Line #38 VideoGame/MonsterLab


1	''Monster Lab'' is a 2008 RolePlayingGame developed by [[Creator/DigitalEclipse Backbone Entertainment]] and published by Creator/EidosInteractive for the Platform/{{Wii}}, Platform/PlayStation2 and Platform/NintendoDS.
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3	In this game, the player takes the role of an apprentice MadScientist. Through exploring and various {{Side Quest}}s and {{Mini Game}}s, parts must be gathered which allow the player to construct monsters. These monsters may then explore areas in search of even more parts, and can take on other monsters in TurnBasedCombat.
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5	!!''Monster Lab'' provides examples of the following tropes:
6	%%* AffectionateParody: Of FrankensteinsMonster, of course.
7	* AllYourPowersCombined: [[BigBad Baron Mharti]] claims to have mastered all three elements of mad science ([[ElementalPowers Mechanical, Biological, and Alchemical]]). [[spoiler:Appropriately [[FinalBoss Thrunch]] (the Baron's greatest monster) combines parts from all three, unlike any other boss in the game]].
8	%%* AnatomyArsenal: Nearly the whole point of the game.
9	* BackgroundBoss: A temporary case. The Junkstack's boss, Gargonaut, spends its introduction lobbing [[CrosshairAware clearly-marked artillery shots]] at you from somewhere in the background. After about a minute or two, it spawns on the map and can be fought face to face.
10	* BigBad: Baron Mharti is the tyrannical ruler of the Uncanny Valley, using his powerful monsters to force its denizens into obeying him.
11	* BigNo: [[spoiler:After his "superior" [[FinalBoss Thrunch]] is bested by the player and they are declared the new leader of the Mad Science Alliance, Baron Mharti is reduced to screaming "NO!" at the sky.]]
12	%%* BioAugmentation: Biological monster parts.
13	* BotheringByTheBook: When backed into a corner, Mharti invokes a section of the Mad Science Alliance's charter that prohibits non-members from challenging members of the Alliance; as you haven't signed the Mad Science Alliance's charter, he proclaims you're not an official member and can't legally challenge him to a duel. The Alliance get around this by collectively endorsing your membership, rendering you a ''de facto'' member of the MSA and leaving Mharti with no choice but to duel you.
14	* BreakingTheFellowship: The Mad Science Alliance broke up prior to the story due to disagreeing over how to deal with [[BigBad Baron Mharti's]] FaceHeelTurn, with the members going their separate ways - Fuseless remaining with the Castle, Dr. Sonderbar leaving for [[BubblegloopSwamp the Everglades]], and Señor De La Sombra shutting himself up in Tombstone Rise's graveyard. Over the course of the story, [[PuttingTheBandBackTogether you help to reunite them]] [[spoiler:and the story ends with the three electing you as their new leader]].
15	* CriticalExistenceFailure: A monster can keep using their parts' moves without any problem until the part runs out of health, upon which it breaks off and becomes unusable for the rest of the battle.
16	* CrosshairAware: Prior to being fought, the boss of the Junkyard will target the player's monster with long-ranged shots, marked on the map as these.
17	* TheDarkArts: Alchemical parts and their creation involve this, with components such as "Wailing Souls" and {{Shrunken Head}}s serving as ingredients. The actual experiments also feature things such as mixing together elements in an alchemical apparatus, or playing on a haunted organ.
18	* DastardlyWhiplash: Baron Mharti sports one such moustache, reflecting his nature as a stereotypical villain.
19	* DeadpanSnarker: Failing when you first attempt to create a part may lead to some sarcastic comments.
20	* DePowerZone: Mharti's ultimate plan is to turn the entire Uncanny Valley into one of these through the use of a energy field that would shut down every other MadScientist's remote control over their monsters, letting him reign essentially unopposed.
21	* ElementalPowers: The parts of your monster can be mechanical, biological or alchemical in nature. This leads to ElementalRockPaperScissors.
22	* ElementalRockPaperScissors: Mechanical beats biological, biological beats alchemical, alchemical beats mechanical.
23	* EscapeBattleTechnique: Zigzagged. Some legs have the "Flee" move, letting the monster try to escape the battle; others avert this by replacing it with another attack. If the legs are disabled, this move can't be used until they're repaired.
24	* EvilLaugh: The Baron frequently lets out a haughty laugh when taunting the Mad Science Alliance or carrying out a step of his EvilPlan.
25	* EvilPlan: Baron Mharti's plan involves stationing powerful monsters in different regions of the Uncanny Valley to keep the populace under control while constructing towers that [[DePowerZone shut down monsters which aren't his]]. If he succeeds, this will let him consolidate his extant grip on the Valley.
26	* ExclusiveEnemyEquipment: The boss monsters all make use of unique parts that the player cannot craft or find, such as Gargonaut's ArmCannon and Bonechill's tombstone-arms. Their heads are the only exception, as these drop from the boss fights and are craftable afterwards.
27	* FaceHeelTurn: Baron Mharti used to be a member of the Mad Science Alliance, only to be seduced by the prospect of [[AllYourPowersCombined wielding all three specialities' power]] and turn into a vicious tyrant.
