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* NoExportForYou: This is actually nothing like the SNES game. Unless someone found a way to translation hack a PC-98 game, your chances of playing this one is low.
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* LighterAndSofter: Compared to the original PC-9801 game. It's still fairly dark for an SNES game, mind.
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* DarkerAndEdgier: Or maybe it's the SNES version that is LighterAndSofter.
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*** Strangely, penguins (well, their ancestors) actually lived that far north at the time. Gradually they moved farther south until almost all species were in the southern hemisphere.
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* SelfImposedChallenge: Beating the game as a dinosaur, mainly because the Ice Age is [[SlippySlideyIceWorld slippy-slidey]] for them, and unlike birds they can't get around that by flying.
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* SelfImposedChallenge: Beating the game as a dinosaur, mainly because the Ice Age is [[SlippySlideyIceWorld slippy-slidey]] for them, and unlike birds they can't get around that by flying. Also, they're somewhat weaker than mammals, and ''far'' less agile.
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* MutuallyExclusivePowerups: The monkey/human forms can't bite or get horns, the mammal path loses wings, tails, fins and bipedal shapes, and the bird path has worse armor and strength than the dinosaur.
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* MutuallyExclusivePowerups: The monkey/human forms can't bite or get horns, the mammal path loses wings, tails, fins and bipedal shapes, and the bird path has worse armor and strength than the dinosaur. MutuallyExclusivePowerups:
** Back-of-the-head mutations always have trade-offs.
** Back-of-the-head mutations always have trade-offs.
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** The bird path has worse armor and strength than the dinosaur.
** The mammal path loses wings, tails, fins and bipedal shapes.
** Four-Legged Mammals have more versatility than any other classification; everything from jaws to body types to [[spoiler: becoming human]] has a trade-off somewhere.
** [[spoiler: The monkey/human forms can't bite or get horns.]]
** The mammal path loses wings, tails, fins and bipedal shapes.
** Four-Legged Mammals have more versatility than any other classification; everything from jaws to body types to [[spoiler: becoming human]] has a trade-off somewhere.
** [[spoiler: The monkey/human forms can't bite or get horns.]]
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.
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* MutuallyExclusivePowerups: The monkey/human forms can't bite or get horns, the mammal path loses wings, and the bird path has worse armor and strength than the dinosaur.
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* MutuallyExclusivePowerups: The monkey/human forms can't bite or get horns, the mammal path loses wings, tails, fins and bipedal shapes, and the bird path has worse armor and strength than the dinosaur.
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* MeanwhileBackAtThe: This phrase is used after finishing the last area in the world of Dinosaurs
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** Of course, [[spoiler: Bolbox does think he's a human...]]
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** Of course, [[spoiler: Bolbox does think he's was a human...caveman at one point, he still thinks he is...]]
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Has a [[''Characters/EVOSearchForEden developing character sheet.]] Please contribute, especially if you've played the original.
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Has a [[''Characters/EVOSearchForEden [[Characters/EVOSearchForEden developing character sheet.]] Please contribute, especially if you've played the original.
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Has a [[''Characters/EVOSearchForEden developing character sheet.]] Please contribute, especially if you've played the original.
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* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler: Sure, the Queen Bee only says that Bolbox made her big again, but she DID die at the end of Era 2 and was eaten.]]
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** Also, the Tyrannosaur/Tyrasaur group, the boss of Chapter 3, appear in normal areas in the next two eras. Also, the Queen Bee is not degraded from boss to enemy, but from Era Boss to a normal boss.
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** Also, the Tyrannosaur/Tyrasaur group, the boss of Chapter 3, appear in normal areas in the next two eras. Also, [[spoiler: the Queen Bee is not degraded from boss to enemy, but from Era Boss to a normal boss.]]
* DemotedToDragon: [[spoiler: The Queen Bee and the Tyrasaurs become loyal followers of Bolbox after he brings them back in the end.]]
* DemotedToDragon: [[spoiler: The Queen Bee and the Tyrasaurs become loyal followers of Bolbox after he brings them back in the end.]]
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* ButThouMust: Making it worse, the game also likes to show you just how much damage you did when you do what Thou Must. The game makes clear that you're repeatedly committing ''genocide'' against multiple other species to clear the road for your own evolution. While crystal-using species are causing ecological imbalance, it's still extremely brutal.
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* ButThouMust: Making it worse, the game also likes to show you just how much damage you did when you do what Thou Must. The game makes clear that you're repeatedly committing ''genocide'' against multiple other species to clear the road for your own evolution. While crystal-using species are causing ecological imbalance, it's shown to be necessary in many instances, or else an act of self-defense, evolution is still an extremely brutal.unforgiving mistress.
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* ButThouMust: Making it worse, the game also likes to show you just how much damage you did when you do what Thou Must. The game makes clear that you're repeatedly committing ''genocide'' against multiple other species to clear the road for your own evolution.
