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RoboCop (video game)
Encyclopedia
RoboCop is a 1987 action movie set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan
in the near future. RoboCop centres a police officer that is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg, otherwise known as a "RoboCop". Two sequels followed with computer and video games conversions done for each film.
hybrid arcade game
developed and published by Data East with permission from Ocean Software. Other reworked versions appeared for home computers and video game consoles, most of them handled by Ocean, as well as a NES
version ported by Sakata SAS and published by Data East. It has more recently appeared on mobile phones.
The games capture the spirit of the RoboCop
film to some degree, as it involves killing generic criminals and enemy bosses, like the dangerous ED-209
. Being quite popular, RoboCop was followed by several sequels (most of them handled by Ocean), including RoboCop 2, RoboCop 3, and RoboCop versus The Terminator which was developed for, but never released in arcades, and was later ported
to several other consoles including the Sega Mega Drive
, Super NES
, Nintendo Game Boy, Sega Game Gear
, and even as a final generation title for the Sega Master System
in Europe.
The ZX Spectrum
version of RoboCop achieved particular critical success, receiving a CRASH Smash award from CRASH
, 94% in Sinclair User
and Your Sinclair
gave 8.8 out of 10, also placing it at number 94 in the Your Sinclair official top 100. The overall opinion was that this game was better than the original arcade game. Its capture of the original material, smooth scrolling and animation, sampled speech and sound effects were highlighted.
In addition, the ZX Spectrum RoboCop was one of the biggest selling games of all time on that platform and was number one in the sales charts for over a year and a half.
Robocop's video game title theme (specifically the Game Boy
version) was also used as the music in a series of TV adverts by European kitchen appliance company, Ariston http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUVs7vXNZiw.
s. They are based on the movie
of the same name. Three different games were produced, each produced on two systems.
The version for the Commodore 64 and NES was a simple left-to-right scrolling platformer, in which RoboCop was required to collect/destroy at least two-thirds of the drug "nuke" in each level and arrest two-thirds of the suspects by running into them (in contrast to shooting them). If RoboCop does not manage to attain the required amounts of nuke or number of arrests then he has two chances in the game to prove his efficiency at a shooting range. If he succeeds, he may continue onto the next level. If he fails, or if both chances at the shooting range are already used up, he must repeat the level.
The version for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC was also a platform game, but one that offered movement in both directions (vertically and horizontally) as well as into various areas providing an element of exploration. There were also a number of puzzle sub-games that had to be completed to progress in the game.
The version for the 16-bit Commodore Amiga and Atari ST was similar in nature to the 8-bit Spectrum and Amstrad CPC versions, but contained completely different levels to take advantage of the extra power offered by these computers.
There was also an arcade-only version of RoboCop 2, developed and published in 1991 by Data East (who still held the rights to create arcade games based on the franchise), which allowed up to two players at once (one controlling the original RoboCop, the other controlling a slightly purple-hued clone). The game followed the basic premise of the movie, but had some major sequential differences.http://www.arcade-history.com/index.php?page=detail&id=2241
It was a mostly side-scrolling shoot-em-up, with some levels viewed from behind RoboCop and providing a targeting reticle with which to kill generic criminals. Compared to all RoboCop 2 games, it features the most advanced graphics.
video game published by Ocean. It is based on the movie
of the same name. The NES
edition of RoboCop 3 is a traditional single-player, side-scrolling game with a storyline and background that loosely follows the film. A unique, memorable feature is the fact that each of RoboCop's body parts has a separate damage rating. Heavily damaged parts can result in "malfunctions," such as erratic firing (if the arm holding the weapon is damaged) or difficulty walking (if legs are damaged). The player has the opportunity to repair RoboCop's parts between levels.
The Super NES
edition of RoboCop 3 is also a traditional single-player side-scrolling game. It was developed by Ocean Software and had what many considered to be extremely difficult gameplay. It was largely critically panned upon release. Flying Edge (a subsidiary of Acclaim Entertainment
) would later port this version to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Master System
and Sega Game Gear
.
