ChuChu Rocket!

Overview

ChuChu Rocket! is a puzzle game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for Sega Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance and iPhone.

The objective of the game is to guide a group of space mice, or Chu Chus, into an escape rocket (hence the name of the game) while avoiding the space cats, or Kapu Kapus. The mice move in straight lines and always turn at right angles when they hit a wall. The player can guide the mice by placing arrow platforms, by pressing one of the four face buttons, to turn the mice into a given direction. All of the mice in a level must be on board the rocket before it takes off, and if a cat, which would follow the arrows just like a mouse would, comes in contact with any mice or the rocket itself, it's game over and the level must be reset.

The game was Sega's first online game and became the first popular online game for the Dreamcast. It was later given away free with the console as a demonstration of its online service. It was also was given away free to European console owners, who could order a copy by connecting to the Dreamarena online service.

Features

4-Player Battle - The objective is to guide as many mice into you rocket within a time limit. One to Four players.

Team Battle - The same objective as 4-Player Battle, only the four people playing can split up into two teams. One to Four players.

Stage Challenge - Simple puzzles that must be completed within 30 seconds. One to Two players.

Puzzle - This is the main single player mode, the player must guide the mice through to the ship with a limited number of arrow panels.

Puzzle Edit - Create and save your own puzzles. One player.

Network - Online aspect of Chu Chu Rocket, where you can battle friends, chat using a Dreamcast Keyboard, take on expert puzzles and upload your own.

Options - Switch sound options, turn Jump Pack on/off, Music Test, Time and Speed settings, Records and preferred Language.

Other Info

• 1-4 Players
• VMU compatible: 3 blocks
• VGA box compatible
• Keyboard compatible
• Arcade Stick compatible

GBA Port

In March 2000 the game was ported to the Gameboy Advance.

This release of ChuChu Rocket! featured the same gameplay as the original Dreamcast release, with numerous new features and effects and was complete with single-cartridge multiplayer gameplay across multiple GBAs. 2,500 user-submitted levels from the online service on the Dreamcast were added to the original roster of 100 levels. Also this version's level editor is capable of creating levels for the stage challenge and multiplayer modes.

Atari ST Port

The game also got an unauthorized, almost arcade-perfect port to the old 1985 Atari ST home computer in 2001. It was made by the demoscene group Reservoir Gods and featured all the sound effects and levels from the Dreamcast original, remade music, and lots of secrets to unlock. It also features new content exclusive to the Atari ST port. It used the Atari ST mouse to control the game.

There were two versions of the port. One for Atari machines with >2MB RAM and one for machines with only 1MB RAM. The 1MB version didn't include any sound effects but was otherwise the same game.

The game is free to download, and can be found on Reservoir Gods' homepage.