Monty on the Run

Monty on the Run is the third game in the Monty Mole series, developed and published by Gremlin Graphics Software in 1985.

Wanted! Monty Mole, created by Peter Harrap, was a popular video game series in the '80s. The game was inspired by the British Miners' Strikes that happened in 1984-85. Developed initially for the ZX Spectrum, it was ported to the Commodore 64. The second game (Monty Is Innocent) was only released for the ZX Spectrum. This third game, probably the most successful, in addition to C64 and ZX Spectrum, was ported to several platforms, including Amstrad CPC, Commodore 16, and Plus/4. The Commodore 64 version features a fantastic soundtrack composed by Rob Hubbard, probably one of the best 8-bit soundtracks ever.

Picking up where the story left off, Monty is on the lam after busting out of prison. He needs to get out of town before he is put back behind bars. He has to jump, climb and avoid enemies, all while gathering loot and solving a few puzzles. In the beginning, you must choose five items for Monty’s bug-out bag (or Freedom Kit). Choose wisely; a wrong selection will leave you stranded with no way to continue. Monty takes place across several different settings, and enemies include some random things like angry coffee mugs, living teapots, and possessed lamps. The whole experience is pretty trippy.

Monty on the Run was very well-received and quite popular in the UK. I’m pretty fond of platformers, and Monty is a lovely, old-school classic.