The Big Game Idea: Level 4 Middle - A 1UP classic from Oct 11, 2006

Below is a series that I originally ran on 1UP in 2006. In it I proposed an original video game based on the Incredible Hulk. I called it "The Big Game Idea." Over a few weeks I described the graphics, game play, visuals, and plot from beginning to end, including bonus features. I made a few minor edits, but it is more or less exactly the same as it was almost 20 years ago. I hope you enjoy it.

Talk about a sudden turn of events! Are you wondering where the Hulk went? Why is the Maestro rampaging on the east coast? Who will stand up to him? Read on true believers!

CINEMA: Spider-Man is unconscious and Luke Cage is badly bruised and holding his ribs. The Maestro is standing over both of them and not even breathing hard. Police swat vans show up, the police swarm out of the vans with machine guns and open fire on the Maestro.

"No!" Yells Luke Cage.

The Maestro laughs and stomps his feet. The shockwave sends the vans tumbling and exploding. He stomps the ground again and another shockwave causes a military shield generator to collapse. The police go running for cover. He turns and smiles at Luke Cage. He crouches and leaps towards downtown.

In the air he is hit in the head by a golden mace. He crashes to the ground.

"Verily did I smite the coward with one blow?" Hercules laughs while holding his golden mace over his shoulder.

"Bruce, what's wrong with you?" The She-Hulk goes over to check on him. "Why are you doing this?" The Maestro jumps up. "What?" She is punched and knocked through a building.

"FOUL BEAST! You will rue the day you struck the jade princess!!!" Hercules charges the Maestro.

Level 4 Middle
Location: New York City Midtown
Objective: Defeat Hercules and the She-Hulk.
Learn: How to deflect ranged attacks.
Unlock: Quick rebound and attack from a down position.
Level Design: The buildings here are taller than in the previous level. We can now see the skyscrapers off in the distance but are still a ways from the heart of downtown. As with the previous level, all of the buildings can be destroyed. Street signs and lamp posts can be used like a club by the Maestro and he has to face off against random military weapons while fighting the heroes of the Marvel U.

Both the Hercules and She-Hulk are very strong characters. Like the Hulk, the She-Hulk has grown stronger over the years. She is stronger than Hercules now (but don't tell him that.) She is more than proficient in hand-to-hand combat. She was trained by Gamora, who was an understudy of the galactic travelers Adam Warlock and Thanos. Gamora is called "the most dangerous woman in the universe." As a pupil the She-Hulk is a force to be reckoned with. Her healing factor is not as fast as the Hulk or Maestro's though and she does not increase in strength the angrier she gets. For the sake of the game I would place her strength just a hair under the Juggernaut's, however she is much faster.

Hercules should need no introduction. This is the god of ancient Greek mythology. His strength and fighting ability is amazing. He can out-wrestle just about anyone in the Marvel U and if the Maestro tries to beat him with grappling moves he will find them getting reversed and used against him. Hercules is gifted in combat and can use any weapon but his favorite is a golden mace, it is as indestructible as Thor's enchanted hammer. His strength, combined with his fighting prowess and weapon help turn him into the rare hero that can actually go toe-to-toe with the Maestro. With the She-Hulk as his partner from the Avengers this will turn out to be one of the hardest battles in the game.

The first thing I wanted to do here is a redesign of Hercules and his golden mace. I've never, ever, been a fan of the Hercules or even Hercules II designs in Marvel comics. Honestly, the golden mace looks like a goblet and what exactly were in all those little pouches on Hercrcules II? These costumes always seemed odd and not realistic for the mythological hero. Other demi-gods in the comic look more traditional. So when redesigning Hercules I tried keeping it traditional and ended up with was a look that was part Marvel and part Kratos.

This game is my answer to God of War after all. People want to know how a fight between Kratos and the Hulk would go down, this is their big chance to see it. Special thanks to Pitaman for giving me the heads-up on paint brush techniques in Illustrator. These brushes were used in making the outlines on Hercules.

