Rockboard Info
For Famicom (NES)
1993
NOTE: This information page is based on the original Japanese game (there is no official English version) and the completed translation project.
Information & Story
Long before Nintendo started the once-yearly Mario Party festival, long before Sonic stumbled down trying to hold a Sonic Shuffle, Capcom created a board gave featuring one of its best known mascots: Mega Man. Rockboard, released only in Japan for the Famicom (NES) back in 1993 is a game not unlike Monopoly where two to four opponents walk around a board trying to drive their competitors out of the game. Apparently, Capcom didn't release the title in North America because it involved gambling. It hasn't been rereleased in any collection package so far, making this one of the most elusive titles of the series.
The game's main action is available on four different maps, all based on real world continents. Before the match starts, several options have to be selected: the characters and who controls them (human or computer), the map, the play mode and finally the game objectives. Once you start, you move around the map by using a virtual dice telling you how many steps you have to move. Some branching paths exists on the latter three maps. The action then depends on the type of space that you land on: lot, lab, card space, etc.
The main gameplay consists in buying lots to eventually build labs on, thus increasing the value of the lot and forcing your opponents to pay you more if they stop by your area. Once a player attains the level's objectives (which consists of a mix between owning a given number of lots or labs, or a predetermined minimum amount of Zenny), the level ends and the results are announced. The contestants can then move on to the next level.
Several events can happen to break the flow of the game, such as using cards that call a specific robot master to perform an action for or against his master. These events can turn around a player's fortunes in an instant, so the outcome of any given game isn't locked until the objectives are reached.
Rockboard also happens to include a mini-game featuring a metool betting game. Each player gets to bet on a met out of three different models, then witness the race as it happens. The winner(s) get some zenny as a result. Four metool models are represented, each having its own characteristics. For example, the flying metool can be the fastest of all four, but if he decides to only walk during a given race, odds are that he'll lose!
Characters
Players
The five playable characters are all engaged in a Rockboard match hoping to earn the most money out of the group. Each of them has a different motivation for competing. The game illustrates each character's properties with a different color. You can see the color of each character as the frame around their mugshot.
- Dr. Cossack: He's making efforts to raise money in order to build more research labs. He's hoping that these will lead to great inventions and discoveries.
- Kalinka: This dreaming girl wishes to become a princess living in a palace. She joined the match in order to fund the construction of such a palace.
- Dr. Light: Always thinking about higher ideals, Dr. Light is working for no less than world peace. He believes that raising funds will help him to reach that target.
- Roll: Mega Man's caring sister wants to build hospitals all through the world to help the wounded and sick.
- Dr. Wily: Always scheming, this mad scientist is bent on world conquest. Building multiple fortresses and robots isn't cheap, and so he's seeking more money to reach his goal.
Others
The following characters are seen in the game but are not playable.
- Mega Man: The game host, Mega Man only appears during the initial setup of a game and as a card during the gameplay.
- Proto Man: Mega Man's brother shows up as a card during the game.
- Reggae: The mere sight of Reggae should give chills to any Rockboard player, as his appearance during a match could mean the bankruptcy of an otherwise wealthy player within a single turn. As a wise man once said, "Wily's pet in one bad bird!"
- Robot masters: Some robot masters from Mega Man 1 to 4 will show up from time to time as cards or during the main gameplay to replace one of the players.
- Metools: The ever-present antagonists are competing on their own in a race mini-game. The dancing, walking, flying and underwater models are represented. The bulldozer variety also shows up as a card.
Levels
Each of the in-game levels is based on an actual real-world location.
- Green Town: Based on South America, this starting level is the easiest to play: there is a single loop with no jumps, allowing players to learn how the game works.
- Cold Island: Based on Antarctica, this map is split between a small and a large loop. Players can freely move between the two areas by walking through the E-Can space or by visiting a Rush Space.
- Hot Zone: Based on Africa, this map offers a main path and an optional detour.
- Megalopolis: Based on the United States, this is the largest map of the game. A large, outside loop is the main play area while a separate path can be accessed through a Rush Space.
Review
Gameplay: 9 / 10
Since the game allows up to four human players, and the NES supports only two control pads, a compromise had to be made. The result is that any player can use any of the two control pads, making the whole thing easy to deal with. The only place where more than a single player can play at once, the bidding process, involves each player being assigned to a single button.
A few obscure menu options (such as how to change a level's objectives before the gameplay starts) bring down the note a bit.
Graphics: 7 / 10
For a game released very late in the NES' life, you'd expect something better than this. The graphics are about on par with Mega Man 4, with none of the special effects or extra colors seen in Mega Man 5 or 6. The various board spaces have clear icons, and the use of a different color to illustrate each character's properties allows to understand the relative powers at a glance.
Music: 7 / 10
None of the classic Mega Man themes appear in this game outside of a few jingles. Some of the new compositions are catchy, while others are forgettable. The music can be turned off while keeping the sound effects if the players so wish.
Sounds: 7 / 10
Many of the sound effects have been lifted from other games in the series, so they get along with the gameplay just fine. A few other events might have been improved by the addition of more sounds, giving a better impact at the events going on.
Replay value: 10 / 10
With support for up to 4 players, the availability of computer opponents, 4 stages to choose from and customizable objectives, each game can be different. Much like a Monopoly game, this can be replayed endlessly without getting repetitive.
Overall: 8 / 10
Rockboard is a solid title, set within the original series and with plenty of options to keep people interested. It makes for a fun party game, and the single player mode is also enjoyable despite the limitations of the computer players and the lack of a difficulty level setting.