, and were renowned and acclaimed for the 3D engine used. The more advanced version of this game for the Amiga, PC and Atari ST featured first person car chases and first person shooter sequences as well as a flying sequence.
The Amiga version comes with a choice of three languages: English, French and German. There are two game modes "Movie Adventure" that follows a story-line and "Arcade Action" where the player can choose between five different single levels. The "Movie Adventure" mode opens up with a cut-scene (the cut-scenes are made with subtitled 2D panels and movies with a mix of 2D and 3D graphics) where a newscasts details how the building of the new Delta City is creating a new class of homeless people and a wave of crime by a new gang called "Splatterpunks". A new police unit named "Rehabs" have been set up in response to this, headed by Mac Daggart (named differently to his counterpart in the film, whose name is Paul McDagget. Also, the CEO is still The Old Man from the previous films). The newscast then reports of a hostage situation in the city and the game cuts to the action where RoboCop is in pursuit of a stolen van. The player (represented by a green dot on the ingame map) is to stop the van (represented by an orange dot) by ramming it with his police car. If approached from the rear, the residents of the van will open fire lowering the health (called "Efficiency" in the game) of the player. Other obstacles include civilian cars on the road, terrain and buildings. After the van has been stopped the player's next goal is to assist officer Lewis inside an apartment building (represented by a white dot on the ingame map). The controls for driving the car are the keyboard cursor keys and the mouse. Somewhat different from most other racing games is the fact that no loss of speed occurs when turning only when moving the steering wheel.
Once the player has driven there, a first person shooter sequence follows where the player must find officer Lewis (who is being held hostage) in under two minutes. The only guide to where Lewis is a beeping noise that gets more frequent the closer the player gets to the goal. The level consists of corridors where the player must avoid shooting civilians (doing so lowers health) and shoot the opposing Splatterpunks who can attack by shooting and throwing handgrenades. Getting hit by a handgrenade lowers the health to zero immediately but the grenades can be shot out of the air as well. The controls are somewhat peculiar compared to what is standard today. Holding the right mouse button moves the player forward, left clicking fires the gun (unlimited ammo) and moving the cursor to the sides turns the perspective. There is no keyboard control and no "strafing" (sideways movement) that is common in other FPS games.
and Terminator
franchises.
In the future, human soldiers of John Connor
's resistance force against the machines are fighting a losing war against Skynet and its robot forces. Discovering that one of the foundation technologies for Skynet is the cybernetics technology used in the creation of cyborg police officer RoboCop
, Flo, a resistance soldier, is sent back in time to destroy RoboCop and stop Skynet from being built. However Skynet learns of the time travel attempt and sends Terminators
to stop Flo.
In the game, the player controls RoboCop, who may move across the screen, jump, fire and exchange weapons. RoboCop starts with the Auto-9 which has unlimited ammunition. Other weapons may be more powerful and carry unlimited ammunition as well. Beginning the game on a mission of law enforcement, RoboCop soon meets up with Flo and must engage in battle against Terminators, the forces of OCP
and several obstacles. Upon discovering one of the Terminators has infiltrated the OCP building, RoboCop plugs himself into a console to reprogram the security, only to fall into a trap and be digitized. After his body is disassembled and used for building Skynet, RoboCop watches Skynet come to power before using his digitized mind to seize control of an abandoned robotics factory, rebuild himself, and begin to destroy Skynet in the future.
. The only North American version available was released for the Xbox while the PAL region versions were released on all consoles except for Game Boy Advance. This was Titus Software
's last game they developed, before they went bankrupt in 2005.
The game allows the player to play as RoboCop and to uncover a sinister plot involving OCP, local gangsters dealing a deadly new synthetic drug and a powerful cyborg known only as MIND. As a last hope, RoboCop must capture, destroy, or arrest hostile characters in a desperate search for clues and evidence.
The game received mostly negative reviews by critics; Gamespot rated it 2.2/10, the official Xbox Magazine UK, rated it a mediocre 5.9/10, GamerFeed gave it a 2/5, XBN Magazine gave 2/10, and NTSC UK, rated it 3/10. In the Scandinavian magazine Gamereactor, it received 1/10 and was called "the worst videogame since Superman 64" (also from Titus Software).
which was a recreation of the 1988 arcade game that was ultimately never released.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
in the near future. RoboCop centres a police officer that is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg, otherwise known as a "RoboCop". Two sequels followed with computer and video games conversions done for each film.
