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Congo Bongo Tip Top'
Developer(s)	Sega
Publisher(s)	Sega
Platform(s)	Arcade, ColecoVision, Atari 5200, IntelliVision, Atari 2600, TI-99/4A, Commodore 64, DOS
Release date(s)	1983
Genre(s)	Retro/Platform game
Mode(s)	Up to 2 players, alternating turns
Input methods	Joystick, 1 button
Cabinet	Upright
Arcade system	Z80 CPU @ 3.072 MHz Z80 CPU @ 2 MHz SN76489 audio @ 4 MHz

Congo Bongo (J: Tip Top (ティップタップ, Tippu Tappu ^?)) is an arcade game released by Sega in 1983. Strong evidence from analysis of the game's ROM^[1][2][3] claim that Ikegami Tsushinki also did development work on Congo Bongo. The game has come to be seen as Sega's answer to the highly successful Donkey Kong game that was released two years prior. The player takes the role of a red-nosed safari hunter who tries to catch an ape named "Bongo". The hunter seeks Bongo to enact revenge for an apparent practical joke in which Bongo set fire to the hunter's tent, giving him a literal "hotfoot". The game was a commercial failure when it was released.^[4] but was popular enough to be ported to nearly every major platform of the day including Atari's consoles, MSX, Intellivision, ColecoVision, Commodore 64 and IBM PC. Most recently Congo Bongo received an enhanced remake and port on the PlayStation 2 as part of the compilation Sega Ages 2500 Vol 23: Sega Memorial Collection. The game is also unlockable in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Gameplay

The gameplay is highly similar to other popular arcade games of the time, most notably Frogger and Donkey Kong, but is viewed in an isometric perspective. It is characteristic of early platform games, as the protagonist has no offensive abilities and depends on timing jumps and movement to avoid enemies, obstacles, and complete the level.

Levels

Like Donkey Kong, the levels are composed of a series of four single screens that loop in a higher difficulty when completed.

Screen 1: Primate Peak – This level most resembles Donkey Kong; the player must travel to the top of a hill while avoiding coconuts being thrown by a large gorilla. Also walking around the level are several small monkeys who attempt to grab the player. They can be shaken off by jumping in place, but if three of these monkeys attach to the player, the protagonist will be thrown off the cliff face.

Screen 2: Snake Lake – This level contains a grassland that is connected to a series of square platforms with thin pathways between. The player must avoid scorpions on the grass, snakes on the platform, and time movement with hippos in order to complete the level.

Screen 3: Rhino Ridge – This level takes place in a wide-open Savannah environment where the player needs to navigate around rhinos charging in different directions. Stepping in the puddles results in death, but the player can hide in the empty holes. The rhinos can also be jumped over.

Screen 4: Lazy Lagoon – This level closely resembles Frogger, as the player must cross a body of water by walking on and off various lily pads, logs, hippos, and large fish.

Similarities to Donkey Kong

• Both games involve primates who throw objects at a protagonist from a vantage point on top of a structure.
• Both games have four different levels composed of one screen that re-start with a higher difficulty once completed.
• In the Donkey Kong Country TV series, the island where the show takes place is called Kongo Bongo Island, a possible reference to this game.

Trivia

• The game runs on the same hardware as Zaxxon, another game featuring isometric graphics.
• There is a board game called Bongo Kongo that also involves a gorilla and coconuts. More information is available here.
• The television commercial for the game played up what were considered to be its slapstick, comedic aspects. The catch phrase used therein was "Congo Bongo: It laughs a long time." As read, the word "laughs" seemed to be used in place of the word "lasts," further implying that gamers would be able to play the game for a lengthy period (laughing all the way, no doubt).

Ports

Congo Bongo on the Atari 2600

Congo Bongo has been ported to many video game consoles, including the ColecoVision and the Intellivision. The Atari 5200 port contains only two of the four arcade levels: "The Great River" and "Jungle Mountain", while the ColecoVision version is missing "Snake Lake". This game is also an unlockable in the PSP version of Sega Genesis Collection. When the Atari 2600 port came out, it was a flop and was missing the second and third levels due to the 2600's hardware limitations. the Intellivision port is the only one to contain all 4 levels of the game.

References

External links

• Congo Bongo at the Killer List of Videogames
• Congo Bongo at MobyGames
• Congo Bongo at Phosphor Dot Fossils
• Congo Bongo guide at StrategyWiki

From StrategyWiki, the free strategy guide and walkthrough wiki

Congo Bongo
Developer(s)	Sega
Publisher(s)	Sega
Japanese title	ティップタップ (Tip Top)
Release date(s)	1983
Genre(s)	Action
System(s)	Arcade, Apple II, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64/128, Commodore VIC-20, ColecoVision, Intellivision, MSX, Sega SG-1000, MS-DOS, TI-99/4A
Players	1-2

Wikipedia has an article about:

Congo Bongo

Congo Bongo is an arcade game released by Sega in 1983. The game has come to be seen as Sega's answer to Nintendo's highly successful Donkey Kong game that was released two years prior. While it employs the same isometric view that was made famous by Zaxxon, it contains too many similarities to the former ape game to be purely coincidental. Both games involve primates who throw objects at a player from a vantage point on top of a structure. Both games involve a large nosed protagonist whose only ability is the ability to jump. And both games have four different levels composed of one screen that re-start with a higher difficulty once completed. Even the graphics of the bonus timer look extraordinarily similar to Donkey Kong's.

