Dan Forden
Encyclopedia
Daniel "Dan" Warner "Toasty" Forden (born September 28, 1963) is an American
sound programmer and music composer, and was the lead programmer
on several high-profile arcade
and pinball
games. He is best known for working on the Mortal Kombat
fighting game
series (in particular his catchphrase "Toasty!" which would sound at impressive maneuvers).
He is credited in the Mortal Kombat series as Dan "Toasty" Forden, and is known for an Easter egg that first appeared in Mortal Kombat II
, where Forden's head would appear after a chain of combos in the bottom-right corner of the screen and shout "Toasty!" in a falsetto
when an uppercut was performed. In MKII you will hear him say Toasty! after Scorpion's fatality was done. In MK9 he will also appear saying Toasty after a long combo and an uppercut.
In Mortal Kombat 3
, freezing an opponent in "danger mode" with Sub-Zero
would make him appear and shout "Frosty!". He still appeared sometimes saying "Toasty!" though, in the very same conditions.
Also, in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
, Dan Forden would appear after a Stage Fatality in Scorpion's Lair saying "Crispy!" if both players' "High Punch" button was held down after executing the Fatality Input. If, instead, the both "Run" button were held down, then Shao Kahn would say "Crispy!".
Along with that, in Mortal Kombat 4
, if the player executed Scorpion's fatality, Forden would say "Toasty 3D!". This was to emphasize the fact that this was the first Mortal Kombat game that used three-dimensional graphics.
Forden also included the "toasty" quote in the pinball machine Medieval Madness
. When the player hits the right ramp, one of the quotes that is played is "toasty!".
This Easter egg is tributed in the dance simulator StepMania
: whenever a player gets 250 consecutive Perfects or better (Excellents or better in the 4.0 CVS version), a "toasty" appears. The PopCap
game Peggle
also features a tribute, as does the Aerosmith
-themed rail shooter Revolution X
, where singer Steven Tyler
shouts "Toasty!" in reaction to explosions.
Dan is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in the "TIMARA" program (or Technology in Music and Related Arts). He graduated in 1985 from the Conservatory and has since produced sounds for many Williams Electronics games. Forden's musical style, particularly for the Mortal Kombat series, is often a mixture of synthetic and organic sounds. A typical composition usually incorporates ethnic drumming with synthetic basses, synthetic leads and/or pads, and sometimes exotic instruments. His rhythms are usually very driving and his melodies can become quite complex.
Several songs that he composed for the Mortal Kombat 3 soundtrack were used in the precursor to South Park
, Jesus vs. Santa.
Williams
Midway (Bally)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sound programmer and music composer, and was the lead programmer
Lead programmer
A lead programmer is a software engineer in charge of one or more software projects. Alternative titles include Development Lead, Technical Lead, Senior Software Engineer, Software Design Engineer Lead , Software Manager, or Senior Applications Developer...
on several high-profile arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
and pinball
Pinball
Pinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible...
games. He is best known for working on the Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat (series)
Mortal Kombat, commonly abbreviated MK, is a science fantasy series of fighting games created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. The first four renditions and their updates were developed by Midway Games and initially released on arcade machines. The arcade titles were later picked up by Acclaim...
fighting game
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
series (in particular his catchphrase "Toasty!" which would sound at impressive maneuvers).
Biography and working style
Forden was born in Chicago, Illinois. He is the youngest of 5 children.He is credited in the Mortal Kombat series as Dan "Toasty" Forden, and is known for an Easter egg that first appeared in Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat II is a competitive fighting game originally produced by Midway Games for the arcades in . It is the second game in the Mortal Kombat series. Like its predecessor, various home versions were produced...
, where Forden's head would appear after a chain of combos in the bottom-right corner of the screen and shout "Toasty!" in a falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
when an uppercut was performed. In MKII you will hear him say Toasty! after Scorpion's fatality was done. In MK9 he will also appear saying Toasty after a long combo and an uppercut.
In Mortal Kombat 3
Mortal Kombat 3
Mortal Kombat 3 is a fighting game developed by Midway and released in 1995, first as an arcade game. It is the third game in the Mortal Kombat series...