28	* {{Facepalm}}: When Fuseless reveals he accidentally [[spoiler:used one of the ultimate power core's key components in Gorbok, which the Baron crushed]], De La Sombra is seen facepalming in exasperation.
29	* FightingYourFriend: [[spoiler:Gorbok has to be fought at Mharti Manor, having been defeated and forcibly ReforgedIntoAMinion by the Baron]].
30	* HerrDoktor: Dr. Sonderbar has a noticeable German accent.
31	* HiddenInPlainSight: [[spoiler:[[WarmUpBoss Residentula]]]] is actually hiding in Cobbleshire all along, disguised as [[spoiler:a house on the hillside]].
32	* {{Hikikomori}}: De La Sombra isolates himself in the graveyard of Tombstone Rise, refusing to interact with anyone until you defeat him.
33	* HopelessBossFight: The first battle against De La Sombra is impossible to win; his monster [[PurposefullyOverpowered has stats far in excess of your own]] and constantly uses body-wide attacks that will quickly defeat you. This is used to introduce your player to the higher levels of Biological crafting, courtesy of a cache left by Dr. Sonderbar.
34	* GadgeteerGenius: Professor Fuseless and the player, when making mechanical monster parts.
35	* GradualRegeneration: The "Regenerator" part ability causes the part to regain a small amount of health each turn.
36	%%* TheIgor:
37	%%** Your PDA, I.G.O.R..
38	%%** Also a literal one, in the form of Baron Mharti's servant.
39	* JustifiedTutorial: You are an apprentice MadScientist who has just joined the Mad Science Alliance. In the comic book prologue released prior to the game's release, you are a science student whose experiments never work exactly right, but the MSA is overseeing you from afar, seeing the glint of potential.
40	* LightningCanDoAnything: In true MadScientist fashion, you bring your monsters to life through a massive blast of lightning.
41	* MadScientist: You, the ''player'', are a mad scientist. And so are the zany [=NPCs=] in Mad Science Castle who help you out.
42	* MadScientistLaboratory: Mad Science Castle has four laboratories: three where you create the different parts, and the fourth where you construct your monsters and bring them to life.
43	* MissionControl: You take this role in the game, directing your creations around the game world from your base in Mad Science Castle.
44	%%* MixAndMatchCritters: Any fully biological monster is probably going to be this.
45	* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Due to the wide variety of parts available to you, it's entirely possible to make something like this, such as a zombie with robotic arms, the head of a {{Cthulhumanoid}}, and a plant monster's vines for legs.
46	* OnlyAFleshWound: Monsters can endure almost any amount of damage without flinching, including [[AnArmAndALeg losing limbs]] and [[OffWithHisHead getting their heads knocked off]]. They'll only be defeated when [[SubsystemDamage their torso runs out of health]] or all their limbs ''except'' the torso are destroyed.
47	* PunnyName:
48	** The game is set in a region named the UncannyValley.
49	** Residentula is a TransformingMecha that resembles a spider or tarantula in overall structure, with its 'disguised' form being [[spoiler:one of the houses in Cobbleshire]].
50	%%** Prof. Fuseless, Mayor Neidervoten, Dr. Sonderbar. The latter is a BilingualBonus.
51	* ShowsDamage: Any parts lost during combat and not healed in the subsequent mini-game will be missing from the monster's overworld model. (Excluding the legs, which remain no matter how badly damaged the monster becomes.)
52	* SmugSnake: Baron Mharti is incredibly smug, talking down to his [[TheIgor Igors]], his former colleagues, and [[PlayerCharacter the Apprentice]] alike and frequently contacting them purely to gloat about the progress of his EvilPlan.
53	%%ZCE - Needs Explanation * StealthPun: Silva the Dryad, somewhat of a ParentalBonus.
54	* StuffBlowingUp:
55	** Prof. Fuseless's solution to most things is to launch highly explosive rockets at it, to the disdain of Dr. Sonderbar (particularly considering it frequently [[GoneHorriblyWrong fails catastrophically]]). This eventually becomes a key part of [[spoiler:taking down the Baron's DePowerZone towers]].
56	** Also what happens if you [[GoneHorriblyWrong really screw up an experiment]]: there's a brief cutscene showing the room's door bulging outwards, before an explosion and shockwave shake the Castle.
57	* SubsystemDamage: Downplayed. While individual limbs and body parts can be targeted, they don't noticeably degrade in performance when taking damage, instead suffering CriticalExistenceFailure and dropping off when their health hits zero.
58	* ATasteOfPower: Professor Fuseless lets you take control of Gorbok (his personal monster) to defeat two rogue monsters during the JustifiedTutorial. Most of his parts and attacks are on par with late-game craftable ones, letting you easily defeat the enemies and learn the ropes of the game. This monster gets taken away once you start building your own, later re-appearing as [[spoiler:a MiniBoss in Mharti Manor]].
59	* ThirdPersonPerson: De La Sombra constantly refers to himself as De La Sombra.
60	* WhenTreesAttack: [[spoiler:[[BotanicalAbomination Gloomthorn]]'s]] body is comprised of a rotting tree trunk wrapped in vines, and it's out to conquer the Wildwoods in the name of Baron Mharti.

Context VideoGame / MonsterLab