ROC N' ROPE/2600

The readers post their own reviews.
Alienblue

ROC N' ROPE/2600

Postby Alienblue » September 16th, 2011, 12:57 pm

ROC N' ROPE / 2600 / C-

This is a Very good Atari 2600 adaptation of a so-so coin-op. With great Arcade games like Pepper 2 and Space Panic unreleased in 2600 format (and Ladybug, though a homebrew was eventually made), you wonder why Coleco paid someone to make a complicated coin-op like ROC N ROPE for the 2600. Was ROC N ROPE ever popular or an outstanding coin-op like LADYBUG was? No, it always struck me as a very mediocore climbing game.

The first screen is almost identical to the coin-op, sans rock dropping Pterodactyl and bonus feathers. Everything is really blocky......the eggs are blinking squares and the cavemen look like piles of dung. And your guy looks TERRIBLE, and walks slower then any 2600 character I can think of. But the ROC looks good and the cliffs have an Imagic style rainbow effect. Screens two and three are REALLY pared down from the coin-op, no waterfall screen, no gadget screen. Just a variation on screen one and a blue ledge level.

The sounds are passable. Short intro tunes to the levels and typical 2600 be-bop effects.

The main problem here is the control.......or lack of it. You need two buttons and only have one, so must press up+fire at the same time to throw a rope. Its very awkward, especially with everything SO FREAKING SLOW!

This is a hard one....unlike DK junior, Coleco did a good job TRANSLATING this game. I just wish they had shelved this whole thing and released LOOPING instead. It neither ropes you in or rocs your world!


Astrosmasher1
Posts: 1107
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

ROC N' ROPE/2600

Postby Astrosmasher1 » October 14th, 2011, 11:41 am

Oh I did not play this game back in the day so I really cannot make a good decision on it.  I thought it looked pretty good.  I am with you on Pepper 2 Space panic and Looping.  Three really good games that should have been released on the 2600.... lets have frenzy as well!



Return to “Reader Reviews”