CarnEvil

CarnEvil
CarnEvil
	File:Carnevil.png
Developer(s)	Midway Games
Publisher(s)	Midway Games
Platform(s)	Arcade
Genre(s)	Survival horror; Light gun
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer
Arcade system	Midway Seattle hardware

CarnEvil is a rail shooter arcade game using a light gun. Released by Midway Games on October 31 (Halloween), 1998, CarnEvil is noted for its graphic content and strong lifelike violence which was peppered with heavy amounts of black humor. CarnEvil is a portmanteau of "The Carnival of Evil" and was inspired by the 1962 movie Carnival of Souls. It is the most successful light gun style game produced by Midway Games.

Plot

The game is set in the fictional town of Greeley Valley, Iowa. The main character, Jacob, joins a tractor-drawn trailer called Spooky Sam's Ghost Tour on its path through a cemetery. According to an urban legend, if a golden token is inserted into the jester's mouth on top of the tombstone of Ludwig von Tökkentäkker, a haunted amusement park will rise from the earth. The main character leaves the tour with his friend, Lisa, and approaches the tombstone. A golden coin falls into a small hole on the tombstone, and surprised, Jacob inserts the coin into the jester's mouth, resulting in the legendary undead carnival rising from the ground. Wielding a shotgun from the shooting gallery at the entrance, Jacob fights through hordes of monsters, zombies, and insects until they eventually escape. The game consists of four levels, each ending with a boss fight. The bosses are all in the form of carnival attractions as well as some European archetypes. After defeating Tökkentäkker, the man who owns the undead carnival, and surviving the explosion of the airship, Jacob awakes the next morning in a pile of leaves next to Lisa, and finds himself back in the cemetery in front of the Tökkentäkker tombstone.

Gameplay

The players shoot enemies on the screen while progressing through four amusement park-themed horror environments while avoiding civilians. Shooting civilians earns a life penalty, but does not garner any long-term consequences or changes to the game. Power-ups such as extra health, clip increases, and gun power-ups are among other possible rewards for shooting non-civilians. Grabbing these power-ups also provides bonus points. It is said to be "the most twisted video game ever" by the LA Weekly. In this game you battle undead elves, fast food workers, freaks, and many others. The weapon is a pump-shot gun which can be powered up to a machine gun, a double-blast shotgun, a flamethrower, and even an acid shooter. This game contains blood and gore, intense violence, and disturbing images but still manages to maintain a sense of cartoonish albeit dark humor. For example, in the Rickety Town level, you can hit a target that will have one of the zombie fast food workers dunked in a vat of boiling oil and fried undead.

Environments

The first three stages below may be played in any order, after which the player automatically moves on to the fourth one.

Rickety Town - A traditional carnival setting focusing on familiar sights such as roller coasters, a ferris wheel, bumper cars, flat rides, game stalls, and even a food court. The most prominent ride is the Christmas-themed "Slay Ride" roller coaster which delivers the player to an ice skating rink to face the boss character.

Haunted House - A Victorian-style mansion surrounded by a graveyard and posing as a ghost train; filled with zombies, ghouls, spiders, bats, and other Halloween favorites. The player enters through the foyer and fights their way through the den, hallways, and kitchen before ascending to the second floor and onto the roof where one of the wagons knocks the players into the graveyard for the boss fight.

Freak Show - Boardwalk-style sideshow of the bizarre and astounding featuring a host of deformed opponents which make this stage particularly disturbing. The player begins in the freak exhibition and from there fights monsters in a museum of oddities, a monkey cage, and then a Tower of London-themed torture exhibition. A macabre assembly line beneath the Chamber delivers the player to a gigantic play pen to face the boss.

Ludwig von Tökkentäkker's Big Top - Immense circus tent swarming with undead clowns, mimes, and circus animals - this is the main attraction of the nightmarish carnival. Ascending the big top by means of cannon, trapeze, and tightrope allows you to reach Ludwig von Tökkentäkker's zeppelin where the final battle takes place.

Characters

Good

Jacob - A local teenager and the protagonist of the game. He wears a red jacket with blue jeans, wears a red hat and carries a flashlight in his hand. After hearing the legend of CarnEvil, he takes Spooky Sam's Ghost Tour through the local Greeley Valley Cemetery to see whether the stories are true. When he sees the professor's grave, he ditches the Ghost Tour and foolishly puts the token into the mouth of the Jester Skull. As Tökkentäkker and his minions emerge from the depths of Hell, the player learns that CarnEvil is beyond anything the legend described and grabs a pump-action shotgun from the shooting gallery, realizing that he must either fight his way out or die in the evil amusement park. He's played as Player 1.