** It's not so much for your own benefit, the crystal-enhanced creatures greatly unbalanced the natural order and would have caused far greater problems if not stopped.
** It's not so much for your own benefit, the crystal-enhanced creatures greatly unbalanced the natural order and would have caused far greater problems if not stopped.
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* ButThouMust: Making it worse, the game also likes to show you just how much damage you did when you do what Thou Must. The game makes clear that you're repeatedly committing ''genocide'' against multiple other species to clear the road for your own evolution.
** It's not so much for your own benefit, the crystal-enhanced creatures greatly unbalanced the natural order and would have caused far greater problems if not stopped.evolution. While crystal-using species are causing ecological imbalance, it's still extremely brutal.
** It's not so much for your own benefit, the crystal-enhanced creatures greatly unbalanced the natural order and would have caused far greater problems if not stopped.
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* DegradedBoss: The Kuraselach Leader, boss of Chapter 1, reappears in Chapter 5 as a regular (but rare) enemy.
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* DegradedBoss: The Kuraselach Leader, King Kuraselache, boss of Chapter 1, reappears in Chapter 5 as a regular (but rare) enemy.
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** [[YouCantThwartStageOne You Cant Thwart Evolution]]: These endings all show that [[spoiler: Humans]] become the dominant species on Earth with or without you, which means that [[spoiler: Bolbox]]'s own plan ultimately fails anyway.
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** [[YouCantThwartStageOne You Cant Thwart Evolution]]: These endings all show that [[spoiler: Humans]] humans]] become the dominant species on Earth with or without you, which means that [[spoiler: Bolbox]]'s own plan ultimately fails anyway.
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** [[YouCantThwartStageOne You Cant Thwart Evolution]]: These endings all show that [[spoiler: Humans]] become the dominant species on Earth with or without you, which means that [[spoiler: Bulbox]]'s own plan ultimately fails anyway.
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** [[YouCantThwartStageOne You Cant Thwart Evolution]]: These endings all show that [[spoiler: Humans]] become the dominant species on Earth with or without you, which means that [[spoiler: Bulbox]]'s Bolbox]]'s own plan ultimately fails anyway.
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* AnimeHair: Gaia, and how. Not much because of the odd shape, but rather because it's ''the ocean itself''. The rippling light underwater is used on her hair. You can take a look [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m4EfmTIQak&feature=related#t=01m54s here]]. Oh, and extra points for them [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair being blue]].
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* AnimeHair: Gaia, and how. Not much because of the odd shape, but rather because it's ''the ocean itself''. The rippling light underwater is used on her hair. You can take a look [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m4EfmTIQak&feature=related#t=01m54s here]]. Oh, and extra points for them it [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair being blue]].
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* StockDinosaurs: Styracosaurus, Brontosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Plesiosaurus, Pteranodon, Rhamphorhynchus, Ankylosaurus, Allosaurus, and TyrannosaurusRex all appear the Age Of Dinosaurs chapter.
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* StockDinosaurs: Pachycephalosaurus, Styracosaurus, Brontosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Plesiosaurus, Pteranodon, Rhamphorhynchus, Ankylosaurus, Allosaurus, and TyrannosaurusRex all appear the Age Of Dinosaurs chapter.
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* StockDinosaurs: Styracosaurus, Brontosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Plesiosaurus, Pteranodon, Rhamphorhynchus, Ankylosaurus, Allosaurus, and TyrannosaurusRex all appear the Age Of Dinosaurs chapter.
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* InfinityPlusOneSword: [[spoiler: Two-Legged Mammal.]]
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* InfinityPlusOneSword: [[spoiler: Two-Legged Mammal.Mammal and the Dragon.]]
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** Also, the Tyrannosaur/Tyrasaur group, the boss of Chapter 3, appear in normal areas in the next two eras. Also, the Queen Bee is not degraded from boss to enemy, but from Era Boss to a normal boss.
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* WolfpackBoss: The third major boss, the Tyrannosaur/Tyrasaur Clan.
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** Of course, [[spoiler: Bolbox does think he's a human...]]
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* BossRush
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* BossRushBossRush: [[spoiler: The Final Boss, Bolbox, isn't threatening on his own. He is immortal with his eight crystals, six of which summon powerful enemies that are strengthened versions of previous enemies and the second boss, Debustega. The fight with Bolbox is more against these monsters, with Bolbox being taken down when he can't summon any more monsters.]]
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* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler: The Whispers/Dino People/Martians, who wanted to help Earth civilization out a little bit by completely messing up the evolution process so it's sped up and, if a mistake is made, undo it with the green crystals. They are responsible for the giant insects, the Bird Men, Rogons, and Bolbox. They apologize if you can find them high above the mountain in the final era and attack them.]]
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* DyingRace: A small group of peaceful dinosaurs survive the Ice Age, hidden away in a forest on North America in Chapter 5. All they ask is to be left in peace and let nature take it's course. You ''are'' part of nature's course, so you can kill them if you want. Don't worry, they respawn when you come back in.
