Subject: *** Mr. Do! FAQ ***From: bueno@utdallas.edu, The University of Texas at DallasDate: 8 May 1996 01:55:50 -0500 Mr. Do! Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Compiled by Tony Bueno Special thanks to Dave Giarrusso, Matt Lewandowski, Jess Ragan, Tim Duarte, Mike Thibodeau, John L. Mooney, Sean Kelly, Lee Taylor, Marcel Gonzales, Doug Graham, and the compilors of the KLOV (Killer List of Video Games), without whom this list would not have been possible. Contents 1. Who/what is Mr. Do? 2. What other games are in this series? 3. Descriptions of the characters, levels, settings, intermissions, etc. 4. What home versions are available? 5. Recurring items in each game 6. What was the original plan for the fifth game? 7. Trivia _________________________________________________________ 1. Who/What is Mr. Do? Mr. Do! was a coin-op release from Universal in 1982. It has many similarities with Dig Dug, a Namco coin-op, but IMHO, Do! and his several sequels are far superior. It is debatable as to which one copied which, since both games were released in the same year. Here's my write up which appeared in the Feb/Mar Video Magic #107 (not verbatim): Mr. Do! In this game, the player is cast as Mr. Do!, a clown trying to harvest an orchard of cherries and apples. Along the way your enemies are Badguys, Diggers, Blue Chompers, and Alphamonsters. The setting of each level is very much like Dig Dug in that you must move Mr. Do! around on a path, or dig one as you move along, which is slightly slower. Your goal is either to collect all the cherries or kill all the enemies on the screen. There are two ways to kill enemies. First, there are apples located in various places around the level. By luring enemies under these, they can be squashed, or by making them fall one place without hitting an enemy, they can be used to push enemies away or you may wait for more badguys to appear underneath, then push the apple over them to score multiple kills. Do!'s other defense is a "powerball," a weapon that when thrown moves erratically down any path it finds, thus you are never quite sure if it will go the way yoiu want it to. This may sound like a negative aspect, but I find that it is very effective in long tunnels and much more effective than the Dig Dug pump. Also in the game are food treats located in the middle of the screen. By eating these, the game is momentarily paused, and an alphamonster comes out with four Blue Chompers. Alphamonsters have one letter of the word, "EXTRA" on their chest, and by destroying all of the alphamonsters, you are rewarded with an extra life. Mr. Do! has well-drawn graphics, charming music, and gameplay that never grows old or tiresome. One of my all-time favorites, highly recommended. Things I forgot to mention in this review: Badguys will temporarily become Diggers if they remain stationary long enough. Alphamonsters and Blue Chompers can eat the apples if they are facing the direction in which they are dropped, or if the apples are already on the ground. This makes them more difficult to kill with apples. There is also a diamond (not in some home versions, however) that will allow the player to automatically skip the level. It's uncommon, but when it does happen, it will be located in a recently broken apple. In the arcade, this would also reward the player with an extra credit. __________________________________________________________________ 2. What other games are in this series? Mr. Do!'s Castle (Oct. 1983) Mr. Do!'s Wild Ride (Jun. 1984) Do! Run Run (Nov. 1984) Mr. Do!'s Castle I wrote this synopsis in the June/July Video Magic #109 (not verbatim) In 1983, Universal followed up their small success of Mr. Do! with the sequel, Mr. Do!'s Castle. Rather than make this the same game with a few added enhancements, they decided to go in an entirely different direction. This time, enemies (which I believe are supposed to be unicorns) have invaded Mr. Do!'s castle and his only defense is a hammer which is ineffective on the unicorns themselves . Instead, Mr. Do! must use the hammer to hit floor tiles to either acquire the cherry or key displayed on it, or to cause the unicorns to fall in and repair the hole, or to squash enemies with falling tiles from above. To get from floor to floor, where are both straight ladders that cannot be moved and ladders facing diagonally which may be kicked left or right to suit your needs. If all three key tiles are hit, the doors at the top of the castle light up. When Mr. Do! touches these doors, all enemies become alphamonsters with one of the letters of the word EXTRA, and may be crushed with the hammer (Note: only the alphamonsters may be killed by hitting them directly with the hammer.) The only things remotely related to the original were the cherries to acquire to pass a level, and the fact that by killing all the alphamonsters, the player is rewarded with an extra life. Having played the arcade, 5200, and ColecoVision versions, I can say that the graphics for the two home consoles are above average. The Coleco version has better graphics, gameplay, and music, but the music is not exactly the same octave as the arcade and 5200 version ( a minor gripe to say the least). Obviously neither version