Difference between revisions of "ChuChu Rocket!"

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Revision as of 10:57, 25 June 2016

n/a

Chuchurocket title.png

ChuChu Rocket!
ChuChuRocket iOS icon.png
System(s): Sega Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance, Mobile, PlaySega, iOS, Android
Publisher: Sega
Developer:
Peripherals supported:
Sega Dreamcast
Dreamcast VGA Box, Dreamcast Jump Pack, Dreamcast Arcade Stick, Dreamcast Keyboard
Genre: Puzzle

















Number of players: 1-4
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Dreamcast
JP
¥2,8002,800 HDR-0039
Sega Dreamcast
JP
(Controller)
¥4,8004,800 HDR-0048
Sega Dreamcast
US
51049
Sega Dreamcast
EU
MK-51049-50
Sega Dreamcast
EU
(DreamKey)
MK-51049-B5
Sega Dreamcast
FR
(DreamKey)
MK-51049-B9
Game Boy Advance
JP
¥4,800 (5,040)4,800 (5,040) AGB-P-ACRJ
Game Boy Advance
US
AGB-P-ACRE
Game Boy Advance
EU
AGB-P-ACRP
iOS
JP
iOS
US
$4.994.99
iOS
EU
Google Android OS
JP
(PuyoSega)
Google Android OS
US
$0.990.99
Google Android OS
EU
Nintendo Wii U
JP
¥702702

ChuChu Rocket! (チューチューロケット!) is a puzzle game originally developed by Sonic Team for the Sega Dreamcast.

ChuChu Rocket! is considered to be the first truly popular online video game released for a major video game console, and existed to demonstrate the online capabilities of the Dreamcast. In Europe, it was given away for free to customers who visited the Dreamarena online service with the Dreamcast browser. In Japan, there was a limited edition set which included a clear orange controller.

Story

In a far away time on a far away planet, there is a space port where thousands of ChuChus live. The ChuChus are space mice who lived happily until one day when the Space Port became infested with KapuKapus. The KapuKapus are space cats with voracious apetites and naturally will eat the ChuChus if they catch them, therefore the ChuChus must ran away and escape in rockets. Albeit they're never seen anywhere in the game, the rockets are piloted by four color coordinated ChuChus:

  • Chuih: the blue ChuChu with starry eyes. This ChuChu really knows how to party.
  • ChuPea: the red ChuChu female with a heart on the tip of her tail. She's a moody daydreamer ChuChu.
  • ChuBei: the yellow ChuChu that is chubby. He's a careless ChuChu who feigns ignorance.
  • ChuBach:, the green ChuChu that has swirly glasses. He is a steady and reliable ChuChu, who does things at his own pace.

Gameplay

Just like the story suggests, the objective of the game is to guide one or more ChuChus around the stage into a rocket, while avoiding the KapuKapus that stalk the stage or any holes on the floor.

Chuchus run in a straight line, will turn right when hitting a wall head on, follow corners and turn around when in a dead end. KapuKapus move exactly the same but slower. If they hit any ChuChus they will eat them, no matter how many and if they hit a rocket they will damage it and one third of the total amount of ChuChus is lost.

To control the directions both ChuChus and KapuKapus go, the player can set four directional arrows (color coded for each player: blue, yellow, red and green) on the floor and any of them passing through will follow said direction. Though any number of ChuChus can pass through an arrow, KapuKapus can only hit one twice (the first shrinks it and the second vanishes it). Eventually, the arrows also disappear past some time (they will flash first) and only three arrows can be placed without the older one disappearing. Both ChuChus and KapuKapus will disappear if they fall on a hole but they will spawn at their correspondent color coded hatches (blue for ChuChus, red for KapuKapus) and only a set number of ChuChus and KapuKapus can be at a stage (at least one KapuKapu is always present for example).

