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The Top 25 Video Game Villains of Every Subtype Imaginable
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<blockquote data-quote="CC13" data-source="post: 61432" data-attributes="member: 1151"><p>I'll admit I was probably a little too arcane for my own good on this one; I have a tendency to get a little too wrapped up in my own cleverness when I do things like this. That clue was actually supposed to lead you to the name of the villain, though—you'll see why momentarily:</p><p></p><p>23. Flotsam (Toobin')</p><p>Developed & Published By: Atari Games</p><p>Platform: Arcade</p><p>Year of Release: 1988</p><p></p><p>Toobin' is a perfect snapshot of American arcade gaming in the late '80s. The broader pop culture's infestation of grimdark had not yet infected video gaming and innovation was still much less the exception than it is today, but sales and the number of arcades out there were both dropping, thanks mainly to the all-conquering NES. This desperation is reflected in T-shirt contests held in both Toobin' and fellow 1988 Atari Games release Vindicators. Even though I desperately hope somebody has an XXL Vindicators T-shirt and is willing to part with it, those contests were still blatantly obvious attempts at using macrogaming to grab a dwindling player base's attentions (something you saw in pinball around the same time, appropriately enough, in the form of progressive jackpots—BK2K, Dr. Dude & EATPM all used this sort of macrogame in an attempt to lure players in with promises of the big score).</p><p></p><p>The design also exudes a similar desperation. The gameplay could easily have been handled with a trackball for movement and one button for projectiles, but Atari Games wanted this game to stand out, so they made a more...esoteric control scheme. Instead of a trackball, you have four diagonal movement buttons, which can prove a steep learning curve for those used to more conventional layouts. To move forward, you have to press both bottom buttons simultaneously, which I still sometimes have trouble wrapping my head around.</p><p></p><p>For all its faults, however, Toobin' radiates charm. The tunes are catchy, the graphics are bright & colorful, the decision to make a video game about inner tubing certainly required some outside-the box thinking and the whole game has an almost Nordman-esque sense of goofy humor that makes everything go down that much easier. In addition, Flotsam can prove quite a formidable opponent—he always seems to cross through the point-rich narrow flags right before you and you can never quite seem to shake him (although he'll go away for a long while once his three lives are spent).</p><p></p><p>Before we wrap up, there is also an interesting little bit of Toobin' trivia that I would be remiss in leaving out of this entry. Toobin' actually has a pinball pedigree—the gameplay is basically the video section of the minorly infamous Granny & the Gators in reverse with the pinball parts removed. It just goes to show how ideas getting reused isn't a bad thing unless that's all you can find out there.</p><p></p><p><strong>Next Time on The Top 25 Pre-1991 Western Arcade & Console Game Villains</strong>: Boingy, boingy, boingy!</p><p></p><p>P.S. Don't worry, DrainoBraino—I'll give you credit for this guess even if my post gets on here before your next one.</p><p></p><p>P.P.S. In case you still couldn't parse my first clue, it was meant to be a reference to Disney's <em>The Little Mermaid</em>. Specifically, it's a lyric from Ursula's big number, "Poor Unfortunate Souls". You'll recall that Ursula has two electric eel assistants, one of whom is named Flotsam (the other is Jetsam, in case you ever find yourself answering Disney trivia questions). At the time, I thought that clue was clever, with its reference to the target game being aquatic and sideways reference to the name of the game's antagonist, but in hindsight, I should have gone with something a little less inscrutable.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CC13, post: 61432, member: 1151"] I'll admit I was probably a little too arcane for my own good on this one; I have a tendency to get a little too wrapped up in my own cleverness when I do things like this. That clue was actually supposed to lead you to the name of the villain, though—you'll see why momentarily: 23. Flotsam (Toobin') Developed & Published By: Atari Games Platform: Arcade Year of Release: 1988 Toobin' is a perfect snapshot of American arcade gaming in the late '80s. The broader pop culture's infestation of grimdark had not yet infected video gaming and innovation was still much less the exception than it is today, but sales and the number of arcades out there were both dropping, thanks mainly to the all-conquering NES. This desperation is reflected in T-shirt contests held in both Toobin' and fellow 1988 Atari Games release Vindicators. Even though I desperately hope somebody has an XXL Vindicators T-shirt and is willing to part with it, those contests were still blatantly obvious attempts at using macrogaming to grab a dwindling player base's attentions (something you saw in pinball around the same time, appropriately enough, in the form of progressive jackpots—BK2K, Dr. Dude & EATPM all used this sort of macrogame in an attempt to lure players in with promises of the big score). The design also exudes a similar desperation. The gameplay could easily have been handled with a trackball for movement and one button for projectiles, but Atari Games wanted this game to stand out, so they made a more...esoteric control scheme. Instead of a trackball, you have four diagonal movement buttons, which can prove a steep learning curve for those used to more conventional layouts. To move forward, you have to press both bottom buttons simultaneously, which I still sometimes have trouble wrapping my head around. For all its faults, however, Toobin' radiates charm. The tunes are catchy, the graphics are bright & colorful, the decision to make a video game about inner tubing certainly required some outside-the box thinking and the whole game has an almost Nordman-esque sense of goofy humor that makes everything go down that much easier. In addition, Flotsam can prove quite a formidable opponent—he always seems to cross through the point-rich narrow flags right before you and you can never quite seem to shake him (although he'll go away for a long while once his three lives are spent). Before we wrap up, there is also an interesting little bit of Toobin' trivia that I would be remiss in leaving out of this entry. Toobin' actually has a pinball pedigree—the gameplay is basically the video section of the minorly infamous Granny & the Gators in reverse with the pinball parts removed. It just goes to show how ideas getting reused isn't a bad thing unless that's all you can find out there. [B]Next Time on The Top 25 Pre-1991 Western Arcade & Console Game Villains[/B]: Boingy, boingy, boingy! P.S. Don't worry, DrainoBraino—I'll give you credit for this guess even if my post gets on here before your next one. P.P.S. In case you still couldn't parse my first clue, it was meant to be a reference to Disney's [I]The Little Mermaid[/I]. Specifically, it's a lyric from Ursula's big number, "Poor Unfortunate Souls". You'll recall that Ursula has two electric eel assistants, one of whom is named Flotsam (the other is Jetsam, in case you ever find yourself answering Disney trivia questions). At the time, I thought that clue was clever, with its reference to the target game being aquatic and sideways reference to the name of the game's antagonist, but in hindsight, I should have gone with something a little less inscrutable. [/QUOTE]
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