Sega Corporation is the mastermind of Rocky (1987 video game). Sega is a cosmopolitan company that develops video game games and console and arcade software. The company is headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan; Sega previously manufactured and produced its own home video game consoles as well as video games from 1983 to 2001, but a reorganize was announced on January, 2001, that finished continuing production of Sega’s existing home console, successfully losing the company from the home console business. While arcade development would continue unchanged, the restructure of Sega shifted of the company’s video game software growth by third-party manufacturers.

    Sega Corporation is divided among countries. The regular Sega Corporation is in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan. Sega’s European division, Sega Europe Ltd., is located in Brentford, Untied Kingdom. Sega of America, North American division, is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Sega Australia is in Sydney and Sega Korea is based in Jongno, Seoul, Korea. Sega also has small companies in France, The Netherlands, and Spain.

    The company’s history is dated back to 1940 by the company named Standard Games in Honolulu, Hawaii.  In 1951, Raymond Lemaire and Richard Stewart, owners of Standard Games, moved the company to Tokyo to develop coin-machines and slots and renamed their company to Service Games. Within about five to ten years. Service Game began importing these machines to American military bases throughout Japan.

    In 1954, David Rosen, an American officer in the Air Force, presented a business in Tokyo that launched a two minute photo booth. This company became Rosen Enterprises, and in 1957 the company began to manufacture coin-arcade machines. By 1965, Enterprises created over 100 arcades, with Service Games as its competitor. Rosen then arranged a union between Rosen Enterprises and Service Games, who by then making the company into one, becoming chief executer of the new company, Sega Enterprises (Sega came from the first two words of SErvice GAmes). One year later, Sega began the transition from importer to manufacturer, with the release of a designed submarine simulator called Periscope. The game at that time holds light and sound effects, becoming successfully in Japan. The arcade was exported to North America and Europe, making it the first twenty-five cent arcade game.      

    Skipping a few years to 1986, Sega of America wants to take advantage of the video game market on the United States. Sega released the Sega Master System (SMS) and the Alex Kidd game, who would be the unofficial mascot until 1991 because Sonic the Hedgehog took over. While the SMS was technically similar to NES, it failed to capture the audience in the U.S. because of Nintendo’s console the Nintendo Entertainment System. However it was a huge hit in United Kingdom, most of Europe, Australia and New Zealand, thrashing the NES. It also conquered the Brazilian game console market until Sega put an end to the SMS in Brazil in 1990.

    Sega had some good games on the Sega Master System. Some of the games are Alex Kidd, Shinobi, Sonic the Hedgehog (most famous), Mortal Kombat, and many more. The one I am going to talk about is one of the best movies ever and put it into an okay and challenging video game for the system. I am talking about Rocky.

    Sega released Rocky the video game on SMS in 1987. Rocky is one of the most popular movies during the 1980’s. This game on the SMS goes up to the fourth movie, Rocky IV, because the fifth one is made in 1990. The first movie talks about Rocky Balboa being a small-time boxer that wants to be famous. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a pittance in a meat factory and a debt collector, making small amounts of money. Rocky still boxes from time to time, keeping his skills sharp. His boxing name is “Italian Stallion”. His ex-trainer, Mickey Goldmill, believes that Rocky can hit to be the number one boxer if Rocky was willing to do it. Rocky met a woman in a pet store named Adrian. Rocky befriends her and later on they are both in love. Adrian bought Rocky a dog and he named it Butkus.

    Rocky the video game starts off with a scrolling screen that spells out Rocky as in the first movie, but the screen is colorful while the movie is black and white. Then it shows Rocky’s pose on the cover of Rocky IV with Apollo’s shorts and robe or towel. Next it leads up to a training stage. The training stage helps Rocky become stronger during the matches and improves his punches, timing, and speed. Rocky is training in Apollo’s shorts, but that didn’t happen until the fourth movie; he is supposed to be wearing a white short with a stripe. Anyway, there are three training stages in this whole game. The first one is a punching bag. Qualify sixty hits to do well in the match or eighty hits to over-qualify. After the training stages, it goes straight to the match. The first match on the ring is Apollo Creed. He was first seen in the first movie. In the movies Apollo visits Philadelphia to have a match with Rocky. He wears a red, white, and blue short because he is proud of his country. Back to the game, you will find it easy to fight Apollo if you time your punches right or constantly just keep tapping the 2 button.

    The second training helps Rocky get ready for Clubber Lang. he doesn’t get a rematch against Apollo like the second movie. Clubber Lang is first seen in Rocky III. When Balboa became number one champion, Lang came in and challenges Rocky for his title. Back to the game, instead of the punching bag, he will be trained with a bag on a ceiling that moves back and forth. Qualify two hits a second and seven hits a second to over-qualify. When Rocky fights in the match with Lang, you will find him difficult and more challenging. How can a match get from very easy to an expert match? You will most likely to find yourself getting hit every single time right after you punch him, and Lang gives out more strength than Rocky, unless you have seven seconds in the training stage. The technique to fight him is to punch him two times and move back. Repeat and Repeat.

    After you defeat Clubber Lang, the third and final training is shown. It is Mickey helping you train. In his hands are punching pads and he continually moves them, making it tough to hit all of his targets. Qualify sixty to do well and max out the hits to over-qualify. After training stage, Rocky will brawl with the last boxer, Ivan Drago. Ivan Drago first appeared in the fourth Rocky movie. He is a powerful, soviet boxer. He never loses one fight until Rocky challenges him and beat him in the ring. Anyway, the fight with Drago in the third, final round is way more complicated than the fight with Lang. He has more strength than Lang and Apollo combined and more aggressive. I don’t know any techniques for this boxer except the strategy you would use on Clubber Lang.

    After the victory of Drago, the ending scene shows Adrian running toward Rocky. She gives him a kiss for Rocky’s success during the fight. After that, a scene appears on top of them and says “The End”.

    The graphics in this game are great for the console’s time. It is similar to the graphics on the NES. The controls in this game are a bit broken. You can punch and dodge with the 1 and 2 buttons, but the movements are a tad off. When Rocky stays still, he moves back and forth. When he is in defense, you can control by moving left and right, but when Rocky is in offense mode, attacking freely, your direction goes with the direction of Rocky’s throw and doesn’t require using the directional pad, except for the up and down for the punches.

    There are three techniques that Rocky can do. They are hook, straight, and uppercut. The hook is performed by using the down button on the d-pad while punching in the exact distance between Rocky and his opponent. The straight is the basic 2 button and don’t really need a distance. The uppercut is utilized by using the up button on the d-pad and the 2 button. As I said before, Rocky needs exact space to use this move.

    The music of Rocky the video game is disappointing on the Sega Master System. The first song you hear is not related to the Rocky’s theme song, also the title screen with Rocky in Apollo’s robe. You don’t even hear it in the movies. Anyway, for the rest of the music, it is okay. The music for the end is a little pitchy but still good though.

    In conclusion, Rocky the 1987 video game is a short game. There are only three opponents with three training stages. It is not highly addictive but seems fair. It is not successful when comparing this game with Shinobi and Sonic the Hedgehog. The difficulty of this game, as I said before, comes from very easy to very difficult when you enter the second match. Clubber Lang doesn’t fool around. I don’t recommend this game, but the movies are fantastic to watch. I haven’t beaten this game yet because of Lang, but with timing and strength I can make Rocky in this video game become the world’s champion boxer.