There are three different species of ChuChus:

  • Blue and white ChuChus: most common throughout the game.
  • Pink and red "?": ChuChu: it will randomly select a different gameplay option when hitting a rocket:
    • Speed Up!: All ChuChus and KapuKapus move more quickly.
    • Slow Down!!: All ChuChus and KapuKapus move more slowly.
    • Mouse Mania: All KapuKapus disappear and large numbers of ChuChus pour out from their hatches. In the GBA version, yellow ChuChu rarely appear.
    • Cat Mania: All ChuChus and KapuKapus disappear, and then KapuKapus will come out from their hatches (only four at once).
    • Mouse Monopoly!: ChuChus flood into the player's rocket.
    • Cat Attack!: A KapuKapu hits each of the other player's rockts.
    • Place ↑ Again!: All the arrows disappear and the game pauses for a few seconds.
    • Everybody Move!: The rockets switch places randomly.

(GBA version):

    • Night Time!: The entire board is darkened except for the players' rocket locations, making it hard to locate ChuChus.
    • Kitten Mania!: All ChuChus and KapuKapus disappear, and then small KapuKapus come out of the hatches.
    • Blindfold the Winner!: The leading player has the ChuChus and KapuKapus disappear from their screen for a few moments.
  • "50" yellow ChuChu: gives a total of fifty ChuChus to the counter.

Modes of play

  • 4-Player Battle: In this mode the player can battle a stage up with a maximum of three other players. The objective is to save as many ChuChus as possible by directing them to a rocket within the time limit. Obciously, the player with the biggest score, that is equal to the number of ChuChus saved, will win the stage. The player can also choose the number of points needed to win the match, which correspond to the number of stages one player wins.
  • Team Battle: In this mode the players are split into two teams (blue and red team and yellow and green team). The team who collects the most ChuChus within the time limit wins.
  • Stage Challenge: In this mode there’s a set task given per stage to complete, within a thirty seconds time limit. There are no special ChuChus and a second player can help as well. The objectives of stages A and B is to get all of the Chu-Chus into the rocket, C to have the KapuKapu eat all of the ChuChus, D to get 100 Chu-Chus into the rocket and E to play Cat Football which is hitting the opponent's rocket with a KapuKapu to win. There's a final stage which plays like Battle Mode, and which objective is to lead one hundred ChuChus to a rocket before the CPU does.
  • Puzzle: In this mode the player has to guide all of the ChuChus to a rocket, while managing to avoid KapuKapus and holes, that along with KapuKapus hitting a rocket is a level failure. As an addiction, there’s a pre set number and directions of arrows the player can set and everything must be set before the stage starts playing, where the player can't input anything else. There are three levels of diddiculty: normal, special and mania, the latter levels getting unlocked as the former are completed.
  • Puzzle Edit: In this mode the player is free to make their own puzzles. After completing the custom stage once, the player can save and upload them on the net and any other player can download and play them as well.
  • Network: Though not a mode per se, the player is able to battle with others online (up to four), chat using the a keyboard (virtual or physical), download or upload games, access the ChuChu rocket homepage (when it existed, anyway), see various informations including the Stage Challenge records.

After beating some of these modes, the following characters are unlocked: Chao and Nightopians. It's also possible to download other characters. There are also eight wallpapers hidden on the disc.

Music

Below is a listing of the songs available to played through the Music test in the Option menu.

  • 01: Title Screen
  • 02: Multiplayer
  • 03: 30 Seconds Left! (multiplayer)
  • 04: Speed up! (multiplayer)
  • 05: Slow Down! (multiplayer)
  • 06: Mouse Mania! (multiplayer)
  • 07: Cat Mania! (multiplayer)
  • 08: Winner! (multiplayer)
  • 09: Challenge Mode
  • 10: Single Player
  • 11: Network Connecting
  • 12: Puzzle Editor
  • 13: Credits
  • 14: Winner! (network)
  • [hidden] 15: Sonic Team Jingle

History

Re-releases

In 2001, ChuChu Rocket! was ported to the Game Boy Advance, featuring the same gameplay as the original Dreamcast release, complete with single-cartridge multiplayer gameplay across multiple GBA handhelds. The original 100 puzzle levels were included, as well as 2,500 user-submitted levels from the online service. This version was one of the system's many launch titles in Japan.

