Planned Release Date: 2024

About This Game

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 Steam version is an enhanced adaptation of the original MZ-700 version, improving playability with features like word selection, auto-mapping, hint functions, and gamepad support, making it easy to enjoy in any play environment.

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.

Gameplay

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 (D-pad), 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 7 hours.

About the MZ-700

The MZ-700 is an 8-bit computer released by SHARP in 1982. The original version was on this machine, which lacked 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.

Usage of Assets

Game materials, such as character images and background music, can be used freely for non-commercial purposes. Feel free to use them as long as it's within reasonable limits.

Video Sharing:

When posting gameplay videos, please include the game's title and URL in the description. We would be delighted if you also notify us via hashtags or direct messages.

Staff

Produced by Tookato

Ported by Pirota Pirozou (CyberFan)

English translation verified by Ben Coffer (Sharpworks)