"Aiyiyi!"

Valadon Automation. Not the name you think of when asked to name video game companies. And yet the French firm developed at least one back in the Golden Age of the Arcades, when Pac-Man and Donkey Kong ruled the roost, and Defender and Galaga kept players coming back for more. Their claim to retro-gaming fame? Bagman, a humble little platform game that almost seems a precursor to the Load Runner series. Released in the States by Stern, who are better known today for the game Berzerk, Bagman is nothing if not a decent try at making a good game.

The premise is you’re an escaped prisoner, trying to get the loot you stashed in an old mine. There’s an awful lot of it across the three screens worth of the mine, too, along with mine carts that run with a mind of their own, pick axes, hand bars to avoid the mine cars, working elevators, and the like. But the cops know you’re back on the loose, and have sent some apparently aging officers after you. So, the chase is on, with you trying to get the loot, and the cops trying to get you.

The game plays fairly simply. Pick up a bag of gold with the action button, and put it into the wheelbarrow with the same button. In fact, just about everything you do other than walking and climbing ladders is done with the action button. The cops can be stopped by two primary means: either whack them with a pick axe, or drop a bag of gold on them. They don’t just vanish, though, they’ll get right back up and continue their pursuit, so keep hustling to that wheel barrel! Each bag of gold, except the blue bag hidden behind the wall on the second screen, is worth the number of points left on the bonus meter. The blue bag is worth twice what’s left on the same, but it’s also heavier to carry. In a nice touch, the game’s marquee tells you the majority of the mechanics in a little comic strip, where the felon protagonist looks absolutely nothing like the guy you play in the game. Oh, well. Lives can be lost by getting caught by the cops, falling down a vertical shaft, or getting hit on the head by the elevator. And it’s pretty easy to get cornered by the cops after successfully getting a few bags into your wheelbarrow, so getting the biggest points is a challenge.

The graphics are very much of the Donkey Kong variety. Small, simplistic images that do the job pretty well. The sound stands out a little more, with some decent music, average clinking sound effects for the pick axe, and a few very primitive voice samples, including a cute “Aiyiyi!” when you lose the round.

There was a Super Bagman sequel, but past that, this series didn’t make much of a mark. No home versions were released, and it’s really next to impossible to find this one playing in an arcade. Add to that the fact that it’s not quite as addictive as several of the other titles released around this time, and Bagman has become a forgotten novelty. If you discover this one, at least show it a little love by putting a quarter or two in it.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 04/19/03, Updated 04/19/03