Rambo (video game)

Infobox VG
title = Rambo


developer = Pack-In-Video
publisher = Acclaim
designer =
engine =
released = ^JPN December 4, 1987
^NA May 1988
genre=Action/Platformer
modes=Single player
ratings= vgratings|CERO=not rated|ESRB=not rated
platforms=NES
media = Cartridge
requirements=
input = NES controller

"Rambo" is a platform video game released by Acclaim on the Nintendo Entertainment System ("NES") on December 4, 1987 in Japan, and May 1988 in North America. It is based on the plot of "".

Another game called "Rambo" was released for the MSX.

A brand new version of RAMBO (coin-op arcade platform) was released to the North American market by SEGA in September 2008

Gameplay

While the game's cover art predominantly displays Rambo firing heavy ammo, unlike the movies the game has Rambo fighting mostly snakes, spiders, and animals at the beginning and then slowly moves on to fighting with actual people with better ammunition. Also, Rambo's primary weapon for the majority of the game is a knife. However towards the end a huge variety of weapons are collected.

Master System version

The Master System version of "Rambo", was actually a North American localization of the Japanese Mark III game nihongo|"Ashura"|阿修羅. Since the game features characters and themes heavily inspired by the "Rambo" movies, Sega saw fit to pick up the "Rambo" movie license for the American version, replacing the original main characters of "Ashura" and "Bishamon" with Rambo and his partner Zane (a character created specifically for the game). The PAL version, known as "Secret Commando", uses the title screen as the Japanese version, but features the main character sprites from "Rambo" instead of the "Ashura" ones .

Deviations from the movie/canon (NES version)

As with other video games of the era (see "" for the NES), Rambo's plot deviated wildly from the motion picture. Topics, plotlines, or entities included in the game that did not appear in the movie(s):
* The opening scene is similar to the movie in which Colonel Trautman visits Rambo in military prison. Rambo is given the option to say he would prefer to remain imprisoned, to which Trautman says the game will not begin until Rambo replies in the affirmative.
* A giant enemy spider in a large cave which must be defeated in order for Rambo to rescue a missing child.
* Rambo must use only grenades (fifty, to be exact) to defeat a helicopter teeming with enemy troops. (Although it is possible to acquire more grenades by killing soldiers who come out of the helicopter)
* Man-eating flying fish
* Man-eating large birds
* Flying heads of ghosts that can be attacked with corporeal weapons (knives, bullets, etc.).
* Soldiers with various colored outfits that will exclusively attack Rambo with jump or drop kicks
* A man who attacks Rambo with a motorcycle
* An alternate ending where Rambo does not decide to rescue the POW, and returns to base. The game then gives the player the chance to return to the POW rescue scene and rescue the POW.
* Rambo must escape from a bag-shaped house, that turns out to be a giant box.
* A portion of the game where Rambo is captured and the player plays as Co in an attempt to free Rambo. Co is asked by some Vietnamese soldiers if she is the general's wife, to which they then allow her access to the military base. (This is likely an intentional effort of behalf of the game designers as in the film Co gains access to the Vietnamese base by impersonating a prostitute, so the fact she impersonates a general's wife is more suitable for younger players).
* Co could be kept alive all the way to the ending, so long as the player kept Rambo from conversing with her during a certain portion in the game.
* At the end of the game, if Rambo attacks Murdock, he will shoot out the kanji character nihongo2|怒 ("ikari"), which means "anger", turning Murdoch into a toad.