This version's level editor is capable of creating levels for 4-player battle, team battle, stage challenge and puzzle mode. Numerous new features and effects were added to the GBA version as well, some taking advantage of each player having their own screen. Predictably graphical and audio quality took a hit in the transition between the two systems.

ChuChu Rocket! on the Game Boy Advance is often incorrectly cited as being the first game to be published by Sega for a non-Sega console. It was the first Game Boy Advance game to be published by Sega, but not the first Nintendo game (this title goes to Sakura Taisen GB2 for the Game Boy Color).

The Game Boy Advance port was later included in two compilations - 2 in 1: Sonic Advance & ChuChu Rocket! and 2 in 1: Sonic Battle & ChuChu Rocket!, both released in 2005.

Mobile phone ports of ChuChu Rocket! was were handled by AirPlay, and were first available on September 30, 2006. This version is also available at PlaySega (subscribers only). More recently the game has been brought to iOS and Android devices by Binary Hammer, which were removed from sale in 2015.

Other Appearances

  • In Sega Superstars ChuChus are one of the twelve full games to play in main mode. Movement over a certain target on the screen will cause a bridge to raise, which the chu-chus then follow to the goal. The bridge also must be dropped at certain moments to prevent KapuKapus from destroying the score.
  • In Sonic Battle, Tails' landmine appears to be a ChuChu. The Skill Card describing the landmine gives its name as the "ChuChu Rocket".
  • In Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg, a ChuChu and a KapuKapu can be found in eggs. The former allows the player to access a mini version of ChuChu Rocket! on the Game Boy Advance and the latter will help the player by attacking foes.
  • In Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, the four colored pilots are playable racers. They're all in the same rocket and their All Star move is riding a KapuKapu and running over their opponents.

Production credits

Dreamcast version

Exective Supervisor: Isao Okawa
Exective Producers: Tetsu Kayama, Hideki Sato
Producer/Director: Yuji Naka
Main Planner: Takafumi Kaya

Design Section

Art Director: Yuji Uekawa
Character Designer: Sachiko Kawamura
Designers: Masatoshi Yasumura, Kaori Hitsuda
Game Object Designer: Tomonori Dobashi

Program Section

Programmer: Junchi Takeda, Yasuhiro Takahashi, Shinya Matsunami
Network Programmers: Akio Setsumasa, Masahiro Wakayama

Sound Section

Sound Designed By: Wave Master
Sound Director: Fumitaka Shibata
Music: Tomoya Ohtani
Sound Effects: Hideki Abe
Mixing Engineers: Hirokazu Akashi, Yoshitada Miya, Sawako Sogabe

Puzzles Section

User Puzzles: Chu Chu Rocket! Players
Puzzle Editors: Tomohiko Aita, Kenichi Fujiwara, Shintaro Hata, Ryuichi Ishiguro, Takafumi Kaya, Takao Miyoshi, Kenjiro Morimoto, Shun Nakamura, Akinori Nishiyama, Yojiro Ogawa, Yasuhiro Takahashi, Masahiro Wakayama

Sega Corporation

Language Support: Shinobu Shindo
Package & Manual: Kaoru Ichigozaki, Makoto Nishino, Eiichi Ogawa, Luke Valentine, Toshiki Yamaguchi
Marketing: Hideki Okamura, Seijiro Sannabe, Kenichi Sato, Kunihisa Ueno
Web Engineers: Daisuke Mori, Takaaki Saito
Promotion: Kenji Kato, Masatoshi Kawaguchi, Hiroto Kikuchi, Takeshi Shimizu, Mitsuru Takahashi
Publicity: Hiromichi Hisada, Yasunobu Masahiro, Yasushi Nagumo, Tadashi Takezaki, Junichi Yamazaki
Color Controller Made By: Toshinori Date, Kazuhiko Hamada, Takashi Koakutsu, Kenji Tosaki, Kiwamu Uemura
Created By: Sonic Team
Published By: Sega

