Rocketball (computer game)
Encyclopedia
Rocketball is a Commodore 64
computer game released by IJK Software in 1985. Rocketball was coded by John Sinclair and has music by L Pilling.
, released in 1975, starring James Caan, and remade in 2002, starring Chris Klein
. Rocketball's taglines were, "The rules are, there are no rules", and "This was never meant to be a game." As in the movie, the computer game is similar to Roller Derby
in that two teams on roller skates travel anti-clockwise around a banked, circular track. The object of the game is to score points by throwing a softball-sized metal ball into a cone-shaped goal target inset into the wall of the arena. Balls are fired into play, in the same direction players skate, by cannons when play begins and to restart play after the ball rolls out of play or a goal is scored.
Each Rocketball team has five active players on roller skates. The four Rocketball teams are Houston (wearing blue), Tokyo
(yellow), Moscow
(burgundy) and Madrid
(Green), which correspond to futuristic city states
Rocketball is a full-contact sport
in which players have considerable leeway to attack opposing players in order to take or maintain possession of the ball and to score points. Players can use fists, elbows and knees to disable their opponents.
Games have a duration of ten minutes. A typical game will see no more than 15 goals scored in aggregate. Unlike the movie, there are no players riding motorcycles in the computer game.
, and a shadow on the ball.
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
computer game released by IJK Software in 1985. Rocketball was coded by John Sinclair and has music by L Pilling.
Summary
Rocketball is based on the futuristic sports movie RollerballRollerball (1975 film)
Rollerball is a 1975 American dystopian fiction film directed by Norman Jewison from a screenplay by William Harrison, who adapted his own short story "Roller Ball Murder", which first appeared in 1973 in Esquire magazine.-The Game:...
, released in 1975, starring James Caan, and remade in 2002, starring Chris Klein
Chris Klein (actor)
Frederick Christopher "Chris" Klein is an American movie actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Chris "Oz" Ostreicher in the 1999 film American Pie and its sequel American Pie 2.-Early life:...
. Rocketball's taglines were, "The rules are, there are no rules", and "This was never meant to be a game." As in the movie, the computer game is similar to Roller Derby
Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
in that two teams on roller skates travel anti-clockwise around a banked, circular track. The object of the game is to score points by throwing a softball-sized metal ball into a cone-shaped goal target inset into the wall of the arena. Balls are fired into play, in the same direction players skate, by cannons when play begins and to restart play after the ball rolls out of play or a goal is scored.
Each Rocketball team has five active players on roller skates. The four Rocketball teams are Houston (wearing blue), Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
(yellow), Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
(burgundy) and Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
(Green), which correspond to futuristic city states
Rocketball is a full-contact sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
in which players have considerable leeway to attack opposing players in order to take or maintain possession of the ball and to score points. Players can use fists, elbows and knees to disable their opponents.
Games have a duration of ten minutes. A typical game will see no more than 15 goals scored in aggregate. Unlike the movie, there are no players riding motorcycles in the computer game.
Plot
Rocketball was set in the year 2010 AD, where worldwide disputes were no longer settled through wars, but through a circular Rocket Ball arena. It was an epic struggle between the corporate forces in Houston, Tokyo, Moscow, and Madrid.Packaging
Rocketball came in a Single Cassette Case. It boasted super-smooth scrolling, being written in 100% Machine codeMachine code
Machine code or machine language is a system of impartible instructions executed directly by a computer's central processing unit. Each instruction performs a very specific task, typically either an operation on a unit of data Machine code or machine language is a system of impartible instructions...
, and a shadow on the ball.