Rod-Land (Amiga) Review

The single-screen platformer is rarely regarded as a “deep” or “meaningful” genre. Does Donkey Kong provide any deep insight into life? Does Bubble Bobble or Snow Bros. strive to explore the ephemeral nature of one’s reality or identity? Maybe, but not really.

But Rod-Land stands unique amongst its brethren. Both quaint and epic, happy but tragic, Jaleco’s unsung classic features two sibling fairies—sister Rit and brother Tam—out to save their mother from a terrible monster. And that’s just Act 1; the game conceals a second story wherein the fairies search for their lost father within the bowels of a deadly pyramid. What they find is two-fold: an ancient alien evil intent on conquering the world…and the fate of their devoted father. Good ultimately triumphs over evil, but, as in most heroic tales, it’s a victory merged with a dirge. Neither Rit nor Tam will ever be quite the same.

It’s a poignant counterpoint to Part 1’s more lighthearted start, a finale that upgrades a simple fairy tale to a weighty fable. A haunting parable. Nay, the heroic, timeless journey of two reluctant but beckoned saviors. Of fate and foreshadowing fulfilled.

And yet, like a religious text ripped in half and frittered to the wind, this essential second chapter was removed—stricken from the record—through every one of Rod-Land’s succeeding home conversions. Indeed, the game’s limited fame came not from its short-lived stint in the arcades, but the popularity received by its numerous ports spread between both Japanese and Eastern scenes. These retellings retained the gameplay but offered only the happier half of the original’s story: Mom still gets rescued, but Dad gets dismissed with barely a mention. Effectively, the tower is kept but the pyramid is snipped, the denouement dropped for the sunnier top...which is the version of events now known by most.

Such an egregious cut puts these home editions at an obvious, seemingly irredeemable disadvantage; severing the story also severs 31 of the original game's levels, after all. But there’s a reason why Rod-Land became popular only after hitting consoles and PC screens—these quirky ports often sport refinements and sophistications that, arguably, elevate them above their arcade aspirations. Famicom, Commodore 64, Game Boy, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST…it’s ironic that such an obscure arcade game would become so famed in people’s homes, with the Amiga offering what many consider to be the quintessential version.

It’s not hard to see why. The arcade game’s slow-down and glitchiness has been largely excised. Enemy behavior is more dynamic; the rods’ abilities are more nuanced. Bosses attack with more flair. New levels have been added, raising the original thirty-one "Maboots Tower" stages to a more substantial forty. And the graphics, if not as colorful as before, are still impressive approximations. In many ways, the Amiga rendition is what the arcade version should have been…except for that one significant caveat. The lack of a second act.

In an interesting interview with codetapper.com, Rod-Land programmer Ronald Pieket Weeserik expresses surprise when questioned about the game’s extra quest. “Hmm, I recall seeing the sprites,” he recounts. “They were included in the data we got from Jaleco. And I recall wondering what they were for. Now I know!”

His obliviousness to Part 2’s existence (despite, apparently, having access to the actual arcade machine), perhaps explains why none of the game’s home ports, all handled by company Storm, didn’t receive that second act. With no significant support given by Jaleco, these small teams were on their own, piecing the game together sprite by sprite…and in the process, overlooking half the content.

Half the arcade game, essentially.

But for what’s there, the Amiga version is indeed excellent, offering the premium edition of Rit and Tam’s opening journey. Graphics and gameplay are delivered with aplomb, with only the music suffering slightly—the Amiga hardware can’t hope to duplicate the original’s eclectic, ambient score.

Which is to say the arcade version, almost by default, is still the definitive version. But those wanting a more concise, optimized Rod-Land experience won't do better than Mr. Weeserik’s masterful reworking.

Both versions are classics. And both beg to be played.

The Amiga version (above) and Arcade version (below). Although the Amiga version lacks the latter's richer color palette, its more primary approach does draw out the water's reflection and other details. Both are beautiful games.

Co-op play is fully supported. And for Tam fans, soloing the game as the blue-haired dude is also possible.

The Amiga and Arcade versions differ in many ways, some more obvious than others. Enemy behavior is one such example; in the Amiga version (shown above in both shots), the "spud" enemies can be seen dividing and multiplying. This is absolutely not an ability they share with the arcade game.

Although the second quest has been sadly excised, the bonus "EXTRA" screen features the fairy (on top) from the latter half. Which lady is the more sublime?

Amiga Rodland - Rit Attacking From Ladder

Unlike the arcade version, the siblings can attack while standing amidst the ladder itself (top). More interesting, however, is that thwacking an enemy atop another merely knocks away (and stuns) the bottom target, lending the mechanics an extra layer of nuance and urgency (bottom).

Amiga Rod-Land - Extra Level, Lots of Flowers

Amiga Rod-Land's additional levels sport some clever, and sometimes dubious, designs. The above picture showcases the former, forcing Rit to connect her ladder with another to reach the upper platform--an idea not fully explored in the original.

Powerups are as plentiful as ever in the Amiga game, but note the icy crystal on the left. That ability, seemingly, was left out of the arcade original.