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** [[YouCantThwartStageOne You Cant Thwart Evolution]]: These endings all show that [[spoiler: Humans]] become the dominant species on Earth with or without you, which means that [[spoiler: Bulbox]]'s own plan ultimately fails anyway.
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Renamed one trope.
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* EverythingsEvenWorseWithSharks: The Kuraselache and their King in the first epoch, with the King becoming a [[DegradedBoss standard enemy]] in the fifth epoch.
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* {{Threatening Shark}}s: The Kuraselache and their King in the first epoch, with the King becoming a [[DegradedBoss standard enemy]] in the fifth epoch.
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An exception is Not A Subversion. At least, not automatically.
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* EvolutionaryLevels: A necessary concession to the game mechanics. Subverted in that it's not a clean "leveling" and there are many MutuallyExclusivePowerups.
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* EvolutionaryLevels: A necessary concession to the game mechanics. Subverted There are some exceptions in that it's not a clean "leveling" and there are many MutuallyExclusivePowerups.
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** [[spoiler:Bolbox was "Volvox" in the original Japanese, and volvox is an extremely basic green algae. Algae is trying to kill you!]]
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* [=~Gaia's Lament~=]: During the Age of Amphibians, much of the world has turned into a barren wasteland due to the insects' overeating of the plants. Fortunately, the world gets better.
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* [=~Gaia's Lament~=]: GaiasLament: During the Age of Amphibians, much of the world has turned into a barren wasteland due to the insects' overeating of the plants. Fortunately, the world gets better.
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misuse
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* [=~Gaia's Lament~=]: During the Age of Amphibians, much of the world has turned into a barren wasteland due to the insects' overeating of the plants. Fortunately, [[IGotBetter the world gets better]].
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* [=~Gaia's Lament~=]: During the Age of Amphibians, much of the world has turned into a barren wasteland due to the insects' overeating of the plants. Fortunately, [[IGotBetter the world gets better]].better.
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Actually it\'s Almanic
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It was developed by a small company called ''Almanac'', under the publishing of [[SquareEnix Enix]].
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It was developed by a small company called ''Almanac'', ''Almanic'', under the publishing of [[SquareEnix Enix]].
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http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/EvoSearchForEden.jpg
->[[OpeningNarration About 4.6 billion years ago, the "Sun" had nine smaller stars and named the third one "Gaia".]]\\
\\
'''The Sun:''' My dear Gaia! Please listen to me. From this time forward, every 1 billion years, you will have children called "Life". One of them will be able to help you to build a new era. Each child will must endure a difficult trial. You might think it's too severe, but it is necessary. The trial is a test of Nature: "The survival of the fittest". If he passes, I will allow him to be your partner and to enter Eden.
A very unusual and highly obscure ActionRPG for the {{PC98}} and SNES, in which you play a creature which evolves in order to survive the dangerous prehistoric world and eventually to join Gaia, a personification of Earth, in Eden. However the evolutionary process has been disrupted, and it is slowly revealed that there is an overwhelming force behind this.
The game received little attention upon its release, but has since become a cult classic and a pioneer of the evolution gaming genre. It is noted for its unique gameplay system, sprawling world and its epic, eon-spanning scale.
It was developed by a small company called ''Almanac'', under the publishing of [[SquareEnix Enix]].
----
'''Related Tropes:'''
* AlluringAnglerfish: You, with the Angler Horn evolution.
* AmbidextrousSprite
* AncientAstronauts: A throwaway line early on mentions some kind of alien interference in seeding the crystals. [[spoiler: Later on they apologize for screwing evolution up by doing so.]]
* AnimeHair: Gaia, and how. Not much because of the odd shape, but rather because it's ''the ocean itself''. The rippling light underwater is used on her hair. You can take a look [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m4EfmTIQak&feature=related#t=01m54s here]]. Oh, and extra points for them [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair being blue]].
* ApocalypseWow: Shown at the end of Chapter 3 when a huge swarm of meteors falls down to Earth on the dinosaurs, killing them and bringing the Apocalypse Class to ApocalypseHow/{{Class 4}}. [[KillTheCutie Even the baby dinosaurs aren't spared from the destruction.]]
* AppliedPhlebotinum: The crystals.
* BambooTechnology: The Monkey Humans and [[spoiler:the Dino-People]] utilize this.
* BatmanCanBreatheInSpace: If you've evolved into a bird, then there are two secret areas (one in World 3 and one in World 5) in which you can fly right up into space.
* BossRush
* BigBad: [[spoiler: Bolbox]]
* BlindIdiotTranslation:
-->[[MemeticMutation "Mysterious Time Stream evolves you."]]
* BoringButPractical: The [[AlluringAnglerfish Angler Horn]] isn't used to attack, but it makes LevelGrinding easier.
* BraggartBoss: Many of the bosses are like this, especially Debustega.