GBA version

Producer/Director: Yuji Naka
Main Planner: Takafumi Kaya

Design Section

Art Director: Yuji Uekawa
Game Object Designer: Tomonori Dobashi
Designer: Masatoshi Yasumura

Program Section

Main Progeammer: Takahiro Hamano
Programmer: Masahiro Wakayama
Computer Alogorithm: Yasuhiro Takahashi

Sound Section

Sound Designed By: Wave Master
Sound Producer: Shigeharu Isoda
Sound Creators: Masaru Setsumaru, Hideki Abe, Tomoya Ohtani

Puzzles Section

User Puzzles: Chu Chu Rocket! Players
Puzzle Editors: Takafumi Kaya, Yojiro Ogawa, Shun Nakamura, Ryuichi Ishiguro, Kenjiro Morimoto, Kenichi Fujiwara, Tomohiko Aita, Akinori Nishiyama, Takao Miyoshi, Yasuhiro Takahashi, Masahiro Wakayama

Sega of America

Translation: Kuniyo Matsumoto
Product Support: Takashi Iizuka, Eugene Archibal

Sega Corporation

Package & Manual: Kaoru Ichigozaki, Eiichi Ogawa, Toshiki Yamaguchi
Software Management: Akira Nishikawa, Hieaki Yohkaichiya, Akira Terasawa
Software Pubilshing: Masanao Maeda, Minoru Kabuta, Yoshiki Ooka, Hiroyuki Miyazaki, Seijiro Sannabe, Yasushi Yamashita
Promotion: Takayoshi Ohuchi, Mutsuru Takahashi
Publicity: Yasushi Nagumo
Maketing: Tadashi Takezaki, Tomomi Kishimoto, Toshimasa Kudo
Speical Thanks: Yasuko Maruyama
Created by: Sonic Team
Published by: Sega

Promotional material

Artwork

Physical scans

Dreamcast version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
80 №20, p76[2]
92 №101, p100[3]
90 №1999-36, p24[4]
88 №, p33[5]
92 №4, p70/71[6]
80 №80, p92
85 №570, p30
Sega Dreamcast
87
Based on
7 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
576 Konzol (HU)
90
[7]
Arcade (UK) PAL
75
[2]
Consoles + (FR) PAL
92
[3]
Dreamcast Monthly (UK) NTSC-J
70
[8]
Dreamcast Monthly (UK) PAL
80
[9]
DC-UK (UK) NTSC-U
90
[10]
Dreamcast Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
90
[11]
Dreamcast Magazine (UK) NTSC-J
92
[12]
Dorimaga (JP) NTSC-J
88
[13]
Dreamplanet (ES) PAL
79
[14]
Edge (UK)
80
[15]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
93
[16]
Famitsu (JP) NTSC-J
85
[17]
Fun Generation (DE) NTSC-J
100
[18]
Fun Generation (DE) PAL
89
[19]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
78
[20]
GameZine (UK)
100
[21]
Gamers' Republic (US) NTSC-J
91
[22]
Gamers' Republic (US) NTSC-U
83
[23]
Hyper (AU) NTSC-J
87
[24]
Incite Video Gaming (US) NTSC-U
100
[25]
MAN!AC (DE) PAL
80
[26]
Mega Fun (DE) PAL
85
[27]
Mr. Dreamcast (UK) PAL
84
[28]
Neo Plus (PL)
70
[29]
Next Generation (US) NTSC-U
75
[30]
Official Dreamcast Magazine (UK) PAL
90
[31]
Official Dreamcast Magazine (US) NTSC-U
80
[32]
Sega Magazin (DE) PAL
89
[33]
Strana Igr (RU)
90
[34]
Sega Dreamcast
86
Based on
30 reviews

ChuChu Rocket!

