Wanted!: Monty Mole

About

Monty Mole is a 1984 platformer where you guide a subterranean critter through a coal mine. Your goal is to gather objects while dodging hazards like spiky enemies and descending crushers. Each level feels like a maze of hazards and shortcuts. The Spectrum version uses flip-screen rooms while the C64 version features smooth scrolling. Both stick to the same simple formula of timing jumps and avoiding death. The game captures the frantic energy of 1980s platformers. Crushers drop without warning and enemies patrol fixed routes. No modern comforts here, just pixel-perfect dodging and a limited number of lives. Though short by today’s standards the challenge has stuck around. Gremlin’s design focused on quick reflexes over complex mechanics. A relic from the early days of home computing that still tests your ability to react.