Rip Off - MAME machine

Arcade Video game published 44 years ago:

Rip Off © 1980 Cinematronics.

RIP OFF is a 1- or 2-player action game that offers features guaranteed to capture and prolong player interest: an accelerating competitive level with a clearly visible object and a team competition option that allows players to combine scores as well as skills in defense strategy against a futuristic enemy.

The center of the playfield is occupied by a selectable number of triangular fuel cells that pulsate with radioactive energy. The player commandeers a land craft that turns left, right, accelerates and fires torpedo energy bursts activated by push-buttons mounted on the "bridge" control panel. All is quiet as the background audio repeats an ominous low frequency tone. Suddenly, alien craft enter in waves from the edges of the playfield attempting to attach their vehicles to the fuel cells and drag them off to restock their own dwindling supplies. The player maneuvers his land ship into position and fires a volley of torpedoes at the first invader, causing his vehicle to explode in a thunderous roar and a flash of light. A second invader retaliates by firing short range laser bursts at the defender ship while a third invader escapes, dragging off a precious fuel cell. The background audio quickens its pitch and tempo as another wave of sleeker, faster invaders attack and maneuver to rip off fuel canisters - and the battle rages on!

GAME PLAY

The 1-player mode is activated when a coin is accepted and the player pushes the 1-player button. As play begins the first player's vehicle appears on the right side of the screen and moves slightly forward. The enemy vehicles then appear in pairs from various points on the edge of the screen and gravitate toward the player and the triangles. The enemies fire lasers while they move. The player scores points by either shooting the enemy or colliding with him before the enemy can shoot the player, collide with him or drag his triangle off the screen. When a player's vehicle is exploded, it reappears on the right side of the screen where it began.

When a player has sufficient points to achieve a bonus level, the enemies will appear three at a time instead of in pairs and their point value increases. Each bonus level increases the enemies' point value, as well as their ability to seek out and destroy the player. When all the triangles have been dragged off the screen, the game is over and the unit reverts to attract mode.

The 2-player mode is activated when two coins have been accepted and a player pushes the two player button. As play begins, the first player's vehicle appears on the right side of the screen and the second player's vehicle appears on the left. Both vehicles move forward slightly. Enemy vehicles then appear in groups of three and attack the players and seek to drag off the triangles. Players score points by colliding with the enemy vehicles or shooting them. No points are scored by shooting or colliding with the other player. Should the players' ships collide, an explosion will occur and the players' vehicles will reappear at the points where they began.

In the 2-player operator selectable opponent mode, individual scores are displayed after each wave of attackers are destroyed or successfully leave the screen. In the team mode, the combined score of both defenders is displayed. At the end of the game, when all fuel canisters have been removed, the individual high score for the day is displayed at the bottom of the screen and the high team score is displayed at the top.

A player achieves bonus levels in which the value of each invader vehicle is increased by the displayed amount of the bonus. There are six different types of invader vehicles, each wave becoming increasingly offensive and more difficult to destroy. The point bonus is in effect after six waves, the full compliment of ship types, have been destroyed. There are three similar craft in a wave, and in the two player mode twelve waves must be eliminated before bonus goes into effect.

There are no time units per game credit, and the battle goes on until all fuel canisters have been "ripped off" from the playfield. The length of play is solely dependent upon the skill of the player - but it takes an experienced, practiced captain to hold off the swift invaders for long!

TECHNICAL
Main CPU: CCPU (@ 5 Mhz)
Sound Chips: Discrete Circuitry

The game has 10 buttons:
Player-1 START
Player-1 THRUST
Player-1 FIRE
Player-1 ROTATE LEFT
Player-1 ROTATE RIGHT
Player-2 START
Player-2 THRUST
Player-2 FIRE
Player-2 ROTATE LEFT
Player-2 ROTATE RIGHT

TRIVIA
Released in April 1980.

Rip Off is often billed as 'the first' 2-player cooperative video game, however, this is inaccurate. It was preceded by the likes of Atari's Pong Doubles (which offered 2v2 player tennis battles) and Atari's Fire Truck(asymmetrical co-op play, but co-op play nonetheless). Rip Off did present the action in a unique way of protecting a resource and you have infinite lives; It also allowed players full-independent control of their tanks while working towards the same goal. Regardless, it is arguably one of the greatest cooperative two player games ever created.

The game's creator, Tim Skelly, came up with the idea after hearing a report that the country's youth at the time wanted to work with their peers. Originally, you were protecting watermelons instead of fuel tanks.

STAFF
Designed & programmed by: Tim Skelly
Cabinet Art: Frank Brunner

PORTS

• CONSOLES:

GCE Vectrex (1982)

CONTRIBUTE
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