Line #29 VideoGame/MonsterBash1982


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/monsterbashsega_flyerjapan.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350: Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, and....?]]
3	In 1982, Steve Hanawa designed and programmed ''Monster Bash'' for Creator/{{Sega}}/Gremlin's [[UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame arcade game]] library. It's an [[EndlessGame endless]] MazeGame in which Little Red goes toe-to-toe with three figures of {{horror}}: Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, and the one that no one sees coming, the Chameleon Man.
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5	As there are three main monsters, there are three stages: Dracula's House, Frankenstein's Castle, and Chameleon Man's Graveyard. The process of each level is to have a candle lit so that the magic sword is charged. Touching the charged sword upgrades Little Red's standard zap into a [=SuperZap=] for one shot only. This [=SuperZap=] is the only thing that can destroy the main monsters and they know it. They'll run from Little Red while he's charged and the higher the round count, the more effective their flight.
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7	The stages are set apart by unique challenges and a rapid increase of the difficulty from one to the next. Candles are spent after a while and the magic sword requires a lit candle to bestow the [=SuperZap=]. Candles aren't replaced until a cloud has passed in front of the moon. In Dracula's House, there are five candles and the moon is permanently obscured. In Frankenstein's Castle, there's only one candle and the cloud loops across the screen. In Chameleon Man's Graveyard, there's one candle, a looping moon, and the Chameleon Man becomes immune to the [=SuperZap=] if he gets the time to change his skin's color to that of the field. Minor monsters that inhabit the stages also become more troublesome with each stage. The bats in Dracula's House are slow and not too bad. The werewolves in Frankenstein's Castle are fast and duck when being shot at, meaning they can only reliably be zapped while on the stairs. And the spiders in the Chameleon Man's Graveyard are fast and respawn elsewhere immediately. This means there's always a swarm of them to waste the [=SuperZap=] on. Furthermore, Dracula's House has warp doors that can always be used. Frankenstein's Castle has warp doors that can only be used sporadically, but also permant jump-down zones. The Chameleon's Graveyard has no shortcuts, but there are buttons to change the color of the field and influence which gates are up.
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9	Supplementary material for ''Monster Bash'' includes the American flyer in which the ''Monster Bash'' arcade cabinet is a gift from Frankenstein's Monster and the Wolfman for Dracula's birthday, the Japanese instruction booklet which uniquely contains a mini-manga, and the promo video created by Gremlin. In the latter, a MadScientist introduces the ''Monster Bash'' arcade cabinet as his latest creation.
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11	''Monster Bash'' has yet to be released for home console, but the 1986 game ''Ghost House'' is a SpiritualSuccessor in that it turns the stage Dracula's House into one big game.
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14	!!''Monster Bash'' contains examples of:
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16	* AllThereInTheManual: The main character is only named in the flyers. He's Bashman in the Japanese flyer and Little Red in the American flyer.
17	* AttractMode: While no one is playing, a sequence is run in which Little Red introduces himself. He's chased off-screen by the three main monster, which then return and retreat to their own residences. Little Red follows them, touches the charged magic sword, and zaps them all into goo.
18	* BatOutOfHell: The bats in Dracula's House serve Dracula. Or they don't but Dracula lets them crash because they improve the spooky atmosphere and kill heroes that come to kill him.
19	* BreakingTheFourthWall: During the attract mode, Little Red walks onto the screen, turns to the audience, waves and elaborates that he's the hero. It's the only [[SpeechBubbles speech bubble]] in the entire game.
20	* CreepyCemetery: Chameleon Man's Graveyard is the third stage. It's home to the Chameleon Man and lots of spiders, all of which do OneHitKill CollisionDamage. Gates in red, blue, and green litter the area and only the gates that match the color the field at that time is don't block passage.
21	* FrankensteinsMonster: Frankenstein's Monster, or just Frankenstein, is the main monster of the second stage, Frankenstein's Castle, which he graciously shares with werewolves. His design mirrors the ''Universal'' one with green skin, a tall forehead, and so on. Like Dracula, he has no noteworthy abilities beyond CollisionDamage.
