Monster Bash

Monster Bash (in English an ambiguous word game "Monster Brawl" and "Monster Party", working title Graveyard ) is a side-scrolling platform game for MS-DOS . The three-part computer game series was developed for Apogee Software Productions and was first published on April 9, 1993. The game, which is both combative and skillful, is set up in a humorously exaggerated horror film scenario. Monster Bash uses the EGA graphics mode with 16 colors and 320 × 200 pixels through its exaggerated comic style and soft scrolling to the technical limits (comparable to the better-known series Commander Keen ). The game features AdLib- compatible music as well as sounds optimized for output to system speakers .

action

The player controls Johnny Dash, a blond, ten-year-old boy who is dressed in a white, blue-dotted sleepover suit and a red baseball cap that is upside down . Johnny's dog was kidnapped by Count Chuck and so Johnny goes in search of his pet in the middle of the night. He has to overcome numerous life-threatening obstacles in the Halloween- typically decorated levels located in cemeteries and in crypts . To defend against zombies , dead hands and other monsters , Johnny has a slingshot with an unlimited supply of ammunition, which he can temporarily improve in the course of the game by collecting stronger types of ammunition (such as bursting and scattering stones). On the way, Johnny has to free more kidnapped pets that are being held in cages across the levels.

development

The game was developed by Apogee employee Frank Maddin, who was previously primarily responsible for Crystal Caves and then involved in Shadow Warrior . In an interview conducted in 2006, he claims to have been largely inspired by Commander Keen . Monster Bash is also the one of his games that he has the most affection for and with which he can most likely imagine developing a successor.

The game engine used, F.AST Game System , was developed by Gerald Lindsly, who originally initiated the project. The graphics are for the most part by Amanda Dee, who also worked as an artist for the Ultima series , among other things . The music was composed by Rob Wallace.

After the first version was published on April 9, 1993, several updates followed ; the final version 2.1 was published on May 23, 1993. A VGA version of the game with 256 instead of 16 colors was planned, but was never completed.

distribution

Monster Bash was released in three independent episodes. Episode 1 was distributed as an unrestricted shareware version to advertise the paid episodes 2 and 3. As with the previously released Bio Menace game , but unlike previous shareware games from Apogee, there are two different versions of Episode 1. The shareware version contains all levels, but from the 5th level it shows a request to register before each level begins, which can only be closed after 30 to 60 seconds. In the commercial version of episode 1, which you received together with episodes 2 and 3 upon registration and which may not be passed on, these advertising screens are not included. Episode 1 contains ten levels, episodes 2 and 3 nine. That makes a total of 28 levels for all three games. At the end of each episode, Johnny defeats a boss . He can only free his dog at the end of the third episode.

The three episodes were sent on three 5.25 "or 3.5" floppy disks . Today the game is available on the web at 3D Realms .

compatibility

Monster Bash was developed for PC-compatible DOS . The game does not run or only runs with errors on current versions of Microsoft Windows . In order to still be able to play it smoothly, you can use a DOS emulator such as DOSBox .

Individual evidence

↑ Interview with Frank Maddin from 2006 at 3D Realms
↑ Monster Bash at MobyGames (English)
↑ Monster Bash - official website at 3D Realms

[1] Interview with Frank Maddin from 2006 at 3D Realms

[2] Monster Bash at MobyGames (English)

[3] Monster Bash - official website at 3D Realms