Roogoo
Encyclopedia
Roogoo is a downloadable puzzle video game for the Xbox Live Arcade
and Microsoft Windows
developed by SpiderMonk Entertainment and published by SouthPeak Interactive
. It was released on June 4, 2008 for 800 Microsoft Points
($10 USD), and was released for Windows-based PCs
on June 12, 2008. The game is followed by Roogoo Twisted Towers (Wii
) and Roogoo Attack
(Nintendo DS
).
The objective of the game is to guide special shaped meteors though a series of rotating disks and save the planet Roo and ultimately the Roogoo race. Shapes include triangles, squares, circles, stars, and so forth. Each level, the player is given a set level of meteors to try to allow safely to pass to the bottom.
When properly aligned, the disks allow the blocks to fit into the hole. When the meteor pile is heavy enough, it descends to the lower disks. When a stack hits the wrong shaped slot, the player loses meteor blocks until all of the blocks are gone or the player manages to save some of them by properly aligning them before they are all gone. The object is to get as many meteors into the bottom rung as possible.
Obstacles include "Meemoos", enemies who impede the blocks' movement. To get rid of the enemies, the player must quick drop a la Tetris the blocks to knock them out of the way; doing so causes the meteor block to bounce in the air, so it is possible to eliminate Meemoos on other slots, so long as the final location for the stack is the current slot. Butterflies will sometimes grab a falling stack and lift it to an upper rung, and the player must rotate the disc so that it goes through the proper slot.
In later levels, different gameplay mechanics come into play, such as different stacks of meteors that feature different shades of the same color within the stack, require the player to match the shades by scrolling though the stack to make sure the proper shade is aligned.
The game includes more than 45 puzzle levels with single-player, two-player same machine and party game modes, online multiplayer, and introduces bonus challenges and stages as the game progresses with new shapes and characters.
with reviewer Nate Ahearn saying "Roogoo is a worthy addition to any puzzle fan's library." Anthony Gallegos raved in his A- grade for 1Up.com
, "Its bright and cheery art style, adorably cute characters, and challenging play make this one of my favorite XBLA titles to date." TeamXbox
reviewer Tom Price stated in his 8.5/10 review, "If you like puzzle games that require quick reflexes as well as mental acuity, then Roogoo is definitely for you." Eurogamer
reviewer Dan Whitehead said, "Roogoo is an original and beautifully presented addition to Live Arcade", in his 8/10 review. Ryan McCaffrey of Official Xbox Magazine
praised, "Part Jenga
, part Tetris
, and part Fisher Price, Roogoo is a clever take on the block-dropping puzzle subgenre that will challenge both your brain and your willingness to stop playing", in his 8.0/10 review. Carolyn Petit's 7.5 of 10 GameSpot
review stated, "Roogoo's fast-paced, challenging twist on the old falling-shapes concept is absolutely worth a look."
Roogoo was nominated for one Xbox Live Arcade 2008 award: "Best Family Game".
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
developed by SpiderMonk Entertainment and published by SouthPeak Interactive
SouthPeak Interactive
SouthPeak Games is a video game publisher of titles in Europe and North America.-History:SouthPeak Games, which was originally a subsidiary of SAS Institute, has been publishing games since 1996 and has worked with multiple development studios, including EAI Interactive, Psyonix Studios and...
. It was released on June 4, 2008 for 800 Microsoft Points
Microsoft Points
Microsoft Points are the currency of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Games for Windows - Live Marketplace, Windows Live Gallery, and Zune online stores. The points allow users to purchase content without a credit card and to reduce the number of small credit card transaction fees, which Microsoft would...
($10 USD), and was released for Windows-based PCs
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
on June 12, 2008. The game is followed by Roogoo Twisted Towers (Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
) and Roogoo Attack
Roogoo Attack
Roogoo Attack is a puzzle platformer for the Nintendo DS, published by SouthPeak Games and released on June 16, 2009. The game is based on Roogoo, an Xbox 360 puzzle game available for download through the Xbox Live Arcade that was later made available for Windows. The game's release will coincide...
(Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
).
Gameplay
When properly aligned, the disks allow the blocks to fit into the hole. When the meteor pile is heavy enough, it descends to the lower disks. When a stack hits the wrong shaped slot, the player loses meteor blocks until all of the blocks are gone or the player manages to save some of them by properly aligning them before they are all gone. The object is to get as many meteors into the bottom rung as possible.
Obstacles include "Meemoos", enemies who impede the blocks' movement. To get rid of the enemies, the player must quick drop a la Tetris the blocks to knock them out of the way; doing so causes the meteor block to bounce in the air, so it is possible to eliminate Meemoos on other slots, so long as the final location for the stack is the current slot. Butterflies will sometimes grab a falling stack and lift it to an upper rung, and the player must rotate the disc so that it goes through the proper slot.
In later levels, different gameplay mechanics come into play, such as different stacks of meteors that feature different shades of the same color within the stack, require the player to match the shades by scrolling though the stack to make sure the proper shade is aligned.
The game includes more than 45 puzzle levels with single-player, two-player same machine and party game modes, online multiplayer, and introduces bonus challenges and stages as the game progresses with new shapes and characters.
Reception
Roogoo received mostly positive reviews from critics, many citing its deceptively simple yet addictive gameplay and its colorful look. It scored an 8.5/10 and was awarded an Editor's Choice award at IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
with reviewer Nate Ahearn saying "Roogoo is a worthy addition to any puzzle fan's library." Anthony Gallegos raved in his A- grade for 1Up.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
, "Its bright and cheery art style, adorably cute characters, and challenging play make this one of my favorite XBLA titles to date." TeamXbox
TeamXbox
TeamXbox is a gaming media web site dedicated to Microsoft's Xbox and Xbox 360 platforms. While the majority of content is Xbox and Xbox 360 related, the site occasionally covers general technology and other video game news....
reviewer Tom Price stated in his 8.5/10 review, "If you like puzzle games that require quick reflexes as well as mental acuity, then Roogoo is definitely for you." Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
reviewer Dan Whitehead said, "Roogoo is an original and beautifully presented addition to Live Arcade", in his 8/10 review. Ryan McCaffrey of Official Xbox Magazine
Official Xbox Magazine
Official Xbox Magazine is a monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released for E3 2001, with another preview issue for November 2001. The magazine is bundled with a disc that includes game demos, preview videos and...
praised, "Part Jenga
Jenga
Jenga is a game of physical and mental skill created by Leslie Scott, and currently marketed by Parker Brothers, a division of Hasbro. During the game, players take turns to remove a block from a tower and balance it on top, creating a taller and increasingly unstable structure as the game...
, part Tetris
Tetris
Tetris is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. It was released on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
, and part Fisher Price, Roogoo is a clever take on the block-dropping puzzle subgenre that will challenge both your brain and your willingness to stop playing", in his 8.0/10 review. Carolyn Petit's 7.5 of 10 GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
review stated, "Roogoo's fast-paced, challenging twist on the old falling-shapes concept is absolutely worth a look."
Roogoo was nominated for one Xbox Live Arcade 2008 award: "Best Family Game".