Smash the Mole

If you happen to find yourself inside an amusement arcade these days, it's highly likely that nestled in between the prerequisite battered Time Crisis cabinet and the temperamental air hockey table, you'll spot the evergreen 'Whack-a-Mole' derivative.

The perpetual popularity of this seafront favourite isn't exactly surprising. The concept of hitting something on the head is universally appealing, so it's little wonder that as arcade games struggle to remain relevant in the face of increasingly powerful home consoles, this remarkably brutish form of entertainment still relentlessly draws in the punters.

Considering that so much of the gratification is generated by the act of smashing the mole (or whatever poor animal has been picked as the focus of the player's aggression) with a bloody big mallet, you'd think it foolish to even contemplate porting such a game to the humble mobile phone – a format which is not noted for possessing either a mallet or animals that pop up.

However, The Mighty Troglodytes (unofficial winner of the 'Best Named Development Studio Award 2007') disagrees on that count and it's gone as far as to create a very faithful adaptation that, conveniently, fits rather snugly inside your portable telephone handset.

The plot (like a game of this type even needs one) revolves around poor old Sven Tomato and his valiant struggle to rid his beloved allotment of Vlad Furry's army of mercenary moles. You see, both Sven and Vlad have set their hearts on winning the upcoming vegetable contest, hence the latter employing nefarious tactics to undermine (no pun intended) his opponent.

Sven will need to have all his wits about him in order to triumph over Vlad's rambunctious rabble of hole-diggers – which is obviously where you become involved.

The playfield comprises of nine holes laid out in a 3x3 grid. Sven stalks in-between these holes, brandishing an unfeasibly large hammer and waits for the troublesome moles to poke their heads above ground.

Whenever this occurs it's vital that you guide Sven to the hole in question and bash the bonce of the animal in question. Any hesitation will result in the aforementioned pest hurling a prized vegetable at Sven, something that simply adds insult to injury for the diminutive horticulturalist.

Thankfully, Sven has a few items that tip the balance in his favour. Periodically, small orbs materialize containing hearts that grant additional health. Other orbs imbue Sven's hammer with temporary powers that handily enhance the mole-smashing potential of the weapon.

For example, the 'flame' item causes a torrent of fire to erupt from each row of holes, torching every mole unwise enough to be hiding within. The other bonus items provide variations on this theme – one spreads to holes in a diagonal formation, while another sideways.

The most impressive power-up triggers a calamitous seismic shift that randomly pelts each hole on the playing field with rocks, making short work of those pesky mammals.

As you progress through the game, the moles become more adept and things become pretty exhilarating as you dash around the field, attempting to bop the baddies before they have the opportunity to take aim with their deadly vegetables.

To break the pace a little, every now and then you're faced with bonus 'frenzy' stages, where the moles don't fight back. Here, you simply have to whack as many of the creatures as possible within the time limit.

Visually, Smash the Mole is colourful and detailed, harking back to the cute console games of the 16-bit era. Sven is packed with character and charm – leave him motionless for a short while and he cautiously moves his eyes from side to side, scanning the field for potential danger. The moles themselves – which come in a range of colours and sizes – share a similar level of detail.

While the concept is undeniably simple, the execution is pretty much perfect. The gameplay is intuitive, addictive and ideally suited for short burst play – essentially making it a perfect mobile phone release. The score-attack potential is also considerable, which of course adds to the game's lifespan.

Regardless of this, the longevity of Smash the Mole isn't 100 per cent assured. Once you've discovered all the power-ups and beaten your best score, you may struggle to justify additional playtime. The gameplay is undoubtedly exciting but sadly gets rather repetitive after prolonged play.

Nevertheless, it offers a solid core concept that is both fun and challenging. If you pine for the superficial delights of seaside amusements when sat on the bus or train, then you could certainly do a lot worse than acquire this scaled-down interpretation.