Ludography
ChuChu Rocket! cover

1999 · Sonic Team · Puzzle · Strategy

ChuChu Rocket!

Timed Sega exclusive

The object of the game is to guide one or more mice ("ChuChus") around a board into one or more goals while avoiding cats ("KapuKapus") roaming the board. The mice and cats all move in predictable paths by always turning right when hitting a wall head on, by following corners or by turning around when in a dead end.

Released
11 November 1999
Platforms
AndroidDreamcastGame Boy AdvanceWii UiOS
Genres
PuzzleStrategy
Developers
Sonic Team
Publishers
—
Modes
MultiplayerSingle-player
Themes
ActionScience fiction
Country
Japan
Age ratings
CERO AESRB E
Languages
English, Japanese
Time to beat
0.5hwith extras
Directors
Yuji Naka
Composers
Tomoya Ohtani

About

ChuChu Rocket! is a 1999 action puzzle game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Dreamcast. The objective is for the player to place arrows on a board to lead mice into escape rockets while avoiding cats. The game features single-player modes in which a player must save all the mice on a board, and a multiplayer mode in which players battle to collect the most mice.

Directed and produced by Yuji Naka, ChuChu Rocket! was developed to test the Dreamcast's processing power by displaying many characters at once, and also to test the online functionality of the Dreamcast and Sega's servers, as it was the first Dreamcast game designed to make use of online. The knowledge gained from the network portion of the project helped Sonic Team in their development of Phantasy Star Online (2000). When it arrived in the United States, Sega held an online tournament where players could battle against Sega and Sonic Team employees.

Keywords

  • online
  • traps
  • timer
  • cat
  • mouse
  • virtual console
  • launch titles
  • wii u virtual console
  • game boy advance link cable support

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

ChuChu Rocket! is an action puzzle game. The basic rules of the game require the player to guide mice, dubbed "ChuChus", into a rocket while evading them from dangerous cats, dubbed "KapuKapus". A brief premise is provided in the instruction manual, explaining that ChuChus are living on a space port that is invaded by KapuKapus one day.

In their frantic state, the ChuChus begin running around in chaos, and so the player must guide them to their rockets to save them. Both ChuChus and KapuKapus run in a straight line, and turn right when they hit walls. A player can place up, down, left, and right arrows on the field of play, redirecting characters that step on them. Up to three arrows can be placed by a player at any time; placing a fourth arrow will make the player's oldest arrow vanish, and all arrows fade away over time.

Development

ChuChu Rocket! was developed by Sonic Team. Director and producer Yuji Naka conceived the game as a way to use the power of the Dreamcast to create 100 sprites moving at once. He believed there are two trends to use evolving hardware: one is to make increasingly beautiful graphics, while the other is to squeeze as much processing power to use it to its fullest; he chose the latter in this case.

Naka and his team found difficulty working on the networking component, but believed it was a good learning experience. 's purpose was to test the capabilities of online multiplayer gaming on the Dreamcast; the team used what they learned to help drive the development of Phantasy Star Online (2000). A NAOMI arcade version of the game was also planned, but later scrapped.

Reception

The Dreamcast version of ChuChu Rocket! received highly positive reviews. Critics highlighted the multiplayer modes as being great fun and addictive. , and praised it for being easy to pick up and put down.

He concluded the game was "shamelessly retro and monstrously addictive." Other critics also picked up on the game's Japanese and retro aesthetics, citing the simple, cute, and kawaii graphics. Some reviewers drew attention to the game's "chaos" and "insanity", such as Nick Jones writing for Arcade, who said the game was "complete madness and rates as an example of Japanese gaming eccentricity at its very finest". In addition critics also praised the game for its low retail price, giving a great fresh experience to gamers on a budget.

Legacy

A follow-up to ChuChu Rocket!, Dee Dee Planet, was in development and scheduled for release on the Dreamcast in 2001. The game similarly focused on online multiplayer with gameplay similar to the Worms series. It was reportedly cancelled due to the bugs and problems with its network play. In 2021, a near-complete beta copy of the game was obtained and leaked onto the internet. Fans eventually fixed the bugs, making it completely playable online the following year.

In the GameCube versions of Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II (2002) and Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg (2003), a limited version of the Game Boy Advance port can be unlocked and played via the GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable. Minigames inspired by ChuChu Rocket! were included in Sega Superstars (2004) and Sega Superstars Tennis (2008). ChuBei, Chuih, ChuPea, and ChuBach are also playable characters in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing and Sega Heroes.

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
Dreamcast11 November 1999Japan · North America 7 March 2000 · Europe 9 June 2000
Game Boy Advance21 March 2001Japan · North America 11 June 2001 · Europe 7 December 2001
iOS28 October 2010Worldwide
Android22 November 2011Worldwide
Wii U21 October 2015Japan

Editions and related releases

Included in
2 Games in 1: Sonic Advance + ChuChu Rocket!2 Games in 1: Columns Crown + ChuChu Rocket!

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Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.