| Rompers | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Namco |
| Publisher(s) | Namco |
| Designer(s) | A. Usukura |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Virtual Console |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Genre(s) | Maze |
| Mode(s) | Up to 2 players, alternating turns |
| Cabinet | Upright |
| Arcade system | Namco System 1 |
| Display | Vertical orientation, Raster |
Rompers (ロンパーズ) is an arcade game that was released by Namco in 1989 only in Japan. It runs on Namco System 1 hardware.
The game focuses on a young farmer wearing a straw hat named Chap who ventures out to rescue his girlfriend, Rumina, from a mischievous man named Gurein, and his right-hand succubus girl Tsukaima. In order to reach Rumina, the player must survive sixty-one boards filled with keys and various enemies. Initially, Chap has no means of defense against Gurein's henchmen, but by pressing a button, Chap will perform a "push" gesture. If done next to specific walls, they will collapse to the ground, squashing and killing the enemies, which respawn by hatching from eggs. To complete the level, the board must be cleared of keys, after which such task has been accomplished, Chap will automatically take a magical door to the next maze. As the game progresses, additional enemies and hazards will appear to stop Chap, such as a white blob named Pyokorin, a pink Triceratops-esque creature that breathes fire known as Keraras, and bomb-throwing wolves called Tagguses. If the level's time limit expires, Tsukaima (whom is immune to getting crushed by walls) appears on the board and hunts Chap down, as well as increasing the speed of enemies.
At the time of its release, Rompers was never ported to a home video game console nor was given an official English release, possibly due to one of the enemies, Fumajime Pyokorin, being involved in drug use, and the Japanese-voice samples. The game's soundtrack was released in two compilation discs known as Namco Video Game Graffiti Volume 5, and Namco Video Game Graffiti Volume 6, which included soundtracks to other Namco games as well.
The first official home port of Rompers was in Namco Museum Encore, the series' only Japanese-exclusive installment, released on the Playstation. Much later, Rompers would appear on the Nintendo Wii's Japanese Virtual Console market.