Arcade Ricky

Arcade Ricky

Release type: Shareware
Release date: January 10, 1994
Levels: 11
Author: Dwight Sanchez
Registration bonus: N/A
Registration price: $15
Related games: none

Arcade Ricky, aka Ricky Rat !! The Arcade, is a challenging character-based platformer from Dwight Sanchez. Although the game makes decent use of Game-Maker's features, and contains some original notions, its lack of balance and mixed origins can make it tough to digest.

The character of Ricky the Rat, and the game's premise, are solid enough. Ricky is fairly well-designed, with a variety of animations. The controls are very broad, but responsive; out of some cross between Sonic the Hedgehog and Speedy Gonzales, Ricky's every motion is fast and bold. When Ricky jumps, he just sails out at a 45-degree angle for as long as gravity will allow him -- which is usually a very long way. When he runs, his legs become a vortex and he zooms quickly along the ground.

There is no attack, a curious but welcome decision, again slightly reminiscent of Sonic. Another similar-but-not feature is the abundance of 10 centavo coins, scattered through the levels like gold rings. Each one increases Ricky's hit points. There is also a submarine level, toward the very end of the game, which slows down the action a bit and throws in some turbulence.

Chasing the peso in Arcade Ricky

The levels are large, varied, plentiful, and deliberately designed to fit within the map frame. They include many pits, traps, transportation fields, and bonus caches. Some of the later levels get kind of creative with the structure; in level five, one progresses from plane to plane by climbing background trees.

Ricky's main problem is its presentation. The menus and support documents are very rough, to the extent that even the game's title is unclear. The levels are often very roughly assembled, using borrowed graphics from most of RSD's demo games (including Sample, Houses, Pipemare, Nebula, and Penguin Pete). This would be fine, except that the use of the graphics is often unclear. Deadly spikes look like innocuous floor tiles. Water is deadly, but looks harmless. Some floor tiles vanish either on contact or on an animation cycle. The game is tough enough without fighting perceptual problems.

There is good and bad to Arcade Ricky. The game can be quite charming, when one digs into it. That may take a bit of work, though.

Story

Arcade Ricky is a game where you take on the role of Ricky Rat, the coolest rat around.

Your job is to guide Ricky through the many levels of danger to freedom.

Instructions

Level 5 in Arcade Ricky

A joystick gives you better control but you can use the keyboard.

Keyboard controls

Right key -- Move to the right

Left key -- Move to the left

PgUp Key -- Jump to the right

Home Key -- Jump to the left

Space Key -- Pick up left or right Power Coin

Up key -- Climb up

Down key -- Climb down

Notes

To hear the digital sounds you will need a sound blaster board or compatible sound card.

Good luck... And have fun!

Credits

This software (ARCADE RICKY Version 1.0 unregistered) is shareware. You are allowed to copy it, distribute it, upload it to BBSs, and use it. You may not, however, change or alter the files in any way.

Mmajamm Productions, and Dwight Sanchez, are not in any way liable for any damages incurred by the use of this software. The user assumes full responsibility for the use of this software.

This program was designed using the Game-Maker program. The Game-Maker program is a program by: Recreational Software Designs.

Have fun! Please register.

Be watching for upcoming Mmajamm Productions Software releases.

Availability

Available on several shareware compilation CD-ROMs, including:

• Chicago Computer Broker's Current Shareware Volume 2 (July 1994),
• Gold Medal Software (1994),
• Software Vault: The Ruby Collection (1994),
• Software Vault: Games 2 (January 1995),
• Quick-Shot Arcade Mania 2 (July 1995),
• 101: Only the Best Games #3 (August 1995), and
• Beachware's 1000 Games for Windows and DOS (November 1995).

Archive history

Arcade Ricky was added to the archive on May 17, 2010. It was located on one of several shovelware CD-ROMs hosted on cd.textfiles.org (see #Availability), during ongoing research for the Game-Maker Archive article series at DIYGamer.

Links

Misc. Links

• Obscure Indie Gaming World: Dattorz Playing Arcade Ricky (YouTube)
• Play Arcade Ricky online

Downloads

• Arcade Ricky (414.0kB)
• Level 1 map (109.6 kB)
• Level 2 map (117.6 kB)
• Level 3 map (168.0 kB)
• Level 4 map (217.4 kB)
• Level 5 map (150.4 kB)
• Level 6 map (75.9 kB)
• Level 7 map (139.6 kB)
• Level 8 map (142.4 kB)
• Level 9 map (110.8 kB)
• Level 10 map (221 kB)