Tom and Jerry: Frantic Antics

Sega Mega Drive / Genesis

The main characters of the game are the cat Tom and the mouse Jerry . Together they must find their friend, a girl named Robin Starling, who was abducted by the terrible Mrs. Figg.

The game has to go through several levels . Among them are the attic and basement of a large house, a library, a slum, an amusement park, etc. Graphically, the levels are made using two-dimensional graphics ; horizontal scrolling is used here - thus, the “length” of locations significantly exceeds their “height”. The levels themselves are closed locations along which you can move in any direction.

The levels are quite complex, they have many enemies and various traps. The passage is facilitated by items that can be thrown at opponents and a special special technique that heroes can use. To replenish health, Tom collects fish, and Jerry - pieces of cheese. There are also special items, without which it is impossible to complete the level.

Each level is given a certain amount of time for which it is necessary to pass it. If the allotted time ends, but the level is not passed, the player starts it again and loses one life.

Also at the levels in hiding places and inaccessible places hidden bonuses resembling medallions. Usually there are four such medallions. They can be collected, although this is not necessary - basically it affects only game points.

The enemies in the game are rats armed with guns, also moving in cars and bicycles, hamsters with books, etc. There are predatory fish, falling pots and chandeliers, bowling balls, divers hamsters, faulty water columns and electric shields at different levels. Most of them are destroyed either with a special item or with a special technique. But sometimes there are more powerful enemies. At the end of the game you have to fight with Mrs. Figg herself ^[2] .

Level List

• Street ( The Street ) - a street in the suburbs. Kotu Tom should beware of precipices and rats. At the end of the level, a bulldog Spike awaits, guarding the entrance to the building. Against Spike, you can not use shells (it is invulnerable to them) and special methods (fraught with instant death); it’s better to just jump over it.
• Destroyed House ( Living Room ) - a large house under demolition. Here Tom needs to find Jerry before the building collapses. From above various debris, chandeliers and pots fall. From time to time, a huge metal ball appears on the chain, which is better not to fall under - a blow from Tom will take it off the screen, it will lose one life, and the level will have to be started anew. The appearance of the ball can be guessed by the holes in the walls of the house (although the ball does not appear in all such places). Jerry is at the end of the level, hiding in the wreckage.
• The Slums ( The Alley ) - A slum in the city. The little mouse Jerry will run around the buildings and the sewer to find a friend - a girl Robin. Quite a difficult and extended level. It features an increased number of enemies and obstacles (although there are no deadly traps here). You need to beware of platforms with spikes, faulty wiring and poisonous algae. Robin is somewhere in the middle of the level.
• The Library ( The Library ) - a library in the huge house of the evil professor Apple-cheek. Somewhere here are two halves of the telegram that Robin sent her father. Jerry must find them. The only level in the game in which there are teleport hatches, through which the hero can get to another part of the level. There are a fairly large number of enemies and traps (fire in fireplaces, platforms with thorns, falling chandeliers). There are no deadly obstacles.
• Basement ( The Basement ) - the basement, obviously, of the same house. It is filled with enemies and traps. Kotu Tom needs to find the control panel (and use it to open the cages with the dogs caught by Dr. Yablochnoy cheek) and get out of the basement. Here you need to beware of numerous faulty electric shields (sometimes located in blocks of several devices), dogs in cages, as well as bandits with sticks and dips in the floor. There are no deadly obstacles either.
• The Attic - The attic in the roof of the house is more like a labyrinth. Jerry needs to find Robin, who was locked in this attic, and help her get out of there. Opponents here are more numerous than at the previous level, although there are fewer obstacles (for example, energized sections of toy rails that can be overcome on a steam locomotive ). There are no deadly obstacles. Robin is at the end of the level.
• Luna Park ( The Carnival ) - Captain Kiddy's amusement park. Quite a difficult level: there are a lot of enemies and obstacles. Jerry will not only have to run around the park, but also swim in the water. There are no deadly obstacles. At the end of the level, near the Roller-coaster attraction , is Captain Kiddy.
• Cabin ( The Cabin ) - a burning wooden building; final level. The house is literally teeming with enemies and traps (for example, burning debris of various sizes flying from above). In addition, pockets of flame that have to be extinguished often block the road (contact with the flame leads to the death of the character). At the end of the level, on the roof, Tom is waiting for the " boss " of the game - Mrs. Figg.