* ButThouMust: Making it worse, the game also likes to show you just how much damage you did when you do what Thou Must. The game makes clear that you're repeatedly committing ''genocide'' against multiple other species to clear the road for your own evolution.
** It's not so much for your own benefit, the crystal-enhanced creatures greatly unbalanced the natural order and would have caused far greater problems if not stopped.
* ColonyDrop: [[ForegoneConclusion How the Dinosaur Age chapter ends.]]
* CollisionDamage: Of the near infuriating kind.
* CrystalSpiresAndTogas: Fort Bird-Man has a bit of this aesthetic; flying Mayincatec castles built on crystal-powered technology. Even more so, the Rogons and [[spoiler: the Martians]].
* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: Dying in the game only results Gaia resurrecting you at the cost of half of your saved up EVO points. Not much of a penalty when you don't have very many saved up.
* DegradedBoss: The Kuraselach Leader, boss of Chapter 1, reappears in Chapter 5 as a regular (but rare) enemy.
* EasyLevelsHardBosses: A lot of the main areas are pathetically easy, but most of the bosses are excruciatingly difficult.
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: [[spoiler: Even after the Dinosaur Age chapter.]]
** When you get a new body, you'll even find your previous fish form to be better than the base amphibian, and the same for each evolution afterwards.
*** Though oddly, using a green crystal to devolve back into a fish proves to be a significant power-down compared to just swimming as an evolved, later life-form type.
* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins
** [[MisplacedWildlife At the north pole.]]
* EverythingsEvenWorseWithSharks: The Kuraselache and their King in the first epoch, with the King becoming a [[DegradedBoss standard enemy]] in the fifth epoch.
* EvolutionaryLevels: A necessary concession to the game mechanics. Subverted in that it's not a clean "leveling" and there are many MutuallyExclusivePowerups.
* FeatheredFiend: The Bird-Men.
* FishPeople: The [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere Rogons]].
* FlunkyBoss: [[spoiler:The battle with Bolbox consists mainly of fighting the creatures he spawns and occasionally avoiding his own attacks.]]
** Mother Prime Frog also spawns [[GoddamnedBats baby Prime Frogs]] to help her fight you.
* [=~Gaia's Lament~=]: During the Age of Amphibians, much of the world has turned into a barren wasteland due to the insects' overeating of the plants. Fortunately, [[IGotBetter the world gets better]].
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: The Rogons. Most of the rest of the enemies have some kind of foreshadowing, even if the plot's a bit thin and unconnected, but the Rogons are both required and have nothing to do with anyone else.
** The final boss definitely qualifies as well. You have zero idea of what's awaiting you as you head through the final dungeon/area.
* GoalOrientedEvolution: The object of the story, as well as the game's central basic mechanic (unless the player is more concerned with creating [[AwesomeYetImpractical entertaining life forms than functional ones]]).
* GoombaStomp
* GreenRocks: The crystals.
* HitPoints
* HopelessSuitor: [[spoiler:{{B|igBad}}olbox, a hideously mutated single-celled organism, wants to be the one to enter Eden with Gaia.]]
* HyperDestructiveBouncingBall: The Trilobites from Chapter 1 and the Nautiloids from Chapter 3 can morph their bodies into a round shape and bounce around to attack. If you happen to be close to the ground and one of them does this beneath you, they'll basically ricochet between you and the ground until you die.
* InfinityPlusOneSword: [[spoiler: Two-Legged Mammal.]]
* InnocentFanserviceGirl: Gaia is naked.
* InstantDeathRadius: [[ThatOneBoss Cro-Maine]] can hit you from almost halfway across the screen when he swings his club. Not only does it do a lot of damage, it'll send you flying right out of the level, and you'll have to start all over again. Meaning that ''he'' will have full health again, but you won't unless you went and ate some T-Rex meat to recover.
* InterspeciesRomance: You and Gaia (especially if you're not [[spoiler: human]]). [[spoiler: Bolbox]] also has an interest in Gaia, for a more extreme example.
** Consider that some proponents of the Gaia hypothesis think humanity is supposed to be the ecosystem's reproductive system.
* InUniverseGameClock
* {{Irony}}: [[spoiler:Bolbox]] proclaims itself to be the pinnacle of evolution. When you finally see it, it turns out to be [[spoiler:something resembling a giant amoeba. Single-celled organisms being the ''beginning'' of life/evolution]].
* LeapOfFaith: Jumping off the top of Mt. Brave is the only way to [[spoiler:evolve into a bird]].
* LeaveYourQuestTest: [[spoiler: Tyrannosaurus, Birdman King and Rogon King]] will each offer you a choice to [[WeCanRuleTogether join them]] and abandon your quest to reach Eden. If you accept, [[NonstandardGameOver you will see a cutscene of the possible outcome then get sent back to the world map]].
-->"We shall look into your future."
* LegoGenetics: E.V.O. runs on this trope. Every time you add or remove a part, the change is done instantly. This can be exploitable in boss battles by changing one's neck from short to long or vice-versa whenever you get low on health, completely refilling your health. The neck is the cheapest part to change, but you can substitute any part and do the same thing.
