1985 · Action · Platformer

Hopping Mappy

Nintendo console exclusive

The game brings back the characters from Mappy but it is not as effective; the reason for this is most likely because the player does not get any new weapons after each bonus round. The rounds do not get any more confusing because the cats move in preset patterns - and the main strategy that is used to get past them, is comprised of a difficult way to more or less stand still. There are a total of thirty-one distinct rounds that the player can continue through even if he runs out of lives

Released: 1 April 1985
Platforms: Arcade Nintendo Switch Wii
Genres: Action Platformer
Developers: —
Publishers: Namco
Series: Mappy
Country: Japan
Age ratings: CERO A

About

Hopping Mappy is a 1986 action video game developed by Game Studio and published by Namco for arcades. It was only released in Japan in March 1986. It is the sequel to Mappy, which was released three years prior. The game was released on the Wii's Virtual Console in Japan on June 2, 2009. Hamster Corporation released the game outside Japan for the first time as part of their Arcade Archives series for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in January 2022.

Keywords

sequel
high score
digital distribution
virtual console
police chase
wii virtual console

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

In Hopping Mappy, players control Mappy, as he bounces on a pogo stick to run circles around pink cats, called Meowkies, who patrol either vertically or horizontally. There is also Goro, a cat who patrols in a zigzag pattern, but he must take occasional breaks. There are eight treasures that a player must grab to complete a round, except on the bonus round where the player will just want to collect all the balloons that he can. The main intrigue here is getting past a blockade of Meowkies.

The player controls are simple - he can bounce in any of the four directions, the only places he can land are the centers of the checkerboard squares (making for few locations overall), and he will move at the same speed as the cats. If the player pushes the accelerator button and runs around, he will go twice as fast. If the player takes too long to complete the level, a "Hurry Up" warning will appear and the cats will speed up, matching Mappy's accelerated speed. If the player takes too long again after the warning, a blue Gosenzo Coin will appear and chase the player.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Hopping Mappy as being the 13th most-popular arcade game of April 1986.

Legacy

The game is included in the arcade compilation title Pac-Man's Pixel Bash. A theme based on the game, was released as free DLC for Pac-Man 99 post-launch, featuring visuals and sound from the game.