, freezing an opponent in "danger mode" with Sub-Zero
Sub-Zero (Mortal Kombat)
Sub-Zero is the name given to two video game characters from the Mortal Kombat series. The older Sub-Zero first appeared in the first Mortal Kombat game, being replaced by his younger brother in Mortal Kombat II and the subsequent games...
would make him appear and shout "Frosty!". He still appeared sometimes saying "Toasty!" though, in the very same conditions.
Also, in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is a fighting game in the Mortal Kombat series, released in arcades in 1995. It is an update of Mortal Kombat 3 and was later updated again into Mortal Kombat Trilogy...
, Dan Forden would appear after a Stage Fatality in Scorpion's Lair saying "Crispy!" if both players' "High Punch" button was held down after executing the Fatality Input. If, instead, the both "Run" button were held down, then Shao Kahn would say "Crispy!".
Along with that, in Mortal Kombat 4
Mortal Kombat 4
Mortal Kombat 4 is the fourth main game in the Mortal Kombat series of fighting video games developed by Midway Games. Released to arcades in 1997, Mortal Kombat 4 is the first title from the series to use 3D computer graphics as well as one of the first games that Midway made in 3D. Eurocom later...
, if the player executed Scorpion's fatality, Forden would say "Toasty 3D!". This was to emphasize the fact that this was the first Mortal Kombat game that used three-dimensional graphics.
Forden also included the "toasty" quote in the pinball machine Medieval Madness
Medieval Madness
Medieval Madness is a Williams pinball machine released in June 1997. Designed by Brian Eddy and programmed by Lyman Sheats, Medieval Madness had a production run of 4,016 units. It was an immediate critical and popular success, earning well on location and achieving widespread popularity among...
. When the player hits the right ramp, one of the quotes that is played is "toasty!".
This Easter egg is tributed in the dance simulator StepMania
StepMania
StepMania is an open source and cross-platform rhythm video game and engine. It was originally developed as a simulator of Konami's arcade game series Dance Dance Revolution, and has since evolved into an extensible rhythm game engine capable of supporting a wide variety of rhythm-based game types...
: whenever a player gets 250 consecutive Perfects or better (Excellents or better in the 4.0 CVS version), a "toasty" appears. The PopCap
PopCap Games
PopCap Games is an American video game developer and publisher, based in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 2000 by John Vechey, Brian Fiete and Jason Kapalka, and currently employs about 400 people...
game Peggle
Peggle
Peggle is a casual puzzle video game developed by Sukhbir Sidhu and Brian Rothstein of PopCap Games. Initially released for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X systems in 2007, it has since had versions released for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, the Nintendo DS , Windows Mobile, the iPod, the...
also features a tribute, as does the Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
-themed rail shooter Revolution X
Revolution X
Revolution X is a arcade rail shooter game developed and published by Midway, featuring the rock band Aerosmith. The game features gameplay similar to Midway's earlier Terminator 2: Judgment Day...
, where singer Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...
shouts "Toasty!" in reaction to explosions.
Dan is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in the "TIMARA" program (or Technology in Music and Related Arts). He graduated in 1985 from the Conservatory and has since produced sounds for many Williams Electronics games. Forden's musical style, particularly for the Mortal Kombat series, is often a mixture of synthetic and organic sounds. A typical composition usually incorporates ethnic drumming with synthetic basses, synthetic leads and/or pads, and sometimes exotic instruments. His rhythms are usually very driving and his melodies can become quite complex.
Several songs that he composed for the Mortal Kombat 3 soundtrack were used in the precursor to South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, Jesus vs. Santa.
Discography
- Mortal Kombat II: Music from the Arcade Game Soundtrack (1993)
- Mortal Kombat Musik: MK3 & MK4 Arcade Video Game Soundtrack (1997)
WilliamsWilliams (gaming company)WMS Industries, Inc. is an American electronic gaming and amusement company based in Waukegan, Illinois. The company's main operating subsidiaries are WMS Gaming and Orion Gaming. WMS traces its roots as far back as 1943, the Williams Manufacturing Company, founded by Harry E. Williams...
- Black Knight 2000Black Knight (pinball)Black Knight is a 1980 pinball game designed by Steve Ritchie and released by Williams Electronics.This game is known for its two-level playfield , and introduced the patented "Magna-Save", in which a player-controlled magnet is used to prevent outlane drains. This was first of a series of four...
(with Brian L. Schmidt and Steve RitchieSteve RitchieSteven Scott Ritchie is an acclaimed pinball and video game designer. He has been called "The Master of Flow" by pinball aficionados due to the emphasis in his designs on ball speed, loops, and the like....
