Mousetrap

"NOT your average Pac-Man clone."

"Good artists borrow, great artists steal."

That statement is credited to the genius painter Pablo Picasso, but it doesn't take a genius to see that it applies to video games as well. Now, that's not to say that video games cannot be art, they certainly can be. Mouse Trap is not art, however, it is a very well executed game.

Unlike both the modern video game console and the movie theater, the early video game consoles were not loaded with "franchises" and their sequels. This is partly because the video game industry was obviously just getting started and partly because another tactic was being employed: imitation. Now couple imitation with innovation and you have something to talk about.

That leads to Mouse Trap, a port of the Exidy arcade game, and not your average Pac-Man clone. Unlike the Atari systems at the time, the Colecovision was not overflowing with original game ideas, be them good or bad. The bulk of the Colecovision's games were arcade ports and the system's ability to more accurately render these ports than its competition was its main selling point.

On the surface Mouse Trap borrows a lot from the Pac-Man template. It has the tightly configured maze, the necessity to clear that maze of small dots (bits of cheese in this case), multiple enemies that chase you through said maze, and power items (dog biscuits instead of power pills) that allow the player to turn the tables on the computer. It also has certain bonus items for points that take the place of Pac-Man's fruit, but that is where the imitation ends.

The innovation starts with the fact that the power item is not used instantly, but rather is collected and can be used whenever appropriate. These can be carried over from level to level also, which rewards players for using a more stealthful approach. A second innovation is that there are two kinds of enemies. Not only will ruthless cats chase your mouse around, but occasionally a bird will come out and attack as well. The power item will turn your mouse into a dog and allow you to momentarily rid the maze of any cat you happen to catch, however, it is useless against the bird. Your only option is to stay out of its way. The biggest innovation is the ability to manipulate some parts of the maze and essentially play a game of “cat and mouse”.

That last part allows Mouse Trap to make excellent use of the Colecovision controller. Aside from the control stick and two triggers, the controller also had a numerical pad which I can personally attest was hardly ever used by games except when choosing the difficulty level. Mouse Trap actually came with a small colored overlay for the number pad which immediately signaled to the player its purpose. It had three different colors to correspond to the three colored gates in the game and a dog icon for the button which allowed you to use your aforementioned power item and go on the attack. It may not seem like much but its inclusion just speaks to the quality of the port and attention to detail. Also, you'd be surprised how easy it is to mix up the colors and their corresponding buttons without the overlay. In a pinch it will definitely save you a life.

The three colored gates add a definite touch of strategy to the game. There are certain parts of the maze which allow the gates to fully close off a block and essentially create either a sanctuary (for you) or a cage (for the cat). When used quickly while moving around the maze they can also be the equivalent of slamming a door in the cat's face while you scoot to safety and the cat has to take the long way around. To help you avoid your enemies you also have the option of warping around the maze. In the very middle of the maze is a small colored block which when entered will instantly send your mouse to one of the four corners of the maze. Each corner is boxed in and has only one way out. This can be a life saver or end a life very quickly. Due to the random nature of the warp, it is essentially the luck of the draw.

One of the best things about Mouse Trap is that like many Colecovision games you get your choice of difficulty levels to start things off. Everything I've mentioned so far applies to difficulty levels over 1. On that level there are fewer cats and the bird does not appear. In the arcade game the bird appears from the start so its kind of nice for Coleco to add a difficulty level where one never has to worry about the bird attacking. No matter which level you choose as you defeat board after board the cats will move at a quicker and quicker pace and the music will mirror this by becoming more and more frantic. At the higher levels it is almost impossible to avoid cats unless you trap at least half of them or have plenty of dog biscuits saved up.

The only real negative about the game is that the maze never changes. Although this is a minor complaint for short play sessions, I imagine it can get a little mind numbing after you've essentially beat the same level twenty plus times. I'll admit that the music can be a little grating at the higher levels as well as it starts to sound like somebody having a seizure while playing a keyboard at light speed.

Still, if you are a classic game collector or just a fan of emulating a little piece of video game history, then I heartily recommend tracking a copy of Mouse Trap down. Although it was ported to both the Atari 2600 and the Intellivision, I believe the Coleco version not only beats them but gives the arcade a run for its money.

Now for the individual breakdown:

Graphics -- 7/10
Sound -- 6/10
Control -- 9/10
Replayability -- 7/10

Overall (not an average) -- 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/10/07

Game Release: Mousetrap (US, 1982)