Described on the title screen as a “freaked-out game from Llamasoft“, Rat Man is a simple hammer-bashing game from the early days of the Commodore VIC-20 and Jeff Minter. Frankly, though, it hasn’t stood the test of time very well…

The aim of the game is to hit rats that drop down from above with a hammer when they reach the floor. If a rat falls into a hole it will become a ‘sentry rat’ and occasionally poke its pike up through the floor to skewer you.

Rat Man, for me, is characterised by some of the worst computer music I’ve ever heard – like droning tonalities that don’t go anywhere (pleasant, at least) – and also sluggish controls that make playing the game frustrating.

There are also humorous messages from Jeff at every turn, so unless you’re a Minter fan then you’re not going to get much from Rat Man. It’s a Llamasoft game best left forgotten to the mists of time…

More: Rat Man on llamasoftarchive.org