Tookato has released the English version of ROPOKO and ROPOKO for MZ-80K on BOOTH(*), on November 1st.
(*)the Japanese distribution site.
These are modern interactive fiction games for the MZ-80K/700/800/1500 series which SHARP originally announced around 40 years ago. The MZ-700 emulator, MZ700WIN, is included, allowing those unfamiliar with old computers to easily play the games. While these versions are downloadable, we also plan to release cassette tape versions for real machines in the future.
In addition, Tookato/CyberFan will be releasing 'ROPOKO for Steam' and 'ROPOKO for Switch' through Waku Waku Games within a few months. These will be arranged versions of the original. Please check them out if you are interested.
If you have any questions regarding this release or the game, please feel free to contact us via DM or email. Thank you for your attention.
SPECS:
- Title: ROPOKO / ROPOKO for MZ-80K
- Developer: Tookato
- Genre: Modern Interactive Fiction
- Price: ¥1000
- Platforms: MZ-80K/C/K2/K2E/1200 (48 KB RAM), MZ-700/800/1500
Store URLs:
- ROPOKO: https://tookato.booth.pm/items/3736517](https://tookato.booth.pm/items/3736517
- ROPOKO for MZ-80K: https://tookato.booth.pm/items/5127369](https://tookato.booth.pm/items/5127369
- ROPOKO for Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3089960/_for_Steam/](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3089960/_for_Steam/
Trailer: https://youtu.be/zJWf-2zNtew?si=LjAtHLFre-V3_nj1
Developer's Name: Tookato
Website: https://tookato.booth.pm
E-mail: mail@lihappiness.com
X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/Tookato_P
The following is the description of the products.
Sincerely,
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ROPOKO is an interactive fiction-style adventure game. Players become the robot Ropoko and must escape from a maze-like laboratory with the help of "Doctor." Learn words through conversations and use the vocabulary you've acquired to solve various puzzles!
The Windows emulator MZ-700WIN is included, so you can jump right in without any tedious initial setup!
[Story]
Forty years have passed since the MZ-700 conquered the Japanese computer market. Nowadays, every citizen has at least two MZ-700s per person, except for a few oddballs who use obscure computers like Windows or Mac.
One day, the AI managing a laboratory suddenly went out of control, initiating a 700-year long expansion project. To escape the labyrinthine lab, "Doctor" activated a newly created robot equipped with a Z80 processor, named Ropoko.
[Game Play]
Though interactive fiction games are generally considered high difficulty, we've designed ROPOKO to be accessible even for those unfamiliar with the genre.
Movement is handled entirely with the cursor keys, providing smooth navigation similar to action games or RPGs.
In traditional text adventure games, players input commands as keywords to direct the character's actions. In ROPOKO, only one noun is needed to issue commands. You don't need to input verbs or objects as in conventional games; just type a noun while in contact with the target to ask questions or use items.
Examples: "ropoko," "laboratory," "door," "wire."
Only words encountered in previous conversations can be used, so increasing your vocabulary through repeated dialogue is key to progression. Commands can be entered either by typing directly on the keyboard or selecting words using a cursor.
The game includes various puzzles, mini-games, and complex dungeons to keep players entertained. After completing the game, you can aim for the shortest completion time or the highest vocabulary score. The estimated initial playtime is around 10 hours.
[System]
The MZ-700 lacks graphic capabilities, so the game screen is entirely represented with character graphics (pseudo-graphics made from text). Large characters, which occupy two-thirds of the screen, move smoothly thanks to machine language programming. Although the sound source can only produce single-tone beeps, ROPOKO offers 12 background music tracks and 20 types of sound effects.
This game is a fully solo project. Everything from the storyline, graphics, and music to the programming has been created by Tookato alone.