Monster Bash
Encyclopedia
Monster Bash is a side-scrolling platform
video game developed
and published
by Apogee Software
on 9 April 1993 for the MS-DOS
PC
. The game features 16-color EGA
graphics and IMF
AdLib
compatible music. It was developed by Frank Maddin and Gerald Lindsly.
The game is divided in three episodes or parts. The first episode of the game is available to download under a shareware
license, but the two remaining parts of the game must be purchased. The registered game also removes advertisements and reminders of the benefits of purchasing the games from the first episode and enables cheat code functionality.
The player
controls Johnny Dash, the ten year old hero of the game, whose pet dog Tex was just dognapped by the game's main villain
, Count Chuck. During a fearsome storm a friendly monster
under his bed tells Johnny that many other pets have been taken as well, and that Count Chuck took them to his Underworld to transform them all into evil monsters. The 'bed monster' empowers Johnny with a bottomless pocket of rocks with which to arm his slingshot. Through a secret and temporary portal in his closet that operates as a passageway, Johnny enters the Underworld, in order to defeat the Count's army and save the pets.
Episode One begins in a graveyard setting but later levels include cavern and haunted house themes. The first episode introduces a number of monsters who reappear in the later episodes such as zombies. Episode Two takes place in Count Chuck's underground lair and begins in the cooking pot where Johnny Dash was transported to in the last level of Episode One. The majority of the levels are set in a hellish environment where monsters include demons and giant eyeballs and later in laboratories. Again there is continuity between the first level of this episode and the last of Episode Three. Episode Three appears to be set in a place that has been extensively ravaged under the influence of Count Chuck. The first few levels follow a Halloween theme, swamps and finally more caverns wher Count Chuck lies.
-themed levels
armed with his slingshot
. In each level, the player has to break the locks of the pets' cages
in order to free them. The player cannot complete the level until all pets are freed. The game follows a typical platform game style, where the player must fight boss monsters at the end of each episode to be able to complete it and advance to the next one.
The first episode has 10 levels, and the other two have 9 levels each, for a total of 28 levels on all three episodes. This includes a single boss level in each episode and a Miniboss. When the player enters a new level, Johnny's health is replenished, and any powerups acquired in the previous level are removed. The player has 10 slots per episode to save games, and restoring a saved game returns the player to the beginning of the level.
During one level in the third episode Johnny gains the use of a captured broomstick. In the course of this level the player can activate the broomstick to navigate the level, offering a more arcade-style of gameplay.
The player comes across various inanimate objects which they must interact with in order to complete the level. These include furniture that springs Johnny into the air, deployable ladders and flying broomsticks. One feature rarely found in games since is the ability to access hints (F10 key) from the game developers specific to the level that is being played. The hints are effective as a rudimentary walkthrough as well as a tutorial for players to whom the gameplay may be unfamiliar.
Enemies are based on horror-monsters, and include disembodied crawling hands, flying witches
, zombie
s, demon
s, walking skeleton
s and werewolves
. While some enemies appear in several levels, others only appear in theme-related levels; for example, the rock men only appear in the cavern-themed levels, and the invisible men are only in the haunted house levels. Some enemies take more hits to die than others, and a couple are invincible.
There are also several boss enemies
throughout the levels. There are a couple of "minor" bosses that appear in the earlier levels of each episode. One recurring enemy is Dash's 'nemesis': an evil clone of himself who he fights in each episode and finally destroys in the last. There are three "major" bosses who feature in the boss levels of each episode: Cyclops in the first episode, Igor in the second and Count Chuck in the final.
Johnny has a health bar consisting of several slots (9 in the easy mode, 6 in the medium mode and 3 in the hard mode). Each time he is hit by a monster or a hazard, he loses a slot; if he loses all of them, Johnny dies. Collecting a heart refills the player's health completely. Some hazards like swamps or monsters like dragons can kill Johnny instantly. Each time Johnny dies he goes back to the beginning of the level or starts at a pirate flag checkpoint that the player has passed. After dying, the state of the level is maintained, as are the powerups collected, and Johnny's health is replenished.
The player has a limited number of lives, and if he loses all of them the game is over. The player can collect Johnny-shaped, hanging voodoo dolls to get more lives, to a maximum of five. (In addition, every 20,000 points also generates an extra life.)
#200 by Sandy Petersen
in the "Eye of the Monitor" column. Petersen gave the series 3 out of 5 stars.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video game developed
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
and published
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
by Apogee Software
3D Realms
3D Realms is a current video game publisher and former video game developer based in Garland, Texas, United States, established in 1987...
on 9 April 1993 for the MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
PC
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
. The game features 16-color EGA
Enhanced Graphics Adapter
The Enhanced Graphics Adapter is the IBM PC computer display standard specification which is between CGA and VGA in terms of color and space resolution. Introduced in October 1984 by IBM shortly after its new PC/AT, EGA produces a display of 16 simultaneous colors from a palette of 64 at a...
graphics and IMF
IMF (music)
IMF is an audio file format created by id Software for the AdLib sound card for use in their video games. The default filename extension is also "imf". The abbreviation stands for "id music file" or "id's music format"....
AdLib
AdLib
Ad Lib, Inc. was a manufacturer of sound cards and other computer equipment founded by Martin Prevel, a former professor of music and vice-dean of the music department at the Université Laval...
compatible music. It was developed by Frank Maddin and Gerald Lindsly.
The game is divided in three episodes or parts. The first episode of the game is available to download under a shareware
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
license, but the two remaining parts of the game must be purchased. The registered game also removes advertisements and reminders of the benefits of purchasing the games from the first episode and enables cheat code functionality.