) - Bad CatsBad CatsBad Cats is a pinball machine released in November 1989 by Williams. It was designed by Barry Oursler and Python Anghelo.Anghelo said that he hated working on this game. "Bad Cats was a joke. Bad Cats, and [Bugs Bunny Birthday Ball], are one of my 'yes boy, kiss-ass'... and they're one of my worst...
- RollerGamesRollerGamesRollerGames was a U.S. television series that presented a theatrical version of the sport of roller derby for a national audience, and featured a number of skaters who had been in the Roller Games league , as well as younger participants...
- Riverboat Gambler (with Paul Heitsch)
- Harley Davidson
- The Machine: Bride of Pin*Bot (with Jon Hey and Rich Karstens)
- The Getaway: High Speed II
- Star Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next Generation (pinball)Star Trek: The Next Generation is a widebody pinball game, designed by Steve Ritchie and released in November 1993 by Williams Electronics. It was part of WMS' SuperPin series , and was based on the TV series. It is the only pinball machine that features three separate highscore-lists...
- No Fear: Dangerous SportsNo Fear: Dangerous SportsNo Fear: Dangerous Sports is a 1995 pinball game designed by Steve Ritchie and released by Williams. It is based on the clothing line. This game has an extreme sports theme.-Launch options:...
- Medieval MadnessMedieval MadnessMedieval Madness is a Williams pinball machine released in June 1997. Designed by Brian Eddy and programmed by Lyman Sheats, Medieval Madness had a production run of 4,016 units. It was an immediate critical and popular success, earning well on location and achieving widespread popularity among...
Midway (Bally)Midway GamesMidway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
- Atlantis (with Robin Seaver)
- Mousin' Around!Mousin' Around!Mousin' Around! is a pinball machine produced by Midway .-External links:*...
- Harley-Davidson
- Party Zone
- The Pinball Circus
- The ShadowThe Shadow (pinball)The Shadow is a 1994 pinball game designed by Brian Eddy and released by Midway . It is based on the 1994 movie of the same name....
- Attack From MarsAttack From MarsAttack from Mars is a 1995 pinball game designed by Brian Eddy, and released by Midway .In this game, Martians began to invade the Earth, and it's up to the player to destroy the Martian fleet, save all the major cities, and then head off to Mars to destroy the Martian empire and conquer Mars.Among...
- SafecrackerSafecracker (pinball)Safecracker is a pinball machine with a safecracking theme, designed by Pat Lawlor, and distributed by Midway . It was created in 1996. About 1148 were manufactured. Safecracker differs from a standard pinball game in that the player is playing against the clock as opposed to having a certain...
- Revenge From MarsRevenge From MarsRevenge from Mars is a 2000 pinball machine manufactured by Midway . It is the sequel to Attack from Mars, that also has the same theme....
Midway
- Arch RivalsArch RivalsArch Rivals is a basketball arcade game created by Midway in 1989. The game billed itself as "A Basket Brawl." It was also included on Midway Arcade Treasures 2 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube and Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition for the PC...
- Pigskin 621 A.D.Pigskin 621 A.D.Pigskin 621 A.D. is an arcade game released in 1990 by Bally Midway. One player can battle the computer, or two players can battle head-to-head...
- Super High Impact
- Mortal Kombat series
- NFL BlitzNFL BlitzNFL Blitz is a series of American football themed video games by Midway featuring the teams of the National Football League. It began as a 1997 arcade game but was eventually ported to home consoles and spawned several sequels...
series - HyperDrive
- The GridThe Grid (arcade game)The Grid is a 2001 arcade game by Midway. It is a third person shooter in the form of a super-violent television game show hosted by a Smash TV-like host. It was created by the developers behind the Mortal Kombat series of games. It also has cameos from the Mortal Kombat characters Sub-Zero,...
- CART FuryCART FuryCART Fury is a 2000 arcade-style racing video game based on the Champ Car World Series .-Summary:...
External links
- MobyGames' rap sheet on Forden
- Artist profile at OverClocked ReMixOverClocked ReMixOverClocked ReMix, also known as OC ReMix and OCR, is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and paying tribute to video game music through arranging and re-interpreting the songs with new technology and software, as well as by various traditional means...