** A better tactic - and an even stranger example of this trope - was to grow a cheap horn, which would also refill your health. The horn would 'break' after attacking with it 3 times... and this would somehow count as an evolutionary change, which would refill your health again.
** Admittedly, EVO isn't exactly clear on whether or not it's supposed to represent real evolution. There's substantial hints that the whole process is being [[spoiler:hijacked by aliens]], at least in the case of certain enemies, and many creatures berate you for not evolving "the proper way".
* LevelGrinding, until you get the necessary jaw/attack.
* [[MagnetHands Magnet Mouth]]
* [[MamaBear Mama Prime Frog]]
* MixAndMatchCritters: The player character can be one, especially as a mammal.
* MookBouncer: The annoying Pteranodons on Mt. Brave will attempt to grab you and drop you off the mountain during your ascent.
** The Cro-Maine miniboss may count, since his attack will knock you out of the level.
* MotherEarth: Gaia
* MutuallyExclusivePowerups: The monkey/human forms can't bite or get horns, the mammal path loses wings, and the bird path has worse armor and strength than the dinosaur.
** The top fins in the Amphibian Age.
* NeverSayDie: You don't kill anyone. You "defeat" them. Especially funny when the bosses declare that "I'm going to defeat you!"
** Averted in other cases. "''Kill'' only for survival and for food."
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Comes naturally with the ability to [[MixAndMatchCritters mix and match the body parts of different animals]]. Tiger head with bull horns on a rhino's body, anyone?
* OneHitPolykill, if they're all in the same area of your strongest bite.
* OneWingedAngel: The well-hidden [[spoiler:[[DinosaursAreDragons dragon form]]]].
* OurMermaidsAreDifferent: The secret mermaid evolution seems to be a human head and arms on a fish body. And you attack by ''sneezing''... or, depending on your interpretation of the animation, kissing.
* PaletteSwap: Later incarnations of bosses do this, but one changes its skin entirely.
* ParabolicPowerCurve: Some upgrade paths are a bit more unwieldly (e.g. humans may have trouble in the BossRush); and one path entirely loses [[spoiler: the ability to heal using evolutions until you complete that section]].
* PointOfNoReturn
* RestartAtLevelOne: EVO points are lost on a new body.
* SchizoTech: Early humans use stone-age BambooTechnology, but certain crystal-powered species (Bird-Men, the Rogons, [[spoiler: the Martians]]) have access to CrystalSpiresAndTogas.
* SchmuckBait: Go ahead, try jumping onto dry land before you've beaten the first boss and evolved lungs.
* ScratchDamage
* ScriptedEvent
* SecretLevel: In Chapter 3, [[spoiler:the cloud level and the River of Asteroid]].
* SelfImposedChallenge: Beating the game as a dinosaur, mainly because the Ice Age is [[SlippySlideyIceWorld slippy-slidey]] for them, and unlike birds they can't get around that by flying.
* SideView
* SlippySlideyIceWorld: The Ice Age chapter, naturally. Mammals don't slide on it, though.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: This occurs due to text constraints and regular letter mutation, e.g. dinichthys to zinichthy, stromatolite to strolite, ichthyostega to ikustega, brontosaurus to brosaurus, tyrannosaurs to tyrosaurs, [[spoiler: volvox to Bolbox]].
* StarfishAliens: [[spoiler: The final boss is a gargantuan mutant single-celled organism.]]
* TechPoints: You acquire EVO Points and spend them as you wish to evolve body parts.
* ThatMakesMeFeelAngry: The Ikustega boss does this after you laugh at him.
-->'''Debustega:''' You make me very angry! I am going to [[NeverSayDie defeat]] you!
* UnmovingPlaid: Gaia's hair, which resembles shimmering waves.
* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: The cause of ThatOneBoss, the Yeti.
** The Queen Bee also counts, as she's furious with you for defeating her husband.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: The whole gimmick of the game.
* WhatTheHellPlayer: Attack the friendlies after defeating the first Chapter 2 boss.
** VideoGameCrueltyPunishment: Eat them and you're dropped to 0 HP (unless you evolve immediately after chowing down).
*** This does not occur if you have evolved so that one jump on each will kill them.
* WrapAround: In World 4, you're somehow able to travel down from Australia and end up at the North Pole.
----
'''Tropes related to the original PC-9801 game:'''
* {{BFG}} : The Orihalcum cannons.
* BoringButPractical: Throwing rocks at your opponents does a surprisingly high amount of damage.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Or maybe it's the SNES version that is LighterAndSofter.
* EvilLaugh: The BigBad does it a few times but a noteworthy one is when it's done so, as [[spoiler: meteors fall down on the Earth and she says, "Have you seen my power Gaia? [[NoOneCouldHaveSurvivedThat Life on this planet has ended!]]"]]
* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: Is seeing small dinosaurs being swallowed by carnivorous plants bad enough for you? How about seeing [[spoiler: dead dinosaurs with blood coming out of their eyes?]]
* {{Kaiju}}: One of the bad endings has you evolved into this.
* LetsPlay: A Japanese LetsPlay of the original PC version can be viewed [[http://www.nicovideo.jp/mylist/8024496 here]] with [[http://mmcafe.com/nico.html this]].
* MultipleEndings: The game has a couple of bad endings that are usually achieved by making "wrong" evolution choice. It's not too hard to figure how to trigger them. Some others are triggered by making wrong choices in the game.
* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler: Lucifer]] has one and it's quite ugly, [[spoiler: like her favorite one has melted off]]. Taken at a whole new level at the end of the game where [[spoiler: she pops out of the moon, [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever breaking at least a quarter of it]]]].
* [[spoiler:{{Satan}}]]: In this game, we have [[spoiler:Lucifer]], who for some reason bears some resemblance to MarilynMonroe.
* StylisticSuck: The images for the bad endings are not as detailed as the one used for the story scenes in the game. Probably justified as those endings are PlayedForLaughs. [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Usually]].
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->[[OpeningNarration About 4.6 billion years ago, the "Sun" had nine smaller stars and named the third one "Gaia".]]\\
\\
'''The Sun:''' My dear Gaia! Please listen to me. From this time forward, every 1 billion years, you will have children called "Life". One of them will be able to help you to build a new era. Each child will must endure a difficult trial. You might think it's too severe, but it is necessary. The trial is a test of Nature: "The survival of the fittest". If he passes, I will allow him to be your partner and to enter Eden.
A very unusual and highly obscure ActionRPG for the {{PC98}} and SNES, in which you play a creature which evolves in order to survive the dangerous prehistoric world and eventually to join Gaia, a personification of Earth, in Eden. However the evolutionary process has been disrupted, and it is slowly revealed that there is an overwhelming force behind this.
The game received little attention upon its release, but has since become a cult classic and a pioneer of the evolution gaming genre. It is noted for its unique gameplay system, sprawling world and its epic, eon-spanning scale.
It was developed by a small company called ''Almanac'', under the publishing of [[SquareEnix Enix]].
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'''Related Tropes:'''
* AlluringAnglerfish: You, with the Angler Horn evolution.
* AmbidextrousSprite
* AncientAstronauts: A throwaway line early on mentions some kind of alien interference in seeding the crystals. [[spoiler: Later on they apologize for screwing evolution up by doing so.]]
* AnimeHair: Gaia, and how. Not much because of the odd shape, but rather because it's ''the ocean itself''. The rippling light underwater is used on her hair. You can take a look [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m4EfmTIQak&feature=related#t=01m54s here]]. Oh, and extra points for them [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair being blue]].
* ApocalypseWow: Shown at the end of Chapter 3 when a huge swarm of meteors falls down to Earth on the dinosaurs, killing them and bringing the Apocalypse Class to ApocalypseHow/{{Class 4}}. [[KillTheCutie Even the baby dinosaurs aren't spared from the destruction.]]
* AppliedPhlebotinum: The crystals.
* BambooTechnology: The Monkey Humans and [[spoiler:the Dino-People]] utilize this.
* BatmanCanBreatheInSpace: If you've evolved into a bird, then there are two secret areas (one in World 3 and one in World 5) in which you can fly right up into space.
* BossRush
* BigBad: [[spoiler: Bolbox]]
* BlindIdiotTranslation:
-->[[MemeticMutation "Mysterious Time Stream evolves you."]]
* BoringButPractical: The [[AlluringAnglerfish Angler Horn]] isn't used to attack, but it makes LevelGrinding easier.
* BraggartBoss: Many of the bosses are like this, especially Debustega.
* ButThouMust: Making it worse, the game also likes to show you just how much damage you did when you do what Thou Must. The game makes clear that you're repeatedly committing ''genocide'' against multiple other species to clear the road for your own evolution.
** It's not so much for your own benefit, the crystal-enhanced creatures greatly unbalanced the natural order and would have caused far greater problems if not stopped.
* ColonyDrop: [[ForegoneConclusion How the Dinosaur Age chapter ends.]]
* CollisionDamage: Of the near infuriating kind.
* CrystalSpiresAndTogas: Fort Bird-Man has a bit of this aesthetic; flying Mayincatec castles built on crystal-powered technology. Even more so, the Rogons and [[spoiler: the Martians]].
* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: Dying in the game only results Gaia resurrecting you at the cost of half of your saved up EVO points. Not much of a penalty when you don't have very many saved up.
* DegradedBoss: The Kuraselach Leader, boss of Chapter 1, reappears in Chapter 5 as a regular (but rare) enemy.
* EasyLevelsHardBosses: A lot of the main areas are pathetically easy, but most of the bosses are excruciatingly difficult.
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: [[spoiler: Even after the Dinosaur Age chapter.]]
