The Manhole
Description official descriptions
Like Alice in Wonderland, you are a child jumping into a magical world filled with fantastical places and peculiar characters. The world can be navigated screen by screen, by clicking the mouse where you want to go. Many objects on each screen can be clicked to find hidden animations and sounds. Exploring the completely open world, you can listen to and have educational conversations with Mr. Rabbit, Mr. Dragon, and others.
The Manhole is aimed at children, and focuses on exploration and experimentation. There is no progress to be made, no goal to be reached, and the player can not fail. The entire world is accessible from the start.
The original Macintosh version consists of six black-and-white stacks for the Macintosh's HyperCard software. Ports to other systems added color graphics. Also, the Macintosh floppy and CD versions are the same except for the cd version adding audio enhancements like voice-overs for the dialogue. This enhancement should not be confused with the remake of this game titled The Manhole: CD-ROM Masterpiece Edition.
Spellings
- ザ・マンホール - Japanese spelling
Groups +
Screenshots
Promos
Credits (Macintosh version)
4 People
Reviews
Critics
Average score: 80% (based on 1 ratings)
Players
Average score: 3.9 out of 5 (based on 7 ratings with 0 reviews)
Be the first to review this game!
Trivia
The Manhole in the History of Video Games
The Manhole was the first computer game to appear on the CD-ROM format. It was also the first game made by Rand and Robyn Miller, who would later become famous as the co-creators of Myst. ### References to the Game
At the end of the fourth episode in the anime about otaku lifestyle Genshiken (1st season, 2004), when Saki asks her boyfriend Kousaka "What was your first time like?", he misunderstands the question and, being an otaku, starts naming the first anime series and games he tried. Among the games he first played, Manhole is briefly mentioned, alongside Ultima (without specifying which one) and Life & Death. Usually however, both in the anime and the original manga, all the titles of popular entertainment products are altered to avoid copyright problems (e.g. The Chanp of Fighters 95 instead of The King of Fighters '95, Berserker instead of the popular manga Berserk). Other notable exceptions to this are the Puyo Puyo and Guilty Gear game series.
Analytics
Upgrade to MobyPro to view research rankings and price history! (when applicable)
Related Games
Released 2002 on Game Boy Advance
Released 2009 on Nintendo DSi
Released 1981 on Dedicated handheld
Released 1990 on FM Towns, DOS, Windows 3.x
Released 1983 on Dedicated handheld
Released 1994 on Windows 3.x, Windows, 2010 on iPhone
Released 2010 on Xbox 360
Released 1996 on Arcade, Windows, SEGA Saturn
Released 2022 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...
Related Sites +
-
Prolog
The Miller brothers' first game and how it began
Identifiers +
Contribute
Are you familiar with this game? Help document and preserve this entry in video game history! If your contribution is approved, you will earn points and be credited as a contributor.
Contributors to this Entry
Game added by POMAH.
Macintosh added by Sam Bretheim. PC-98 added by Infernos. TurboGrafx CD added by Kaminari.
Additional contributors: PCGamer77, Jeanne, CalaisianMindthief, Rik Hideto.
Game added May 17, 2003. Last modified November 22, 2024.