could possibly come close to the arcade audiovisually, but both play very well and are certainly worth getting. Mr. Do!'s clown outfit can be vaguely recognized and the keys and cherries were easily identifiable. Music is happy, childish, and perfectly suits this game. Although I preferred the original, this sequel is highly entertaining and challenging. Originality and innovation are what makes Mr. Do!'s Castle a winner. Things I forgot to mention in this review: There are three types of unicorns: Orange, green, and blue. Each is faster than the last and progressively more difficult to kill. Blue unicorns may not be hammered through the floor and multiply if they are not killed promptly (note that the colors are different in the arcade versions). One platform on each level has a skull tile at either end. If both sides are hit, the entire floor will go down, as will any enemy trapped between those tiles. The diamond is included in the arcade version and randomly appears in a recently hit tile. Mr. Do!'s Wild Ride Unlike the other three Do! games, there is much difference in opinion regarding Wild Ride. Matt Lewandowski calls it his favorite of the series and one of the greatest arcade games of all time. Jess Ragan says it was definitely the worst in the series and an overall terrible game. I've played the game once, and although I didn't think it was bad, I don't think it was nearly as good as the others. From Matt Lewandowski's description of Wild Ride in the April/May 1995 Video Magic #120 in addition to letters from both Matt and Jess Ragan, here's what I've compiled: Mr. Do!'s scenario is a rollercoaster, and the object is to reach the top. As the cars (and eventually pirate ships and other obstacles) speed around the track, you may escape by using a super speed button, or by climbing up small ladders scattered about the track. Two icons are located at the top ranging from graham crackers to diamonds to the letters EXTRA. The icons change either at randomly timed intervals or upon collecting a cherry located at the top of a ladder (possibly both). The game is timed, and the timer ticks faster when the super speed button is depressed. First screen : basic roller coaster second : Large bobbing pirate ship on coaster third : Elevators utilized to complete the level fourth : Bowling balls fly around track fifth : Carousel intersects coaster sixth : Elevators in circular paths Do! Run Run Unlike Wild Ride, I've had more success compiling information about this one. I've never seen the game, but I have many screen shots from back issues of RePlay magazine, and descriptions from numerous kind souls, so I have a very good idea of how this one played. Also, everybody to whom I've spoken about this game has nothing but good things to say about it. Dave Giarrusso, Jess Ragan, Lee Taylor, and a few arcade dealers are all unanimous in their accolade of Do! Run Run. This information was compiled from the aforementioned sources: The fourth game in the Mr. Do! series had our clown protagonist pitted in a three-dimensional, three-leveled playing field with dots evenly configured around the board and two strategically placed logs. When the player walks around the dots, a line is drawn around them. Once the line is completed and the dots have been boxed, they become cherries. The alphamonsters are back this time, as are several other monsters including snakes, evil Pac-Man looking creatures, and possibly a green slimy blob enemy as well. The Blue Chompers have been replaced by what appear to be little triangular enemies with big eyes. These enemies vaguely resemble wind-up mice. Mr. Do! has his powerball back, and the logs may be used to crush enemies, similar to the apples in the first game. A dark spot on the screen is boxed to become a treat which, once eaten, pauses the pac-men and snakes and causes the alphamonsters and wind up mice to come out. If you are directly in line with the snakes, they curl up and fly at you at rapid speed. Here's a brief description from the ad for the game in the November 1984 issue of RePlay: Do! Run Run ...and better than ever in the new game, Do! Run! Run! You run for your life as you're pursued around a 3-dimensional playing field, up and down the stairs you race - just one step ahead of danger. A sizzling snake whizzes past and cuts off your escape! Quickly you throw your powerball and run as more snakes approach, rocketing balls of flame. No time to get another powerball. Hurry! Roll the log and let it crush everything in its path. More monsters appear! How will you ever escape?! Non-stop action is in store for you in the latest Mr. Do! adventure from Universal. You'll be breathless every time you play Do! Run! Run! The ad has three screen shots over a photograph of a cute stuffed clown sitting at the top of three steps. The levels are filled with different colored rubber balls, and masking tape draws a line around some of them. ____________________________________________________________________ 3. Descriptions of the characters, levels, settings, intermissions, etc. Badguys: look like wild-eyed red dinosaurs with blue arms Diggers: Resemble ugly gila monsters with protruding tongues Alphamonsters: Friendly looking round monsters