Rocket: Robot On Wheels Review

Tight Control
Great Play Mechanics
Ingenious, Fun Puzzles
Bright Colorful Graphics
Building and Riding the Rollercoaster
Collecting Items Not Bothersome

Generic N64 Music
Some Jumping/Camera Issues
May be Ignored by Older Gamers

As Rocket, the little robot unicycle, it's up to you to bring down Jojo the Raccoon, who is seriously cheesed that Whoopie the Walrus is receiving all of the attention. So much attention in fact, that the greatest themepark in the universe, Whoopie World, is named after him. Jojo escapes, taking Whoopie seemingly hostage and proceeds to disrupt the opening of the themepark. Can Rocket stop him in time? Will the themepark be ready to open? It's all up to you.

Right off the bat you'll notice that controlling Rocket is superb. Even the jumping is tight. When you start the game, Rocket only has a few moves available; he can move, jump, pick up objects with his tractor beam and throw them as well as attach himself to poles (via the tractor beam) and swing himself to other areas. Throughout the game Rocket will be upgraded by Tinker, and be able to pull off some killer new moves to help him on his quest. These include a double and triple jump, a slam move for breaking objects, a grapple function for reaching far away objects and a freeze move. Along the way Rocket will also come into contact with various vehicles that he can drive. Throughout the adventure Rocket will also gain access to a number of vehicles, all with different abilities which are completely necessary to fulfill that levels goals. Along with the various moves, Rocket will also need to put your brain into action. If you get stuck at anytime, simply pause the game and check out the Hint/Inventory menu. Each level features small hints on how to obtain the Tickets in each level. These are generally small clues that will get you on the case, without blowing any surprises.

The biggest surprise for me when playing Rocket, was how it made me collect things - my most hated and despised gameplay devices - without actually hating it. It was very goal oriented, like Mario and Banjo, and therefore was completely necessary to the game. Of course, it didn't hurt that there was so much innovation jammed into the game. Take for instance, having to build a rollercoaster, so that you can collect five tokens, which earns you a ticket upon completion. Talk about using your head. The coolest part was actually riding your creation in complete 3D while testing it out. My 3-year-old daughter and I sat down and played this part for an hour alone. She loved it! "Make another one, Daddy, this time with more drops and twists!" This went on and on, until she finally said, "I can see dead people." At which point, I told her to stop creeping me out and I sent her to her room to play with Elvis. Every level in Rocket, will make you think at one point or another and will reward you by being extremely fun. Very cool indeed.

Graphically Rocket is pretty sweet. There is absolutely no fog as far as the eye can see. Instead the graphics engine decides what you need to see from your vantagepoint and doesn't display the rest until you need it. The environments are large and colorful, and filled with all kinds of platforming mayhem. Visually this game isn't quite up to Rayman 2 standards, but it still looks pretty darn great. Kudos to the pros at Sucker Punch for pulling it off.

The tunes aren't bad by any means, but are frighteningly N64-ish. I am definitely pining for the next generation Nintendo machine and it's ability to play red-book audio (CD audio). The sound effects are cute, and go right along with the game. Thankfully the voices shy away from the mumbo-jumbo of Banjo and Rayman and instead rely on a few grunts now and then. I can live with that.

What this game has going for it, is gameplay, gameplay, gameplay. Not once did I become bored or confused with what I was supposed to accomplish, like I was in Donkey Kong thanks to the mind-numbing backtracking. Yes, a few platforming areas were a tad frustrating due to camera problems, but nothing I haven't put up with before. Other companies have tried and failed, but Ubi Soft has just released two (Rayman 2 was theirs also) of the finest 3D platform/action games ever made, all platforms withstanding. If you love Mario, Banjo and Kong, then make sure you check out Rocket: Robot On Wheels. It may be cutesy, but it will challenge you to the best of your abilities. Highly recommended!

Screen Shot 1
Screen Shot 2
Screen Shot 3
Screen Shot 4
Screen Shot 5