Dreamcast, US
Chuchu dc us back cover.jpgChuchu-box-us.jpg
Cover
Chuchu dc us disc.jpg
Disc
Chuchurocket dc us manual.pdf
Manual
Chuchurocket dc us inlay.jpg
Inlay
Dreamcast, EU
Chuchu dc eu back cover.jpgChuchu-box-eu.jpg
Cover
Chuchu dc eu disc.jpg
Disc
Dreamcast, EU (With Dreamkey 1.5)
ChuChuwithDreamkey1.5DCEUBack.jpgChuChuwithDreamkey1.5DCEUFront.jpg
Cover
Dreamcast, FR (With Dreamkey 1.5)
ChuChuwithDreamkey1.5DCFRBack.jpgChuChuwithDreamkey1.5DCFRFront.jpg
Cover
Dreamcast, JP
Chuchu dc jp back cover.jpgChuchu dc jp front cover.jpg
Cover
Chuchu dc jp disc.jpg
Disc
Chu Chu Rocket Dreamcast JP Manual.pdf
Manual
Chuchu dc jp inlay.jpg
Inlay
Chuchu dc jp regcard.pdf
Reg Card
Chuchu dc jp stickers.jpg
Stickers
Chuchu dc jp dream points.pdf
Dream Points
Dreamcast, JP (Limited Edition)
Error creating thumbnail: convert: Insufficient memory (case 4) `/home/sonicret/domains/segaretro.org/public_html/images/2/2b/ChuchuRocket_DC_JP_LEControllerBox_Back.jpg' @ error/jpeg.c/JPEGErrorHandler/338. Error code: 1
Error creating thumbnail: convert: Insufficient memory (case 4) `/home/sonicret/domains/segaretro.org/public_html/images/6/64/ChuchuRocket_DC_JP_LEControllerBox.jpg' @ error/jpeg.c/JPEGErrorHandler/338. Error code: 1
Cover

Game Boy Advance version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
90 №119, p168
Game Boy Advance
90
Based on
1 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
100% Consoles (FR) NTSC-J
88
[35]
Advance (UK) PAL
90
[36]
Consoles + (FR) PAL
90
[37]
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U
80
[38]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
78
[39]
GameBoy Magazyn (PL)
90
[40]
GMR (US) NTSC-U
80
[41]
Gamers' Republic (US) NTSC-U
70
[42]
MAN!AC (DE) PAL
78
[43]
Next Generation (US) NTSC-U
50
[44]
Nintendo Official Magazine (UK) PAL
89
[45]
N-Zone (DE) PAL
83
[46]
The Official Nintendo Magazine (UK) PAL
88
[47]
Playbox (FR)
95
[48]
Power Unlimited (NL)
75
[49]
SuperGamePower (BR)
85
[50]
Strana Igr (RU)
85
[51]
Game Boy Advance
82
Based on
17 reviews

ChuChu Rocket!

Game Boy Advance, US
Chuchu gba us cover.jpg
Cover
ChuChuGBAusCART.jpg
Cart
Game Boy Advance, EU
<div style="margin:auto; max-width:Expression error: Unexpected < operator.px"> 320x80px
Cover
Game Boy Advance, JP
ChuChuRocket GBA JP Box Back.jpgNospine-small.pngChuChuGBAjp.jpg
Cover
ChuChuGBAjpCART.jpg
Cart
Game Boy Advance, FR

