Dynamite Headdy
| Dynamite Headdy | |
|---|---|
 North American Genesis cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Treasure |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Director(s) | Hiroshi Asoh |
| Producer(s) | Koichi Kimura |
| Programmer(s) | Masato Maegawa |
| Composer(s) |
Katsuhiko Suzuki Koji Yamada Norio Hanzawa Aki Hata |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release date(s) |
Genesis Game Gear Master System
|
| Genre(s) | Platforming |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Dynamite Headdy (ダイナマイトヘッディー Dainamaito Heddī) is a 1994 platform game developed by Treasure and published by Sega. It was originally released for the Sega Genesis, Sega Game Gear, and Sega Master System. The main character, Headdy, can throw his head at enemies to defeat them along with utilizing it to pull himself to various areas and move objects. The game received positive reception for both its graphics and gameplay, and has been called one of the best platform and action games on the Genesis. Dynamite Headdy has been re-released on the PlayStation 2, Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Microsoft Windows.
Gameplay
Dynamite Headdy is a platform game in which the player controls Headdy, a puppet with a detachable head. This head can be fired in eight directions to attack enemies and obstacles, as well as retrieve out of reach items. By grabbing a HangMan, Headdy is able to pull himself up various platforms, or drag certain areas towards him. By finding a walking case named HeadCase, Headdy can gain a special head type depending on the image shown on HeadCase at the time he hits it. These range from offensive heads that increase his strength, allows him to shoot homing stars or suck up everything on screen, to support heads which include invulnerability, shrinking to reach small areas and sleeping to regain health. Most of these heads have a time limit before the head returns to normal, with the player able to cancel at any time, though some heads, such as the Pin Head, disable manual cancellation. The game also features a side-scrolling shooter stage, during which Headdy can change between three unique Head Types.
The game plays over a series of scenes, each made up of several acts, typically culminating in a battle against a Keymaster boss. Collecting enough pieces which come out of defeated Keymasters earns the player a continue. During each scene, there are several 'secret bonus points' that can be earned by completing certain tasks, such as destroying certain enemies or objects. By finding the Liberty Head, players can enter a Bonus Stage in which the player must shoot basketballs into the correct hoops. Clearing these stages reveal part of a code which, at the end of the game, can be entered to access a bonus extra stage.
Plot
Headdy, the central protagonist of the game, arrives in North Town to find that the evil puppet King Dark Demon is in the midst of attacking the puppet town to select which of the peaceful toys should live and which should be converted into his evil minions. Headdy is captured and rejected by Dark Demon's forces, and is dropped into the dust cargo to be thrown into the incinerator. However, Headdy escapes the clutches of Dark Demon's minions and sets off to defeat the evil king.
However, trouble is afoot. Not only is the puppet world filled with Dark Demon's minions, but to reach the evil overlord's castle, Headdy must defeat Dark Demon's Keymasters who serve as the king's elite guard. To make matters worse, Headdy is followed by Trouble Bruin Maruyama (マルヤマ), a puppet jealous of Headdy's success. Trouble Bruin wants to be the star instead of Headdy, and will stop at nothing to get rid of him.
Release
Dynamite Headdy was originally released for the Sega Genesis and Sega Game Gear. A Sega Master System port was released exclusively in Brazil. The Genesis version was first re-released for the PlayStation 2 on the Sega Ages 2500: Gunstar Heroes Treasure Box compilation in 2006. It saw a digital re-release on the Wii via the Virtual Console in July 2007 and was also included in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.[1] Most recently, it was released on Steam on May 2, 2012.[2]
Reception
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Reviews for Dynamite Headdy were generally positive. Electronic Gaming Monthly deemed it "a top action title for the Genesis", particularly praising the visual effects, and gave it a 7.6 out of 10.[4] In May 1995, Famitsu magazine's Reader Cross Review gave the Mega Drive version of the game an 8 out of 10.[5] GamePro assessed the Game Gear version as not as good as the Genesis/Mega Drive version, since the head powerups aren't as strategically important, leaving the player no reason not to just stick with the original head, and the smaller sprites make the action hard to follow. They nonetheless recommended that players buy both versions of the game.[9] While one of Electronic Gaming Monthly's reviewers agreed that the Game Gear version is a poor substitute for the Genesis/Mega Drive version, the other three praised it for its impressive graphics, enjoyable action gameplay, and numerous secrets. They gave it a 7.5 out of 10.[10]
Nintendo Life gave the Virtual Console release an 8/10, saying that it "isn't just a great game, and one of the best platformers on the Mega Drive, but it also has the distinct advantage of being a new experience to most people, one that’s well worth the time and effort."[8] PixelSurgeon called it "Perfect in every way", claiming that it "has more imagination in its opening demo than most developers manage to get into their entire output".[11]
References
- ↑ Wii Virtual Console Adds Three New Titles. (July 30, 2007) IGN. Retrieved on October 22, 2007
- ↑
- ↑ "Dynamite Headdy for Genesis - GameRankings". GameRankings. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
- 1 2 "Review Crew: Dynamite Headdy". Electronic Gaming Monthly (62) (EGM Media, LLC). September 1994. p. 36.
- 1 2 読者 クロスレビュー: ダイナマイトヘッディー. Weekly Famicom Tsūshin. No.333. Pg.34. 5 May 1995.
- ↑ Provo, Frank. "Dynamite Headdy Review - GameSpot". GameSpot. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
- ↑ "Dynamite Headdy Review – IGN". ign.com. 2007-08-01. Retrieved 2016-03-19.
- 1 2 Review: Dynamite Headdy (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive). (July 30, 2007) NintendoLife. Retrieved on July 29, 2010
- ↑ "ProReview: Dynamite Headdy". GamePro (62) (IDG). September 1994. p. 138.
- ↑ "Review Crew: Dynamite Headdy". Electronic Gaming Monthly (62) (EGM Media, LLC). September 1994. p. 38.
- ↑ [PIXELSURGEON | Reviews | Games | Dynamite Headdy. (2002) PixelSurgeon. Retrieved on July 29, 2010
External links
- Sega's official website for Dynamite Headdy (Japanese)