| Road Runner | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Atari Games |
| Publisher(s) | Atari Games |
| Released | 1985 |
| Genre | Platform game |
| Mode(s) | Up to 2 Players |
| Platform(s) | Atari 2600, NES |
| Media | Cartridge |
| Input methods | Joystick |
Road Runner is an interesting variant of the platformer genre, based on the Road Runner cartoons.
Gameplay
The gameplay is very simple: the player controls Road Runner, who is chased by Wile E. Coyote. In order to escape, Road Runner runs endlessly to the left while the landscape scrolls by. In addition to avoiding the coyote, the player must pick up bird seeds on the street, avoid obstacles like cars, and get through mazes. Sometimes Wile E. Coyote will just run after the Road Runner, but he occasionally uses tools like rockets, roller skates, and pogo-sticks. The permanent hunt makes the game very fast paced and captures the spirit of the cartoon very well. Road Runner dies if the coyote catches him, a car runs over him, or if he falls from a cliff. He also needs to eat the bird seed, because when he misses 5 of them he will faint and his opponent can easily get him. The player has three lives initially and can get extra lives by reaching a certain number of points. The game does not have an ending, but the landscape repeats after a while, getting more difficult each time.
Ports
Road Runner was ported to the Amstrad CPC, Atari 2600, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, Sinclair ZX Spectrum, and Nintendo Entertainment System.
