Random MAME Review: Dock Man

[boatofcar]

Dock Man is a 1982 Taito game. KLOV lists it as Port Man, so I guess they changed the name when they brought it to the states. It's one of those games you randomly click on, start playing, and think, "Hey, this is a pretty good game!"


The first level is comprised of three levels: a dock area with ladders at the bottom of the screen, a ship that slowly floats side to side in the middle, and a row of blocks arranged in a Breakout-like pattern at the top. These luggage-shaped blocks are shaped like luggage and break off the top and fall towards the bottom of the screen. Your job as Dock Man is to catch the falling luggage and toss it onto stacks on the moving boat. You start the game with two extra lives, but if all the luggage falls from the top of the screen, you lose all your remaining lives and the game is over. In addition to this limitation, there are also wooden boards between the predetermined stacks that you throw the luggage onto. If the luggage hits the boards, it falls into the water below the ship. In addition, there is a man on the boat throwing boulders at you. If a flung boulder hits you, you lose a life. Finally, there are two rolling carts that activate after you stack a certain number of pieces of luggage onto the boat. These carts roll up and down the three levels of the dock, and if one hits you, you also lose a life.


Level two, surprisingly, is a totally different kind of game. It's much more Breakout-inspired, and involves you throwing stones at envelopes at the top of the screen. Once a stone hits an envelope, it falls, and you must catch it. If you let a certain number of envelopes go by, it's the same as running out of luggage on the first level-game over. In addition, the man with the boulder is back. Luckily, you can shoot him with the stones to make him disappear for a time. Unfortunately, his friend came with him, so you have double the boulders to avoid.

With all the obstacles impeding your progress, this is not an easy game. I've never gotten past level two. Who knows what lies beyond?

[skaar]

I'll have to give that a go.

I can imagine too many people writing on the marquee to make the game "DICK MAN" if it was called DOCK MAN in the US... or COCK MAN

Of note, there's a street that constantly gets defaced in town here called VANALMAN. Block out a letter for some cheap giggles.