Hey Arcaders!
Now that we’ve stablished the beginnings of Universal- Let’s hit the 1980s running with one of the first titles of the decade- Cheeky Mouse!
Cheeky Mouse was developed and published by Universal Co., Ltd. in 1980.
The player controls a man wielding a hammer, defending cheese from invading mice. The mice emerge from holes in the ceiling (or upper area), chew through the floor, steal cheese, then carry it back. You can strike mice either when they’re gnawing or when they’re trying to escape with cheese. There are also “mystery pests” (other critters) that appear; touching them costs you a life. You start with three lives, and you lose a life if the mice steal all your cheese or you touch one of those mystery pests.
As levels progress:
Mice move faster
There are more “windows” or holes, adding complexity to their pathing
Bonus / extra life: reportedly you get a bonus life at 3,000 points.
The game supports 1–2 players.
Another beautiful arcade cabinet from Universal. I love the neon orange accents! It probably looks great under a blacklight! And the cocktail table is a stunner too!
Technical Details
- CPU: Zilog Z80 (~2.5 MHz)
- Sound: DAC (@ ~2.5 MHz)
- Screen orientation: Vertical
- Resolution: 192 x 256 pixels
- Palette: 192 colors
Gameplay Strategy & Tips
Focus on knocking out mice as they emerge from holes — this is a key moment to stop them.
Also target mice returning with cheese — especially since they tend to use the same hole they came from (noted in some gameplay descriptions).
Watch out for “mystery pests” — they’re dangerous to touch but may also give bonus points.
Because later levels speed up, try to prioritize which holes to guard based on mouse behavior / patterns.
Try to build up to 3,000 points to earn that extra life.
What do you think of Cheeky Mouse? I’ve always felt Universal would rethink a game… use an idea.. and expand on it. I feel Cheeky Mouse is their interpretation of two games- Missile Command and Ripoff- with a smidge of King And Balloon thrown in for good measure!.
Check it out sometime. it’s fully emulated! Don’t let its graphics fool you- there’s a lot of fun to be had here!
Keep Playin’ Like It’s 1981!
The Arcade Archives! 
Another fun game I never knew about, and one that definitely takes its inspiration from other classics and retools them for something different. The end result? An arcade game that is pretty easy to figure out, but takes effort to master. Plus looking at the playthrough those rats can definitely become more annoying as you progress.
But thanks to those combined concepts and the way they helped make “Cheeky Mouse” what it is, the arcade helps deliver an experience that can be familiar, yet different enough to where it isn’t boring, and you want to play it again after getting “Game Over”.
Once again, great article Ray. And I do hope this game does get a redux treatment at some point down the road. 👍
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