RoboCop
RoboCop is a run and gun/beat 'em upBeat 'em up
Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
hybrid arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
developed and published by Data East with permission from Ocean Software. Other reworked versions appeared for home computers and video game consoles, most of them handled by Ocean, as well as a NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
version ported by Sakata SAS and published by Data East. It has more recently appeared on mobile phones.
The games capture the spirit of the RoboCop
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
film to some degree, as it involves killing generic criminals and enemy bosses, like the dangerous ED-209
ED-209
The Enforcement Droid Series 209, or ED-209, is a fictional robot in the RoboCop franchise. The ED-209 serves as a heavily-armed obstacle and foil for the series' titular character, as well as a source of comic relief due to its lack of intelligence and tendency towards clumsy malfunctions.The...
. Being quite popular, RoboCop was followed by several sequels (most of them handled by Ocean), including RoboCop 2, RoboCop 3, and RoboCop versus The Terminator which was developed for, but never released in arcades, and was later ported
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
to several other consoles including the Sega Mega Drive
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
, Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
, Nintendo Game Boy, Sega Game Gear
Sega Game Gear
The was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
, and even as a final generation title for the Sega Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
in Europe.
Reception
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
version of RoboCop achieved particular critical success, receiving a CRASH Smash award from CRASH
CRASH (magazine)
Crash was a magazine dedicated to the ZX Spectrum home computer. It was published from 1984 to 1991 by Newsfield Publications Ltd until their liquidation, and then until 1992 by Europress.-Development:...
, 94% in Sinclair User
Sinclair User
Sinclair User, often abbreviated SU, was a magazine dedicated to the Sinclair Research range of home computers, most specifically the ZX Spectrum...
and Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair or YS as it was commonly abbreviated, was a British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum.-History:...
gave 8.8 out of 10, also placing it at number 94 in the Your Sinclair official top 100. The overall opinion was that this game was better than the original arcade game. Its capture of the original material, smooth scrolling and animation, sampled speech and sound effects were highlighted.
In addition, the ZX Spectrum RoboCop was one of the biggest selling games of all time on that platform and was number one in the sales charts for over a year and a half.
Robocop's video game title theme (specifically the Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
version) was also used as the music in a series of TV adverts by European kitchen appliance company, Ariston http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUVs7vXNZiw.
RoboCop 2
RoboCop 2 is a series of video games published in the 1990s by Ocean and Data East for various home computers and video game consoleVideo game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
s. They are based on the movie
RoboCop 2
RoboCop 2 is a 1990 science fiction action film directed by Irvin Kershner and starring Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Belinda Bayer, Tom Noonan and Gabriel Damon. Set in the near future in a dystopian metropolitan Detroit, Michigan...
of the same name. Three different games were produced, each produced on two systems.
The version for the Commodore 64 and NES was a simple left-to-right scrolling platformer, in which RoboCop was required to collect/destroy at least two-thirds of the drug "nuke" in each level and arrest two-thirds of the suspects by running into them (in contrast to shooting them). If RoboCop does not manage to attain the required amounts of nuke or number of arrests then he has two chances in the game to prove his efficiency at a shooting range. If he succeeds, he may continue onto the next level. If he fails, or if both chances at the shooting range are already used up, he must repeat the level.
The version for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC was also a platform game, but one that offered movement in both directions (vertically and horizontally) as well as into various areas providing an element of exploration. There were also a number of puzzle sub-games that had to be completed to progress in the game.
The version for the 16-bit Commodore Amiga and Atari ST was similar in nature to the 8-bit Spectrum and Amstrad CPC versions, but contained completely different levels to take advantage of the extra power offered by these computers.