Nick - The player's best friend. He was not afraid of CarnEvil until he actually saw it. He was the only survivor on the Spooky Sam's Ghost Tour tractor when CarnEvil rose from the graves. He now fights with the first player to end the madness of CarnEvil. He's played as Player 2.

Betty - A contemporary teen age resident of Greely Valley Iowa, Betty reluctantly agreed to go along with her friends on the "Spooky Sam Ghost Tour" through Greely Valley Cemetery. Little did they know that this would be the night that CarnEvil would return. Betty is now helplessly trapped within the twisted walls of CarnEvil. Do you have what it takes to save her?

Spooky Sam - The tour guide in Spooky Sam's Ghost Tour. He speaks with a Southern accent. He and most of his passengers are murdered when CarnEvil emerges from the grave.

Evil

Rickety Town Enemies

Tinsels - Tinsels are the evil Elves who are in the faithful service of "Krampus the Anti-Claus". Sure to ruin your Holiday Spirit, these grouchy little helpers will be happy to help you to an early grave!

Carnie - What would an amusement park be without its syrupy sweet mascot? Rickety Town's own "Carnie The Dinosaur" can be found stalking the Dino-Rama Ride. He's big and lovable - but don't get too close or he'll bite your head off.

Buzzy - Small insects grown fat on bad carnival food. They have razor sharp mandibles.

Smilin' Bob (Mr. Smiley) - The ultimate yes man, Smilin' Bob will greet you with a cheerful "Top o' the mornin'!" and "Check your oil sir?" Armed with a big smile, big wrench, and a gas can - Smilin' Bob will go that "extra mile" to make your visit a memorable one!

Skeleteens - The zombified and pimple-faced teenage employees of the food court who toss pizza, corn dogs, burritos, chicken drumsticks and a variety of carnival-themed food and drinks. They jump over the counter to punch. They have very fast attacks.

Krampus the Anti-Claus - Just as there is night and day or hot and cold - Krampus embodies all that is mean and cruel. A creature as old as Winter itself, Krampus is a being of pure evil who scours the earth seeking out all the "naughty" children to eventually turn them into his personal slaves: the Tinsels. Krampus just loves surprising all the little kids who wander into his giant snow -globe lair at the end of the terrifying "Slay Ride".

Haunted House Enemies

Rotten Robbie - The zombie is one of the many cursed local farmers who died horribly as a result of the great plague that followed Tokkentakkers' burial in 1898. Now raised from the dead, the zombies are doomed to wander the grounds of the Haunted House in search of human flesh to harvest in a futile effort to satisfy their eternal hunger.

Gool / Ghouls and Rayths- Ghouls are disturbed souls that will never find peace among the living. Their only pleasure is in your pain and they will not stop their attack until either they or you are destroyed.

Arachne - Giant spiders who stalk the dark corridors of the Haunted House and make shrieking noises when killed.

Legs - Smaller spiders who dwell in the basement of the Haunted House.

Batty - Large bats who like to take a bite out of visitors. Be careful of them, as they can fly very fast and can overtake you because they are always seen in large groups. Typically, only one of them will actually try to bite, often the last one of the group.

Grabby - Dangerous hands that pop out of the walls in the Haunted House and claw at the player.

Hambone - Jason Voorhees parodying maniac and sub-boss in the Haunted House stage. Hambone first appears at the mansion entrance to try and stop the players. He wears a hockey mask and bib overalls while sporting a chaingun arm. After being defeated once, he later returns as Hambone: The Revenge, sporting a cannon that launches explosive skulls (three or six skulls depending on the number of players). The mask can be shot off.

Evil Marie - Parody of Marie Antoinette and the boss of the Haunted House stage who emerges from her graveyard mausoleum. She appears as a vampire lady with pale violet skin, in fine dress, and powdered wig and heels. She sports a bloody axe and comically over-sized breasts. She loses clothing as she takes damage until ending in a corset, underwear, and stockings. Towards the end of the fight, Evil Marie summons a column of light which enables her to fire blasts of energy before being killed by the water fountain cone at the end

Freak Show Enemies

Human Fly - He is what his name says, a fly with a human head. He enjoys buzzing around the Fly Trap.

Maggot Mike - Human-headed maggots who love to give visitors "kisses".

Flap Jack - Lester and Chester Turvey were once separated twin brother acrobats in a small traveling circus. Professor Ludwig von Tokkentakker discovered them one day and enticed them with offers of top billing into his CarnEvil sideshow. Later, (and with some minor cosmetic alterations) - they did become the main attraction of the Freakshow, although not quite as Tokkentakker had promised. Four surgeries and two lobotomies later - "FlapJack! : The Amazing Flip Flop Man!" was born!

