Congo Bongo (Rev C, 3 board stack) - MAME machine

Arcade Video game published 41 years ago:

Congo Bongo © 1983 Sega.

Congo Bongo is an isometric platform game and is Sega's take on Nintendo's legendary "Donkey Kong". The player takes on the role of a red-nosed safari explorer by the name of Safari Sam, who tries to catch a gorilla named Bongo.

The game begins with an animated cut-scene showing Bongo as approaches Safari Sam's campsite and sets fire to Sam's tent. Sam has vowed revenge on Bongo for this cruel prank.

The game consists of four different scenes. Each is timed by a bonus counter in the upper left corner of the screen. As time passes, the bonus decreases. If the bonus counter reaches zero, a player life is lost.

Congo Bongo's four scenes are as follows:

• Primate Peak. Climb to the top to reach Bongo the gorilla, avoiding the rolling coconuts he throws at Sam. Don't let the monkeys jump on Sam's back, because if three manage to take hold, they will throw Sam over the cliff. Pressing the jump button repeatedly will dislodge them. Once Bongo is reached, he will retreat and Sam will follow him to the next scene.
• Snake Lake. Avoid the scorpions that crawl onto the grassy area on which Sam starts the scene and jump onto the maze-like paths, while jumping over or avoiding snakes. Jump onto the back of the submerging hippo without touching the water - this must be carefully timed as the hippo dives and surfaces - to reach Bongo.
• Rhino Ridge. Avoid the deadly puddles and dodge the charging rhinos by jumping over them or hiding down in the mole holes. Do not wait too long in any of the holes because a mole randomly appears in the various pits and fills them in. Once Sam is safely past the rhino herd, climb the rock where Bongo stands to proceed to the fourth and final scene.
• Lazy Lagoon. Cross the water by leaping onto floating lily pads and standing rocks, as well as riding on the backs of submerging hippos and swimming piranhas. Once dry land is reached, a couple of rhinos will be charging back and forth, once these have been safely passed, Sam will find Bongo sleeping on his chair next to a fire. Sam will finally have his revenge and give Bongo the hotfoot, after which the game begins again with an increased level of difficulty.

TECHNICAL
SEGA ID # 834-5156~8
3 PCBs # 834-5166, 834-5167, 834-5168

ROM size: 132.25 KB

Main CPU: Zilog Z80 (@ 3.04125 Mhz)
Sound CPU: Zilog Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)
Sound Chips: Discrete circuitry, SN76496 (@ 4 Mhz)

Players: 2
Control: 4-way joystick (diagonal)
Buttons: 1 (JUMP)

TRIVIA
Congo Bongo was released in February 1983 in Japan and in March 1983 in the USA.

Export releases:
[EU] "Tip Top [Model 605-5167]"

Jason Cram holds the official record for this game with 1,506,300 points on July 21, 2003.

SCORING
Each step taken: 10 points
Jumping onto hippo, fish or lily pad (increases by 50 each round): 100 points
Jumping into a mole hole: 1,000 points
Jumping across a chasm: 500 points

At the successful completion of each round, the player is awarded the number of points remaining in the bonus box.

PORTS

• CONSOLES:

[US] Mattel Intellivision (1983) "Congo Bongo [Model 006-06]"
[US] Atari 2600 (1983) "Congo Bongo [Model 006-01]"
[US] Atari 5200 (1983) "Congo Bongo [Model 006-02]"
[JP] Sega SG-1000 (1983) "Congo Bongo [Model G-1007]"
[EU] [AU] Sega SG-1000 (1983)
[US] Colecovision (1984) "Congo Bongo [Model 2669]"
Atari XEGS
[JP] Sony PS2 (dec.22, 2005) "Sega Memorial Selection [Sega Ages 2500 Vol.23] [Model SLPM-62709]": as an unlockable extra.
[US] Microsoft XBOX 360 (feb.10, 2009) "Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection [Model 68034]": as an unlockable extra.
[KO] Sony PlayStation 3 (feb.10, 2009) "Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection": by SCEI, as an unlockable extra.
[US] Sony PlayStation 3 (feb.10, 2009) "Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection [Model BLUS-30259]": as an unlockable extra.
[EU] Microsoft XBOX 360 (feb.20, 2009) "SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection [Model 384-40210]": as an unlockable extra.
[EU] [AU] Sony PlayStation 3 (feb.20, 2009) "SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection [Model BLES-00475]": as an unlockable extra.
[AU] Microsoft XBOX 360 (feb.26, 2009) "Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection": as an unlockable extra.

• HANDHELDS:

[US] Sony PSP (nov.16, 2006) "Sega Genesis Collection [Model ULUS-10192]": as an unlockable extra.
[EU] Sony PSP (feb.2, 2007) "Sega Mega Drive Collection [Model ULES-00556]": as an unlockable extra.
[AU] Sony PSP (feb.8, 2007) "Sega Mega Drive Collection [Model ULES-00556]": as an unlockable extra.

• COMPUTERS:

[US] Atari 800 (1983) "Congo Bongo [Model 006-03]"
[US] Commodore VIC-20 (1983) "Congo Bongo [Model T006-04]"
[EU] Commodore C64 (1983)
[US] Commodore C64 (1983) "Congo Bongo [Model 006-05]"
[US] Apple II (1983)
[US] Texas Instruments TI-99/4A (1983) "Congo Bongo [Model PHM-3227]"
[US] PC [Booter] (1984)

CONTRIBUTE
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