Mole Control

Developer: Remode
Steam Release: April 2010
Hours Played: 6.0
Similar To: Delete / Demon Crawl / Tametsi / Tilesweeper
Rating: 2/5 Parsnips

 



*This game is no longer available on Steam.

GAMEPLAY
Take a traditional gaming idea and dress it up in a gimmick involving blind insectivores; spruce it up with fancy graphics and a lick of paint... and you'll get the glorified Minesweeper game known as Mole Control. Here, you don't click directly on a grid to reveal numbers but circumnavigate a circular one-man hovercraft machine over a lawn, with an attached digger, and move one square at a time to locate and weed out pesky moles. Unlike Minesweeper which gives you the freedom to click anywhere on the grid, Mole Control plops you at a starting point and forces you to find moles by moving one square at a time (although there is an option to sprout propellers and to fly). The hovercraft makes a satisfying whooshing noise and reveals a number on the outside of the vehicle telling you how many moles are adjacent to it. 



BALANCE & PACE
One of the most satisfying moments is when a big fat zero appears on your buggy so you know you can swoop into all squares around it with impunity. The idea, as Minesweeper will know, is to locate the whereabouts of the offending moles and remove them by plucking them out of the ground. Once you suss out the quick techniques, you get a feel for the game and can afford to speed up. To enhance gameplay, power-ups are sprinkled around that allow you such powers as smoking out your enemies, bombing an entire area or shuffling a block of nine-squares. You can also pick up tool-boxes which give you an extra life. Number of moles to find and moles found plus time used is displayed in the top left corner. Hardcore puzzlers may choose to beat those times later on or alternatively try the insanely difficult Time Attack mode - tricky even on the beginner setting. Personally, clearing levels on Adventure mode is fun enough.

 
PRESENTATION & DESIGN
The music played while navigating through the menus is light-hearted and delivered by a small orchestral score. This gives the game the suitably jolly feelgood vibe. While playing the actual game, the music is softer and unobtrusive yet its positive bounce gives you a lift and fits in nicely as you're going about your business. The cartoon-like graphics are obviously designed to appeal to the younger players with comic touches aplenty particularly with the movements and facial expressions of the moles. From the beady eyes that stare out at you from underground the game starts off with the bright colours that surround and adorn the town of Molar Creek. Again, the cartoon-like atmosphere and that jaunty orchestral score abounds. From here, with the click of the Play button, you're given the choice of playing either Adventure or Time Attack mode.


PROGRESS SYSTEM
A click on one of these then takes you to the relevant screen where you can choose which level to tackle. In both you can only redo a level if you've already completed it and jumping between screens is instant and quick.To view your progress while playing, you'll have to press the Escape key to peruse the progress screen which has lit-up postcards as you complete the six different areas within. Each area consists of three lawns (A, B and C) and you can hover over these letters to view your best time after beating that lawn. The progress screen in Time Attack mode is designed in a similar fashion but instead of locations, you have the level of difficulty from Beginner to Master. Rest assured, Beginner is a major challenge which indicates that the makers intend for you to finish the Adventure mode before getting your feet wet with the Time Attacks.

CONCLUSION
Mole Control is a pleasant game that can be called upon when you want to while away the odd hour. If you were good at Minesweeper it's a great game to fire up for reliving the old magic and ideal if you want to push yourself to get better times. One gripe I have is that in Adventure mode the game does not go back to the level-select screen after you've finished clearing a lawn but assumes you'll want to carry on playing and instantly throws you into the next one. Just a little pet-hate as I often like to review my progress while pausing for breath. Still if you have a logical/mathematical brain and don't mind figuring out all the little tricks and strategies for clearing those elusive moles then it certainly has the power to grow on you.