"Mappy" - NES/Famicom

----- Introduction -----

Here's another one from the multi-cart archives from when I was a kid.

Mappy uses whatever common mapper (catchy) it is that a bunch of old Famicom games use (Lode Runner, Nuts & Milk...) I assume, because it seems a common pick for weird old multicarts like the one my family had growing up.

Mappy originally came out in 1983, the year before it's Famicom port in 1984 (the one we're interested in). For all intents and purposes, it may as well be a perfect port insofar as the gameplay-- it seems to be a little faster, and the music isn't as good as the arcade version, but there are minor differences in the graphics and play.

I don't really know if there's a 'story,' but essentially you seem to play as a police-mouse tasked with gathering the stolen goods back from some cat-burglars (ha!). By the way, probably the weirdest factoid about this game is that it spawned a Bandai Namco licensed web series in 2013... it's okay. I was just surprised that it exists at all.

I never liked this one much as a kid, but I'm nothing if not willing to give second chances, so let's have a look.

I don't have a joke. Scroll down. Stop looking at me.

----- Playthrough -----

You start Mappy out in the bottom right corner of the screen on every stage. Your goal is to walk around on the different levels of the stage and collect back all the stolen goods (?) that are located on each level. The only power at your disposal is the ability to... open and shut doors. As all good police officers are trained to do for self defense in the field.

I'd like to see you try to do some crime at me from behind this baby.

When you open a door up in either direction when one of the cats is near it on the handle side, it knocks him down. If you open a big, thicc door on one, it shoots out a wave that pushes the cats completely off the screen and smashes them against the wall, vaporizing their body instantly for 200 points. It's pretty cool.

Far and away my favorite thing in this game is when the cats open the doors that are facing them on their own and fall down. It gets me every single time for some reason.

[Laugh-track]

Anyway, I haven't had an excuse to put any full-screen shots yet, so let me tell you about my experience with the game.

I've played Mappy a fair bit as a kid, usually resetting the multi-cart after the first death, though. I never even knew there was a bonus stage, however apparently I'm still too impatient to play the game enough times to beat it and see what happens-- like if you get an extra life or something.

I played it three times, what do you want from me?

Police officers are also trained to play in the company bouncy house in-between patrols to relieve stress.

That's pretty much it. Watching a longplay on Youtube, it seems that the game repeats after 16 rounds. I didn't have the patience for that and capped out at round 5.

God, I'm such a failure.

----- Review -----

Innovation: Yes(?)

Does the game show anything not yet seen on this system/ever before?

I... I think so? I mean the whole trampoline/side-scrolling platforming thing is new to the Famicom at this point, looking at what we've reviewed so far. So I'd say, yeah, at least on the Famicom there's some innovation here.

Spitting Rage: Little

Does the game make you want to tear your own organs out of your body?

It's a silly little game and hard to take very seriously for me, as you may have noticed is the case for a lot of repetitive arcade games. There's not really an end to fight to get to here, so it's difficult to be upset.

Intuitive Design: Good

How easy is it to intuitively understand the game?

Moving left and right is accomplished with the d-pad, and doors are opened with A. You start directly beside a trampoline and can see the enemy cats using them, which shows you quickly what they're for. Your character also stops at doors and won't let you pass through them, encouraging you to mash the buttons, and you would likely discover that then, so it's easy enough to figure out how to play.

Satisfying Gameplay: Sure

How rewarding does playing the game feel?

Knocking over cats or smashing them against the wall with the shockwave is pretty fun. It's cool when you're in a desperate situation and open the door towards yourself, knocking over the cat approaching behind you. There are some cool tricks to be had.

Game Depth: Ankle deep

How deep/long is the game?

It's just walking around collecting things and avoiding the cats, pretty much. There's some strategizing if you want a maximum score, but I wouldn't get too excited.

Sound Design: Fine

How's the sound?

The theme has gone down to be something of a historic theme as far as video-game OSTs go. You hear it a lot in random, surprising places (insofar as it's just surprising in general to hear a theme from a 1980s arcade game frequently). Other than that, the sounds of the game are serviceable and not anything to get too excited about.

Graphics: Okay

How's it look?

Mappy looks about as good as any other arcade port we've seen on the Famicom so far. There's really not a lot here to look at that's insanely detailed, but everything looks serviceable.

Personal Chord: A little

Does the game have that undefinable "something" for me?

I like the theme, but I don't think I like the game enough to rep it, personally.

Should You Play: If you're an arcade enthusiast

Is there a reason to even bother with this one?

And even then, I guess you should just play the arcade game. But to be honest, Mappy doesn't really live up to my standards of what makes a game fun and worth experiencing in 2019. It's a cute little game for what it is, but I wouldn't really recommend going out of your way for it.

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