Kangaroo (video game)
| Kangaroo | |
|---|---|
 Kangaroo arcade flyer | |
| Developer(s) | Sun Electronics |
| Publisher(s) | Sun Electronics, Atari |
| Platform(s) | Arcade Computers: Atari 800 Consoles: Atari 2600, Atari 5200 |
| Release date(s) | 1982 |
| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | Up to 2 players, alternating turns |
| Cabinet | Upright |
| CPU | Z80 (@ 2.5 MHz) |
| Sound | Sound CPU: Z80 (@ 2.5 MHz) Sound Chip: AY8910 (@ 1.25 MHz) |
| Display | Raster, 240 x 256 pixels (Vertical), 24 colors |
Kangaroo (カンガルー) is an arcade game that was released in 1982. It was manufactured by Sun Electronics but distributed by Atari. The game bears a strong resemblance in terms of gameplay and plot to Donkey Kong as well as the Popeye video game. The player takes the role of a mother kangaroo who is trying to rescue her son. She must climb through treetops, while disabling pink monkeys that attack her with apples. Points are scored for defeating enemies, eating the fruit scattered through the levels, as well as for punching out hostile monkeys (or by punching either whole apples that are thrown at the kangaroo, or apple cores, which are dropped on her from above). Additionally, a bonus score is awarded for each level completed, with the size of the bonus determined by how quickly the level is solved.
Gameplay
There are four different levels. Each of them consist of the mother kangaroo on the bottom floor trying to reach the top floor where her joey is being held captive by some monkeys. On each of the levels, there are monkeys who are throwing apples at Mother Kangaroo. Sometimes the apples are thrown so that she must jump over them and sometimes they are thrown so that she must duck. If she gets face to face with one of the monkeys, she can punch the monkey with a boxing glove. She can also punch and destroy apples if they're thrown in level with her gloves. Also, there are pieces of fruit that she can jump up and get for points. Additionally, there is at least one bell on each level that she can hit so that more fruits will appear. She must be wary of the big Ape, who will occasionally appear and try to take her gloves away from her. The level must be completed before the time runs out, otherwise the player will lose a life.
Levels 1, 2 and 4 consist of different platforms that the Kangaroo must jump onto or climb onto via a ladder. On the third level, the cage in which Kid Kangaroo is imprisoned is held up by an entire troop of monkeys and there is a horde of apples that the monkey will unleash if five of them climb up there. On this level, Mama Kangaroo must punch each monkey in the stack several times until the cage is lowered and when the cage has been lowered enough, Mama Kangaroo must climb to the next floor to get to Kid Kangaroo before the cage is raised again or before the monkeys have an avalanche of apple cores unleashed.
Music
The game, like many others during its time, uses popular classical/folk songs for background music. These songs include: "American Patrol" by F. W. Meacham (used during regular gameplay), "Oh! Susanna" by Stephen Foster[1] (used as level completion fanfare), and Westminster Quarters (used when a bell is rung). Also, the music played during level intros is reminiscent of, if not directly inspired by, "Marcia Alla Turca" by Ludwig van Beethoven.
Ports
Like most of the games of its era, Kangaroo was ported to many different systems, including the Atari 2600 and Atari 5200. It was also made for the Atari 400/800 computers but never released.
Television adaptation
In 1984, Kangaroo and Space Ace replaced Pitfall Harry, Frogger, and Donkey Kong Jr. as segments on CBS' Saturday Supercade cartoon lineup. The basic plot-line involved kangaroos named Katy (voiced by Mea Martineau) and Joey (voiced by David Mendenhall), who lived in a zoo run by the zookeeper Mr. Friendly (voiced by Arthur Burghardt) and are good friends with Sidney the Squirrel (voiced by Marvin Kaplan). Katy and Joey would often thwart the plots of by the mischievous Monkeybiz Gang (voiced by Pat Fraley and Frank Welker) consisting of Bingo, Bango, Bongo, and Fred. The Monkeybiz Gang would cause trouble by trying to escape from the zoo and Katy would have to help keep them in line. The series has never been officially released on DVD or VHS in any form.[2]