Wanting to revisit my past - specifically that of a 9 year old mesmerised by one of the latest toys on the market, a Commodore 64 & the game Monty On the Run, I looked to see if I could get the game as a free download.
I soon found a remake & thought it was pretty cool that these games still existed in some form. The game seemed very similar to what I remember although I knew the music was different. (amazing how long those C64 tunes stay in the memory!)
I played this version for an hour or so & got quite far relatively quickly.
I thought I remembered it being more difficult. Anyway I soon discovered the ‘right path’ if you will for rediscovering my youth - using a C64 emulator!
As soon as Monty loaded up I sensed it was the real deal! The music, the colours, everything was just the same as it was back in 1986!
Synopsis: It’s a traditional platform game (think Chucky Egg meets Jet Set Willy meets er…. something with a mole in it!) You must guide Monty in his escape from his house & onto a ship set for Europe. It’s not plain sailing though (sorry!) as a host of what can only be described as ‘nasty things’ will endeavour to kill you. On the way there are coins & items
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to collect which gain you points but have no bearing on getting to the end of the game. There are however some essential items to collect which will activate/open things to allow you on your way. A big aspect to the game, & one which adds to it’s addictive nature, is the need for timing. Everything must be done with precision timing & planning. The bad guys don’t shoot at you or seek you out, they simply move across/up & down the screen with a set pattern & uniform speed so as to get in your way of the route to safety. You must jump over, sneak under & outwit these oblivious monsters that kill with one touch; it’s simple but highly effective.
Freedom Kit & The Correct Choices: To complete the game, Monty must choose the correct 5 items to go in his freedom pack. Anything but the right combination will stop you going any further at some point. A quick Google search will bring up the correct combo you need & probably some cheats too!
I wouldn’t recommend the ‘full on’ approach to cheating (infinite lives sort of stuff) but I would recommend some ‘freedom kit research!’.
This game is a classic! The ‘real’ version run on a C64 emulator is a real challenge, especially those coal crushers which crush rather to frequently & randomly for my liking. Maybe it would be lost on most of today’s gamers, but for anyone wanting to cure some Commodore 64 nostalgia, I would highly recommend it.
