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Congo Bongo
Congo Bongo, also known as Tip Top, is a platform game released as an arcade video game by Sega in 1983. A message in the ROM indicates it was coded at least in part by the company Ikegami Tsushinki. The game is viewed in an isometric perspective, like Sega's earlier Zaxxon (1981), but does not scroll. Numerous home ports followed.
The player takes the role of a red-nosed safari explorer attempting to catch an ape named Bongo who set fire to the explorer's tent. The goal in each of the four screens is to move from the lower left corner to the location of the ape on the right or upper right. He must climb ledges, jump over water and gaps in the terrain, and avoid animal attackers.
Congo Bongo has similar elements and gameplay to Nintendo's Donkey Kong (1981), with the isometric perspective from Sega's Zaxxon (1981). Both Congo Bongo and Donkey Kong involve primates who throw objects at the player from a vantage point atop a structure. Both games involve a large-nosed protagonist whose only ability is to jump. Both games have four different, single-screen stages. The goal of the first stage in both games is to climb to the top. Even the graphics of the bonus timer are similar to Donkey Kong's.
The game repeats from the first level with increased difficulty.
Congo Bongo was ported to the Apple II, SG-1000, MSX, Intellivision, ColecoVision, Commodore 64 (first as a cartridge, then disk), VIC-20, IBM PC compatibles, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit computers, and TI-99/4A. Sega's ports for the Atari 2600, 5200, Atari 8-bit, Intellivision, and Commodore 64 (cartridge version) include two of the four levels from the arcade original, while the ColecoVision release is missing the "Snake Lake" level.
The Atari 2600 version was released in March 1984, while the ColecoVision version was released in October of the same year.
In Japan, Game Machine listed Congo Bongo on their June 15, 1983 issue as being the fifth most-successful table arcade unit of the month. In the United States, Time magazine initially reported in 1983 that the arcade game was a commercial failure, before it went on to become a popular arcade game according to Computer Games magazine in early 1985. The game went on to have a number of home conversions, which were commercially successful in the United States.
Computer and Video Games magazine gave the arcade game a generally favorable review. They called its concept of Donkey Kong (1981) "in three dimensions" a "fascinating idea" while also noting the final level has similarities to Frogger (1981).
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Congo Bongo AI simulator
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Congo Bongo
Congo Bongo, also known as Tip Top, is a platform game released as an arcade video game by Sega in 1983. A message in the ROM indicates it was coded at least in part by the company Ikegami Tsushinki. The game is viewed in an isometric perspective, like Sega's earlier Zaxxon (1981), but does not scroll. Numerous home ports followed.
The player takes the role of a red-nosed safari explorer attempting to catch an ape named Bongo who set fire to the explorer's tent. The goal in each of the four screens is to move from the lower left corner to the location of the ape on the right or upper right. He must climb ledges, jump over water and gaps in the terrain, and avoid animal attackers.
Congo Bongo has similar elements and gameplay to Nintendo's Donkey Kong (1981), with the isometric perspective from Sega's Zaxxon (1981). Both Congo Bongo and Donkey Kong involve primates who throw objects at the player from a vantage point atop a structure. Both games involve a large-nosed protagonist whose only ability is to jump. Both games have four different, single-screen stages. The goal of the first stage in both games is to climb to the top. Even the graphics of the bonus timer are similar to Donkey Kong's.
The game repeats from the first level with increased difficulty.
Congo Bongo was ported to the Apple II, SG-1000, MSX, Intellivision, ColecoVision, Commodore 64 (first as a cartridge, then disk), VIC-20, IBM PC compatibles, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit computers, and TI-99/4A. Sega's ports for the Atari 2600, 5200, Atari 8-bit, Intellivision, and Commodore 64 (cartridge version) include two of the four levels from the arcade original, while the ColecoVision release is missing the "Snake Lake" level.
The Atari 2600 version was released in March 1984, while the ColecoVision version was released in October of the same year.
In Japan, Game Machine listed Congo Bongo on their June 15, 1983 issue as being the fifth most-successful table arcade unit of the month. In the United States, Time magazine initially reported in 1983 that the arcade game was a commercial failure, before it went on to become a popular arcade game according to Computer Games magazine in early 1985. The game went on to have a number of home conversions, which were commercially successful in the United States.
Computer and Video Games magazine gave the arcade game a generally favorable review. They called its concept of Donkey Kong (1981) "in three dimensions" a "fascinating idea" while also noting the final level has similarities to Frogger (1981).