DESCRIPTION

In Frisky Tom, players must help Tom the peeping plumber repair the pipes leading from a water tank to a lovely lady's bathtub before time runs out. Rats climb the pipes, either stealing joint sections or causing pipes to explode, while attempting to make Tom fall off the pipes to his death or force him to take a longer route to fix the next break. If Tom fixes the pipes and is able to fill the bathtub before the clock runs out, he gets to watch the grateful woman take her bath. This was one of the few games from Japan's Nichibutsu to reach American shores (other Nichibutsu creations include Moon Cresta and, perhaps best-known of all, Crazy Climber). Frisky Tom added a rare risqué flair to early 80s arcades, but this was more indicative of Nichibutsu's Japanese output, which includes R-rated coin-op versions of Mah Jongg. Atari struck up a licensing deal with Nichibutsu just before the home video game industry crashed in the 1980s, and planned a version of Frisky Tom for the Atari 5200, but it was never released. Frisky Tom is available in Japan for the Super NES and PlayStation as part of the Nichibutsu Arcade Classics compilation. The PlayStation version of that compilation also includes a sequel that never appeared in arcades, Tom's Strike-Back. ~ Earl Green, All Game Guide