Story
The story has a fantasy/horror theme with comedic elements and a simple plot. The original story can be accessed through the main menu of each episode. The player is informed as to the continuation of the story with dialogue and events that appear as scrollable messages on the screen.The player
Player (game)
A player of a game is a participant therein. The term 'player' is used with this same meaning both in game theory and in ordinary recreational games....
controls Johnny Dash, the ten year old hero of the game, whose pet dog Tex was just dognapped by the game's main villain
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
, Count Chuck. During a fearsome storm a friendly monster
Monster
A monster is any fictional creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is somewhat hideous and may produce physical harm or mental fear by either its appearance or its actions...
under his bed tells Johnny that many other pets have been taken as well, and that Count Chuck took them to his Underworld to transform them all into evil monsters. The 'bed monster' empowers Johnny with a bottomless pocket of rocks with which to arm his slingshot. Through a secret and temporary portal in his closet that operates as a passageway, Johnny enters the Underworld, in order to defeat the Count's army and save the pets.
Episode One begins in a graveyard setting but later levels include cavern and haunted house themes. The first episode introduces a number of monsters who reappear in the later episodes such as zombies. Episode Two takes place in Count Chuck's underground lair and begins in the cooking pot where Johnny Dash was transported to in the last level of Episode One. The majority of the levels are set in a hellish environment where monsters include demons and giant eyeballs and later in laboratories. Again there is continuity between the first level of this episode and the last of Episode Three. Episode Three appears to be set in a place that has been extensively ravaged under the influence of Count Chuck. The first few levels follow a Halloween theme, swamps and finally more caverns wher Count Chuck lies.
Gameplay
Johnny must work his way through several horrorHorror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
-themed levels
Level (computer and video games)
A level, map, area, or world in a video game is the total space available to the player during the course of completing a discrete objective...
armed with his slingshot
Slingshot
A slingshot, shanghai, flip, bean shooter or catapult is a small hand-powered projectile weapon. The classic form consists of a Y-shaped frame held in the off hand, with two rubber strips attached to the uprights. The other ends of the strips lead back to a pocket which holds the projectile...
. In each level, the player has to break the locks of the pets' cages
Cage (enclosure)
A cage is an enclosure made of mesh, bars or wires, used to confine, contain or protect something or someone. A cage can serve many purposes, including keeping an animal in captivity, capturing, and being used for display of an animal at a zoo.-History:...
in order to free them. The player cannot complete the level until all pets are freed. The game follows a typical platform game style, where the player must fight boss monsters at the end of each episode to be able to complete it and advance to the next one.
The first episode has 10 levels, and the other two have 9 levels each, for a total of 28 levels on all three episodes. This includes a single boss level in each episode and a Miniboss. When the player enters a new level, Johnny's health is replenished, and any powerups acquired in the previous level are removed. The player has 10 slots per episode to save games, and restoring a saved game returns the player to the beginning of the level.
During one level in the third episode Johnny gains the use of a captured broomstick. In the course of this level the player can activate the broomstick to navigate the level, offering a more arcade-style of gameplay.
The player comes across various inanimate objects which they must interact with in order to complete the level. These include furniture that springs Johnny into the air, deployable ladders and flying broomsticks. One feature rarely found in games since is the ability to access hints (F10 key) from the game developers specific to the level that is being played. The hints are effective as a rudimentary walkthrough as well as a tutorial for players to whom the gameplay may be unfamiliar.
Fighting and health
Johnny has an unlimited supply of rocks, and he can fire his slingshot either forward or diagonally up. Rocks move in a realistic projectile-like pattern, and can bounce off walls and other objects. The player can collect powerups for the slingshot that allow Johnny to shoot a limited quantity of more powerful projectiles, including a bigger rock that splits into smaller ones on impact, a triple-rock, enemy-seeking rockets and a fireball.Enemies are based on horror-monsters, and include disembodied crawling hands, flying witches
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
, zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
s, demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s, walking skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
s and werewolves
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
. While some enemies appear in several levels, others only appear in theme-related levels; for example, the rock men only appear in the cavern-themed levels, and the invisible men are only in the haunted house levels. Some enemies take more hits to die than others, and a couple are invincible.
There are also several boss enemies
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
throughout the levels. There are a couple of "minor" bosses that appear in the earlier levels of each episode. One recurring enemy is Dash's 'nemesis': an evil clone of himself who he fights in each episode and finally destroys in the last. There are three "major" bosses who feature in the boss levels of each episode: Cyclops in the first episode, Igor in the second and Count Chuck in the final.
Johnny has a health bar consisting of several slots (9 in the easy mode, 6 in the medium mode and 3 in the hard mode). Each time he is hit by a monster or a hazard, he loses a slot; if he loses all of them, Johnny dies. Collecting a heart refills the player's health completely. Some hazards like swamps or monsters like dragons can kill Johnny instantly. Each time Johnny dies he goes back to the beginning of the level or starts at a pirate flag checkpoint that the player has passed. After dying, the state of the level is maintained, as are the powerups collected, and Johnny's health is replenished.
The player has a limited number of lives, and if he loses all of them the game is over. The player can collect Johnny-shaped, hanging voodoo dolls to get more lives, to a maximum of five. (In addition, every 20,000 points also generates an extra life.)
Reception
Monster Bash I, II, and III were reviewed in 1993 in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#200 by Sandy Petersen
Sandy Petersen
Carl Sanford Joslyn Petersen is a game designer.Petersen was born in St. Louis, Missouri and attended University of California, Berkeley, majoring in zoology....
in the "Eye of the Monitor" column. Petersen gave the series 3 out of 5 stars.
External links
- Monster Bash Official page
- For technical information about the file formats used by the game, see Monster Bash at the Game Modding Wiki
- Interview with designer Frank Maddin
- [ftp://ftp.3drealms.com/share/1bash21.zip 1bash21.zip] - v2.1 shareware episode (1016k)