with a letter prominently displayed on their chest Blue Chompers: Very similar in apearance to the ghosts in Pac-Man Unicorns: Not a very good graphical rendition of the mythical beasts. They look kind of like badguys with horns. Snakes: Look like snakes Evil Pac-Men: Are green in color and have two yellow stalks protruding from the upper region, which are most likely eyes. They've got large mouths with two vampirish front teeth. Do! Run Run henchmen: Look like wind-up mice There may also be a green slimy blob in Do! Run Run, but this is yet uncomfirmed. The level configurations for the first game have very distinct shapes. There is always a pre-made path, and it always says something, usually the number of the level you're on. Levels 2 through 9 have the corresponding number written into the path. The first level has a period and a capital D from the middle of the game's title, and the tenth stage has a zero with a diagonal line through it. The first game has several intermissions as well. Every three levels, a close up is shown with an Alphamonster and Digger running away from Mr. Do!, who is pushing an apple. Simultaneously the time in which the previous three levels were completed is displayed, as is the way they were defeated, represented by a Badguy (killing all enemies), Alphamonster (spelling EXTRA), cherry, or diamond. Another kind of intermission occurs when EXTRA is spelled. The level is automatically completed, and we see a close up of Mr. Do! hitting a helpless badguy with a powerball, who then waves a white flag while the message "CONGRATULATIONS! You win EXTRA Mr. Do!" appearing at the top of the screen. The thrid intermission is shown when a diamond is collected. "Congratulations! You Win Special. One More Game," is the text accompanying another close up of Mr. Do! doing a handstand on a huge diamond. The clown then drops a coin with a skull on it to the bottom of the screen over the Universal logo. All other games had intermissions for the diamond and extra lives in addition to an attract mode, which was used to show players rudimentary moves. ______________________________________________________________________ 4. What home versions are available? Mr. Do! is available for 2600, ColecoVision, C-64 and Atari 800 disk, Game Boy, and most recently Super Famicom. I loved the 800 version, the Game Boy's rendition is OK, but is hurt greatly by the scrolling of the screen, and the Super Famicom version is arguably the closest arcade to home translation I've seen. It also has adjustable difficulty levels and a battle mode, which has enhanced graphics and allows two-player competitive play. Mr. Do!'s Castle is available for 2600, ColecoVision, C-64, 5200, and Atari 800. Mr. Do!'s Wild Ride exists in disk format for C-64. It has a few levels missing from the arcade. Do! Run Run was released overseas (and possibly in the U.S. as well) for the ST and Amiga John L. Mooney has told me about the forthcoming Neo Mr. Do! for Neo Geo CD. According to Electronic Gaming Monthly #75, it is a remake of the original. I called SNK, who told me that it is slated for a fourth quarter 96 release. _________________________________________________________________________ 5. Recurring items in each game cherries EXTRA system to obtain more lives diamond credit bonus ________________________________________________________________________ 6. What was the original plan for the fifth game? Universal released one animated laserdisc game called "Super Don Quixote," which I never saw either. They had planned to release several other games on laserdisc, among them was "Adventure Mr. Do!". I can only assume Universal went belly-up shortly after their first laser game was released, and that killed any chance of the game from ever seeing the light of day. I can only imagine what a fully-animated Do! game would have been like. _______________________________________________________________________ 7. Trivia Wild Ride is the only Do! game without monsters. One version of Castle in the arcade has no cherries, and the unicorns must be killed to complete a level. The Asian version of Castle is called "Mr. Do! vs. the Unicorns". The music from the first game is a famous classical piece (the can can). Mr. Do! appears different on screen from the intermissions. The Game Boy Mr. Do! art looks nothing like the classic renditions of the clown. Mr. Do!'s Wild Ride may be an homage to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, an attraction at Disneyland. In the arcade version of Mr. Do!, if all the dirt around a cherry is removed, it becomes a rose. The final treat in Mr. Do! is a martini, and a similar treat, a cocktail, appears in Wild Ride. _____________________________________________________________________________ The release of Mr. Do! for the Super Famicom and the hopefully pending Neo Mr. Do!, and the compilation of this FAQ prove that this series is neither gone nor forgotten. With present and future arcade conversions for PSX and PC CD-ROM, perhaps someday all Mr. Do! games will be available in their original arcade formats. I would encourage every classic game player to do everything in thier power to let their voices be heard regarding thier favorite classic games.