There was also an arcade-only version of RoboCop 2, developed and published in 1991 by Data East (who still held the rights to create arcade games based on the franchise), which allowed up to two players at once (one controlling the original RoboCop, the other controlling a slightly purple-hued clone). The game followed the basic premise of the movie, but had some major sequential differences.http://www.arcade-history.com/index.php?page=detail&id=2241
It was a mostly side-scrolling shoot-em-up, with some levels viewed from behind RoboCop and providing a targeting reticle with which to kill generic criminals. Compared to all RoboCop 2 games, it features the most advanced graphics.
RoboCop 3
RoboCop 3 is a 19931993 in video gaming
-Events:*March — In Sweden, the Swedish video game magazine Super PLAY starts. The original name is Super Power.*Midway Games embroiled in controversy for its game Mortal Kombat from 1992 when the game is launched for video game consoles in 1993....
video game published by Ocean. It is based on the movie
RoboCop 3
RoboCop 3 is a science fiction action film, released in 1993, set in the near future in a dystopian metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, and filmed in Atlanta, Georgia. Most of the buildings seen in the film were slated for demolition to make way for facilities for the 1996 Olympics. Nancy Allen as...
of the same name. The NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
edition of RoboCop 3 is a traditional single-player, side-scrolling game with a storyline and background that loosely follows the film. A unique, memorable feature is the fact that each of RoboCop's body parts has a separate damage rating. Heavily damaged parts can result in "malfunctions," such as erratic firing (if the arm holding the weapon is damaged) or difficulty walking (if legs are damaged). The player has the opportunity to repair RoboCop's parts between levels.
The Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
edition of RoboCop 3 is also a traditional single-player side-scrolling game. It was developed by Ocean Software and had what many considered to be extremely difficult gameplay. It was largely critically panned upon release. Flying Edge (a subsidiary of Acclaim Entertainment
Acclaim Entertainment
Acclaim Entertainment was an American video game developer and publisher. It developed, published, marketed and distributed interactive entertainment software for a variety of hardware platforms, including Sega's Mega Drive/Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, and Game Gear, Nintendo's NES, SNES, Nintendo...
) would later port this version to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
and Sega Game Gear
Sega Game Gear
The was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....
.
RoboCop 3D
The Amiga, ST and IBM PC versions of the game were developed by Digital Image DesignDigital Image Design
Digital Image Design was a British video game developer founded by Martin Kenwright and Phillip Allsopp in 1989 and was originally based in Runcorn, Cheshire, England. The company had employed around eighty developers who specialized in areas of software and simulation...
, and were renowned and acclaimed for the 3D engine used. The more advanced version of this game for the Amiga, PC and Atari ST featured first person car chases and first person shooter sequences as well as a flying sequence.
The Amiga version comes with a choice of three languages: English, French and German. There are two game modes "Movie Adventure" that follows a story-line and "Arcade Action" where the player can choose between five different single levels. The "Movie Adventure" mode opens up with a cut-scene (the cut-scenes are made with subtitled 2D panels and movies with a mix of 2D and 3D graphics) where a newscasts details how the building of the new Delta City is creating a new class of homeless people and a wave of crime by a new gang called "Splatterpunks". A new police unit named "Rehabs" have been set up in response to this, headed by Mac Daggart (named differently to his counterpart in the film, whose name is Paul McDagget. Also, the CEO is still The Old Man from the previous films). The newscast then reports of a hostage situation in the city and the game cuts to the action where RoboCop is in pursuit of a stolen van. The player (represented by a green dot on the ingame map) is to stop the van (represented by an orange dot) by ramming it with his police car. If approached from the rear, the residents of the van will open fire lowering the health (called "Efficiency" in the game) of the player. Other obstacles include civilian cars on the road, terrain and buildings. After the van has been stopped the player's next goal is to assist officer Lewis inside an apartment building (represented by a white dot on the ingame map). The controls for driving the car are the keyboard cursor keys and the mouse. Somewhat different from most other racing games is the fact that no loss of speed occurs when turning only when moving the steering wheel.
