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Games Computing
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Roo (Stainless)
Roo is a runways and ladders style game in which a mother kangaroo is in search of her baby which is being held captive by monkeys.
On screen one Roo has to move along runways and scale ladders to reach the top of the screen where her offspring is imprisoned. She must avoid or confront apples which move sideways across the screen in her path. There are three methods of doing this. Firstly, by jumping over them, secondly, by ducking under them (screen one only) and finally, by punching them into apple cores for bonus points. The apples seem to appear more often if you punch them, though the instructions say the opposite. On the way, Roo can jump, collect fruit and bells for extra points.
On reaching the monkey's cage containing the baby at the top of the screen, you move on to Screen two. On this Roo must jump up a staircase of logs suspended by vines whilst avoiding more apples travelling horizontally across the screen. Again there are bonus points for fruit and bells collected. Similarly, on reaching the top of this screen you go on to the third screen. This is somewhat different with a column of monkeys supporting the baby in a cage. The monkeys have to be punched out to rescue the baby.
As well as horizontal apples to contend with, there are vertical ones to dodge on this screen. Game score and high score appear on the screen. The graphics are clear and smooth and the colours tasteful. It's a frustrating game initially until you get the hang of the keys used (why no joysticks?) to control Roo and until you realise the techniques of dealing with the apples and obstacles. Thereafter, I found it relatively easy to play and was somewhat disappointed that there were only three screens to the game.
In this sense, the level of difficulty didn't seem to increase appropriately either. The instructions are brief but adequate and the keying sequence appears before each game. Expanded with joystick control, this could be a really good game.
As it is, it is cheap enough, but seems incomplete and insubstantial.
Scores
TI99/4A VersionOverall | 43% |