Basil the Great Mouse Detective is a classic platformer game where players enter into a world of mystery set in Victorian London. Released in 1987 for various platforms, including Atari 8-bit and Commodore 64, it’s based on the beloved Disney animated film. Players embark on a journey as Basil, a detective mouse. They must navigate through a series of challenging environments to rescue his friend Dr. Dawson from the nefarious Professor Ratigan. Let’s take a closer look at Basil the Great Mouse Detective and explore what cheats the game supports.
Basil the Great Mouse Detective Premise
The game unfolds in the shadowy streets of Victorian London. Here Basil, the courageous mouse detective, takes on an important task. Basil starts his quest from the basement of 221b Baker Street. This Sherlock Holmes-inspired mouse needs to rescue his dear friend, Dr. Dawson. Basil’s close associate has been kidnapped by the evil Professor Ratigan. Unfortunately, there’s only one person who can navigate this complex mystery and save Dr. Dawson.
Players guide Basil through the game’s three distinct levels from the shops and docks of London to the sewers below. Finally, players find Ratigan’s secret hideout, where the captor is holding Dr. Dawson. Along the way, Basil needs to search various containers and objects to collect evidence and clues essential for tracking down Ratigan and saving his compatriot.
The gameplay in Basil the Great Mouse Detective is straightforward but requires some investigation and the mindset of a detective to succeed. Players find both useful items and deceptive traps set by Ratigan in each level. Players must carefully search through containers and avoid or take care of Ratigan’s henchmen. Be careful of Basil’s energy levels or the mission will fail. The ultimate goal is to collect all genuine clues, as opposed to the fakes Ratigan has scattered across levels, and to unlock the path to the hideout.
Basil the Great Mouse Detective Characters
In Basil the Great Mouse Detective, players are introduced to a cast of characters. Each of them is familiar from the 1986 Disney film, which it’s based on. Most importantly, the player controls the resourceful detective Basil, the protagonist on a mission to save his friend. On the other side of the spectrum is the villain of the story, Professor Ratigan. This mean-spirited sewer rat has captured Basil’s close friend, Dr. Dawson. Basil, directed by the player, must rescue the loyal Dr. Dawson. These characters, along with a host of others encountered, draw their inspiration from the Disney film. The film in turn took inspiration from the iconic Sherlock Holmes and his adventures with his friend Dr. Watson.
- Basil: The protagonist, a brilliant mouse detective with a keen eye for detail and a knack for solving mysteries. This player controller character is based on Sherlock Holmes and is on a mission to rescue his friend and bring Ratigan to justice.
- Dr. Dawson: Basil’s loyal friend and the game’s kidnap victim, based on Doctor Watson. His disappearance prompts Basil’s quest through London from the docks to sewers to rescue his friend from an evil sewer rat by the name of Professor Ratigan.
- Professor Ratigan: The game’s main antagonist, a cunning and ruthless rat who has kidnapped Dr. Dawson. This character, based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s depiction of Professor James Moriarty, needs to be stopped by Basil at all costs.
Games in the Series
Similarly to the 1986 Disney film is it based on, Basil the Great Mouse Detective stands as a singular adventure in the realm of video games. It simply captures the essence of the movie’s story in a video game format. This allows players to experience Basil’s quest to rescue his friend Dr. Dawson in an interactive way. The game saw various releases for home consoles and gaming platforms at the time, including for Commodore 64 and Atari 8-bit, but never got a sequel.
Basil the Great Mouse Detective Cheats
The game is known for its straightforward gameplay, which relies on simple platformer mechanics combined with investigation of clues. Players rely on their ability to find clues and deal with enemies to advance, and there are unfortunately no cheats to our knowledge that would help with this.
FAQ
What platforms was Basil the Great Mouse Detective released for?
Basil the Great Mouse Detective saw its release in the late 1980s for various platforms, which included Amstrad CPC, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum. While those are hard to find these days, one can still play the game on emulators.
How many levels are in the game?
There are three main levels, each with its unique challenges and environments. These three levels are London’s shops and docks, the sewers, and finally Ratigan’s hideout.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Screenshot for Basil the Great Mouse Detective.