Congo Bongo
Tip Top' |
 |
| Developer(s) |
Ikegami Tsushinki |
| Publisher(s) |
Sega |
| Release date(s) |
1983 |
| Genre(s) |
Retro/Platform game |
| Mode(s) |
Up to 2 players, alternating turns |
| Platform(s) |
Arcade, ColecoVision, Atari 5200, IntelliVision, Atari
2600, TI-99/4A, PlayStation 2,
PlayStation Portable |
| Input |
Joystick, 1 button |
| Arcade cabinet |
Upright |
| Arcade system(s) |
Z80 CPU @ 3.072 MHz
Z80 CPU @ 2 MHz
SN76489 audio @ 4 MHz |
| Arcade display |
Raster, standard resolution (Used: 256 x 224 / Vertical) Palette Colors 256 |
Congo Bongo (J: Tip Top (ティップタップ, Tippu Tappu?)) is an
arcade game developed by Ikegami Tsushinki and
released by Sega in 1983. The game has come to be seen as Sega's
answer to the highly successful Donkey Kong game that was released two
years prior. The player takes the role of a red-nosed safari hunter who tries to catch an ape named "Bongo". The hunter seeks Bongo to enact
revenge for an apparent practical joke in which Bongo set fire to the hunter's tent,
giving him a literal "hotfoot". The game was a commercial failure when it was released.[1] but was popular enough to be ported to nearly ever major platform of the day
including Atari's consoles, MSX, Intellivision, ColecoVision, Commodore 64 and IBM PC. Most recently Congo Bongo
received an enhanced remake and port on the PlayStation 2 as part of the compilation Sega Ages 2500 Vol 23: Sega Memorial Collection.
Gameplay
The gameplay is highly similar to other popular arcade games of the time, most notably Frogger and Donkey Kong, but is viewed in an isometric
perspective. It is characteristic of early platform games, as the protagonist has no
offensive abilities and depends on timing jumps and movement to avoid enemies, obstacles, and complete the level.
Levels
Like Donkey Kong, the levels are composed of a series of four single screens that loop in a higher difficulty when
completed.
Screen 1: Primate Peak – This level most resembles Donkey
Kong; the player must travel to the top of a hill while avoiding coconuts being thrown by a large gorilla. Also walking around the level are several small monkeys. If two or more of these monkeys attach to the
player, the protagonist will be thrown off the cliff face.
Screen 2: Snake Lake – This level contains a grassland that is connected to a series of square platforms with thin
pathways between. The player must avoid scorpions on the grass, snakes on the platform, and time movement with hippos in order to complete the level.
Screen 3: Rhino Ridge – This level takes place in a wide-open Savannah environment
where the player needs to navigate around rhinos charging in different directions. Stepping
in the puddles results in death, but the player can hide in the empty holes. The rhinos can also be jumped over.
Screen 4: Lazy Lagoon – This level closely resembles Frogger, as the player
must cross a body of water by walking on and off various lily pads, logs, hippos, and large
fish.
Similarities to Donkey Kong
- Both games involve primates who throw objects at a protagonist from a vantage point on top
of a structure.
- Both games have four different levels composed of one screen that re-start with a higher difficulty once completed.
- In the Donkey Kong Country TV series, the island where the show takes place is called Kongo Bongo Island, a possible
reference to this game.
Trivia
- The game runs on the same hardware as Zaxxon, another game featuring isometric graphics.
- There is a board game called Bongo Kongo that also involves a gorilla and coconuts. More information is available
here.
Ports
Congo Bongo has been ported to many video game consoles, including the
ColecoVision and the Intellivision. The
Atari 5200 port contains only two of the four arcade levels: "The Great River" and "Jungle
Mountain", while the ColecoVision version is missing "Snake Lake". This game is also an unlockable in the PSP version of Sega Genesis Collection. When the
Atari 2600 port came out, it was a flop and was missing the second and third levels due to
the 2600's hardware limitations.
References
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
