Rollaround is an isometric

Isometric projection

Isometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings...

 3D

3D computer graphics

3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...

 puzzle arcade game game released by Mastertronic

Mastertronic

Mastertronic was originally a publisher and distributor of low-cost computer game software founded in 1983. Their first games were distributed in mid-1984. At its peak the label was the dominant software publisher in the UK, a position achieved by selling cassette-based software at the £1.99...

 in for the Commodore 64

Commodore 64

The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...

 and for the Sinclair Spectrum

ZX Spectrum

The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...

 and Amstrad CPC

Amstrad CPC

The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...

.

Overview

The game may be thought of as a combination of Marble Madness

Marble Madness

Marble Madness is an arcade video game designed by Mark Cerny, and published by Atari Games in 1984. It is a platform game in which the player must guide an onscreen marble through six courses, populated with obstacles and enemies, within a time limit. The player controls the marble by using a...

and Q*Bert, with the player controlling a ball on a map made up of tiles which change pattern or colour when touched. A level is completed when a specific number of tiles have been changed in this way.

Gameplay

The player controls a ball which can move in the four cardinal directions and also jump. Jumping is necessary to traverse gaps between tiles and evade enemies.

There are six kinds of target tile (shown at top of screen) but not all of them feature in every level. There is a quota for the exact number of tiles of each type that must be touched; if this is exceeded the level cannot be completed. Certain tiles operate as switches; touching them will change the arrangement of tiles on the screen. Certain exits are only revealed when the nearest tile is touched.

Various enemies will try to kill the player; they must be evaded or jumped over. Falling off the map is also fatal. There is also a time limit to be beaten.

Reviews

• 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...
  
  :

"If leaping over fast-moving aliens, collecting squares and avoiding big holes are things you don't do well in real life, then you won't get far with Rollaround..."

External links

• Rollaround at Lemon64
• Rollaround at c64.com