Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Tommy’s Mole gets to the point immediately. You are a mole in invaded ground, digging dirt for points while grinches hunt you down, and the score climbs one point at a time with every piece of dirt you remove. It is a straightforward arcade loop, but the pressure comes from knowing that stopping to open more ground can leave you exposed to enemies that move quickly.

The strongest idea here is that the objective is not merely survival. You want to dig as much of the screen as possible, so hiding in a small safe-looking corner is not enough; you need to keep making routes through dangerous territory. Bonus items, worth 100 points each, give you a reason to take a chance when one appears instead of simply preserving a decent run.

Be prepared for an uncompromising structure. You have one life, and getting caught ends the game immediately. That can be frustrating when a promising score disappears in an instant, but it also makes the game well suited to short, focused attempts where you try to better a route, take fewer needless risks, and push a little further than last time.

Nine difficulty levels give the central chase enough room to grow with you. Start low if you want to learn how aggressively the grinches can cut off your movement, then move upward once the basic rhythm feels familiar. The separate top-ten lists for every difficulty make improvement tangible rather than leaving you with a single score that means little outside its setting.

Graphics

Tommy’s Mole uses the familiar underground viewpoint implied by its Dig Dug-style setup: a mole carving through dirt while grinches invade the space around it. The important picture is the changing maze of removed earth, because that is where you can see both your scoring progress and the paths that may save or doom the run.

Story

There is barely a story here, and that is the right call for this kind of game. The grinches have invaded the mole’s ground, they are dangerous, and your response is to dig as much as possible before they catch you. That is all the motivation the chase needs.

The premise does give the scoring a small bit of personality. You are not clearing an abstract board for no reason; you are reclaiming your own dirt from intruders who are better at running than digging. It is a simple contrast, but it neatly explains why mobility and territory matter.

Do not come in expecting plot development or a larger adventure between attempts. Tommy’s Mole uses its premise as a quick excuse to put you under pressure, then leaves the rest to the score and your ability to survive.

Overall Experience

Tommy’s Mole is a small, stern arcade game built around one good tension: every extra patch of dirt is worth something, but greed can end the run. Its connection to Dig Dug is a useful guide to the feel, though the emphasis here is firmly on digging territory and escaping the pursuing grinches.

The limited-life setup will either be the hook or the deal-breaker. If you enjoy old-school games that make you restart immediately after a mistake and dare you to reclaim your place on a high-score table, the harshness feels motivating. If you need long sessions, gradual progression, or forgiveness, it may feel too abrupt.

For the right mood, though, the payoff is real. Pick a difficulty, learn how much ground you can safely claim, and chase a better result. Tommy’s Mole does not need a complicated ruleset to create that familiar “one more try” pull; it earns it through fast danger, clear scoring, and the knowledge that one bad turn ends everything.

Retro Replay Score

7/10