History VideoGame / Spelunker

On the original 8 bit computers, it was fairly well received, but the NES game was widely forgotten in America, but became a CultClassic in Japan due to its hilariously unforgiving difficulty and ludicrous weakness of the player character. The game ended up being returned to used video game stores in high numbers when players got frustrated with it, but later developed a following among fans of NintendoHard games. As a result, there have been several Japanese fangames, and even a remake for Playstation Network in the form of ''Spelunker HD'', which adds multiplayer play and cartoony animations mocking the deaths, but also adds a lot of lives and a save feature to soften the blow.

The game actually inspired a Japanese expression, "constitution of a spelunker", which means someone who gets hurt badly from minor injuries.

''For the similarly named freeware roguelike-like'' Spelunky, ''click [[{{VideoGame/Spelunky}} here]]''.

Classic video game created by Tim Martin in the early 1980s and published by {{Broderbund}}. ''Spelunker'' is about, as you'd expect, a guy who explores a large cave and looks for treasure. He has dynamite to help him blow up large rocks, flares to ward off bats, and a limited air supply. Adding a bit of fantasy to the game is the frequent appearance of ghosts, which need to be warded off with an air blaster. A pretty simple game.

* EvilTwin - In ''Spelunker HD'''s single-player mode, perhaps to compensate for the lack of getting killed by other players' mistakes in multiplayer.

* PlatformHell: The NES version has vanishing ground that drops you to your death, secret powerups that can get you killed, invisible keys on the second loop, and lets you kill yourself by jumping while walking down a slope. ''Spelunker HD'' takes all of these and makes them even worse...though it is quite generous with extra lives.

* GratuitousEnglish: The opening theme of the anime, possibly a shout-out for Spelunker's American origin.

* HaveANiceDeath - ''Spelunker HD'' adds cartoony death animations and even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] it in the tutorial, where you're told "In the tutorial, you have unlimited lives. Now's a good chance to find out what kinds of things can kill you."
* NintendoHard - As demonstrated [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzInicSbsWk&feature=related here]].
* NostalgiaLevel - The early levels in ''Spelunker HD''.
* OneHitPointWonder
* PlatformHell - The NES version has vanishing ground that drops you to your death, secret powerups that can get you killed, invisible keys on the second loop, and lets you kill yourself by jumping while walking down a slope. ''Spelunker HD'' takes all of these and makes them even worse...though it is quite generous with extra lives.
* RespawnPoint - The last place you picked up an "important item." Since most "important items" are at the end of long corridors filled with death, this forces you to go through the corridor 'again' every time you die.
* {{Retraux}} - ''Spelunker HD'' includes a "classic graphics" mode, which mimics the look and sound of the NES version, even though it also contains a lot of new content.
* RuinsForRuinsSake - Several levels in ''Spelunker HD''.
* SecretLevel - There are two exits from Stage 99 ... one of which requires an additional key not found in the stage. At least, not found in ''Stage 99'' ...
* SpiritualSuccessor - ''VideoGame/{{Spelunky}}'', which has the same premise and hatred toward the player, but with RandomlyGeneratedLevels and more features in general.
* UndergroundLevel - The entire game.
* VideoGameRemake - ''Spelunker HD'', which expands the game's original 6 levels to 100 levels, including a separate set of 100 multiplayer-only levels, while also adding new types of environments.
* WithLyrics - The main theme has had lyrics written for it in Japan (they mainly talk about how weak the spelunker is and how much he dies). [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd_xQCCuA20 The anime's opening theme]] is actually a remix of the game's main theme and the stage clear theme, sung from the viewpoint of the titular Spelunker, albeit entirely in hilariously disjointed and nonsensical Engrish.

(For the similarly named freeware roguelike-like ''Spelunky'', click [[{{VideoGame/Spelunky}} here]]).

* SpiritualSuccessor - ''{{Spelunky}}'', which has the same premise and hatred toward the player, but with RandomlyGeneratedLevels and more features in general.

The game was widely forgotten in America, where it was created, but became a CultClassic in Japan due to its hilariously unforgiving difficulty and ludicrous number of ways to die. The game ended up being returned to used video game stores in high numbers when players got frustrated with it, but later developed a following among fans of NintendoHard games. As a result, there have been several Japanese fangames, and even a remake for Playstation Network in the form of ''Spelunker HD'', which adds multiplayer play and cartoony animations mocking the deaths, but also adds a lot of lives and a save feature to soften the blow.

