Rollerball (video game)
A four-screen pinball emulation with New York City skyline graphics.
Rollerball is a video game produced by HAL Laboratory in 1984 for the MSX, with a Nintendo Entertainment System version released in 1988. It emulates a pinball machine and supports one to four players in turn. The game's table spans four screens, roughly as long as two standard pinball tables, with two screens depicting aspects of the New York City skyline.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- HAL Laboratory
- Producer
- Satoru Iwata
- Designer
- Satoshi Matsuoka (MSX); Makoto Kanai (NES)
- Composer
- Hideki Kanazashi; Hiroaki Suga
- Platforms
- MSX, NES
- Genre
- Pinball
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
In the main mode, each player launches the ball directly into the main screen. A small loop marked SLOT at the top allows the ball to cycle a slot machine display in the center of the screen; when one of three symbols (eggplant, cherries, or bell) appears three times, a penalty or reward is given. The center of the SLOT loop is open, permitting entry to the bonus screen. A pair of kickback holes sits in the upper left of the main screen, with a bumper near the upper hole. The lower hole shoots the ball straight up, and if the ball falls into the upper hole, it is transferred to the kickback slot in the bonus screen if that slot is empty, releasing another ball to the plunger; if the slot is already filled, the ball is relaunched from the lower hole. On the intermediate screen, the most reliable way to return to the main screen is a kickback hole on the upper left that initially fires upward but switches direction each time it is used; obtaining three cherries on the main screen slot makes this hole always shoot upward. This screen contains three sets of three drop targets and three slots. A light marked A is lit above the first slot at game start, and one set of drop targets is marked with a flashing green light. A bonus tally begins at 3,000 points; completing a set of drop targets increases the tally, and sending the ball through a lit slot adds the tally to the player's score. The lower screen is the least desirable area, as the ball can only be drained from it. A slot-machine apparatus on the left side provides bonuses: a button on its lower side enables it, a spinner changes the bonus indicated, and a flashing sensor awards that bonus when the ball passes over it while flashing.
Match play
Match Play, the alternate mode, is a two-player contest on a table just one screen tall. Each side has buttons and switches that reduce that player's score by set amounts. In the middle, four sensors swap both players' scores when all four are lit. Buttons on the outer walls spin a slot machine, and pressing the top-wall button activates its bonus. The first player to reach zero points loses. In each player's area, two animals show emotions from ecstasy to sadness, based on score and point difference. In the Japanese version, the left animal is an elephant and the right a giraffe; the English version replaced the giraffe with a donkey, likely referencing U.S. political parties.
Frequently Asked Questions
What platforms is Rollerball (video game) available on?
Rollerball was released for MSX and NES.
Who designed Rollerball (video game)?
Rollerball was designed by Satoshi Matsuoka (MSX) and Makoto Kanai (NES).
Who composed the music for Rollerball (video game)?
The music for Rollerball was composed by Hideki Kanazashi and Hiroaki Suga.
Is Rollerball (video game) single-player or multiplayer?
Rollerball offers single-player and multiplayer play.
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