Rambo (1985 video game)

Rambo (stylized on-screen as Rambo: First Blood Part II) is a 1985 video game based on the film Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985). It was produced by Platinum Productions and published by Ocean Software for the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, and Commodore 64.[1]

Rambo
Cover art
Developer(s)Platinum Productions
Publisher(s)Ocean Software
SeriesRambo franchise
Platform(s)Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum
Release1985

The Commodore 64 version's music is by Martin Galway from Northern Ireland, incorporating melodies from the film's score. The Amstrad CPC version's music was played and recorded live by Choice Software's in-house programmer/designer/musician James Edward Cosby also from Northern Ireland, using a Yamaha DX7 synthesiser via the then new MIDI serial comms protocol.

Several other games based on the film were also released, including Rambo for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and Rambo: First Blood Part II for the Sega Master System.

Gameplay
Screenshot from the Commodore 64 version.

The game is viewed from an isometric perspective, and follows the movie's story. The player, controlling Rambo, has to find his lost equipment, locate the POW camp, rescue the hostages and make it back to the extraction point, while being pursued by constantly respawning enemies. Rambo starts off with just a Bowie knife and grenades (both of which have an unlimited supply, as with all the weapons), and gains points for killing the enemy, and for collecting the following equipment: Rocket Launcher, M16 Rifle, and Bow & Arrows (Explosive & Non Explosive).

The game was one of the first to feature controllable vehicles (a helicopter), and also one of the first to feature stealth elements.[2]

Most of its gameplay style is strikingly similar to that of Ikari Warriors (although the Sega Master System version is well known for its same concept), but the levels are not as repetitive.

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Crash79%[3]
CVG33/40[4]
Sinclair User[5]
Your Sinclair8/10[6]
ACE[7]
Zzap!6496%[8]
Award
PublicationAward
Zzap!64Gold Medal

Rambo was well received. Your Sinclair described it as "a thinking man's Commando. That game starts fast and gets faster until you end up like a one-man whirlwind. Rambo develops into a solid shoot'em up".

Rambo went to number 2 in the UK sales charts, behind Winter Games.[9] The Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum versions of the game was included on the 1986 compilation They Sold a Million 3,[10][11] along with Fighter Pilot, Ghostbusters, and Kung-Fu Master.

As of 2008, there is a remake available for the PC, with enhanced graphics, sound and music taken from the film's theatrical score. Gameplay remains unchanged. Another difference is that the enemies are more plentiful than the original.

References
  1. Rambo at worldofspectrum.com
  2. "ZX Spectrum Games: Spectrum Games - Rambo - Classic ZX Spectrum Game". zxspectrumgames.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
  3. http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=Crash/Issue26/Pages/Crash2600124.jpg
  4. http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=C+VG/Issue052/Pages/CVG05200015.jpg
  5. http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=SinclairUser/Issue048/Pages/SinclairUser04800035.jpg
  6. "Rambo". ysrnry.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
  7. http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=ACE/Issue26/Pages/ACE2600113.jpg
  8. "Zzap!64 100th Issue Pull-Out Special Page 5". zzap64.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
  9. "The YS Rock'n'Roll Years - Issue 4". ysrnry.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2000-11-21. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
  10. "They Sold a Million 3 - World of Spectrum". worldofspectrum.org. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
  11. "They Sold a Million 3 for Amstrad CPC (1986) - MobyGames". mobygames.com. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
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