Roklan
From Game Developer Research Institute
Roklan Corporation was a Chicago-area publisher and contract developer headed by Larry Gabriel [1] [2], started in the 1970s as a management consulting firm. [3] Ron Borta joined in 1980 and started the Computer Technology Group, also known as Roklan Software. [4] From there, the company grew to about 60 employees at its peak, with about 350 titles for about 20 publishers claimed to have been produced. Due to the downturn in the video game market, Roklan focused on educational software [5], then shut down in 1983 following a lawsuit by Motorola for breach of contract over payment for EPROMs. [6]
In the wake of Roklan's closure, some former employees started On-Time Software. Borta went on to head up Micro-Technology Development Corp.
Research Methods: Actual mentions, interviews, online resources
2600
- Crazy Climber (US Publisher: Atari) [Joe Gaucher, Alex Leavens]
- Firefox / Fighter Command / Combat II (unreleased) (Atari) [Bob Curtiss]
- Firefox was mentioned by Borta on the ANTIC podcast. According to the Digital Press guide, it appears in old Atari documents. [7]
- Gorf (US Publisher: CBS Electronics) [Joe Gaucher (programmer); Kathy Von (graphics); Dan Kurczewski (sound)]
- Alex Leavens claimed authorship of this port in a 1983 interview with Video Games Player magazine, but this is disputed. [8]
- Racer (unreleased) (Atari) [Joe Gaucher]
- RealSports Basketball (unreleased) (Atari) [Joe Gaucher]
- Super Cobra (US Publisher: Parker Brothers) [Paul Crowley, Bob Curtiss]
- An earlier version was started at Parker Brothers by programmer Mike Brodie but not completed. [9]
- Wizard of Wor (US Publisher: CBS Electronics) [Joe Hellesen, Joe Wagner]
5200
- Deluxe Invaders (unreleased) [10]
- Gorf (US Publisher: CBS Electronics) [Joe Wagner or Cameron Shaffer?]
- Wizard of Wor (US Publisher: CBS Electronics) [Joe Hellesen, Joe Wagner] [11]
Apple II
- Berzerk (unreleased?) [Jorn Barger]
- Picture Parts (US Publisher: Roklan)
- Pyramid Puzzler
- Space Journey (US Publisher: Thunder Mountain)
- Star Maze (US Publisher: Scott, Foresman Electronic Publishing)
- Wizard of Wor (unreleased?) [Jorn Barger]
Atari 8-bit
- Absolute Disk Editor [utility] (unreleased) (Roklan)
- Anti-Sub Patrol (US Publisher: Roklan)
- The Art of Division (US Publisher: Roklan)
- Cheez-Wiz (unreleased)
- Crazy Maze Race (unreleased)
- Da'Fuzz (unreleased) (Roklan) [Tim Weller]
- Deluxe Invaders (US Publisher: Roklan) [Joe Hellesen]
- Donald Duck (unreleased) (Atari/Disney Software)
- Eyes (unreleased) (Roklan)
- Firefox (unreleased) (Atari)
- Mentioned by Borta on the ANTIC podcast. According to the Digital Press guide, it appears in old Atari documents. [12]
- Frog Jump (unreleased?) (Scott, Foresman Electronic Publishing)
- Gorf (US Publisher: Roklan) [Joe Wagner or Cameron Shaffer?]
- Gyruss (unreleased version) (Parker Brothers) [Anthony Weber]
- Scrapped for a version by Jack Verson at On-Time Software
- Mickey in the Great Outdoors (US Publisher: Atari/Disney Software)
- Number Bowling (unreleased?) (Scott, Foresman Electronic Publishing)
- Pac-Man (US Publisher: Atari) [Joe Hellesen, Joe Gaucher (help)]
- Peter Pan's Daring Journey / Peter Pan's Daring Escape / Captain Hook's Revenge (unreleased) (Atari/Disney Software) [13]
- Borta mentioned Peter Pan: The Great Adventures on the ANTIC podcast.
- Picture Parts (US Publisher: Scott, Foresman Electronic Publishing) [Joe Wagner]
- Pursuit of the Pink Panther (unreleased) (Probe 2000)
- Pyramid Puzzler (unreleased?) (Scott, Foresman Electronic Publishing)
- Reading Flight (unreleased?) (Scott, Foresman Electronic Publishing/Roklan)
- Rockball (unreleased) (Roklan) [Anthony Weber]
- Scouter (unreleased) [Gary LaPointe] [14]
- Space Journey (US Publisher: Roklan)
- Star Maze (US Publisher: Scott, Foresman Electronic Publishing/Roklan)
- Super Cobra (US Publisher: Parker Brothers) [Ed Schneider] [15]
- Wizard of Wor (US Publisher: Roklan) [Joe Hellesen, Joe Wagner]
Commodore 64
- Cave of the Word Wizard (US Publisher: Timeworks) [Patrick Quinn]
- Speech: Electronic Speech Systems
- Mentioned by Borta on the ANTIC podcast
- Da'Fuzz (unreleased) (Roklan)
- Journey to the Planets (unreleased) (Roklan)
- Joust (unreleased) (Atari) [Jack Verson] [16]
- According to Jack Verson, the original programmer Roklan hired said he could do the game in five months, but he was ultimately unable to do so. Verson stepped in and programmed it in a matter of weeks by disassembling the Atari 8-bit version and making tweaks. This fulfilled Roklan's obligation to Atari, but Atari was not happy with it because it still had the same bugs as the Atari 8-bit version. [17] [18] Also, the programmer of the Atari 8-bit version allegedly wanted royalties for it. [19]
- Q*bert (US Publisher: Parker Brothers)
- Rockball (unreleased) (Roklan)
Intellivision
- Carnival (US/CA Publisher: Coleco; EU Publisher: CBS Electronics) [Frank Johnson]
- Donkey Kong (US Publisher: Coleco; EU Publisher: CBS Electronics) [Frank Johnson]
- Donkey Kong Junior (US Publisher: Coleco; EU Publisher: CBS Electronics) [Frank Johnson]
- Frogger (US/CA/EU Publisher: Parker Brothers) [Paul Crowley]
- Mouse Trap (US Publisher: Coleco; EU Publisher: CBS Electronics) [Frank Johnson]
- Popeye (US Publisher: Parker Brothers) [Frank Johnson]
- Q*bert (US/CA/EU Publisher: Parker Brothers) [Frank Johnson]
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (US/CA/EU Publisher: Parker Brothers) [Frank Johnson]
- Super Cobra (CA/EU Publisher: Parker Brothers) [Frank Johnson]
- Tutankham (EU Publisher: Parker Brothers) [Frank Johnson]
- Zaxxon (US Publisher: Coleco; EU Publisher: CBS Electronics) [Frank Johnson]
TI-99/4A
- Robotron: 2084 (unreleased) (Atarisoft) [Bill Parod] [20]
VIC-20
- Frogger (US Publisher: Parker Brothers) [Paul Crowley]
- Pursuit of the Pink Panther (unreleased) (Probe 2000) [Paul Crowley?]
- Q*bert (US Publisher: Parker Brothers) [Paul Crowley]
