Molecule Man (video game)

Molecule Man is an isometric 3D action-adventure video game released by Mastertronic in 1986 for 8-bit home computers. A level editor is included which enables the player to create their own mazes.

Molecule Man
Developer(s)	Robin Thompson
Publisher(s)	Mastertronic
Platform(s)	ZX Spectrum, Commodore Plus/4, Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit, Amstrad CPC, MSX
Release	1986
Genre(s)	Action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player

Plot

Molecule Man is trapped in a radioactive maze and must reach the escape teleport before the radiation kills him.

Gameplay

Atari 8-bit screenshot

The player controls the Molecule Man in his quest to escape within a time limit. He must find the teleport and repair it using 16 circuit board pieces that are scattered around the maze. Bombs must be purchased to blow open inaccessible areas. Meanwhile, the radiation is killing him and health pills must be purchased to prolong his life.

Coins can be found lying around. These must be collected and taken to dispensers to purchase bombs and pills.

Reception

ZX Computing wrote, "No not another 3-D maze game! 'Fraid so".^[1] A 1986 review for Sinclair User was more positive:

It's a little bit of Cylu, it's a bit Ultimate, it's a bit like quite a few other games, but Molecule Man is still wonderful... Around six months ago quite a few programmers seemed to discover surrealism as a way of life, programs started to be filled with objects normally not associated with one another - Sweevo with its little girls, odd fowl and tropical fruit is one memorable example. Molecule Man belongs to the same surrealist school of graphics design... a very entertaining, fairly original and addictive game^[2]