Original iPhone Game 'Rolando' Returning to App Store

[MacRumors]

Back in 2008, we wrote about Rolando, a platform-style puzzle game that was one of the first games back when the iPhone and the App Store were both new. At the time, our sister site TouchArcade said it was among "the best games the App Store has to offer."

The original Rolando game is no longer on the App Store because of the 2017 crackdown on 32-bit apps, but Rolando developer HandCircus today announced that a remastered version of the game is coming on April 3rd, which will be good news to fans of the Rolando series.

Rolando: Royal Edition is an overhauled version of the original Rolando game from 2008, with updated graphics, redesigned levels, and new mechanics. HandCircus says that the entire game has been updated with new content.

The award-winning iPhone classic is back and better than ever! This brand-new 'Royal Edition' is a completely remastered Rolando - every interaction, every course, flower, trampoline, bomb, catapult and squirrel has been given a thorough scrub, buff and shine, making this the most gorgeous version yet!

In Rolando, the goal of the game is to guide a gang of Rolandos through traps and puzzles on a quest to save the sages from the Shadow Creatures. With the exception of new mechanics and updates to the design, the original Rolando gameplay appears to be intact.

Rolando: Royal Edition can be pre-ordered from the App Store for $1.99, a 1/3 discount off of the planned launch price. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Original iPhone Game 'Rolando' Returning to App Store

 

[Mikey44]

This brings me so much joy!!! A bit sad about having to pay again, but this was such an awesome game!!!

 

[bryn0076]

I loved this game... I hope they bring back the Mr. Scruff soundtrack.

 

[now i see it]

No guns? No blood? No gore? No wars? No whores? No thanks.

(just kidding fellas)

 

[predation]

I guess it’s that part of the cycle to capitalize on nostalgia.


Damn I’m old.

 

[timborama]

This brings me so much joy!!! A bit sad about having to pay again, but this was such an awesome game!!!

Probably THE best platformer on iOS.

OMG, you’re sad about paying $2-3 again?! How many hours of enjoyment did you get from the original? I’m sure was pennies per hour. It’s so sad that this is the new normal, people complain about paying a couple bucks for a top quality game/app.

 

[0947347]

Wasn’t there a same kind of game for PS called LOCO ROCO way before Rolando? It was a blast too
I would like that on iOS

 

[noraa]

I was just thinking about this game the other day, so happy for it to get a relaunch! Maybe they'll do the same for the sequel "Rolando 2: Quest for the Golden Orchid," and perhaps the cancelled third in the series will see a release.

 

[Mikey44]

OMG, you’re sad about paying $2-3 again?! How many hours of enjoyment did you get from the original?

The problem is that developers tend to do this type of thing. The app was removed from my purchases after I paid for it and due to licensing issues and a few mergers, the app ended up being pulled from the store, which means I couldn’t download the app again when moving phones. The app was fairly expensive at the time (around 6-7 bucks if I recall correctly) and when it was no longer available, I was extremely sad. This goes back to the idea of ownership. Is the app mine, or am I just paying a licensing fee?

This is the current situation that we are in. I don’t have a firm answer on that, but if a developer chooses to not renew their developer account, and I have purchased their $9.99 app, I should be able to continue to own and install that app on a new device. As it stands, the only way to do that is through... an iTunes backup. Ironically enough, they even removed the ability to manage apps within iTunes.

I have spent thousands of dollars on apps, some of which have gone kaput, such as Rolando. I know it’s a foreign concept in these times, but I remember a time where you bought a piece of software and it was yours forever, and it would likely keep running on a new computer, and even a new operating system.

 

[DocMultimedia]

I pre-ordered. If I spend 30 minutes playing it for just $2 it is vastly cheaper than pretty much everything else I buy. And it looks fun.

