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From time to time, the hero must catch up with the kidnapped scientist Dr. Barnstoff and his voluptuous daughter Jane (the love interest for the game) in a zeppelin. In these encounters the player must engage in dialogue with them (notably for the time, featuring digitized speech) to win their trust.
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Sitting in a top secret bunker one night puzzling over some challenging physics problems, some futuristic artifacts are amazingly teleported to the player—in the role of a US Army scientist—along with a note that says the artifacts are from the future, a future in which the Nazis won World War II and
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The strategy game requires the player to deploy up to five agents to different nations with one of two objectives; infiltrate or organize a local resistance. The former allows the player to discover critical items to complete the game. The latter allows the player to delay the invasion of the United
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comic series closely based on the computer game. In the series, the Rocket Ranger - here named Tom Cory - comes to fight Oberst
Leermeister, the German officer who oversees the lunarium operation, personally (in the game, Leermeister was more a background character, although it was possible to come
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The ultimate goal of the game is to collect five parts for a rocket ship and 500 units of lunarium to get to the Moon and close down the mines. As it turns out, the Nazis were not the only party involved: an "Interplanetary Union of
Fascists", which was formed by aliens, have struck a deal with the
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Using a rocket pack and a radium pistol, the player must fly around the world fighting the escalating Nazi technology. Sometimes this includes shooting down enemy fighters with the radium pistol to intercept enemy shipments. Sometimes the sequences degenerate into bareknuckle fistfights with enemy
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were not allowed in video games at the time, not even as antagonists. However, the original designs were retained, which raised logical questions about why aliens would adopt German World War II technology and be largely successful with it. This version was also the basis for the NES port, due to
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Agents deployed in the strategy game will often give information on targets of interest or missions. These events require the player to fly there using the rocket pack via the take-off mini-game. This mini-game requires the player to time their button pushes to their character's steps in order to
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Because the wheel needed to be used for every trip the Ranger made, it got heavy use. As a result, the wheel often fell apart (the front part of the wheel became separated from the back) after several games. The wheels could still be used, but it was more difficult when they weren't connected.
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To fly from location to location, the rocket pack must be filled with a very specific amount of fuel. Too much or too little will cause the hero to overshoot or fall short of the target, and as a result plunge to his death. The player could determine the correct amount of fuel for a
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and has the ability to lower the IQ of human males drastically, thus effectively preventing military resistance when the Nazis invade. The lunarium is dropped in the form of bombs from a fleet of zeppelins flying at a higher altitude than anti-aircraft guns could possibly reach.
468:, using the look and feel of the serials, including action-packed cut-scenes and an art treatment loyal to the futuristic visions of that era. It also features the cliché elements of that era, including a dashing, courageous hero and a beautiful, voluptuous
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These are missions which require the player to engage in air combat against enemy fighters, a
Zeppelin, and ground anti-aircraft guns, depending on the mission. The player flies in third-person while shooting their gun at targets ahead.
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The Rocket Pack, a technological marvel in the setting of the game, serves as the primary mode of transportation. Players choose destinations by selecting them through a world map and by utilizing the code wheel copy protection system.
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Another part of the game takes the form of a strategy game: from a world map display the player directs five agents to search for hidden Nazi bases and they can also "organise resistance" to slow the enemy's advance towards the US.
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had high praise for the game, saying "it blends action and strategy nicely and supports an entertaining game with wonderful graphics and sound", but the lack of a save-game feature made the game frustrating to play.
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subsequently were able to enslave the entire world. The scientists who sent the artifacts did so in a hope that the player could reverse the outcome of the war, a war Nazi
Germany should have rightfully lost.
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Nazi guards in order to gain rocket parts, and sometimes he has to disable the defenses of two available lunarium depots to get fuel for both his own rocket pack and the rocket ship he must assemble.
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campaign for a remake was launched on
November 13, 2014 and was fully funded on December 17. It was officially cancelled in November 2015 with refunds being offered that same month.
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port was released, with a vastly superior musical soundtrack score (in terms of music synthesis quality) composed by Bob
Lindstrom, with graphics comparable to the original.
