Reviews

My enjoyment of this may have been somewhat ruined by the fact that I got it on a compilation without any instructions, but I really don't think so.

It's simply a badly written platformer.

1985 Gremlin Graphics Software (UK)
by Peter Harrap

Pete Harrap made some of the cutest characters on the Speccy, Monty Mole was one of them, and Sam Stoat could have been as famous if only the gameplay matched it's looks. There is nothing very compelling in it, and the game gets rapidly repetitive after a few minutes, because all the 4 houses are in fact the same and the goal is also the same, they only differ from a few different baddies in them. The plot is fairly simple, but requires instructions to get into it, not rocket scientist material, mind you, unless you are a 5 year old kid. And then there's the difficulty level which was designed I think, for Super-Man himself!

This reminds me of the early years of the Spectrum in a good way ...

Move from room to room, collect the bomb, match and jewels, find the safe and blow it. Its a simple concept that's quite appealing...
Peter Harrap's name is on this but the game has little of the Monty Mole appeal and all of the slapdash hallmarks of colleague Chris Kerry's early work, author of the poor Monty is Innocent game featuring Sam Stoat and the Jack and the Beanstalk debacle for Thor/Odin.
Very cute graphics clash merrily away and glitch on the scenery, routes and dead ends are not obvious, the enemies are often unavoidable and the energy (a blood syringe???) is insufficient for anyone to complete the game (there's no RZX or video after 30 years and its hard to imagine anyone now having the blend of skills and patience required)
There is one Harrap special though, a mini jumping game between sections that requires outstanding timing to cross rapidly rising and falling pilars, strongly reminiscent of those unpopular crushers in the first Monty game. This stage is especially unfair in the way it rapidly empties your hyperdermic if you do dip just a stoaty toe in the toxic stream.
Overall, there are just too many (nicely drawn) turds in the Sam Stoat sewer.
The challenge and the glitches spoil a rather nice game. I poked it for immunity so that I could at least see the safe blowing bit and it was satisfying to blow it, scarper and then scoot back for the jewel. It is a shame so few players could get that far.