Cops 'n' Robbers
Encyclopedia
Cops 'n' Robbers is a game for home computers published by Atlantis Software
originally in 1985
for the Commodore VIC-20
and in virtually identical form on the Commodore 64
. It was ported to the Commodore 16
/Commodore Plus/4
(1986), Acorn Electron
and BBC Micro
(1987) and the Atari 8-bit family of computers (1988). The game was controversial when released as the player is the 'robber' and must shoot the 'cops'.
The player takes the role of a diamond thief named Fingers Lonegan. The game starts at Lonegan's car in the top left hand corner of the opening screen. The player must make their way to the Acme Diamond Company building at the bottom of the screen by negotiating the garden maze. Police appear from the Police station (at the top right of the screen) and will home in on and arrest Lonegan. To avoid being arrested, the player must shoot the police. Bullets are limited but can be replenished by going back to the car. The player may also enter the mine or the police station (not all versions) from this opening screen.
There are many diamonds to collect which are on many levels of the Acme Diamond Company building as well as the mine. Police enter the building but not the mine where the only enemies are ghosts. The player may also enter the police station (on some versions) and free fellow robbers.
There are basic puzzles such as collecting keys, TNT, torches (some rooms are dark so the walls of the maze cannot be seen without the torch) and the code for the safe to advance in the game.
wrote "I find this game wholly inappropriate. It strikes me as abhorrent that success is measured by the ability to shoot policemen or steal diamonds. It should have been given a fantasy setting where the nasties which must be shot are not recognisable as creatures from the Earth". This view was shared by Ray Sharp of Atari User
as "shooting policemen is not my idea of a good thing to teach children to do. Aliens from a distant planet OK but not your neighbourhood bobby".
The game also gained almost universally negative reviews from critics at the time. Despite being a budget game, due to its origins on the VIC-20, the graphics were very basic for most the other machines it was ported to. Also, the original C64 and VIC-20 releases were on the Atlantis Gold label and released at the higher budget price of £2.99 (later versions and most other Atlantis games at this time were released at £1.99).
Electron User was noted for its usually over enthusiastic reviews but even so only awarded an overall mark of 4/10, complaining "The graphics aren't really up to par, even for software at this price. The sprites are simple and undergo a sort of jerky animation... The scenery that supports the action can probably best be described as plain or perhaps boring". Atari User awarded only 2/10 overall (with a score of 0/10 for value for money despite only costing £1.99) concluding "The graphics are pathetic and the sound effects dismal. The game is playable but not for long... it's a disaster". Zzap!64
gave an even lower score of 9% claiming it to be "The worst program we've seen on the 64".
Despite the terrible reviews, the game sold well and was ported to many systems over a number of years. After getting past the limited graphics and sound, buyers seemed happier with the gameplay and it is fondly remembered among retro gamers. The user ratings on current websites are much higher with the current user rating on Commodore 64 website Lemon 64 being a respectable 6.6/10.
Atlantis Software
Atlantis Software was a London-based UK computer games publisher that published a number of games during the 1980s and early 1990s.The company was set up by Michael Cole and Rodger Coghill in January 1984 with the first four games released in May of that year...
originally in 1985
1985 in video gaming
-Notable releases:* Brøderbund releases Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, the first game of the prolific Carmen Sandiego series* Nintendo releases Super Mario Bros. on September 13, 1985, which eventually sells 40 million copies making it the best-selling video game of all time until 2008.*...
for the Commodore VIC-20
Commodore VIC-20
The VIC-20 is an 8-bit home computer which was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980, roughly three years after Commodore's first personal computer, the PET...
and in virtually identical form on the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
. It was ported to the Commodore 16
Commodore 16
The Commodore 16 was a home computer made by Commodore with a 6502-compatible 8501 CPU, released in 1984. It was intended to be an entry-level computer to replace the VIC-20 and it often sold for 99 USD...
/Commodore Plus/4
Commodore Plus/4
The Commodore Plus/4 was a home computer released by Commodore International in 1984. The "Plus/4" name refers to the four-application ROM resident office suite ; it was billed as "the productivity computer with software built-in"...
(1986), Acorn Electron
Acorn Electron
The Acorn Electron is a budget version of the BBC Micro educational/home computer made by Acorn Computers Ltd. It has 32 kilobytes of RAM, and its ROM includes BBC BASIC along with its operating system....
and BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
(1987) and the Atari 8-bit family of computers (1988). The game was controversial when released as the player is the 'robber' and must shoot the 'cops'.
Gameplay
There are many diamonds to collect which are on many levels of the Acme Diamond Company building as well as the mine. Police enter the building but not the mine where the only enemies are ghosts. The player may also enter the police station (on some versions) and free fellow robbers.
There are basic puzzles such as collecting keys, TNT, torches (some rooms are dark so the walls of the maze cannot be seen without the torch) and the code for the safe to advance in the game.
Critical reaction
The game was criticised for the fact that you shoot and kill many policemen. At the time, this was highly controversial as video games were very much seen as being for children. Rog Frost in Electron UserElectron User
Electron User was a magazine targeted at owners of the Acorn Electron microcomputer. It was published by Database Publications of Stockport, starting in October 1983 and ending after 82 issues in July 1990....
wrote "I find this game wholly inappropriate. It strikes me as abhorrent that success is measured by the ability to shoot policemen or steal diamonds. It should have been given a fantasy setting where the nasties which must be shot are not recognisable as creatures from the Earth". This view was shared by Ray Sharp of Atari User
Atari User
Atari User was a British computer magazine aimed at users of Atari home computers, and published by Database Publications between 1985 and 1988....
as "shooting policemen is not my idea of a good thing to teach children to do. Aliens from a distant planet OK but not your neighbourhood bobby".
The game also gained almost universally negative reviews from critics at the time. Despite being a budget game, due to its origins on the VIC-20, the graphics were very basic for most the other machines it was ported to. Also, the original C64 and VIC-20 releases were on the Atlantis Gold label and released at the higher budget price of £2.99 (later versions and most other Atlantis games at this time were released at £1.99).
Electron User was noted for its usually over enthusiastic reviews but even so only awarded an overall mark of 4/10, complaining "The graphics aren't really up to par, even for software at this price. The sprites are simple and undergo a sort of jerky animation... The scenery that supports the action can probably best be described as plain or perhaps boring". Atari User awarded only 2/10 overall (with a score of 0/10 for value for money despite only costing £1.99) concluding "The graphics are pathetic and the sound effects dismal. The game is playable but not for long... it's a disaster". Zzap!64
Zzap!64
Zzap!64 was a computer games magazine covering games on the Commodore International series of computers, especially the Commodore 64 . It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by Europress Impact....
gave an even lower score of 9% claiming it to be "The worst program we've seen on the 64".
Despite the terrible reviews, the game sold well and was ported to many systems over a number of years. After getting past the limited graphics and sound, buyers seemed happier with the gameplay and it is fondly remembered among retro gamers. The user ratings on current websites are much higher with the current user rating on Commodore 64 website Lemon 64 being a respectable 6.6/10.
External links
- Cops 'n' Robbers at Lemon 64