** When you get a new body, you'll even find your previous fish form to be better than the base amphibian, and the same for each evolution afterwards.
*** Though oddly, using a green crystal to devolve back into a fish proves to be a significant power-down compared to just swimming as an evolved, later life-form type.
* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins
** [[MisplacedWildlife At the north pole.]]
* EverythingsEvenWorseWithSharks: The Kuraselache and their King in the first epoch, with the King becoming a [[DegradedBoss standard enemy]] in the fifth epoch.
* EvolutionaryLevels: A necessary concession to the game mechanics. Subverted in that it's not a clean "leveling" and there are many MutuallyExclusivePowerups.
* FeatheredFiend: The Bird-Men.
* FishPeople: The [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere Rogons]].
* FlunkyBoss: [[spoiler:The battle with Bolbox consists mainly of fighting the creatures he spawns and occasionally avoiding his own attacks.]]
** Mother Prime Frog also spawns [[GoddamnedBats baby Prime Frogs]] to help her fight you.
* [=~Gaia's Lament~=]: During the Age of Amphibians, much of the world has turned into a barren wasteland due to the insects' overeating of the plants. Fortunately, [[IGotBetter the world gets better]].
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: The Rogons. Most of the rest of the enemies have some kind of foreshadowing, even if the plot's a bit thin and unconnected, but the Rogons are both required and have nothing to do with anyone else.
** The final boss definitely qualifies as well. You have zero idea of what's awaiting you as you head through the final dungeon/area.
* GoalOrientedEvolution: The object of the story, as well as the game's central basic mechanic (unless the player is more concerned with creating [[AwesomeYetImpractical entertaining life forms than functional ones]]).
* GoombaStomp
* GreenRocks: The crystals.
* HitPoints
* HopelessSuitor: [[spoiler:{{B|igBad}}olbox, a hideously mutated single-celled organism, wants to be the one to enter Eden with Gaia.]]
* HyperDestructiveBouncingBall: The Trilobites from Chapter 1 and the Nautiloids from Chapter 3 can morph their bodies into a round shape and bounce around to attack. If you happen to be close to the ground and one of them does this beneath you, they'll basically ricochet between you and the ground until you die.
* InfinityPlusOneSword: [[spoiler: Two-Legged Mammal.]]
* InnocentFanserviceGirl: Gaia is naked.
* InstantDeathRadius: [[ThatOneBoss Cro-Maine]] can hit you from almost halfway across the screen when he swings his club. Not only does it do a lot of damage, it'll send you flying right out of the level, and you'll have to start all over again. Meaning that ''he'' will have full health again, but you won't unless you went and ate some T-Rex meat to recover.
* InterspeciesRomance: You and Gaia (especially if you're not [[spoiler: human]]). [[spoiler: Bolbox]] also has an interest in Gaia, for a more extreme example.
** Consider that some proponents of the Gaia hypothesis think humanity is supposed to be the ecosystem's reproductive system.
* InUniverseGameClock
* {{Irony}}: [[spoiler:Bolbox]] proclaims itself to be the pinnacle of evolution. When you finally see it, it turns out to be [[spoiler:something resembling a giant amoeba. Single-celled organisms being the ''beginning'' of life/evolution]].
* LeapOfFaith: Jumping off the top of Mt. Brave is the only way to [[spoiler:evolve into a bird]].
* LeaveYourQuestTest: [[spoiler: Tyrannosaurus, Birdman King and Rogon King]] will each offer you a choice to [[WeCanRuleTogether join them]] and abandon your quest to reach Eden. If you accept, [[NonstandardGameOver you will see a cutscene of the possible outcome then get sent back to the world map]].
-->"We shall look into your future."
* LegoGenetics: E.V.O. runs on this trope. Every time you add or remove a part, the change is done instantly. This can be exploitable in boss battles by changing one's neck from short to long or vice-versa whenever you get low on health, completely refilling your health. The neck is the cheapest part to change, but you can substitute any part and do the same thing.
** A better tactic - and an even stranger example of this trope - was to grow a cheap horn, which would also refill your health. The horn would 'break' after attacking with it 3 times... and this would somehow count as an evolutionary change, which would refill your health again.
** Admittedly, EVO isn't exactly clear on whether or not it's supposed to represent real evolution. There's substantial hints that the whole process is being [[spoiler:hijacked by aliens]], at least in the case of certain enemies, and many creatures berate you for not evolving "the proper way".
* LevelGrinding, until you get the necessary jaw/attack.
* [[MagnetHands Magnet Mouth]]
* [[MamaBear Mama Prime Frog]]
* MixAndMatchCritters: The player character can be one, especially as a mammal.
* MookBouncer: The annoying Pteranodons on Mt. Brave will attempt to grab you and drop you off the mountain during your ascent.
** The Cro-Maine miniboss may count, since his attack will knock you out of the level.
* MotherEarth: Gaia
* MutuallyExclusivePowerups: The monkey/human forms can't bite or get horns, the mammal path loses wings, and the bird path has worse armor and strength than the dinosaur.
