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Frisky Tom

Manufacturer: Nichibutsu
Year: 1981
Class: Wide Release
Genre: Platform
Type: Videogame

Monitor:

Orientation: Horizontal
Type: Raster: Standard Resolution
CRT: Color

Conversion Class: unique
Number of Simultaneous Players: 1
Maximum number of Players: 2
Gameplay: Alternating
Control Panel Layout: Single Player
Controls:

Joystick: 4-way (up, down, left, right)

Sound: Amplified Mono (one channel)

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Frisky Tom Description

You play Tom who is trying to get water from the top tank to the shower tank below. Mice interfere with his plans by stealing pipes, blowing-up pipes and by biting Tom. If Tom fills the tank he is rewarded by a girl taking a shower.

Game Play

The object is to get as much water to the lady's shower as possible. The mice try to stop this by knocking loose parts of the pipe, which you must catch or pick up and then put back.

Tom can move along the floor (where he is fastest) as well as climb up and slide along pipes. Tom can slide along horizontal lengths as well as bridge himself across short gaps and to nearby vertical pipes. Vertically, Tom can only climb vertical pipes, but he can reach across short gaps above or below to other vertical pipes.

There are three kinds of mice. The yellow mice are safe, and Tom can knock them off for points. Once a yellow mouse knocks off a piece of pipe, however, he turns purple and becomes dangerous. A purple mouse will also plant the bomb at the water tank. Not only is contact with a purple mouse deadly, but given the chance, they will make kamikaze dives at you at very high speed.

The bomb itself is not a sign of danger, but eventually, a white mouse will appear with a match. The game will warn you when the fuse is lit. To snuff the fuse, go all the way the the left and fall past the fuse.

The stage ends when the main tank empties out, and you receive a bonus depending on how much water you get to the shower. You lose a life if the tank blows or if a purple mouse gets you.

CAPS/VAPS Arcade Census

There are 6,862 members of the Classic Arcade Preservation Society / Video Arcade Preservation Society, 3,937 whom participate in our arcade census project of games owned, wanted, or for sale. Census data currently includes 64,459 machines (3,753 unique titles).

Scarce - There are 3 known instances of this machine owned by Frisky Tom collectors. Of these, 2 of them are original dedicated machines, and one is a set of circuit boards which a collector could put into a generic case if desired.

This game ranks a 2 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most commonly seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on census ownership records.

Wanted - No members have added this machine to their wish list. Please note that many collectors are not members or do not list their desires here, and it is likely that a number of collectors might purchase this machine if offered it at the right price. There is one VAPS member looking for a Frisky Tom circuit board set.

This game ranks a 3 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most commonly seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on census want list records.

Rarity is NOT necessarily an indication of value. [More Information]

Trivia

On the flyer it reads "Nichibutsu original custom C.P.U. was used for the first time in video games".

Manuals

Service Instruction 22 Pages, 3774 KB File.

Contribute Links

eBay Listings

Click to search eBay for Frisky Tom Videogame machines and related items.

Click to search eBay for machines and parts made by Nichibutsu.

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Frisky Tom - Title screen image

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