ROLANDO 2: Quest for the Golden Orchid [Plus Video!]

Posted on July 4th, 2009. Written by Arron.

You waited in your thousands for the title which was originally built in a studio flat. Now? The second coming is Here. Designed and created by Hand Circus, and published by iFunded development studio Ngmoco, comes the long awaited sequel to the smash hit sensation that is Rolando. We picked up a copy ourselves straight after word got out that is it was available late Thursday night, but what do we really think about it?

We’ve spent a little time with the game over this weekend,
and are now ready to let you know what we think ..

What is Rolando?

If your not familiar with Rolando, the game is based on a fantasy land called ‘Rolandoland’ in which you guide cute round characters dubbed ‘Rolandos’. Similar to Sony’s Loco Roco franchise, the game is set upon a completely tiltable landscape. Throughout the game you have to collect various gems and crystals, and save a certain number of rolandos, in order to progress to the next level. Since it’s introduction back in December of last year, Ngmoco’s hit title has become somewhat of a cult game among iPhone and iPod touch. Not only that, but if you take a closer look at Apple’s current iPod touch adverts, it’s suffice to say that they deem Rolando to be the flagship product of the App Store.

In this release we see a multitude of improvements including the introduction of a 2.5D landscape. If you’ve ever played Rolando on iPhone (or iPod touch) you’ll notice that the game is flat out 2D.

Rolando 2: Quest For the Golden Orchid and it’s 2.5D landscape.

But what Ngmoco have done with Quest for the Golden Orchid is apparently clever. While keeping the rolando’s themselves 2D, and flat, they’ve brought out their surroundings, giving them depth and a 3D feel. When the game was announced for the first time and people saw that this was the case, I along with a few other people were skeptical of the approach, yet here it is, and personally I think it enhances the game two-fold.

New Characters

As well as going all 2.5D on us, Rolando 2 also introduces us to a slew of brand new characters. Set on the enchanted fantasy island of Fontanis, governed by his Highness King Edward XVII and her Majesty Queen Gertrude, you play the roll of Sir General Richard Smythe, captain of HMS Plunderful, and an intrepid explorer who is determined to guide the Royal Family to safety. Other characters you’ll meet along the way, include:

Prince Gladstone
Still rolling out of control, Price Gladstone is nervous about the adventure.
Gladstone is a bit young for world travel, however, and it shows.

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Fenwick “Fenny” Saunders
Fenny is another big man of the ship. While Fenny is not the most cunning
and agile of the rolandos, his size and strength allow him to move heavy
objects and sink gracefully to the bottom of any water obstacle.

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Major James Cardigan
An elite member of the Royal Spikey Command, is main directive is
to protect the Royal Family. Of course, the ability to climb up walls
helps.

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

William “Billy” Loutfish
A crew member aboard the HMS Plunderful, Billy is loyal to his
captain, crew and ship. His hunky size also makes him sink in
water. Handy to reach those hidden places.

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Princess Angela
As heir to the Queen’s thrown, Angela is spoilt yet
bold and fun-loving. She regularly draws the crew
closer to danger through her mischief, but
somehow, ever closer to the golden orchid.

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

James “Jim Lad” Hawkins
The youngest member of the HMS Plunderful crew, James
is incredibly small, and can fit into the tinest of spaces
on the island with ease.

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Sgt. Henry Palmerston
Following in the shadow of major Cardigan, Henry is
one of the highest decorated officers in the Royal
Spikey Command.

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Turgut Reiss
As a reformed pirate, Turgut cannot help
but tell tales of death, piracy and betrayal.
Turgut knows all too well the dangers that
fact the crew, on the island.

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Lord Derby Disraeli
Lord Disraeli is the foremost treasure expert
who is tasked with the job of documenting and
cataloging all riches discovered on the island.

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

“Lightening” Lilly Langtree
The only girl of the HMS Plunderful crew, after her
father died on Sir Richard’s last expedition, Lilly felt
determined to return to the island to save the sages.
Lilly’s confident and feisty attitude makes here ready
for any challenge ahead.

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Playing the Game

In this release we see the rolando’s having to battle through 5 stages, including; Majestic Shores, The Savage Jungle, The Mysterious Temple, The Cavernous Caves and finally Stormtop Mountain. The game has a total of 46 levels to complete. Starting each level the game lets you know how many rolando’s you need to save from the various perils, in order to complete that specific level.

