Monkeyshines!

This article is about the 1981 video game. For other uses, see Monkeyshines (disambiguation).
Monkeyshines!
DeveloperEd Averett[a]
Publishers
PlatformOdyssey²/Videopac
Release
GenresPlatform, Maze
ModeMulti-player

Monkeyshines!, released in Europe as Videopac 37 - Monkeyshines, is a 1981 maze platform written by Ed Averett and published by Philips for the Magnavox Odyssey² also known as the Philips Videopac G7000. It is a game for young childern, in which two players compete or coordinate with each other to challenge four monkeys to a game of tag.

Gameplay

In Monkeyshines, two players control characters that can move and jump to navigate a vertical maze. Players aim to catch one of the four monkeys roaming the maze. Players can grab a monkey by walking over one and can press the action button and a direction to throw the monkey in that direction, earning that player a point.[4] Once a monkey is thrown, it will turn red and start chasing the players. If a red monkey catches a player, they will be frozen until both players are frozen and the round resets.[4] Players can only jump up one platform at a time but can stand on each other's shoulders to get higher.[5]

Different game variations allow the maze to be altered in real time using the Odyssey²'s keyboard. "Monkey Chess" allows a player to add or remove walls in the maze by pressing specific keys on the keyboard.[6] "Tailspin" causes the maze to shift at regular intervals. "Shuteye" causes the maze to turn invisible unless a key is pressed on the keybaord.[4] The last mode, "Bananas" is a combination of all three.[6]

Reception

JoyStik magazine called Monkeyshines! an "amusing game" and thought the many game variations kept it fresh, despite the basic gameplay and graphics.[7] In another review, they called it "a good game for beginners".[9] Electronic Fun with Computers & Games called the gameplay "catchy in its simplicity" and said the monkeys have "a charm and a naturalness of movement not unlike the real things."[6] They also found the fact that the game required the use of two controllers even with only one player to be confusing and difficult to manage.[6]

British magazine Computer and Video Games found Monkeyshines to lose it's appeal after mastering the controls but considered that young children might enjoy the game for longer.[4] French magazine Tilt compared the game to an inverted Pac-Man, where players start out chasing their foe and then end up getting chased in return. They found this to be a good mix of classic design and original ideas.[8]

Notes

  1. ^ As listed on the cartridge.

References

  1. ^ "Arcade Action for Adventurers and Space Aces". Computer & Video Games. No. 8. UK: EMAP National Publications, Ltd. June 1982. p. 23. G7000 owners should keep their eyes peeled for a new addition to the games range. Already out in America, Monkeyshines is a game set to be a barrel of fun.
  2. ^ Bunch, Kevin. "Magnavox Odyssey2 Game Release Dates". Atari Archive. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  3. ^ "Freedom Fighter Blasts Off". Electronic Games. Vol. 1, no. 6. Reese Publishing Company, Inc. August 1982. p. 8. A gala press reception at New York City's World Trade Center heralded the introduction of the first new games for the Odyssey2 system since K.C. Munchkin and Monkeyshines made their debut last winter.
  4. ^ a b c d "Monkey Business". Computer & Video Games. No. 9. UK: EMAP National Publications, Ltd. July 1982. p. 18.
  5. ^ "Monkeyshines!". Games. Vol. 6, no. 8. Playboy Enterprises, Inc. December 1982. p. 48.
  6. ^ a b c d e Lovece, Frank (March 1983). "Monkeyshines". Electronic Fun with Computers & Games. Vol. 1, no. 5. Fun & Games Publishing. p. 58.
  7. ^ a b "New Games '83: Games for Odyssey2". JoyStik: How to Win at Video Games. Vol. 1, no. 4. Publications International, Ltd. January 1983. p. 61.
  8. ^ a b "Singeries". Tilt (in French). No. 1. Editions Mondiales S.A. September–October 1982. p. 8.
  9. ^ "Monkeyshines". JoyStik: How to Win at Home Video Games. Vol. 1, no. 3. Publications International, Ltd. December 1982. p. 61.
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