540:. The idea was that since the wheel was included with the game and couldn't easily be duplicated, only legitimate purchasers of the game could successfully use the game.
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These are missions which require the player to assault a Nazi base. This involves the player destroying enemy machine gun emplacements while ducking behind cover.
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to the other platforms, scaling down the graphic and sound quality to the best those systems could deliver. The other platforms this title was ported to includes
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Therefore, some users constructed tables that included all of the codes needed to travel from one location to another. These tables eventually made their way to
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in the magazine favorably cited the game's use of a variety of perspectives, interactive arcade sequences, and "delightful hokum" like the code wheel.
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Germans, aiding their world conquest with their technology. In order to achieve final victory, the Rocket Ranger must battle one of these aliens.
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A different Amiga version of the game exists with invading extraterrestrial aliens as antagonists, instead of German Nazis. This is a
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at the end of the fifth volume suggests the planned release of at least one sixth issue containing the climactic end battles.
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The success of the Nazis is based on their use of a mineral named lunarium, which only exists on Earth's
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face to face with him, in an interrogation sequence). Only five issues were produced, although the
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These are missions which involve the player going into hand-to-hand combat with a Nazi soldier.
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832:"Cinemaware announces immediate launch of Rocket Ranger Reloaded™ Kickstarter Campaign!"
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995:. No. 148. pp. 63–65, 68, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 84, 88, 90, 94, 98.
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Like most
Cinemaware titles, this game was originally developed on the
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Staff (November 1996). "150 Best (and 50 Worst) Games of All Time".
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as #4 on its list of "the 15 best ways to die in computer gaming".
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the 45th-best computer game ever released, and listed the game's
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Kritzen, William (Oct 1988), "Rocket Ranger Saves the World!",
876:"Rocket Ranger Reloaded Grounded, Kickstarter Backers Refunded"
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The game was voted Best 16-bit
Graphics of the Year at the
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Nintendo's strict content restrictions at the time.
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46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
1342:Video games about World War II alternate histories
461:comics. This title pays homage to the many 1950s
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1056:can be played for free in the browser at the
444:the player uses over the course of the game.
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806:"The 15 Best Ways To Die In Computer Gaming"
1352:Video games developed in the United States
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751:Hypothetical Axis victory in World War II
106:Learn how and when to remove this message
1292:Games commercially released with DOSBox
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428:era, allowing the player to control a
901:"World of Spectrum - Forced Redirect"
424:. The game's setting is based in the
7:
962:Card, Orson Scott (September 1989).
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44:adding citations to reliable sources
1322:Nintendo Entertainment System games
1130:Sinbad and the Throne of the Falcon
856:. kickstarter.com. 17 December 2014
652:
834:. cinemaware.com. 13 November 2014
771:"Rocket Ranger for NES - GameFAQs"
532:starting/destination pair using a
432:scientist and setting out to stop
14:
1179:Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown
676:Best 16-bit Graphics of the Year
616:, where references to Nazis and
514:build enough speed for takeoff.
20:
1347:Video games adapted into comics
31:needs additional citations for
1337:Video games about Nazi Germany
878:. cliqist.com. 8 November 2015
1:
1297:Golden Joystick Award winners
1252:Alternate history video games
695:praised the MS-DOS version's
590:Nintendo Entertainment System
935:Latimer, Joey (April 1989).
812:. November 1996. p. 107
447:Like many Cinemaware games,
451:draws its inspiration from
420:developed and published by
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568:, one of the more capable
436:from winning the war. The
1327:Single-player video games
1007:"Jeux & stratégie 55"
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572:of the era. It was later
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854:"Rocket Ranger Reloaded"
785:"Rocket Ranger - Manual"
1158:It Came from the Desert
1151:Lords of the Rising Sun
724:copy-protection penalty
624:Between 1991 and 1992,
552:and used as a tool for
440:moniker stems from the
1247:Action-adventure games
1048:at Amiga Hall of Light
712:Golden Joystick Awards
672:Golden Joystick Awards
556:versions of the game.
