the showdown, you are supposed to go to the far-right and plant a bomb in the space under her. I didn’t have a problem getting under her. When I went back out, however, I ended up being eaten. Same with using the detonator.
The graphics are good, with the monsters having different shapes and sizes so that you can tell them apart. Screen two is well designed; I like the appearance of the queen. Sound-wise, you always know when the monster slayer appears on screen. I didn’t mind the humming sound that plays throughout screen one, and I know it is the sound of the generator. I like all the sound effects in screen two.
The Bad
Nothing is bad about this game.
The Bottom Line
Mutant Herd is an excellent action game every VIC-20 owner can play, regardless of how much memory they have. In the game, players must lure a monster slayer in one of four burrows then destroy the queen's egg, then finally the queen herself. This all sounds easy, except that you have to kill her at the right time. The sound and graphics are very good, and the game can be addictive.
VIC-20 · by Katakis | ă‚«ă‚żă‚ă‚ą (43087) · 2022
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Contributors to this Entry
Game added by Patrick Bregger.
Game added September 27, 2020. Last modified October 11, 2023.