Roogoo
Roogoo is a downloadable puzzle video game for the Xbox Live Arcade and Microsoft Windows developed by American studio SpiderMonk Entertainment and published by SouthPeak Games. The game is followed by Roogoo Twisted Towers (Wii) and Roogoo Attack (Nintendo DS).[2]
Roogoo | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | SpiderMonk Entertainment |
Publisher(s) | SouthPeak Games |
Platform(s) | Xbox 360 (XBLA), Windows |
Release | Xbox 360
|
Genre(s) | Puzzle game |
Mode(s) | Single player, Multiplayer (up to 4 (same machine), and 2 online) |
Gameplay
The objective of the game is to guide special shaped meteors though a series of rotating disks and save the planet Roo and ultimately the Roogoo race. Shapes include triangles, squares, circles, stars, and so forth. Each level, the player is given a set level of meteors to try to allow safely to pass to the bottom.
When properly aligned, the disks allow the blocks to fit into the hole. When the meteor pile is heavy enough, it descends to the lower disks. When a stack hits the wrong shaped slot, the player loses meteor blocks until all of the blocks are gone or the player manages to save some of them by properly aligning them before they are all gone. The object is to get as many meteors into the bottom rung as possible.
Obstacles include "Meemoos", enemies who impede the blocks' movement. To get rid of the enemies, the player must quick drop a la Tetris the blocks to knock them out of the way; doing so causes the meteor block to bounce in the air, so it is possible to eliminate Meemoos on other slots, so long as the final location for the stack is the current slot. Butterflies will sometimes grab a falling stack and lift it to an upper rung, and the player must rotate the disc so that it goes through the proper slot.
In later levels, different gameplay mechanics come into play, such as different stacks of meteors that feature different shades of the same color within the stack, require the player to match the shades by scrolling though the stack to make sure the proper shade is aligned.
The game includes more than 45 puzzle levels with single-player, two-player same machine and party game modes, online multiplayer, and introduces bonus challenges and stages as the game progresses with new shapes and characters.
Reception
Aggregator | Score | |
---|---|---|
PC | Xbox 360 | |
Metacritic | 72/100[3] | 78/100[4] |
Publication | Score | |
---|---|---|
PC | Xbox 360 | |
1Up.com | N/A | A−[5] |
Eurogamer | N/A | 8/10[6] |
GamePro | N/A | [7] |
GamesMaster | N/A | 80%[8] |
GameSpot | N/A | 7.5/10[9] |
GameZone | 7/10[10] | 8/10[11] |
IGN | 7.1/10[12] | 8.5/10[13] |
Official Xbox Magazine (US) | N/A | 8/10[14] |
PC Gamer (UK) | 71%[15] | N/A |
TeamXbox | N/A | 8.5/10[16] |
411Mania | N/A | 8.2/10[17] |
The Xbox 360 version received "generally favorable reviews", while the PC version received "average" reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[3][4]
IGN's Nate Ahearn said of the Xbox 360 version, "Roogoo is a worthy addition to any puzzle fan's library."[13] 1UP.com's Anthony Gallegos said of the same console version: "Its bright and cheery art style, adorably cute characters, and challenging play make this one of my favorite XBLA titles to date."[5] TeamXbox reviewer Tom Price stated: "If you like puzzle games that require quick reflexes as well as mental acuity, then Roogoo is definitely for you."[16] Eurogamer reviewer Dan Whitehead said of the same console version, "Roogoo is an original and beautifully presented addition to Live Arcade."[6] Ryan McCaffrey of Official Xbox Magazine stated, "Part Jenga, part Tetris, and part Fisher Price, Roogoo is a clever take on the block-dropping puzzle subgenre that will challenge both your brain and your willingness to stop playing."[14] GameSpot's Carolyn Petit stated of the Xbox 360 version, "Roogoo's fast-paced, challenging twist on the old falling-shapes concept is absolutely worth a look."[9]
The Xbox 360 version was nominated for one Xbox Live Arcade 2008 award: "Best Family Game".[18]
References
- "Roogoo". Xbox.com. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- Hatfield, Daemon (July 17, 2008). "E3 2008: Roogoo Headed to Wii, DS". IGN. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- "Roogoo for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- "Roogoo for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- Gallegos, Anthony (June 5, 2008). "Roogoo Review (XBOX 360)". 1UP.com. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- Whitehead, Dan (June 5, 2008). "Xbox Live Arcade Roundup (Page 2)". Eurogamer. Eurogamer Network Ltd. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- Terrones, Terry (June 9, 2008). "Review: Roogoo (X360)". GamePro. Archived from the original on June 10, 2008. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- "Roogoo (X360)". GamesMaster. September 2008. p. 84.
- Petit, Carolyn (June 9, 2008). "Roogoo Review (X360)". GameSpot. CNET. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- Hollingshead, Anise (August 6, 2008). "Roogoo - PC - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 2, 2008. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- Folkers, Brandon (June 25, 2008). "Roogoo - 360 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- Ahearn, Nate (July 11, 2008). "Roogoo Review (PC)". IGN. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- Ahearn, Nate (June 3, 2008). "Roogoo Review (X360)". IGN. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
Another cutesy puzzler, but this one is actually worth its weight in Microsoft Points.
- McCaffrey, Ryan (June 4, 2008). "Roogoo". Official Xbox Magazine. Future US. Archived from the original on June 5, 2008. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- "Roogoo". PC Gamer UK. September 2008. p. 89.
- Price, Tom (June 4, 2008). "Roogoo Review (Xbox 360)". TeamXbox. Archived from the original on July 20, 2013. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- Aranda, Ramon (June 24, 2008). "Roogoo (Xbox Live Arcade) Review". 411Mania. Archived from the original on August 30, 2008. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- Fahey, Mike (February 27, 2009). "Vote In The Xbox Live Arcade 2008 Awards". Kotaku. Retrieved March 24, 2009.