Overview
River Patrol was produced by Orca in 1981.
The game consists of a bird's eye view of a tug boat steaming down a tropical jungle river. There are rocks to be avoided, as well as crocodiles and other deadly river denizens. You have to accelerate if you wish to move upstream. If you cut engines (stop press accelerate button) you will drift downstream. The river itself becomes more difficult to navigate as the game progresses. Tighter squeezes and sharper turns make quick wits absolutely essential. The biggest problem is pin-point navigation. It isn't easy to snake through a couple of rocks about six feet apart or make quick turns away from dangerous beasts without running ashore or into a crash-inducing obstacle.
The object is to rescue the drowning people who periodically appear in the river, flailing their arms madly in the air. Passing the ship over the floaters accumulates points, and, as the journey continues, the tug boat gathers more and more of the rescued.
This game was re-released a year later as The Bounty, with altered graphics and added shooting.
