Rambo: First Blood Part II (video game)

Ocean Software

Industry	Video game development and publishing
Founded	1983
Founder	David Ward
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Video games, including Rambo (1985)

Rambo (also presented as Rambo: First Blood Part II) is a 1985 video game adaptation of the movie Rambo: First Blood Part II. Created by designers David Collier and Tony Pomfret, with the ZX Spectrum edition adapted by Platinum Productions, the title was released by Ocean Software for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum systems.

The Commodore 64 version includes a soundtrack composed by Northern Irish musician Martin Galway, featuring motifs derived from the film’s score. Meanwhile, the Amstrad CPC edition’s music was performed live by James Edward Cosby, an in-house programmer at Choice Software, who used a Yamaha DX7 synthesizer connected via MIDI.

Additional related games encompass Rambo for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Rambo: First Blood Part II for the Master System.

Gameplay

Players assume the role of Rambo, following the narrative of the film by retrieving lost gear, locating the prisoner-of-war camp, rescuing captives, and making their way to extraction points while contending with continuously respawning adversaries. The player begins equipped with an unlimited supply of a Bowie knife and grenades and can acquire various weapons such as a Rocket Launcher, M16 Rifle, and both explosive and non-explosive Bow & Arrows. Points are awarded for enemy eliminations and item pickups.

The gameplay mechanics draw inspiration from Capcom’s 1985 arcade release Commando.

Reception and related releases

The title garnered favorable critiques; Your Sinclair described it as "a thinking man's Commando" that evolves into a robust shoot 'em up experience. It succeeded Commando at the top position on the Gallup ZX Spectrum chart and soon reached number one on both Commodore 64 and All Formats charts. The Amstrad CPC version also ascended to number one approximately eight weeks later.

In 1986, the Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum versions were part of the compilation They Sold a Million 3, which included other games such as Fighter Pilot, Ghostbusters, and Kung-Fu Master.

Ocean reissued Rambo in 1989 under their budget label The Hit Squad, alongside titles like Daley Thompson's Decathlon and Enduro Racer. This re-release reached number four on the All Formats Budget Games chart.

External links

• Rambo: First Blood Part II at MobyGames