 

[timborama]

The problem is that developers tend to do this type of thing. The app was removed from my purchases after I paid for it and due to licensing issues and a few mergers, the app ended up being pulled from the store, which means I couldn’t download the app again when moving phones. The app was fairly expensive at the time (around 6-7 bucks if I recall correctly) and when it was no longer available, I was extremely sad. This goes back to the idea of ownership. Is the app mine, or am I just paying a licensing fee?

This is the current situation that we are in. I don’t have a firm answer on that, but if a developer chooses to not renew their developer account, and I have purchased their $9.99 app, I should be able to continue to own and install that app on a new device. As it stands, the only way to do that is through... an iTunes backup. Ironically enough, they even removed the ability to manage apps within iTunes.

I have spent thousands of dollars on apps, some of which have gone kaput, such as Rolando. I know it’s a foreign concept in these times, but I remember a time where you bought a piece of software and it was yours forever, and it would likely keep running on a new computer, and even a new operating system.

I kept playing Rolando until 32-but support was dropped. I’ve transferred it from device to device and still play it on some older ones. Blame Apple for not letting you redownload. You should have used iTunes and stored it on your Mac. Never trust the cloud.

 

[Mikey44]

I kept playing Rolando until 32-but support was dropped. I’ve transferred it from device to device and still play it on some older ones. Blame Apple for not letting you redownload. You should have used iTunes and stored it on your Mac. Never trust the cloud.

Great! I'm really happy that you were able to keep playing and saved the .apk file for so long. Sadly, I didn't, and this led to the loss of the file, so instead of 'it just works' it instead became 'give us more money', but ah, Rolando wasn't even available to give more money to...

I do blame Apple for this loss and other various apps over the years. However, this is also a circumstance that leads the developer to be responsible to some degree as well. As I mentioned there were a few mergers in there that caused the app to disappear from the App Store. As well as the developer originally announcing that Rolondo would be pulled from the store (due to the launch of Rolondo 2)a mere 7 months after it's initial release (this plan was changed but still... shows a lack of support in the product) DeNA purchased them in 2010, which would have given the game a good year run on the store. I'm not saying that Ngmoco or Hand Circus is the only developer having this issue, this is even true for independent developers. I imagine that Apple sees a lot of churn on the store, as independent developers tend to be either removing their apps, not renewing, or even just abandoning them support/development wise.

This is definitely an issue, and putting it back on the users is a bit foolhardy in my opinion when this is part of the marketing that they promote with the cloud (ooo ahhh!). I agree with you regarding trusting the cloud. However, there are still apps that I remember installing and running on the very 1st iPad that I can still go and download as they are still in my account. Same with the Mac App Store, and I know that some of them are removed from the App Store, because they aren't sandboxed, but I can still re-download them even within Mojave.

I don't know why iOS gets left out of the same treatment, but it's unfortunate. I've lost a number of great games/apps that way. I also think that this is an ongoing discussion that is taking place within our community with developers and consumers. As more and more apps push a subscription based model, you will see less and less of these pay once apps, unless the market tosses the idea out. Right now is a very interesting moment within the marketplace, and we shall see who will win out. I don't expect a 10 year old app to be supported on brand spanking new iOS, nor do I expect technology to stay stagnate for that long.

 

[macduke]

The problem is that developers tend to do this type of thing. The app was removed from my purchases after I paid for it and due to licensing issues and a few mergers, the app ended up being pulled from the store, which means I couldn’t download the app again when moving phones. The app was fairly expensive at the time (around 6-7 bucks if I recall correctly) and when it was no longer available, I was extremely sad. This goes back to the idea of ownership. Is the app mine, or am I just paying a licensing fee?

This is the current situation that we are in. I don’t have a firm answer on that, but if a developer chooses to not renew their developer account, and I have purchased their $9.99 app, I should be able to continue to own and install that app on a new device. As it stands, the only way to do that is through... an iTunes backup. Ironically enough, they even removed the ability to manage apps within iTunes.

