Murtop (Switch) Review with stream
Looks, plays, and sound exactly like an early 80s arcade game (plus the bunny poops bombs)
CRT and border/screen options are available
Each single-screen stage changes and gets progressively harder
Murtop is a weird name and doesn’t convey what the game is
Difficult – you’ll need to practice, practice, practice to even make it to the 2nd level
Weird that the “Y” button (Pro Controller) drops bombs and restricted to local leaderboard
From the makers of Donut Dodo, Flynn’s Arcade returns with another new, retro-style arcade game that mixes the single-screen digging mechanic of Dig Dug but with the offensive power of Bomberman.
Assuming it is named after the playable bunny, Murtop looks, plays, sounds, and feels exactly like an arcade game from the early 80s right down to the font choice, the jumbled boot sequence, and initials highscore table. Also, taking the user experience even further, this $5 digital Switch release features Tate mode, CRT filters, and bezel options.
Murtop is exactly classic Dig Dug but replaces the ballooning harpoon with Bomberman’s bomb. Specifically, it is a powered-up bomb that extends across the screen and has a very short fuse. In fact, the fuse time is so short, movement must be constant otherwise you will succumb to your own explosion. This is where the skill comes into play. The first couple matches, I couldn’t get passed level 1. Only through some trial and error did I start to understand how the bomb mechanic worked – you need to keep moving. Bonus points are also awarded for multikills and squashing enemies with rocks, just like in Dig Dug. It is also humorous how the bunny just poops these screen clearing bombs.
This is an arcade game after all, so it is designed to steal your digital quarters. In other words, this is a challenging game and clearing every screen is a victory. Apparently if you can clear all 256 screens, there is a kill screen but reaching this point is well beyond my skill level. The good news is, you can continue from the same stage with each death but there is no save state feature so you cannot cheese the system.
Personally, I enjoyed Donut Dodo more because it was more of an original idea. At the same time, mixing the maze clearing action of Dig Dug but with the power of Bomberman is a quality merger. The best part though, it only costs $5 so there really is no excuse to not try this new, old school game, one that was made with quality and care.
Not As Good As: pumping quarters into the machine at a local arcade
Also Try: Bomberman Tournament’s Single-Pak Link multiplayer mode (GBA)
Wait For It: Flynn’s Arcade to put their spin on classic Joust gameplay
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
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