546:bulletin board systems
1332:Superhero video games
1109:Defender of the Crown
992:Computer Gaming World
921:Computer Gaming World
810:Computer Gaming World
716:Computer Gaming World
685:Computer Gaming World
418:action-adventure game
1307:Malibu Comics titles
924:, pp. 46–47, 54
737:Jeux & Stratégie
40:improve this article
1123:The King of Chicago
905:worldofspectrum.org
659:
472:in need of rescue.
1277:Commodore 64 games
657:
470:damsel in distress
1317:Nazism in fiction
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1137:The Three Stooges
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1312:Nazis in fiction
1272:Cinemaware games
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1242:1988 video games
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1058:Internet Archive
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1026:Official website
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1009:. February 1989.
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592:. In 1989, an
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458:The Rocketeer
455:, and likely
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189:Programmer(s)
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161:Kemco * Seika
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57: –
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51:Find sources:
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29:This article
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972:. Retrieved
970:. p. 12
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945:. Retrieved
943:. p. 65
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880:. Retrieved
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858:. Retrieved
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836:. Retrieved
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814:. Retrieved
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628:published a
612:version for
586:Commodore 64
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479:
476:Plot summary
456:
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434:Nazi Germany
426:World War II
412:
411:
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364:
347:
331:Commodore 64
330:
313:
296:
279:
250:Commodore 64
217:Robert Jacob
205:Rob Landeros
183:Kellyn Beeck
154:Publisher(s)
142:Developer(s)
102:
93:
83:
76:
69:
62:
50:
38:Please help
33:verification
30:
1302:Kemco games
1257:Amiga games
1165:The Kristal
974:11 November
947:11 November
714:. In 1996,
663:Publication
642:Kickstarter
635:cliffhanger
442:rocket pack
233:Platform(s)
223:Composer(s)
179:Designer(s)
173:John Cutter
169:Producer(s)
1236:Categories
1213:Basketball
1094:Cinemaware
964:"Gameplay"
838:2 December
757:References
534:code wheel
422:Cinemaware
416:is a 1988
348:Apple IIGS
254:Apple IIGS
158:Cinemaware
147:Cinemaware
66:newspapers
1282:DOS games
1190:TV Sports
1039:MobyGames
718:declared
654:Reception
649:Reception
618:swastikas
610:localised
453:Hollywood
377:June 1990
213:Writer(s)
201:Artist(s)
96:July 2008
1206:Baseball
1199:Football
968:Compute!
941:Compute!
816:25 March
745:See also
692:Compute!
594:Apple II
578:Atari ST
550:Internet
510:States.
505:Gameplay
389:Genre(s)
297:Atari ST
258:FM Towns
242:Atari ST
882:8 March
860:8 March
730:Reviews
614:Germany
554:pirated
466:serials
430:US Army
400:Mode(s)
268:Release
80:scholar
1220:Boxing
1116:S.D.I.
703:, and
582:MS-DOS
574:ported
314:MS-DOS
246:MS-DOS
82:
75:
68:
61:
53:
1172:Wings
1101:Games
666:Award
658:Award
566:Amiga
560:Ports
280:Amiga
238:Amiga
163:(NES)
87:JSTOR
73:books
976:2013
949:2013
884:2016
862:2016
840:2014
818:2016
699:and
588:and
486:moon
360:1989
343:1988
326:1988
309:1988
292:1988
274:1988
59:news
1037:at
740:#55
697:EGA
365:NES
262:NES
42:by
1238::
966:.
939:.
903:.
892:^
808:.
797:^
787:.
640:A
596:GS
584:,
580:,
373:NA
356:NA
339:NA
322:NA
305:NA
288:NA
260:,
256:,
252:,
248:,
244:,
240:,
1086:e
1079:t
1072:v
978:.
951:.
907:.
886:.
864:.
842:.
820:.
791:.
773:.
375::
358::
341::
324::
307::
290::
109:)
103:(
98:)
94:(
84:·
77:·
70:·
63:·
36:.
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