Once the player has driven there, a first person shooter sequence follows where the player must find officer Lewis (who is being held hostage) in under two minutes. The only guide to where Lewis is a beeping noise that gets more frequent the closer the player gets to the goal. The level consists of corridors where the player must avoid shooting civilians (doing so lowers health) and shoot the opposing Splatterpunks who can attack by shooting and throwing handgrenades. Getting hit by a handgrenade lowers the health to zero immediately but the grenades can be shot out of the air as well. The controls are somewhat peculiar compared to what is standard today. Holding the right mouse button moves the player forward, left clicking fires the gun (unlimited ammo) and moving the cursor to the sides turns the perspective. There is no keyboard control and no "strafing" (sideways movement) that is common in other FPS games.
RoboCop Versus The Terminator
RoboCop Versus The Terminator was released for a number of platforms and based on the RoboCopRoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
and Terminator
Terminator series
The Terminator series is a science fiction franchise encompassing a series of films and other media concerning battles between Skynet's artificially intelligent machine network, and John Connor's Resistance forces and the rest of the human race....
franchises.
In the future, human soldiers of John Connor
John Connor
John Connor is a character appearing in the American science fiction Terminator franchise and he serves as the series main protagonist. Created by writer and director James Cameron, the character is first referred to in the 1984 film The Terminator and first appears portrayed by teenage actor...
's resistance force against the machines are fighting a losing war against Skynet and its robot forces. Discovering that one of the foundation technologies for Skynet is the cybernetics technology used in the creation of cyborg police officer RoboCop
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
, Flo, a resistance soldier, is sent back in time to destroy RoboCop and stop Skynet from being built. However Skynet learns of the time travel attempt and sends Terminators
The Terminator
The Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, co-written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr., and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. The film was produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and distributed by Orion Pictures, and filmed in Los...
to stop Flo.
In the game, the player controls RoboCop, who may move across the screen, jump, fire and exchange weapons. RoboCop starts with the Auto-9 which has unlimited ammunition. Other weapons may be more powerful and carry unlimited ammunition as well. Beginning the game on a mission of law enforcement, RoboCop soon meets up with Flo and must engage in battle against Terminators, the forces of OCP
Omni Consumer Products
Omni Consumer Products may refer to:*Omni Consumer Products , a fictitious mega-corporation seen in the RoboCop series of Movies and TV shows.*Omni Consumer Products , a company that manufactures products based on fictional movie items...
and several obstacles. Upon discovering one of the Terminators has infiltrated the OCP building, RoboCop plugs himself into a console to reprogram the security, only to fall into a trap and be digitized. After his body is disassembled and used for building Skynet, RoboCop watches Skynet come to power before using his digitized mind to seize control of an abandoned robotics factory, rebuild himself, and begin to destroy Skynet in the future.
RoboCop (2003)
RoboCop is a first person shooter released for the sixth generation home consolesHistory of video game consoles (sixth generation)
The sixth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at the turn of the 21st century. Platforms of the sixth generation include the Sega Dreamcast, Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Microsoft Xbox...
. The only North American version available was released for the Xbox while the PAL region versions were released on all consoles except for Game Boy Advance. This was Titus Software
Titus Software
Titus Software, later known as Titus Interactive S.A., was a long-running French software publisher that produced and published video games for various formats over its lifetime....
's last game they developed, before they went bankrupt in 2005.
The game allows the player to play as RoboCop and to uncover a sinister plot involving OCP, local gangsters dealing a deadly new synthetic drug and a powerful cyborg known only as MIND. As a last hope, RoboCop must capture, destroy, or arrest hostile characters in a desperate search for clues and evidence.
The game received mostly negative reviews by critics; Gamespot rated it 2.2/10, the official Xbox Magazine UK, rated it a mediocre 5.9/10, GamerFeed gave it a 2/5, XBN Magazine gave 2/10, and NTSC UK, rated it 3/10. In the Scandinavian magazine Gamereactor, it received 1/10 and was called "the worst videogame since Superman 64" (also from Titus Software).
Game Boy Advance
Titus also developed a version for the Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
which was a recreation of the 1988 arcade game that was ultimately never released.
External links
- Robocop at CPC Zone
- Robocop Games Information on several games in the franchise.
- Robocop at MobyGames
- Robocop PlayStation Tech Demo at The PlayStation Museum
- http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/robocop/review.html