Rocket: Robot on Wheels

Rocket: Robot on Wheels is a Nintendo 64 platform game released in 1999 and published by Ubisoft. It marked the first game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and the home platform using physics engine. The game would have named Sprocket due to trademark conflicts with Game Sprockets.[1][2]

Rocket: Robot on Wheels
North American box art
Developer(s)Sucker Punch Productions
Publisher(s)Ubisoft
Designer(s)Don Munsil
Platform(s)Nintendo 64
Release
  • NA: October 31, 1999
  • EU: December 17, 1999
Genre(s)Adventure, Platformer
Mode(s)Single-player

Gameplay

The game has six different worlds (excluding the final level), all connected to "Whoopie World". Each of them are opened by finding a requisite number of tickets in the other worlds. The player controls the titular robot and gives tokens to Tinker, a maintenance robot, in exchange for new abilities. Each world has at least one vehicle to solve puzzles and get all tickets, in order to unlock the final stage. The game uses jazz and psychedelic music.

Plot

Rocket is a robot created by Dr. Gavin, the architect and owner of Whoopie World, a futuristic theme park. Before the opening day, Gavin goes to a party, leaving Rocket in charge of the park and two animal mascots: Whoopie the walrus and Jojo the raccoon. When Jojo breaks himself free and steals all tickets and tokens, he abducts Whoopie and makes the park go haywire. After finding the tickets and tokens, Rocket defeats Jojo and frees Whoopie. With the park restored, Gavin congratulates Rocket and names the park RocketLand.

Development

After leaving Microsoft and forming the company, the developers planned to make a game for Nintendo 64. While Nintendo licensed it, Sucker Punch chose Ubisoft. They used personal computer to develop a prototype without kits or tools. After making the first level entirely self-funded and pitching to multiple developers, the game was announced at E3, according to Next Generation magazine. Sony Interactive Entertainment declined the independent game and acquired Sucker Punch in 2011.[3]

Reception
Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings82%[4]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame[5]
EGM7.12/10[6]
Game Informer8/10[7]
GameFan92%[8]
GamePro(Lou) [9]
(Boba) [10]
GameSpot7.6/10[11]
Hyper84%[12]
IGN9/10[13]
Next Generation[14]
Nintendo Power8.4/10[15]

Doug Trueman reviewed the game for Next Generation, rating it three stars out of five and stating that "It is an attractive, almost anti-violent 3D puzzler with graphics intended for kids, but with some puzzles whose level of challenge is more appropriate for adults."[14] The game received "favorable" reviews according to video game review aggregator GameRankings.[4] It was listed as the "18th Best Nintendo 64 Game of All Time" in Nintendo Power Magazine's 20th anniversary issue.

References
  1. IGN staff (1999-08-18). "Sprocket Will Never Be Released". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
  2. "Sucker Punch Livestream Rocket: Robot on Wheels!". Sucker Punch Productions. 2014-10-11. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
  3. Moriarty, Colin (2014-09-12). "Something Electric in Bellevue: The History of Sucker Punch". IGN. Ziff Davis.
  4. "Rocket: Robot on Wheels for Nintendo 64". CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2014-12-18. Text "websiteGameRankings" ignored (help)
  5. Baize, Anthony. "Rocket: Robot on Wheels - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-14. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
  6. "Rocket: Robot on Wheels". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Ziff Davis. 1999.
  7. Helgeson, Matt (November 1999). "Rocket: Robot On Wheels - Nintendo 64". Game Informer. No. 79. FuncoLand. Archived from the original on 2000-10-25. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
  8. Buchanan, Levi "Angus" (1999-11-05). "REVIEW for Rocket: Robot on Wheels". GameFan. Shinno Media. Archived from the original on 2000-03-04. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
  9. Lou Gubrious (1999-12-02). "Rocket: Robot on Wheels Review for N64 on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2005-02-09. Retrieved 2014-12-19. Text "publisherIDG Entertainment" ignored (help)
  10. Boba Fatt (December 1999). "Rocket: Robot on Wheels". GamePro. No. 135. IDG Entertainment. p. 188. Retrieved 2019-01-15.
  11. MacDonald, Ryan (1999-12-15). "Rocket: Robot on Wheels Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
  12. Shea, Cam (February 2000). "Review: Rocket: Robot on Wheels". Hyper. No. 76. Next Media Pty Ltd. pp. 80–81.
  13. Casamassina, Matt (1999-11-24). "Rocket - Robot on Wheels". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 2014-12-18.
  14. Trueman, Doug (December 1999). "Finals". Next Generation. Vol. 2 no. 4. Imagine Media. p. 107.
  15. "Rocket: Robot on Wheels". Nintendo Power. Vol. 126. Nintendo of America. November 1999. p. 140. Retrieved 2019-01-15.
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