ChuChuRocket GBA FR Box Back.jpg

External links

References

  1. http://www.4gamer.net/games/049/G004989/20110721074/
  2. 2.0 2.1 File:Arcade UK 20.pdf, page 76 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Arcade UK 20.pdf_p76" defined multiple times with different content
  3. 3.0 3.1 File:ConsolesPlus FR 101.pdf, page 100 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:ConsolesPlus FR 101.pdf_p100" defined multiple times with different content
  4. File:DCM_JP_19991119_1999-36.pdf, page 24
  5. File:Dorimaga_20021011_JP.pdf, page 33
  6. File:DreamcastMagazine UK 04.pdf, page 70
  7. 576 Konzol, "Április 2001" (HU; 2001-xx-xx), page 43
  8. Dreamcast Monthly, "February 2000" (UK; 2000-01-20), page 99
  9. Dreamcast Monthly, "July 2000" (UK; 2000-06-08), page 86
  10. DC-UK, "June 2000" (UK; 2000-05-12), page 84
  11. Dreamcast Magazine, "1999-36 (1999-11-19,26)" (JP; 1999-11-05), page 24
  12. Dreamcast Magazine, "No. 4" (UK; 1999-12-23), page 70
  13. Dorimaga, "2002-18 (2002-10-11)" (JP; 2002-09-27), page 33
  14. Dreamplanet, "Junio 2000" (ES; 2000-0x-xx), page 34
  15. Edge, "January 2000" (UK; 1999-12-21), page 92
  16. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "April 2000" (US; 2000-03-07), page 157
  17. Famitsu, "1999-11-19" (JP; 1999-11-05), page 30
  18. Fun Generation, "02/2000" (DE; 2000-01-19), page 96
  19. Fun Generation, "06/2000" (DE; 2000-05-17), page 52
  20. GamePro, "May 2000" (US; 2000-0x-xx), page 110
  21. GameZine (UK) (+0:00)
  22. Gamers' Republic, "January 2000" (US; 1999-12-19), page 118
  23. Gamers' Republic, "April 2000" (US; 2000-xx-xx), page 83
  24. Hyper, "May 2000" (AU; 2000-xx-xx), page 75
  25. Incite Video Gaming, "May 2000" (US; 2000-0x-xx), page 90
  26. MAN!AC, "06/2000" (DE; 2000-05-03), page 78
  27. Mega Fun, "07/2000" (DE; 2000-06-07), page 71
  28. Mr. Dreamcast, "June 2000" (UK; 2000-04-27), page 60
  29. Neo Plus, "Wrzesień 2000" (PL; 2000-xx-xx), page 34
  30. Next Generation, "May 2000" (US; 2000-04-18), page 98
  31. Official Dreamcast Magazine, "July 2000" (UK; 2000-06-08), page 70
  32. Official Dreamcast Magazine, "May/June 2000" (US; 2000-04-04), page 96
  33. Sega Magazin, "Juli 2000" (DE; 2000-06-05), page 22
  34. Strana Igr, "Sentyabr 2000 2/2" (RU; 2000-xx-xx), page 18
  35. 100% Consoles, "Juin/Juillet 2001" (FR; 2001-0x-xx), page 30
  36. Advance, "Spring 2002" (UK; 2002-xx-xx), page 90
  37. Consoles +, "Décembre 2001" (FR; 2001-1x-xx), page 168
  38. Electronic Gaming Monthly, "July 2001" (US; 2001-06-05), page 88
  39. GamePro, "July 2001" (US; 2001-0x-xx), page 44
  40. GameBoy Magazyn, "Wrzesień 2001" (PL; 2001-xx-xx), page 13
  41. GMR, "February 2003" (US; 2003-01-07), page 97
  42. Gamers' Republic, "August 2001" (US; 2001-xx-xx), page 68
  43. MAN!AC, "02/2002" (DE; 2002-01-02), page 86
  44. Next Generation, "July 2001" (US; 2001-06-19), page 65
  45. Nintendo Official Magazine, "July 2001" (UK; 2001-06-08), page 21
  46. N-Zone, "12/2001" (DE; 200x-xx-xx), page 48
  47. The Official Nintendo Magazine, "March 2006" (UK; 2006-02-16), page 128
  48. Playbox, "Décembre 2001" (FR; 2001-xx-xx), page 71
  49. Power Unlimited, "Jaargang 09, Nummer 10, Oktober 2001" (NL; 2001-xx-xx), page 65
  50. SuperGamePower, "Agosto 2001" (BR; 2001-xx-xx), page 41
  51. Strana Igr, "Iyul 2001 1/2" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 59