** The top fins in the Amphibian Age.
* NeverSayDie: You don't kill anyone. You "defeat" them. Especially funny when the bosses declare that "I'm going to defeat you!"
** Averted in other cases. "''Kill'' only for survival and for food."
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Comes naturally with the ability to [[MixAndMatchCritters mix and match the body parts of different animals]]. Tiger head with bull horns on a rhino's body, anyone?
* OneHitPolykill, if they're all in the same area of your strongest bite.
* OneWingedAngel: The well-hidden [[spoiler:[[DinosaursAreDragons dragon form]]]].
* OurMermaidsAreDifferent: The secret mermaid evolution seems to be a human head and arms on a fish body. And you attack by ''sneezing''... or, depending on your interpretation of the animation, kissing.
* PaletteSwap: Later incarnations of bosses do this, but one changes its skin entirely.
* ParabolicPowerCurve: Some upgrade paths are a bit more unwieldly (e.g. humans may have trouble in the BossRush); and one path entirely loses [[spoiler: the ability to heal using evolutions until you complete that section]].
* PointOfNoReturn
* RestartAtLevelOne: EVO points are lost on a new body.
* SchizoTech: Early humans use stone-age BambooTechnology, but certain crystal-powered species (Bird-Men, the Rogons, [[spoiler: the Martians]]) have access to CrystalSpiresAndTogas.
* SchmuckBait: Go ahead, try jumping onto dry land before you've beaten the first boss and evolved lungs.
* ScratchDamage
* ScriptedEvent
* SecretLevel: In Chapter 3, [[spoiler:the cloud level and the River of Asteroid]].
* SelfImposedChallenge: Beating the game as a dinosaur, mainly because the Ice Age is [[SlippySlideyIceWorld slippy-slidey]] for them, and unlike birds they can't get around that by flying.
* SideView
* SlippySlideyIceWorld: The Ice Age chapter, naturally. Mammals don't slide on it, though.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: This occurs due to text constraints and regular letter mutation, e.g. dinichthys to zinichthy, stromatolite to strolite, ichthyostega to ikustega, brontosaurus to brosaurus, tyrannosaurs to tyrosaurs, [[spoiler: volvox to Bolbox]].
* StarfishAliens: [[spoiler: The final boss is a gargantuan mutant single-celled organism.]]
* TechPoints: You acquire EVO Points and spend them as you wish to evolve body parts.
* ThatMakesMeFeelAngry: The Ikustega boss does this after you laugh at him.
-->'''Debustega:''' You make me very angry! I am going to [[NeverSayDie defeat]] you!
* UnmovingPlaid: Gaia's hair, which resembles shimmering waves.
* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: The cause of ThatOneBoss, the Yeti.
** The Queen Bee also counts, as she's furious with you for defeating her husband.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: The whole gimmick of the game.
* WhatTheHellPlayer: Attack the friendlies after defeating the first Chapter 2 boss.
** VideoGameCrueltyPunishment: Eat them and you're dropped to 0 HP (unless you evolve immediately after chowing down).
*** This does not occur if you have evolved so that one jump on each will kill them.
* WrapAround: In World 4, you're somehow able to travel down from Australia and end up at the North Pole.
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'''Tropes related to the original PC-9801 game:'''
* {{BFG}} : The Orihalcum cannons.
* BoringButPractical: Throwing rocks at your opponents does a surprisingly high amount of damage.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Or maybe it's the SNES version that is LighterAndSofter.
* EvilLaugh: The BigBad does it a few times but a noteworthy one is when it's done so, as [[spoiler: meteors fall down on the Earth and she says, "Have you seen my power Gaia? [[NoOneCouldHaveSurvivedThat Life on this planet has ended!]]"]]
* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: Is seeing small dinosaurs being swallowed by carnivorous plants bad enough for you? How about seeing [[spoiler: dead dinosaurs with blood coming out of their eyes?]]
* {{Kaiju}}: One of the bad endings has you evolved into this.
* LetsPlay: A Japanese LetsPlay of the original PC version can be viewed [[http://www.nicovideo.jp/mylist/8024496 here]] with [[http://mmcafe.com/nico.html this]].
* MultipleEndings: The game has a couple of bad endings that are usually achieved by making "wrong" evolution choice. It's not too hard to figure how to trigger them. Some others are triggered by making wrong choices in the game.
* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler: Lucifer]] has one and it's quite ugly, [[spoiler: like her favorite one has melted off]]. Taken at a whole new level at the end of the game where [[spoiler: she pops out of the moon, [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever breaking at least a quarter of it]]]].
* [[spoiler:{{Satan}}]]: In this game, we have [[spoiler:Lucifer]], who for some reason bears some resemblance to MarilynMonroe.
* StylisticSuck: The images for the bad endings are not as detailed as the one used for the story scenes in the game. Probably justified as those endings are PlayedForLaughs. [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Usually]].
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