Attack of the Mutant is a 1997 PC game based on the Goosebumps novel and television episode of the same name. However, the game has more characters and an extended as well as different plot.
You play as an unnamed and genderless Silent Protagonist who gets off the bus at a stop they didn't want to. Turns out this stop is the headquarters of the infamous supervillain, the Masked Mutant, who can transform into anything and anyone. The protagonist teams up with the League of Good Guys, a team of superheroes, to stop the Mutant's plot to take over the world. However, along the way, you'll have to deal with quite a few insane supervillains...and then there's the Mutant himself...
Like Escape from Horrorland before it, the game actually has quite a few scares and surprises (at least for children) and two different endings. Despite this, it also has some Lighter and Softer moments; making for a bit of Mood Whiplash. Also notable for being one of the first video games to use cel-shaded animation. Also, Adam West plays the Galloping Gazelle, leader of the League of Good Guys.
This game provides examples of:
- And I Must Scream: The Masked Mutant has turned people, including children, into two-dimensional comic book style cutouts...not dead, but incapable of doing anything again.
- Adaptational Heroism:
- The Galloping Gazelle was already a hero, but unlike the TV show, he doesn't completely abandon the protagonist once things go pear shaped for him.
- The Magnificent Molecule Man. In the book, he was a lackey for the Mutant, much like in the game. However, he did not have a Heel–Face Turn in the book like in the game.
- Ax-Crazy: Most of the villains have this to some extent, but special mention goes to Pinky Flamingo and the Mutant himself at times.
- Beauty Equals Goodness: Dinah and Flo are both noticeably more attractive than Chinchilla.
- Cel Shading: One of the first examples of it in a video game. It makes sense, given that the game is supposed to take place in a comic book world.
- Combat Pragmatist: Being one is necessary to survive in the game.
- Distressed Dude/Damsel in Distress: Happens to some of the League of Good Guys.
- Downer Ending: If Mutant wins, the world is reduced to a desert, and the League of Good Guys iconic items are left in disrepair, as Mutant taunts you. You get this ending by failing to stop the Masked Mutant's plot in time.
- The Dragon: Chinchilla is apparently this for the Masked Mutant. Surprisingly, the Mutant explicitly states he chose her over the Magnificent Molecule Man because she was more loyal despite not being as powerful.
- Dynamic Loading: The cutscenes of opening a door appear to be loading screens for the rooms and hallways.
- The Faceless: You only see the character's hands unless you collect all the costume pieces, and even then the figure is somewhat androgynous and only seen briefly.
- Fan Disservice: No one needed to see a pin-up calendar of Chinchilla in the printing room.
- Forced Transformation: The Mutant is doing this to both landmarks and people, turned them into two-dimensional comic book style cutouts...not dead, but incapable of doing anything again.
- Genre Shift: It's part of the Goosebumps series, but it seems to have a lot more in common with the traditional superhero genre.
- Golden Ending: Get this by completing the game and not failing the Timed Mission at the end. You can add a brief extra scene by getting all the costume pieces.
- Gotta Catch 'Em All: You can collect your own superhero costume pieces to get an extended version of the Golden Ending, where you finally see the main character and in their costume.
- Heel–Face Turn: Magnificent Molecule Man
- It's a Wonderful Failure: Fail the last part of the game and see what happens to the world.
- Kill It with Ice: Chinchilla in a nutshell along with being Ax-Crazy to a degree.
- Literal Metaphor:
- To get the League to trust him, Magnificent Molecule Man gives you his "WORD", a card with the word "WORD" written on it. Justified, since it's the password to get to Mutant's Green Beam.
- The target you have to aim for at the end is the eye of a bull emblem.
- Mood Whiplash: Happens when you go from being praised for your accomplishments or hearing how awesome you are from superheroes to being chased by supervillains or put in life-threatening situations.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: You help further the Mutant's plans by bringing things he needs to "Captain Bob"...AKA the Mutant.
- Not Helping Your Case: The Magnificent Molecule Man apparently thought kidnapping Chinchilla, who was chosen to be the Masked Mutant's second in command, in order to prove he was more worthy of being the Mutant's righthand man, was a good idea.
- Plant Person: Root Rot.
- The Power of Rock: Feedback uses an electric guitar as his primary weapon. You also get to use it the final part of the game.
- Pragmatic Villainy: The Masked Mutant made it a point to choose Chinchilla as The Dragon because she showed more loyalty to him, overlooking that she's not as strong as the Magnificent Molecule Man. What good is having a powerful second in command if they've not proven their loyalty?
- Psychopathic Manchild: The Mutant. Particularly in the Bad Ending, when he taunts the player by yelling "LOSER, LOSER! WINNER, WINNER!"
- Remember the New Guy?: Captain Bob shows shades of this in-universe— he's not present in the comic book in the intro and yet implicates that he's been with the League of Good Guys for some time. He's actually the Mutant in disguise.
- Reality Warper: Pinky Flamingo is able to erase different objects and characters. He can also create a batch of slowsand, and turned the Galloping Gazelle into a painting.
- Silent Protagonist: Your character never talks.
- Spared by the Adaptation: The Magnificent Molecule Man was killed off in the book, but he survives just fine in the game.
- Spot the Impostor: Happens near the end, between Dinah and the Mutant.
- Stealth Pun: Flo's cousin Brooke, who lives in a pond and talks a lot— essentially a "babbling Brooke".
- Super-Speed: The Galloping Gazelle, and to some degree, Dinah.
- Take Over the World: The Mutant wants to do this by turning the world into a comic book he rules over.
- Timed Mission: The finale of the game has this and failing to finish in time gives you the Downer Ending.
- Truer to the Text: The game includes The Magnificent Molecule Man, who wasn't in the TV episode.
- Video Game Cruelty Potential: You can kill the Toadies in one of the final levels, even though they are innocent characters just doing their job.
- Visual Pun: The target you aim for at the end is literally a emblem of a bull's eye.
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: The Mutant's power.
- Weaksauce Weakness: Feedback's weakness is easy-listening music.Feedback: Listen, man, if I gotta hear anymore of this oatmeal music, I'll be totally brain-dead! From the neck up!
