''Frisky Tom'' is a 1981

arcade video game An arcade video game takes player input from its controls, processes it through electrical or computerized components, and displays output to an electronic monitor or similar display. Most arcade video games are coin-operated, housed in an arca ...

developed by

Jorudan is a Japanese company headquartered in Shinjuku, Tokyo. It has been involved in the publishing and developing of video games since 1991, and is currently primarily known for operating jorudan.co.jp, a public transport route navigation website.

and published by

Nichibutsu was a Japanese video game developer and publisher headquartered in Kita, Osaka. In the past they had also manufactured and sold yachts. The main video game brand of the company was Nichibutsu (日物、ニチブツ), with adult video games (ma ...

. In this game, the player assumes the role of a

plumber A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable (drinking) water, and for sewage and drainage in plumbing systems.

, named Tom, who is tasked with protecting and maintaining a network of

plumbing Plumbing is any system that conveys fluids for a wide range of applications. Plumbing uses pipes, valves, plumbing fixtures, tanks, and other apparatuses to convey fluids. Heating and cooling (HVAC), waste removal, and potable water delivery ...

pipes that route water from a storage tank to a shower. A Bandai Electronics

VFD VFD may refer to: * Factory Workers' Union of Germany, (german: Verband der Fabrikarbeiter Deutschlands, link=no), a former trade union in Germany * Vacuum fluorescent display, a display device on consumer electronics equipment * Variable-freque ...

handheld version of ''Frisky Tom'' was released in 1982. A version for the

Atari 5200 The Atari 5200 SuperSystem or simply Atari 5200 is a home video game console introduced in 1982 by Atari, Inc. as a higher-end complement for the popular Atari Video Computer System. The VCS was renamed to the Atari 2600 at the time of the 5200' ...

was programmed in 1983, but never published. Much later, ports of ''Frisky Tom'' were published for the

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...

Game Boy The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same ...

(in 1995), then the

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...

(in 2002), and as part of the ''

Arcade Archives is a series of emulated arcade games from the late 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and Nintendo Switch, published by Hamster Corporation. A sub-series called is focused on rereleasing Neo Geo ...

'' series on

Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...

and

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...

, courtesy of

Hamster Corporation is a Japanese video game publisher, with office located in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan. The game division of Toshiba-EMI Limited spun off Hamster Corporation in November 1999. On the Japanese PlayStation Store, more than 200 titles are distrib ...

(in 2021).

Gameplay

Controls consist of a single four-position

joystick A joystick, sometimes called a flight stick, is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. A joystick, also known as the control column, is the principal cont ...

. The player assumes the role of a

plumber A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable (drinking) water, and for sewage and drainage in plumbing systems.

, named Tom, who is tasked with protecting and maintaining a network of

pipes that route water from a storage tank to a shower. Three different types of

mice A mouse ( : mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

attempt to disrupt the water flow by knocking joints loose to cause leaks and by setting/igniting a bomb to blow up the tank. Tom must pick up the dropped joints, climb the pipes to fit them back in place, and extinguish the bomb before its fuse burns all the way down. Yellow mice can be safely knocked off the pipes, but they turn purple and become dangerous after dislodging a joint, occasionally jumping off the pipes in an attempt to hit Tom. White mice attempt to light the fuse on the bomb. The water level in the tank steadily decreases over time, and each level ends once it is empty. A bonus counter decreases whenever water is leaking out of the pipes instead of flowing to the shower; at the end of the level, any remaining bonus is added to the player's score. One life is lost whenever Tom touches a purple mouse or the bomb explodes. The game ends after all lives are lost.

Reception

Famicom Tsūshin formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the fo ...

'' scored the Game Boy version of the game a 19 out of 40.NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: フリスキー・トム. Weekly Famicom Tsūshin. No.344. Pg.32. 21 July 1995.

References

External links

* 1981 video games Arcade video games Cancelled Atari 5200 games Game Boy games Nintendo Switch games PlayStation (console) games PlayStation Network games PlayStation 4 games Nihon Bussan games Video games developed in Japan {{action-videogame-stub Japan-exclusive video games Hamster Corporation games