Roc'n Rope

One harpoon. A long way up.

Roc'n Rope brings Konami's 1983 arcade climb to the Commodore 64. Shoot a harpoon across a gap, grab the rope it leaves behind and scramble toward the phoenix. Cavemen, dinosaurs, birds and falling rocks have other plans.

Built with a 1986 mindset: tight memory, fast sprite work, colourful bitmap stages and a soundtrack made for the C64. The route changes as the rounds turn over, so reaching the top once is only the beginning.

In development. This page previews the conversion; a download will be added when the game is ready.

Gameplay

• Make your own crossing: fire the harpoon, climb the anchored rope and hop between platforms.
• Fight for every foothold: stun enemies with the flashlight, collect power pills and feathers, and keep your bonus ticking.
• Four arcade stages: jungle ledges, icy caves, spinning wheels and a towering waterfall, followed by later-round variations.
• Arcade sound on the C64: original music and sound effects accompany the climb.

Technical Features

• Colourful bitmap stages: Four detailed worlds make full use of the C64 palette.
• Arcade-tuned movement: Subpixel positioning and frame timing adapt the original physics to the C64's resolution and PAL refresh rate.
• Full-screen overscan: A 320×248 pixel presentation stretches into the borders, with the HUD below the playfield.
• Ropes in motion: Shoot, climb and survive shaking ropes. Sprites handle movement, while anchored rope segments can shift to bitmap when the screen gets crowded.

Controls

Joystick in port 2. Left/right walks. Up fires the harpoon; at an anchored pole it grabs the rope. Left/right crosses the rope, up at the far end climbs onto a platform, and down lets go or enters a ladder. Fire uses the flashlight.

Hardware

Commodore 64 with EasyFlash-compatible cartridge support, or VICE configured for EasyFlash. 

Credits

Code: Antonio Savona
Graphics: Steve Day
Music & sound: Aldo Chiummo

Unofficial Commodore 64 conversion. Roc'n Rope © Konami 1983. Commodore 64 conversion © 2026.