The player takes the role of a red-nosed safari explorer who tries to catch an ape named "Bongo". The explorer seeks Bongo to enact revenge for an apparent practical joke in which Bongo set fire to the hunter's tent, giving him a literal "hotfoot". He must pursue the ape across four different screens, with the goal of moving from the lower left corner to the upper right corner of every screen. He must overcome obstacles like falling coconuts, charging rhinos, and avoiding falls into the water.

The game was a commercial failure when it was released, but was popular enough to be ported to nearly ever major platform of its day. In an usual move for Sega, they retained all of the publishing rights instead of licensing them out, as they had done with Zaxxon. They developed conversions for several systems including Atari's consoles, MSX, Intellivision, ColecoVision, Commodore 64 and IBM PC. Congo Bongo received an enhanced remake and port on the PlayStation 2 as part of the compilation Sega Ages 2500 Vol 23: Sega Memorial Collection.

Story

A safari explorer arrived in the jungle one day, and the animal inhabitants decided to cook up a scheme to get rid of him. Bongo the ape volunteered to chase him out with fire. One night, while sleeping peacefully in his tent, the explorer awoke to a fiery sight: the large ape Bongo had lit his tent on fire, but this didn't scare the explorer away. It only strengthened his resolve to push deeper into Bongo's domain and exact revenge for the cruel joke.

Title screen

Table of Contents

• How to play
• Walkthrough
• Home Version Comparison

Gameplay Summary

• You control the red nosed safari explorer. You can move in the four diagonal directions, and you can jump.
• You are also capable of climbing up any cliff ledge that is exactly your height.
• You must avoid contact with just about every animal, with the exception of the backs of several water-inhabiting animals like hippos and whales.
• You must also avoid contact with any body of water.
• The goal of every stage is to reach Bongo's position in the upper right corner of the screen.
• Each of the four stages has a different theme and set of features.
• When all four stages are completed, the sequence begins again at a higher difficulty level.

From Wikia Gaming, your source for walkthroughs, games, guides, and more!

Congo Bongo
Developer(s)	Sega
Publisher(s)	Sega
Release date	Atari 2600: 1983 (NA) Intellivision: 1983 (NA) ColecoVision: 1984 (NA)
Genre	2D platformer
Mode(s)	Single player
Age rating(s)	N/A Arcade Atari 2600 Intellivision ColecoVision
Platform(s)	Arcade Atari 2600 Atari 8 Bit Intellivision ColecoVision Atari 5200 Commodore 64
Input	Atari 2600 Joystick Intellivision Controller ColecoVision Controller Atari 5200 Controller
Credits | Soundtrack | Codes | Walkthrough

Congo Bongo is an arcade game released in 1983. It was ported to the Atari 2600, Atari 5200, ColecoVision, Intellivision, and home computers.

Gameplay

The game begins with an animation where Bongo the gorilla approaches the sleeping hunter and gives him a "hotfoot". You play the hunter who has vowed revenge on Bongo for this cruel prank.

The first level is Primate Peak. Climb to the top to reach Bongo the gorilla, avoiding the rolling coconuts he throws at you. Don't let the monkeys jump on your back, because if three of them get on you, they will toss you over the cliff. Press the jump button repeatedly to dislodge them. When you reach Bongo, he will retreat and you will follow him to the next level.

The second level is Snake Lake. Avoid the scorpions that crawl on the beginning side of the lake and jump onto the maze-like paths while jumping over or avoiding snakes. Jump onto the back of the submerging hippo without getting your feet wet to reach Bongo.

The third level is Rhino Ridge. Avoid the deadly puddles and dodge the charging rhinos by jumping over them or hiding down in the mole holes. Do not wait too long in any of the holes because a man in a headress randomly appears in the various pits and fills them in. When you have made it safely past the entire rhino herd, climb the rock where Bongo stands to proceed to the fourth and final level.

Level four is Lazy Lagoon. Cross the water by leaping onto floating lily pads and standing rocks, and riding on the backs of submerging hippos and swimming giant fish. When you reach dry land, a couple of rhinos will be charging back and forth and after you get past them, you will find Bongo sleeping on his chair next to a fire. The hunter will finally have his revenge and give Bongo the hotfoot, after which, the game begins again, but with increased difficulty.

Gallery

Atari 2600 Boxart

Intellivision Boxart

ColecoVision Boxart

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