22	* HauntedCastle: Frankenstein's Castle is the second stage. It's home to Frankenstein's Monster and lots of werewolves, all of which do OneHitKill CollisionDamage. There are warp doors that work only when they're blinking and there are spots where one can jump down to a floor lower but not go up a floor.
23	* HauntedHouse: Dracula's House is the first stage. It's home to Dracula and lots of bats, all of which do OneHitKill CollisionDamage. There are warp doors to easily move from the lowest floor to the highest and back.
24	* HollywoodChameleons: The Chameleon Man's main trick is to steadily change his skin's color into that of the field. He never becomes invisible (in fact, the final step turns him a distinguishable black), but he does become invincible. To defeat him, Little Red has to change up the floor color every so often so that the Chameleon Man has to start all over with his own color changing.
25	* HunterOfMonsters: Little Red goes on his own to fight and end three powerful monsters: Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, and the Chameleon Man. No reason is given why he does that, but he assures the audience in the AttractMode that he's the hero, so he's probably doing the right thing.
26	* ImMelting: After a main monster is hit with the [=SuperZap=], they go down melting.
27	* MadScientist: In the promotional video, a mad scientist introduces himself as the creator of the ''Monster Bash'' arcade cabinet.
28	* MonsterMash: The three great of the mash are here as the enemies of Little Red: Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster act as main monsters and werewolves act as minor monsters. The oddity is the Chameleon Man, who is the third main monster instead of an established figure like the Wolfman. The flyers that come with the game as good as ignore the Chameleon Man and pay more attention to the fact the game contains werewolves.
29	* OrnamentalWeapon: The magic sword isn't useless, but it's not used as a sword. When it's charged, it bestows a single [=SuperZap=] on Little Red to defeat the stage's main monster. No explanation is given why the [=SuperZap=] bestowing object specifically is a sword.
30	* OurVampiresAreDifferent: In the Japanese version, the game's vampire is only identified as Vampire, but based on his looks he's likely still meant to be Dracula. Whatever the case, like Frankenstein's Monster, he has no noteworthy abilities beyond CollisionDamage.
31	* OurWerebeastsAreDifferent: There's the [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolves]] in Frankenstein's Castle for one, but more important is the Chameleon Man in the Chameleon Man's Graveyard. It's not certain that he's a werebeast, because there's no backstory provided for him and he's not based on older lore, but as he takes the place of the Wolfman in the usual MonsterMash trio he probably is some manner of werebeast. Unlike fellow level bosses Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster, the Chameleon Man has not one but a grand two abilities to defend himself. For one, he has a long tongue for ranged combat. For two, his skin gradually takes the color of the floor and when the two match he's indestructible.
32	* OurWerewolvesAreDifferent: Werewolves hang out with Frankenstein's Monster in Frankenstein's Castle. The moon is uniquely full during that stage, suggesting that the werewolves wouldn't be in wolf form or would be weaker were the moon in any other fase. They're intelligent enemies who duck when being zapped at to avoid the bolt.
33	* PublicDomainSoundtrack: Music/ToccataAndFugueInDMinor, BWV 565 is used in the promotional video for the game, which takes place in a mad scientist's laboratory.
34	* ShakingTheRump: After getting one over on Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster, Little Red taps his heel and waves his arms while facing the player. After defeating the Chameleon Man and thereby winning the round, he faces away from the player and shakes his behind in triumph.
35	* SpidersAreScary: Plenty of spiders inhabit the Chameleon Man's Graveyard. Up to two can be permanently destroyed by Little Red, the Chameleon Man, or even each other, but any more will immediately respawn.
36	* WeirdMoon: The moon is shown to be crescent at Dracula's House, at Chameleon Man's Graveyard, and during the attract mode. The moon is full, however, at Frankenstein's Castle, where the werewolves roam. It's possible that clearing each stage takes Little Red half a month, but it seems more likely something weird is up with the moon in that stage alone or in all of them.

Context VideoGame / MonsterBash1982