Line #16 VideoGame/RocketRanger


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/044499000097.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Our hero against Nazis...or Aliens.]]
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4	-->"One hundred years ago, the Nazis won World War II. It was a mistake. But you can correct it..."
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6	''Rocket Ranger'' is a video game released by Creator/{{Cinemaware}}. It is an AlternateHistory ScienceFiction work, where Germany made a sudden technological advancement in 1940, gaining the ability to construct rockets and chemical bombs. The protagonist, a brilliant scientist working at Fort Dix, is working in his laboratory late one night when five objects spontaneously appear on his desk before his eyes; A [[JetPack Rocket Pack]], a [[RayGun Pistol]], a [[SuperWristGadget Strange Looking Wristwatch]], a disc labeled [[{{CopyProtection}} SECRET DECODER WHEEL]], and a book with the title, "[[AllThereInTheManual ROCKET PACK INSTRUCTIONS]]".
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8	On December 17th, 2014, [[https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/850516062/rocket-ranger-reloaded a reboot]] was planned after ''just'' squeaking over the finish line of its Kickstarter. Unfortunately, it was later cancelled.
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10	!!This work provides examples of:
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12	* AmazonBrigade: The final act of the game is to take the fight to the moonbase where Lunarium is mined, which is staffed entirely by women, due to exposure to Lunarium having adverse effects on males (see below).
13	* AppliedPhlebotinum: The Lunarium is mined on the Moon, and is used to create bombs that lowers intelligence in males and makes them sterile. The result is that any effective resistance is eliminated.
14	* CopyProtection: Justified, as it's used to determine how much fuel you need to use the rocket. Note that it must be exact, as putting in too much causes you to either fly to a random location or overshoot the target.
15	* DamselInDistress: Jane and [[DistressedDude her dad]] get kidnapped by the Nazis a lot.
16	* DialogueTree: One pops up when talking with Jane and Dr. Barnstorff.
17	* EveryBulletIsATracer: Only the temple shoot-out uses tracer bullets, simply because it's to show that an attack is in progress. The airplane dogfight doesn't use tracers.
18	* {{Expy}}: The whole concept is rather blatant take on ''ComicBook/TheRocketeer'' comic book (the game predates the movie adaptation).
19	* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: After you finished clearing the moonbase, [[spoiler: an alien tears the text saying you've won, then attacks]].
20	* InUniverseGameClock: In the War Room, it only takes ~10-15 seconds for a month to pass. Spy reports generally take that long to announce. When travelling, time advances only on world travel.
21	* ItsAWonderfulFailure: Getting a game over in the NES version gives you a description of how the Leutonians managed to take over the world and an image of their two tanks next to the White House during a thunderstorm.
22	* NintendoHard: One of the most common complaints leveled at the game back in the day was that, most likely to hide or counterbalance the fact that it could theoretically be finished in half an hour, Rocket Ranger was made ''fiendishly'' difficult. Many of the game's levels require split-second reactions and pixel-perfect accuracy - often beyond the capabilities of the game's primitive technology to even handle, essentially turning each into a LuckBasedMission - there's no saving the game, the difficulty spike towards the end is absolutely ludicrous (and coupled with an [[PointOfNoContinues instant game over if you fail during it]]), and while failing most missions wouldn't outright ''kill'' you, the time limit on the game was so punishing that in practice making even the smallest of mistakes could make unwinnable.
23	* NonLethalKO: You can get shot down by airplanes, but at worst, it kicks you to another country. However, missing the CopyProtection causes death.
24	* NoSwastikas: Some versions, such as the NES version, don't have you fighting the Nazis. [[spoiler:Instead, you fight the Interplanetary Union of Fascists directly.]]
25	* PoliceState: Any country under Nazi command.
26	* SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong: The whole point of the game. The protagonist is sent the Rocket Ranger gear by an unknown, possibly extraterrestrial party from one hundred years in the future.
27	* StupidityInducingAttack: Lunarium can reduce male IQ by up to 30 points, and lunarium bombs are used to exploit that fact.
28	* SubtitlesAreSuperfluous: While there's plenty of text, the few voiced scenes are unsubtitled.
29	* ThoseWackyNazis: Main antagonists.

Context VideoGame / RocketRanger