Zzap


Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
By Buena Vista
Commodore 64/128

 
Published in Zzap #48

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

It's a sad, sad day for the inhabitants of Toontown. The proprietor, Marvin the Gag King, has left for that great animated feature film in the sky, leaving behind his last will and testament, which bequeaths the whole of his sprawling metropolis to the Toons who inhabit it. The trouble is, the silly old huffer declined to tell anyone where his will was...

To add to the troubles, the completely and utterly not-very-nice person Judge Doom is threatening to destroy the Toons and their dwelling with his invention, "The Dip" (a chemical which dissolves Toons on contact) unless the document is found. It is your task, as Roger Rabbit, to find the will before Doom can unleash his Dip (?!?) on Toontown.

There are three levels, each one representing a different scene from the film. Level one has you traversing the streets of Hollywood in Benny the Toon cab, trying to lose Doom's heavies, while at the same time avoiding the pools of Dip on the road. Beat Doom's boys to the finish, and you arrive at the Ink and Paint Club.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

This time Roger rushes around the tables, retrieving all the napkins (one of them's the missing will). Attempting to halt your progress are Penguin waiters who replace the napkins, and Gorilla bouncers who throw you out if you go near them. Finding the will sends you to the Gag Factory, where Doom's right hand Toons, the Weasels, are waiting. Destruction of these varmints leads to Doom himself, whose ultimate defeat means tranquility in Toontown once more.

Kati

For a start off, three levels is not what I'd expect from a conversion of a mega-watched film. I'm sure that a blockbuster such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit has enough content to spawn at least a couple more scenes (what's happened to Eddie Vallant and Jessica Rabbit, for instance?).

I wouldn't mind so much if the levels on offer were worth playing. Graphically they're fine, albeit a tad on the titchy side, and music and sound effects add some atmosphere to what's going on.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

The problem is that the gameplay itself is severely diluted, almost to the point of coming out of a tap. It might just be me, but I can't seem to prise any fun out of jumping over cars or running round tables.

Sorry, but this isn't one I'll be overdrawing at the bank for.

Gordo

Roger Rabbit relies heavily on presentation to present a worthwhile package to the gamesplayer, but fails abysmally because what's there isn't really that outstanding to begin with.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Okay, so the stills of the various Toons are fairly impressive, but once you get down to the game proper, there just isn't anything in it to warrant prolonged play. The main character sprites are pitifully small, even more so on the Amiga than on the C64, and sound fails to significantly impress.

Stick to the film. It's a hell of a lot more satisfying than this.

Verdict

Presentation 68%
Funny, clear opening stills from the film and a free 'Gag Catalogue' clue sheet compensate for the weedy cardboard packaging and the need to reload when you lose.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Graphics 52%
Well defined and animated sprites and colourful backdrops. Sprites are too small, though.

Sound 37%
A selection of basic effects and fitting tunes help to create some sort of atmosphere.

Hookability 68%
The subject matter itself, as well as the humour at the start, guarantees at least some interest.

Lastability 14%
Lack of variety and sheer pointlessness ensures boredom quickly.

Overall 28%
Another game which relies on a licence rather than technical merit to impress. Avoid.