Auf Wiedersehen Monty

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Auf Wiedersehen Monty
Auf Wiedersehen Monty box cover
Developer(s) Peter Harrap
Publisher(s) Gremlin Graphics
Release date(s) 1987
Genre(s) Platform
Mode(s) Single player
Rating(s) N/A
Platform(s) Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, MSX

Auf Wiedersehen Monty (German for "Goodbye Monty") is a computer game for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and MSX. Released in 1987, it is the third of the Monty series, following Monty on the Run and the successful original Wanted: Monty Mole. Many at the time, however, felt it was not as good as the previous games in the series.

The game has a low learning curve, allowing someone to simply start playing with no trouble figuring out the objectives.

Auf Wiedersehen Monty was written by Peter Harrap.

Music was composed by Rob Hubbard and Ben Daglish.

[edit] Gameplay

The player controls Monty as he travels around Europe collecting money in order to buy a Greek island where he can safely retire. Gameplay is in the style of a flick-screen platform game, similar to many such games of the 1980s such as Technician Ted and Jet Set Willy. Some screens (such as those representing the Eiffel Tower and the Pyrenees) bear some relation to their real-life counterparts but most are just typical platform game screens.

Monty at the Eiffel Tower (C64 version)
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Monty at the Eiffel Tower (C64 version)

Auf Wiedersehen Monty contains many interesting features and peculiarities for the player to discover. Examples include being suddenly attacked by a bull's head in Spain after collecting a red cape (presumably a reference to bullfighting), a car being dropped in one of two places on entering a screen representing Düsseldorf in West Germany and a record in Luxembourg that when collected makes Monty breakdance to the game's title music (this may be a reference to Radio Luxembourg).

Monty in a resort in Spain (ZX Spectrum version)
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Monty in a resort in Spain (ZX Spectrum version)

It is possible to get to areas of the game more quickly by flying from an airport using air tickets which can be collected throughout the game. Some parts of the game can only be reached in this manner.

As well as money, there are other miscellaneous objects to collect in the game for points. These are often particular to the country Monty is visiting (such as berets in France). Bottles of wine or a glass of beer in West Germany cause Monty to briefly become drunk and his control to become slighty irratic leading to a reversal of controls, repeated jumping or Monty climbing any ladders or drainpipes he encounters.

[edit] Trivia

  • Some areas of the game have become noticeably out-of-date, owing to the revolutionary events that occurred in Europe a few years after this game was released. Monty can visit East Germany, cross the Berlin Wall (it is noticeably far easier to cross from West to East than it is from East to West in this game) and visit Zagreb, located in Yugoslavia.
  • The 128K ZX Spectrum, MSX and Commodore 64 versions have an option to play national anthems on entering a new country.

[edit] Sequels

A further Monty Mole game, called Impossamole was released in 1990. It took a different form to the previous three games being more of a "console-style" arcade game.