I have spent thousands of dollars on apps, some of which have gone kaput, such as Rolando. I know it’s a foreign concept in these times, but I remember a time where you bought a piece of software and it was yours forever, and it would likely keep running on a new computer, and even a new operating system.

It’s two bucks dude. You could probably make more than that during the time it took to write those paragraphs. Two whole dollars for a game that supports new device sizes and has some new mechanics and level design. Would you rather they fill it full of ads and in-app purchases? Maybe put some timers that you can bypass with the option to purchase 5000 Rolando Coins for $19.99?

It costs money to do this stuff and $2 is practically nothing. Developers on console charge anywhere from $30-60 for special edition remasters of old games. I’m buying the crap out of this and looking forward to my kids trying it for the first time since they were years away from being born when it launched. Good wholesome simple fun.

 

[UltimateSyn]

Easy purchase. Granted I don’t do as much app searching these days, but I feel like a lot of the originality of the initial App Store launch-era apps hasn’t been topped

 

[0989382]

Bring back Trism!

 

[itsmilo]

ooh I forgot that I loved this game.

 

[BrettArchibald]

I was just thinking about this game the other day, so happy for it to get a relaunch! Maybe they'll do the same for the sequel "Rolando 2: Quest for the Golden Orchid," and perhaps the cancelled third in the series will see a release.

———

Yes, yes, YES!!! I too was thinking about Rolando just the other day – there must be something in the air!
And I also am hoping for that missing 3rd instalment to see the light of day. Hopefully this re-release goes really well, encouraging Hand Circus to make more.
[doublepost=1552466084][/doublepost]

Bring back Trism!

They did. It flopped.
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/10/trism-iphone-game-relaunches/

———

By the way, is it just me who preferred the 2-D look of the original over the 2.5-D of the sequel?

 

[Someirishguy]

Using reviews from the original release, when there was less competition, in the trailer is kind of a cheat. Was there a demo available for the original. I remember playing it, but don’t remember getting the full game

 

[TheFluffyDuck]

Retro iOS gaming is difficult when the OS keeps breaking games

Made worse by the fact that even if you have an old device the app gets “updated” and broken, rather than download the last compatible version.

The only thing I can think of is forced obsolescence

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

The problem is that developers tend to do this type of thing. The app was removed from my purchases after I paid for it and due to licensing issues and a few mergers, the app ended up being pulled from the store, which means I couldn’t download the app again when moving phones. The app was fairly expensive at the time (around 6-7 bucks if I recall correctly) and when it was no longer available, I was extremely sad. This goes back to the idea of ownership. Is the app mine, or am I just paying a licensing fee?

This is the current situation that we are in. I don’t have a firm answer on that, but if a developer chooses to not renew their developer account, and I have purchased their $9.99 app, I should be able to continue to own and install that app on a new device. As it stands, the only way to do that is through... an iTunes backup. Ironically enough, they even removed the ability to manage apps within iTunes.

I have spent thousands of dollars on apps, some of which have gone kaput, such as Rolando. I know it’s a foreign concept in these times, but I remember a time where you bought a piece of software and it was yours forever, and it would likely keep running on a new computer, and even a new operating system.

It's software, so yes, you are paying a licensing fee. As for your comment about "developers tend to do this type of thing," the game had to be rewritten from the ground up for 64bit. It's not a case of, he changed a few code pointers and he's selling the exact same thing. On top of that, the game has new graphics and mechanics, all of which also needed play tested.

 

[Mikey44]

It's software, so yes, you are paying a licensing fee. As for your comment about "developers tend to do this type of thing," the game had to be rewritten from the ground up for 64bit. It's not a case of, he changed a few code pointers and he's selling the exact same thing. On top of that, the game has new graphics and mechanics, all of which also needed play tested.

We are specifically talking about an originally $9.99 app which I did purchase, as well as the thousands more that I have purchased previously. I'm talking about a larger issue where apps are removed from what is supposed to be a 'backup' of the apps and such that you have purchased.