Enemies

• Hunting rats . Move back and forth, and noticing the player, shoot him with a gun. They can “jump” from the platforms on which they stand. When destroyed by special technique, they reduce the character's health level more than other opponents. Some of the most common enemies in the game are from the first to the last levels.
• Rats on cars . They use a car as a vehicle, quickly moving around the screen and trying to ram the player. They can also throw spare wheels (if a player throws a stone at them). They are found only on the first level.
• Rats on bicycles . They ride bicycles, like rats on cars, only a little slower. Like hunting rats, they are quite common and are found at all levels.
• Construction rats . They are located next to construction tower cranes - “elevators”; wear helmets. When approaching a character, they kick him with their paws. Construction rats can only be found at The Attic level.
• Hamsters . They carry large books with which they try to crush the player. Appear in the game starting at The Library level.
• Divers hamsters . Dressed in scuba suits. Slowly swim along the diagonal path in the water column. It is easy to dodge these opponents, however, collision with them can cause significant damage to health. They are found in reservoirs at the levels of The Alley and The Carnival .
• Monkeys Until the character approaches, they sit motionless in one place, and when he refuses close enough, they throw “homing” spinning toys equipped with sharp blades into him. Found on The Attic and The Carnival levels.
• Cats . They sit in garbage cans and throw lids from them, and they also beat the hero with these lids when he is within reach. Meet at The Alley .
• The birds . Just fly in the space between the walls. They are destroyed by a shell hit or in contact with a character. Meet at The Living Room .
• Grandmothers . Go back and forth, sometimes throwing jumping traps at the player. Destroyed by special means or by contact. Meet at The Street .
• Bandits Armed with sticks, which deliver tangible blows. Special methods cannot be used against bandits - this will lead to instant death; it’s better to destroy them from afar by throwing special items. They can withstand up to several hits. Found only at The Basement level.
• Fish . Swim in ponds; approaching the hero, bite him. Not destroyed. Found on The Alley and The Carnival levels.
• Octopuses . Slowly crawl along the bottom of the reservoirs, and then make sharp lunges upward, hitting a character nearby; outside the reservoirs they simply move back and forth. Despite the slowness of these opponents, sometimes contact with them can significantly reduce the character's level of health. Not destroyed. Like fish, octopuses can be found in water bodies (as well as outside water bodies, in sewers) at the levels of The Alley and The Carnival .
• Books . Jump, trying to bite the hero. Meet at The Library .
• Mrs. Figg . The only boss of the game. Moving on the roof of the building, makes jumps, trying to pin down the character. It is necessary to dodge such “jumps” - when the enemy hits, the hero’s health significantly decreases. It is destroyed by accumulated shells, and at their end - by special means (although the use of the latter here also significantly reduces the level of health). The boss of The Cabin level.

Items

• Fish (pieces of cheese) . Slightly increase the health of heroes. Also on the levels you can find large fish and pieces of cheese, replenishing the level of health completely; it should be noted that such items are relatively rare and are sometimes located in hiding places.
• Shells to destroy enemies . The game has several types of shells that are different from each other, namely: a rugby ball, a light bulb, an ink can, a bow , a ball, a packet of milk and a burning little head). Shells neutralize most enemies with a single hit (although some of the opponents are more resistant to attacks).
• Heart . Extra life. It is rare and only in hiding places or inaccessible places.
• Parts of the Robin Medallion . There are four such parts; they are hidden in different parts of each level. When selecting all parts from them, a whole medallion is formed and extra life is given out.

Game Boy

The version of the game for the Pocket Boy Game console is a platformer with two-dimensional graphics. Levels are built using tile , and characters - sprite graphics, respectively. Like most platformers, the game uses horizontal scrolling: game screens replace each other from left to right as the hero moves, and the “length” of locations exceeds their “height”.

The plot of the version is similar to the plot for Sega Mega Drive / Genesis : Robin Starling runs away from the house of his evil aunt, Mrs. Figg, and Tom and Jerry help the girl find her father.

The gameplay is approximately as follows: protagonists , the cat Tom and the little mouse Jerry, go through each of the ten available levels, locations from start to finish. Here they overcome various obstacles and collect objects (among which are necessary for the plot). Each level has a specific time limit.

The character's health level is displayed by a special indicator (health line), the value of which decreases when the character contacts the enemies. Next to this indicator is an animated image of the hero, changing depending on the current level of health.

The game has a password system for levels ^[3] .

Enemies

The enemies in the game are various monsters (for example, spiders). There are also various obstacles: abysses, faulty water columns, jumping tires, falling flower pots, etc.

Items

• Fish (pieces of cheese) . Slightly replenish the health of heroes. The most common items.
• Asterisks Fully restore the character’s health.
• Hearts . Extra life.
• Parts of the Robin Medallion . At each level, you can find four of these parts, of which subsequently develops a solid medallion. Each assembled item is displayed on the game interface ^[4] .

• Tom and Jerry: Frantic Antics on GameSpot