* AntiFrustrationFeatures: In ''Spelunker HD'', there is an option to turn on "Rope Assist," which makes getting on and off a rope safely less of a pain in the ass than in the NES version.

!This game contains examples of:

* TheAnimeOfTheGame: Titled ''Spelunker is a Teacher'', it's basically about the hijinks of the titular character as a teacher in a Japanese school. Some tropes associated with the anime:
* GratuitousEnglish: The opening theme, possibly a shout-out for Spelunker's American origin.

* AntiFrustrationFeatures: In ''Spelunker HD'', there is an option to turn on "Rope Assist," which has the Spelunker grab onto ropes automatically instead of having to hold up while jumping into them.
** GratuitousEnglish: The opening theme, possibly a shout-out for Spelunker's American origin.
** [[HeyItsThatVoice Hey, It's That Voice]]: The titular character sounds like an even more unenthusiastic [[Creator/TomokazuSugita Kyon]], and the voice in the fifth PV sounds awfully like a certain [[Creator/NorioWakamoto Britannian emperor]].

* FallingDamage: Taken UpToEleven in this game, and part of what makes it so difficult. He dies in mid-air, even if he could have grabbed a vine or something on the way down.

* PlatformHell
** To elaborate, the NES version has vanishing ground that drops you to your death, secret powerups that can get you killed, invisible keys on the second loop, and lets you kill yourself by jumping while walking down a slope. ''Spelunker HD'' takes all of these and makes them even worse...though it is quite generous with extra lives.

* FallingDamage: Taken UpToEleven in this game, and part of what makes it so difficult. He dies in mid-air, even if he could have grabbed a vine or something on the way down.

** To elaborate, the NES version has vanishing ground that drops you to your death, secret powerups that can get you killed, invisible keys on the second loop, and lets you kill yourself by jumping while walking down a slope. ''Spelunker HD'' takes all of these and makes them even worse.

(For the similarly named freeware roguelike ''Spelunky'', click [[{{VideoGame/Spelunky}} here]]).

Classic video game created by Tim Martin in the early 1980s. ''Spelunker'' is about, as you'd expect, a guy who explores a large cave and looks for treasure. He has dynamite to help him blow up large rocks, flares to ward off bats, and a limited air supply. Adding a bit of fantasy to the game is the frequent appearance of ghosts, which need to be warded off with an air blaster. A pretty simple game.

* FallingDamage: Taken UpToEleven in this game, and part of what makes it so difficult.

** [[HeyItsThatVoice Hey, It's That Voice]]: The titular character sounds like an even more unenthusiastic [[TomokazuSugita Kyon]], and the voice in the fifth PV sounds awfully like a certain [[NorioWakamoto Britannian emperor]].

* WithLyrics - The main theme has had lyrics written for it in Japan (they mainly talk about how weak the spelunker is and how much he dies).

* Most infamously of all, [[DeathByFallingOver falling less than his own height]]! (on NES version. The height of the player character was increased, while the vertical distances traveled were decreased.)

* Most infamously of all, falling less than his own height! (on NES version. The height of the player character was increased, while the vertical distances traveled were decreased.)

(For the similarly named freeware roguelike ''Spelunky'', click [[{{VideoGames/Spelunky}} here]]).

(For the similarly named freeware roguelike ''Spelunky'', click [[{{Spelunky}} here]])).

(For the similarly named freeware roguelike Spelunky click [[Spelunky here]])).

(For the similarly named freeware roguelike Spelunkey click [[Spelunkey here]])).

(For the similarly named freeware roguelike Spelunky click [[Spelunky here]])).

* NotTheFallThatKillsYou: Actually, it ''does.''

* Falling in a small pit that's less than one half the already small safe fall distance.

* Any enemy (fortunately there are only two. bats and ghosts)

Classic video game created by Tim Martin in the early 1980s. ''Spelunker'' is about, as you'd expect, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin what's right there in the title]]: a guy who explores a large cave and looks for treasure. He has dynamite to help him blow up large rocks, flares to ward off bats, and a limited air supply. Adding a bit of fantasy to the game is the frequent appearance of ghosts, which need to be warded off with an air blaster. A pretty simple game.