NikNak - A product of Tokkentakkers' genetic sense of humor - Nik Nak combines the speed and agility of a monkey with the incredible proportional strength of a giant spider. Annoying and not house broken, Nik Nak is one wild eight legged Freak of Nature!

Tort and Rodz - Tort and Rodz are the psychotic caretakers of Ludwig von Tokkentakkers' Chamber of Horrors. Plucked from the most vile insane asylums throughout the decades, their urge to kill is fueled by self-torture - making them almost unstoppable. They will try throwing jagged swords. Rodz is the one with the disturbed smile and overstretched eyes shrieking, Tort is the one with the flaming bucket on his head and nails on his chest and ribs yelling.

Eyeclops - Cockney speaking sub-boss of the Freak Show. You must defeat him before entering the Chamber of Horrors. Eyeclops appears as a two-headed ogre giant donning light armor, sword, and shield. He sports one eye on each head, three on his chest, and several others on his arms and legs. These are obviously his weak point and taking them out will reduce the greatest amount of his health. Use the rapid-fire tactic to take out every eye on his body so that he falls quickly.

Junior - More than just another Freakshow attraction, Junior is Professor Tokkentakkers' "Pet Project". By creating an army of giant "Freaks" who will respond to his every command, Tokkentakker hopes to one day overtake the entire planet in worldwide "CarnEvil-ization! " Junior is well fed and protected in his compound but Tokkentakker is not certain if his experiment will ever stop growing.

Deaddy - An extra boss in the arcade version, the game creators made Deaddy in case Junior was too 'scary' to children. Deaddy is a giggantic teddy bear that's been turned into a zombie and has all of Junior's attacks. Deaddy, according to the strategy guide, is actually supposed to be stronger than Junior, but those who have played against him have felt it's the gay old bear.

Big Top Enemies

Mortito - Small, imp-like, bat-headed creatures who speak mostly Spanish and carry tridents the size of their own bodies. They are usually seen in flight or launched out of a cannon. One of the Spanish phrases they use is the same phrase used by Speedy Gonzalez.

Big Johnny - Ironically, small clowns who wield knives or fling bowling pins and wear classic red, white and blue attire. Their favorite line is, "That's show business!"

Marcello - A famous mime resembling Marcel Marceau who just seems to get in the way.

Little Mugsy (Mister Ozob) - Giant men in clown suits who make strange squeaking noises when hit. They attack the players with giant mallets or brass knuckles.

Yippy - Undead rabid poodles in clown attire. They resemble Cujo and perform amazing feats!

Dr. Giggles - A crazed surgeon who likes to "clown around" with his patients. He wants your brain (to put in the body of the "Great Ape")!

Skeleton Crew - Numerous skeletons who appear during the final battle with Tökkentäkker. They are the Professor's crew members and will prevent the players from reaching their master.

Umlaut - He first appears as a petrified Jester Skull on Tökkentäkker's grave. When Jacob feeds him the gold token, he comes to life and summons CarnEvil. Upon selecting a level, Umlaut appears to give a brief rhyme to describe what's in store. Umlaut returns as the sub-boss during the final battle on-board Tökkentäkker's airship. The player must defeat him before facing off with Tökkentäkker. His bite attacks aren't especially damaging, but his small size and quick motions make him a difficult target to hit.

Professor Ludwig von Tökkentäkker - The German-accented master of the "Greatest Show Unearthed" (pun of Greatest Show on Earth) and all of its horrors. Appearing as an eccentric gentleman in a brilliantly colored ringmaster's costume with five bell-shaped coat buttons and wearing a CarnEvil token as an eye patch, he commands from his zeppelin over CarnEvil, staffed by a skeleton crew. He wields a musket (which is very powerful)and randomly teleports during the fight, leading the players on a chase throughout his ship. Toward the end of the fight, he summons a barrage of fireworks before finally being knocked into his own ship's propellers, causing the zeppelin to explode. Tökkentäkker's name is a portmanteau of "token taker" and he closely resembles the Insane Clown Posse Ringmaster.

CarnEvil original soundtrack

The original score was composed by Kevin Quinn.

CarnEvil Introduction- 1:38
CarnEvil Superbeast- 0:30
Select Your Doom- 1:03
Christmas Wonderland- 1:06
Big Bunyan Ride!- 1:22
The Garage (Bumper Cars) - 1:30
Krampus- 1:31
Haunted House- 1:07
Freak Show- 0:52
The Chamber of Horrors- 1:25
Junior- 1:24
Ludwig von Tökkentäkker's Big Top- 1:04
The Final Ring- 1:04
The Baron's Airship- 1:17
Credits- 2:35

External links