Mole Control Review

The moles have overrun Molar Creek! Who you gonna call?

Mole Control is an independently developed title best described as a cartoony and sometimes ridiculous take on Minesweeper.
The story behind Mole Control is pretty ridiculous and hilarious. Moles packed with explosive insides (and aided by a ‘mysterious figure’) have overrun the town of Molar Creek. Dr. Kraft has chosen you to pilot an experimental vehicle to help find and capture these moles and save Molar Creek.

The presentation is retro in design.  When you boot up the title, you are greeted by an animated painting that even "scrolls down", a trick common to 90s games. This theme adds a really nice touch to the presentation of the game and gets things off to a good start.

The soundtrack is orchestral, simple, and beautiful, but there is little to no voice acting in the game so expect some heavy reading.
There are multiple levels in the game, each with their own subsections or ‘street levels’. The objective of each level is to clear the particular neighbourhood and move onto the next. Each of these levels contains a mix of different moles.  The amount of foes often varies, and players will often find themselves facing between 10 or 26 explosive enemies depending on the size of the level.

The gameplay is somewhat similar to Minesweeper with an adventure game twist and your job is to explore the square playing field. Numbers show up on your vehicle to indicate how many moles are in the adjacent squares. You aren't able to step on them, so your job is to mark the areas by basically exploring around them. If you think you know where a mole is hiding, you can right click the square to ‘dig up’ the mole, but if you choose the wrong square your vehicle will break down (your car will also break down if you step on a mole). You do receive repair kits which can be used to repair your vehicle, and you can pick up all sorts of items on the mine field by stepping over the specific square.

At times special moles will appear, often popping up through ‘dug out’ holes.  Capturing them will reward you with extra points, specials, and other rewards.  Journal entries are also unlocked as you progress and reveal greater depth to the story as well as providing you with various gameplay tips. A ‘helicopter’ mechanic is also available and can be activated by hitting the propeller icon in the bottom right hand corner of the screen,  Once activated, the ‘helicopter’ will allow you to move around the map and advance over obstacles.