(written as ''Roc 'N Rope'' on the American flyer and in ''Konami Arcade Classics'') is a

platform game A platform game (often simplified as platformer and sometimes called a jump 'n' run game) is a sub-genre of action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are charac ...

developed by

Konami , is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machines, slot machines, and arcade cabinets. Konami has casino ...

and released in arcades in 1983 by Konami, Kosuka, and Interlogic. It was designed by

Tokuro Fujiwara , sometimes credited as Professor F or Arthur King, is a Japanese video game designer, involved in the development of many classic Capcom video games. He directed early Capcom titles such as the run-and-gun shooter ''Commando'' (1985), the platf ...

. The player controls a flashlight and harpoon-gun equipped archaeologist who must ascend a series of rocky platforms to reach a Phoenix bird. Coleco released versions of ''Roc'n Rope'' for the

Atari 2600 The Atari 2600, initially branded as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) from its release until November 1982, is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977, it popularized microprocesso ...

and

ColecoVision ColecoVision is a second-generation home video-game console developed by Coleco and launched in North America in August 1982. It was released a year later in Europe by CBS Electronics as the CBS ColecoVision. The console offered a closer exp ...

in 1984.

Gameplay

The player has to avoid ferocious man-sized dinosaurs and red-haired cavemen against which there aren't any direct means of offense. The only ways to defeat the opponents are to either daze them with the flashlight, or wait for them to be suspended on a harpoon rope and cause them fall down, an element which adds a certain amount of trickiness to the game. Bonus items to collect include fallen phoenix feathers and phoenix eggs, which grant the player invulnerability from the prehistoric denizens for a short period of time.

Reception

''Roc'n Rope''was among Konami's early arcade hits, including ''

Scramble Scramble, Scrambled, or Scrambling may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * ''Scramble'' (video game), a 1981 arcade game Music Albums * ''Scramble'' (album), an album by Atlanta-based band the Coathangers * ''Scrambles'' (album) ...

'' (1981), ''

Frogger is a 1981 arcade action game developed by Konami and manufactured by Sega. In North America, it was released by Sega/Gremlin. The object of the game is to direct a series of frogs to their homes by crossing a busy road and a hazardous rive ...

'' (1981), and ''

Yie Ar Kung-Fu () is an arcade fighting game developed by Konami. It first had a limited Japanese release in October 1984, before having a wide release nationwide in January 1985 and then internationally in March 1985. Along with ''Karate Champ'' (1984), which ...

'' (1984).

Legacy

''Roc'n Rope'' was the first "wire action" game. It became the basis for Capcom's 1987 game '' Bionic Commando'', which

intended to be an expanded version of ''Roc'n Rope''.The Man Who Made Ghosts’n Goblins: Tokuro Fujiwara Interview
''Continue'', Vol. 12, 2003

Notes

References

External links

* 1983 video games Konami games Arcade video games Atari 2600 games ColecoVision games Platform games Konami arcade games Video games developed in Japan {{platform-videogame-stub