CarnEvil

Infobox VG
title = CarnEvil


caption =
developer = Midway Games
publisher = Midway Games
distributor =
designer =
license =
series =
engine =
version =
released =
genre = Light gun
modes = Single-player, Multiplayer
ratings =
cabinet =
arcade system = Midway Seattle hardware
cpu = Main CPU: R5000 @ 150 MHz
sound = Sound CPU: ADSP2115 @ 16 MHz
Sound Chips: (2x) DMA-driven @ 16 MHz
display = Horizontal
640 x 480 resolution
57 Hz refresh rate
65536 palette colors
platforms = Arcade
media =
requirements =
input =

"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 a 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 to rise from the ground. Wielding a shotgun from the shooting gallery at the entrance, Jacob, and Lisa if there is a second player, 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. Jacob, after standing up with Lisa sees the coin fall into the hole again and decides to re-summon CarnEvil for a second round, much to the horror of Lisa, who screams as it awakens once again.

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

In Corresponding order:

* 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 dark ride; 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. But they want your brain to put in the body of the "main event" of the Center Ring!

Characters

The Good

* Jacob - A local teenager and the protagonist of the game. He wears a red jacket with blue jeans 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, Jacob learns that CarnEvil is beyond anything the legend described and grabs a pump-action shot gun 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.

* Lisa - A teenage girl who was on Spooky Sam's Ghost Tour as well. When CarnEvil is summoned from the cemetery, she indistinctly appears out of nowhere during the game. She follows the player in each level and usually winds up being attacked by spiders, zombies, etc. Upgrades to the pump-shot gun can be received by rescuing her from her attackers while accidentally shooting her results in damage to the player's life points. She is based on the main character from the 1960s horror B-movie "Carnival of Souls." She's played by Player 2.

* 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.

* Umlaut - The guide to the demented world of CarnEvil and its official "spokesperson". He appears as a cartoon-like sharp-toothed skull with a purple and yellow jester hat on. He directs the player to whichever level that they choose to enter. Umlaut makes his final appearance as a sub-boss on the final level. Frank Welker voices him.

The Evil

Rickety Town Enemies

* Tinsels - Twisted little elves in Rickety Town; attack by throwing presents and stabbing with sharpened candy canes. They resemble the Green Goblin and are respectively seen on the "Slay Ride" roller coaster.

* Carnie - The mascot of Rickety Town, an evil, fanged version of Barney the dinosaur but blue-green in color. They can be seen around the "Dino-Rama" flat ride and emerge from the whirling dinosaur eggs.

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

* Smilin' Bob (Mr. Smiley) - An overly cheerful gas station attendant whose grin never wavers even after half of his head is blown away; attacks by swinging a gas can or punching. He primarily appears in the "Garage" where he attacks both on foot and in the bumper cars. Ironically, he is also a humble and helpful employee, but don't be fooled by his friendly and happy smile.

* 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 - Monstrous Santa Claus with reindeer antlers, talons, and ice skates. He serves as the boss character in Rickety Town. Krampus comes from behind a giant Christmas tree when it turns around to reveal the other side. He glides around the skating rink and attacks with his claws but also uses a sack full of coals. Upon being defeated, he falls over and starts bleeding on the ice as snow begins to fall.

Haunted House Enemies

* Rotten Robbie - Zombies that have overrun the Haunted House; can throw knives, torsos, or punch and swipe at close range.

* Gools and Rayths - Evil spirits who haunt the halls of the mansion. These vile entities are known to appear almost anywhere throughout the level and seem to vanish when blasted.

* 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 shot out of the air and impaled on the spire of her tomb.

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 - The upper bodies of conjoined twin acrobats connected at the waist, seen in the Freak Show. When you shoot the other half of the body, the opposite half will laugh; if you kill it and wound them, Flap Jack will laugh (and choke) when dying. They are the genetic marvels of the Freak Show and often attack with giant clubs while performing on stage.

* NikNak - Deadly eight-legged "spider monkeys" created by cross-breeding those two creatures; very fast and agile. They all wear fez caps and are fought within a giant cage.

* Tort and Rodz - The badly mutilated inmates of the Chamber of Horrors. They are so badly tortured that a few shots will make the body drop fast to the ground. As such, they are slow-moving but still pose a threat to you with jagged swords and may distract you from smaller enemies. They are also found in the hazardous assembly line beneath the Chamber.

* 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 - Gigantic infant sewn together from parts unknown and brought to life by lightning like Frankenstein. He carries a rattle made from human skulls. He's the boss of the Freak Show level, fought inside a gigantic playpen where he attempts to crush the players. He uses a vomiting attack which is nearly impossible to avoid. Ultimately, he is forced back into his crib where he is electrocuted and killed.

* 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 same.

Big Top Enemies

* Mortito - Small, imp-like, bat-headed creatures who speak only 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 the 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 makes 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 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"

*KLOV game|id=7285
* [http://www.arcade-history.com/index.php?page=detail&id=393 Arcade History: CarnEvil]