Rocket

A common explosive projectile and ammunition item utilized across various 1990s action, shooter, and sci-fi video games.

Action

Racing

Driving

17

Games

1993–2001

Years

5

Platforms

$15.81

Ø CIB

-24.7%

24M change

About

In titles like Doom and Duke Nukem: Time to Kill, rockets serve as high-damage explosive ammunition for heavy launcher weapons. In B.O.B. and Tunnel B1, they function as consumable sub-weapons or special munitions to clear obstacles and defeat armored enemies. They also appear as collectible weapon power-ups in arcade-style shooters like T2 The Arcade Game, ReBoot, and Small Soldiers.

During the 16-bit and early 32-bit eras, the design of this item evolved alongside advancements in graphical rendering. In B.O.B. (1993), players collect these munitions to navigate maze-like alien worlds, managing them through a limited inventory system. In T2 The Arcade Game (1994), the item appears as a rapid-use pickup to halt overwhelming waves of Endoskeletons. The transition to 3D gaming solidified the item's visual identity. In Doom (1994), the red-cased ammunition introduces tactical risk, as detonating it in close quarters inflicts splash damage on the player.

By the mid-1990s, developers integrated the item into more complex genre hybrids. The Divide: Enemies Within (1996) features rockets as vital components for a customizable mech suit, requiring exploration to locate. In Tunnel B1 (1996), they are placed strategically within rapid-scrolling futuristic tunnels to maintain momentum. The late 1990s saw the item cross into licensed media. In ReBoot (1998) and Small Soldiers (1998), the pickups mirror the high-tech aesthetic of their television and cinematic counterparts. Meanwhile, Duke Nukem: Time to Kill (1998) adapts the ammunition for third-person targeting, requiring precise camera alignment to maximize the explosive radius.