Apart from the in game scenery which has had a total revamp, Rolando 2 also introduces a few new in-game objects and tools which will further help you reach Stormtop Mountain, and the Golden Orchid. These include:

• Climbing Bombs
  In Rolando, the original hand Circus introduced us to bombs which could be rolled and exploded at our beckon call, with a simple tap. In Rolando 2 we see them introduce us to another kind. The climbing kind. In Rolando 2, on certain levels, you’ll now come across ‘purple’ bombs which hang from the scenery. Simply tap to drop a bomb onto the ground, and using either Major Cardigan, or Sgt. Palmerson, you can now push a bomb up onto the landscape. The bomb will automatically scale the landscape until it is either obstructed by an obstacle, or falls into water – at which point it will explode.

• Pressure-Activated Levers
  On more advanced levels you’ll come across pressure activated floor levers. These are designed to open steel doors for your rolando’s, but be aware that they require just the amount of round chubbiness to be activated. These type levers are embedded into the sand, and are activated once they are full forced flat.

• Runaway Rail Carts
  So you don’t want to roll all the time eh? As you progress through the island of Fontanis you’ll come across parts which are simply free-run. On these parts you’ll also (not too far away) come across a rail cart. Simply hop in, and tilt to avoid dangers which would otherwise be impossible to overcome!

As well as physical objects, Rolando 2 also introduces an underwater element to gameplay. Following the laws of physics, fat rolandos sink to the seabed, while puny rolando’s float on the surface. Each of these features will help you further complete levels, with time to spare.

In-game the controls haven’t changed at all, and I’m glad they haven’t in a way. I have to say, the thing I liked most about Rolando, the original was that here was a game that had a user intuitive control system. Rolando 2 is no different. To move your rolando’s you simply tap and tilt. To move a group of rolando’s at the same time, you simply drag a virtual box around them. Selected rolandos are symbolised by having an active ‘white circle’ around them. To jump simply swipe up.

See it in Action

Looking for a YouTube Version? Find that Here.

Kalimba by Mr. Scruff. â„— 2009 Hed Kandi Records. Buy it Here!

Go Online with Plus+

The most prominent change to Rolando 2 though comes in the form of Ngmoco’s new online service, Plus+. Unlike Rolando, the original, you can now take Rolando ONLINE. The companies Plus+ service allows anyone with either Rolando 2 [App Store] or Star Defense [App Store] for iPhone to sign up for a free account. Once you have your level scores are automatically submitted to the worldwide leader board. But it doesn’t stop there. Now, with iPhone OS 3.0, and push notifications, once you’ve completed a level you can challenge your iPhone wielding friend to do better. Once you do your friend will get a push notification alert which gives them two split-decision options; ‘Not Now’ or ‘Lets Roll!”. Clicking lets roll launches you back into Rolando 2 from wherever they were, and into the challenge you set them.

Overall

We think Rolando 2 is a massive step up from the original Rolando. While keeping the same charm and cuteness, the 2.5D element of Rolando 2 really brings game play to a new level. Not only is the 2.5D aspect a welcomed addition, but also the new level features, artwork, and not forgetting the incredible soundtrack from Mr. Scruff (featured in our gameplay video). Rolando 2 will take you on a fun, treacherous and puzzling journey. The polish on this game is exceptional. Really. Graphical detail is scarce, but in a way, I like that. They’ve kept the simplistic features, but made it more of a game.

In a nut-shell this is one of those “Why are you still reading? You should be buying it!” situations. However, we realise some of you will be weary, especially at a price tag of £5.99 / $9.99. Honestly though? There’s not a game on the App Store like Rolando yet, and from a developer like Hand Circus, and a publisher like Ngmoco, whether both ifunded or not – they ooze quality and style from the get go. You really can’t go wrong.

For these reasons, we consider Rolando 2 a MUST buy.

Note: It’s worth noting that Rolando 2: Quest For the Golden Orchid doesn’t currently support devices running version 2.2.1 of iPhone OS, although ngmoco as a company have stated this on it’s way. See the tweet that the company published late Thursday night, below:

“MJ: The wait is over. Rolando 2 has rolled into the App Store exclusively for OS 3.0. http://bit.ly/p8FT4 Soon: 2.2.1 support.”

- Source

Current Status: Highly Recommended

Reviewed at: v1.0
Reviewed on Firmware: 3.1 Beta / iPhone 3GS (Note: Doesn’t yet support v2.2.1)
Download size: 56.1 MB
Released on: 02nd July 2009
Retails for: £5.99 / $9.99

Compatible with: iPod touch Gen 1 and 2 / iPhone Classic / iPhone 3G / iPhone 3GS