However, I do agree with you that the game does have improved graphics and mechanics, and I have already pre-ordered this app. I'm not making the case that this shouldn't be a paid upgrade, I'm more making the case that removing and re-releasing something that became unavailable after a year is a travesty. I'm not suggesting that there should be no remastered editions ever. To be fair, my initial post was one of emotion, because I was joyed that the app was coming back to the app store, but sad in the manner that they are returning it. I wish that it would have returned to the store in it's original state, but that's not where we are.

It’s two bucks dude. You could probably make more than that during the time it took to write those paragraphs. Two whole dollars for a game that supports new device sizes and has some new mechanics and level design. Would you rather they fill it full of ads and in-app purchases? Maybe put some timers that you can bypass with the option to purchase 5000 Rolando Coins for $19.99?

It costs money to do this stuff and $2 is practically nothing. Developers on console charge anywhere from $30-60 for special edition remasters of old games. I’m buying the crap out of this and looking forward to my kids trying it for the first time since they were years away from being born when it launched. Good wholesome simple fun.

Yes, it's currently 2 bucks, but it's also a matter of principal. Regarding the upgrades, sure, I'm happy to support the developer in that aspect as I mentioned above. I'm talking about a bigger issue than this 1 app, that is happening within the App Store community. I don't understand how my comments are somehow implying that I want a Free-to-Play model, which is actually kinda ironic, because that's exactly what was originally purposed for Rolando 3, which ended up being scrapped. (Likely due to the sale of the company.) Again, my issue isn't with the remastered edition, it's with the fact that the original was removed from my history of purchased apps.

Again, I am happy that this app is returning. For real!

 

[Kobayagi]

Looks like a ripoff from Sony's LocoRoco. Loved that game. ^^

 

[CarlJ]

Bring back Trism!

Bring back GeoDefense!

 

[Xenomorph]

The original Rolando game is no longer on the App Store because of the 2017 crackdown on 32-bit apps,

Except Apple never made a "crackdown" on 32-bit apps, and they are still available, as they always have been.

Doom Resurrection is my favorite example (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/doom-resurrection/id318567158?mt=8). 32-bit app, last updated in 2009 for iOS 2.2.1.

Any 32-bit app removed from the App Store is due to the developer pulling it. Not Apple.

 

[kingtj]

I get it.... I have some fond memories of this game, back when it was new, too. One of our kids absolutely loved it at the time, and we all thought it was a well done game.

But yeah, it's not so much about the argument that it's not worth giving the author a few more dollars for it again. It's about the "state of things" with software in general. It used to be, you'd buy a program and could basically just count on being able to use it as much as you liked, for as long as you owned some kind of hardware capable of running it. The proliferation of broadband Internet meant developers could experiment with all of these alternative payment models .... whether it's your game requiring a monthly fee to keep using it, or giving you a false sense of complacency that it's "tied to your login" on some kind of online service -- until it gets removed (for whatever reason) and you find you can't restore it to your machine again. Plenty of games cost what you'd assume is the "full price of ownership", until you discover they keep tempting you to spend more and more as you play, for add-ons and other perks that keep it "fun".

I dunno? All of it's perfectly legal and I see how it came about. But it really does drive home the reality that NO, you DON'T own any of these programs that you "buy". You only pay to use them subject to pages of legalese that nobody wants to read through. At least when you paid for a boxed program on a piece of physical media though, the licensing terms seemed a lot more abstract and unrealistic. (EG. Sure, it SAYS this is only allowed on one computer .... but if my Mac or PC dies and I feel like loading it on a new one, they can't do squat about it. So I'm gonna treat this like I paid to OWN it anyway!) Now, all the the stuff people find kind of unacceptable is actually forced onto you, in many situations.

Probably THE best platformer on iOS.

OMG, you’re sad about paying $2-3 again?! How many hours of enjoyment did you get from the original? I’m sure was pennies per hour. It’s so sad that this is the new normal, people complain about paying a couple bucks for a top quality game/app.