Hunt the Wumpus (TI-99) review "It beats Hump the Wuntus, I guess..."

Ages ago, Texas Instruments released a home computer called TI-99/4A. I don't remember it super well because my brother owned one, and it looked way more complicated than a preschool version of me could handle. I mean, you loaded game cartridges AND cassette tapes? And it made noises like a '90s computer logging into AOL on dial-up? Seriously, the first time I jumped onto America Online, in the ancient time of 1995, my first thought hearing the dial-up noise was, “What? TI-99? What decade is it?” Oh, the irony...

Anyway, the computer came with a decent assortment of games that are mostly forgotten now. They had their own knockoff of Pac-Man called Munch Man, and an RPG of sorts entitled Tunnels of Doom, which often made my brother curse. There was also a horse race simulator named Hustle that's quaint by today's standards, but was strangely fun to watch way back. Among all of the titles on offer, though, the one that stuck with me the most was Hunt the Wumpus.

Yes, as in “the game that inspired the Magic card 'Hunted Wumpus...'”

The TI-99/4A iteration of this one is actually an adaptation of a previously-made Wumpus title developed by Gregory Yob. His version was text-based, whereas this one (created by Danny Hill) is more of a maze/puzzle title with a pinch of horror for good measure. The words, reading, and typing all take a hike, giving rise to mechanics that are easier to navigate and snappier. Instead of feeding the computer commands and reading clues, you start off in a labyrinthine cave comprised of individual cells for rooms and hallways. Obviously, you don't know where the Wumpus lies, and it's in no hurry to find you. The thing remains in the darkness, waiting, maybe watching, probably thinking, “Ugh, these humans and their collective hard-on for encroachment...” Your task is to find the Wumpus and put an arrow it its hide. Sounds easy, right?

Here's the thing: you only get one shot at locating it. The maze shows up on your screen as a grid-based layout, where you mosey from one chamber to another. In the beginning, you only see a single cell in which you inhabit while the rest remains veiled. Action remains turn-based throughout, though you're the only one taking turns. Each move reveals a new chamber or winding passageway that takes you to an unexpected part of the system. This is key because the sudden appearance of these tunnels can throw you off big time. You can also walk through one side of the screen and come out on the other, further muddling things.

Finding the Wumpus is no less simple, though. When you enter a space, sometimes a red dot appears in the middle. This means the Wumpus is roughly two steps away from your current location. You can figure out more by moving around that dot until another appears, prompting you to use some logic based on your current situation.

Of course, seeing red dots can also be a precursor to your own doom. You see, you're not meant to enter the Wumpus' den, lest you be greeted by a 'game over' screen that depicts you being swallowed whole like a goat in a Komodo dragon's mouth. A MIDI-ish excerpt of Toccata and Fugue in D Minor plays, and the Wumpus' digestive juices reduce you to turds. You can avoid an acid bath death by readying your arrow, then selecting which direction to fire it, hoping you launch it into the Wumpus' direction. If you do, a dead Wumpus greets you on a victory screen.

Sadly, if you fire an arrow into a room and the Wumpus isn't there, it will leap from the shadows and make a fine lunch out of you. Forget about firing any additional missile because it'll digest them, too.

Naturally, it wouldn't be a much of a game without a few hazards. Now and then, you notice green slime on the walls of a room. This indicates a killing pit is nearby, filled with similar fluids. One wrong step and you'll sink to the bottom of a snot-filled hole. You also glimpse bats around the area, though walking into them at first does nothing. Tread past one again and it'll take you to a random part of the level, and hopefully not too close to danger.

One additional thing to keep in mind: levels are all procedurally generated. The scheme for one cavern may not be similar to the next, so finding the Wumpus once doesn't spoil future endeavors. Of course, there are further modes and difficulty ratings to check out as well. For instance, “blindfold” mode doesn't fill in the map as you advance, so you must remember where you've been and what the rough layout of your travels looked like. “Express” mode is similar to the default version, except that tunnels don't appear and you instantly move to the next chamber when you walk through one. This can make things extra tricky, especially when backtracking.

Obviously, by today's standards, this title is hardly what we used to call a “killer app.” Part of your success hinges on chance, though it does require some reasoning as well. The fact that the experience remains quick and simple allows for light, addictive play despite the title's aged design. In other words, if you're a fan of older games like those seen on Atari 2600 or Colecovision, this one certain scratches some itches.

My most recent time with this title left me doubting I would enjoy it much. My thoughts kept going back to the Commodore 64 iteration of Godzilla, where you basically guess your way through the entire affair, dropping bombs and hoping one eventually kills him. Thankfully, this one plays out more like Minesweeper, where luck and logic intertwine wonderfully.

Yes, I'm one of those psychopaths who likes Minesweeper. Fight me.

I ended up digging the title, even after nearly 40 years since last playing it. Sessions proved breezy, and the title offered a brief respite from everyday activities in the same way some of my favorite Atari titles do. So yeah, if you're aged like I am, you might enjoy this one. Some of your appreciation boils down to nostalgia, sure, but the game's “prepacked Windows game from the '90s” feel leaves it a charming, albeit quaint, experience.

Staff review by Joseph Shaffer (November 01, 2025) Rumor has it that Joe is not actually a man, but a machine that likes video games, horror movies, and long walks on the beach. His/Its first contribution to HonestGamers was a review of Breath of Fire III.