App Shopper: Auf Wiedersehen Monty: ZX Spectrum HD (Games)

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Auf Wiedersehen Monty: ZX Spectrum HD

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Auf Wiedersehen Monty for the ZX Spectrum (an 8-bit personal home computer released in the UK in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd, which sold in excess of 5 million units worldwide) is one of THE defining games of the 1980s.

Auf Wiedersehen Monty: ZX Spectrum HD is offered as an in-app purchase from within the ZX Spectrum: Elite Collection app. (The in-app is priced at £1.49/€1.59/US$1.99 and includes 5 more ZX Spectrum games).

Auf Wiedersehen Monty: ZX Spectrum HD is also available in this stand-alone form but does not include any other ZX Spectrum games.

Released in 1987, Auf Wiedersehen Monty is the fourth of the Monty series, following Monty is Innocent, Monty on the Run and the successful original Wanted: Monty Mole. It was written by Peter Harrap with music by Rob Hubbard and Ben Daglish.

The player controls Monty as he travels around Europe collecting money in order to buy a Greek island - Montos, where he can safely retire. Gameplay is in the style of a flick-screen platform game, similar to many such games of the 1980s. Some screens (such as those representing the Eiffel Tower and the Pyrenees) bear some relation to their real-life counterparts but most are just typical platform game screens.

The game contains many interesting features and peculiarities for the player to discover. Examples include being suddenly attacked by a bull's head in Spain after collecting a red cape, a car being dropped in one of two places on entering a screen representing Düsseldorf in West Germany, a chef's hat found in Sweden and a record in Luxembourg that when collected makes Monty breakdance to the game's title music.

It is possible to get to areas of the game more quickly by flying from an airport using air tickets which can be collected throughout the game. Some parts of the game can only be reached in this manner.

As well as money, there are other miscellaneous objects to collect in the game for points. This was important as you need a certain number of points to get to Montos. These are often particular to the country Monty is visiting (such as berets in France). Bottles of wine or a glass of beer in West Germany cause Monty to briefly become drunk and his control to become slightly erratic leading to a reversal of controls, repeated jumping or Monty climbing any ladders or drainpipes he encounters.

TRIVIA
The games screens are laid out geographically, the complete map of the game corresponds with a map of Europe.

The title was inspired by the then-popular television series, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet

A further Monty Mole game, called Impossamole was released in 1990. It took a different form to the previous three games being more of a "console-style" arcade game.

A selection of the other games in the Monty series including Monty on the Run and Wanted: Monty Mole are offered as an in-app purchase from within the ZX Spectrum: Elite Collection app, which is also available on the App Store.

About Gremlin Graphics: The company was established in 1984 as Gremlin Graphics Software Ltd by Ian Stewart. In 1994 it was renamed as Gremlin Interactive. Gremlin's early success was based on games such as Wanted: Monty Mole for the ZX Spectrum and Thing on a Spring for the Commodore 64. Like many software houses established in the eighties their primary market was the 8-bit range of computers such as the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, MSX and Commodore 64. In 1996 Gremlin acquired DMA Design (creators of Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings). In 1999, they themselves were bought by Infogrames and renamed "Infogrames Sheffield House".