The She-Hulk is a great character and it's about time she turned up in a videogame, sorry that it had to be fighting against her. With a law degree she's probably the smartest woman ever featured in a game. She's bulletproof, fireproof and super-strong unlike a certain tomb raider... she'd make a hell of a great character for a solo project, assuming that game programmers want to create a woman character with more than big boobs and a gun.

Hercules and She-Hulk have some good fighting chemistry in the comics. For the game this translates into some of the best double-team moves you'll ever be hit with. At the same time this level really requires the player to learn some strategy. Two of the strongest characters in the Marvel U are a force to be reckoned with, add the military and this battle becomes complex. Players that go in swinging without trying to split up the forces will be pressing the continue button many times. Players have to learn how to deflect ranged attacks, not only from Hercules throwing his mace but also from the tanks shooting their rounds. Perhaps there is a way to deflect tank rounds into Hercules and the She-Hulk?

Did you ever think you'd get to fight so many Marvel heroes in a game? Which is your favorite so far. Tell me in the comments section. As always if you enjoyed this blog, and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

The Big Game Idea: Level 4 Beginning - A 1UP classic from Oct 10, 2006

Below is a series that I originally ran on 1UP in 2006. In it I proposed an original video game based on the Incredible Hulk. I called it "The Big Game Idea." Over a few weeks I described the graphics, game play, visuals, and plot from beginning to end, including bonus features. I made a few minor edits, but it is more or less exactly the same as it was almost 20 years ago. I hope you enjoy it.

Okay folks, we have the fighting engine laid out, the graphics engine laid out and even the health and strength bars laid out. Too bad it took me three levels to get everything squared away. Let's kick off the beginning of the end, we're halfway through the title let's see what it holds for us.

CINEMA: A news station is broadcasting a special report saying that a large green mutant is rampaging on the east coast. We see footage of buildings burning and giant holes in the ground. "All signs point to the Hulk, or a Hulk-creature from the future known to the Avengers as the 'Maestro.' It is unknown who or what has caused this appearance." A helicopter flying above the Maestro gives us a shot. The Maestro is as large as the Hulk but seems to be wearing armor, a horned helmet and a cape over one shoulder. He sees the helicopter and throws a car at it. The car breaks the tail section off of the helicopter and sends it dropping to Earth. The cameraman falls out and is caught by Spider-Man. Before the helicopter crashes into the rooftops of an apartment complex Luke Cage jumps out and catches it. He slides down in the space between two buildings. Slowing the helicopter's descent by bracing himself against the buildings.

"Here you go pal, take the cab next time." Spider-Man puts the cameraman down.

"That's not a bad idea web head." Luke says as he tears the door off of the helicopter and lets the pilot out. "What are we going to do about your old friend?" Luke motions over to the Maestro.

"I think we should invite him for some pizza down at Al's. Maybe that will calm him down." Says Spidey.

The Maestro grabs and lifts a car with one hand. Luke takes off his track jacket. "I don't think a slice of the pepperoni will be enough."

Level 4 Beginning
Location: New York City Suburbs
Objective: Defeat Spider-Man and Luke Cage.
Learn: How to do grapple moves while jumping off of buildings.
Unlock: Mega shockwave stomp.
Level Design: We are in the outskirts of the Big Apple. There are some high rise buildings nearby, but mostly apartment complexes and small shops. There is an elevated train track with a subway car stopped on the tracks. The level is only a few square blocks in size, however just about all the buildings and structures you see can be destroyed and flattened. The edges of the city are protected by an energy shield. We see giant transports with energy cannons beaming the translucent walls of energy to keep the Maestro at bay. A squad of combat warden robot suits and some radiation cannons help Luke and Spidey fight the Maestro.

This is the first level in the game that allows us to play as the Maestro. All of his moves and controls are similar to the Hulk with only slight differences. For example, the Hulk has a ground punch that sends a shockwave, the Maestro has a ground stomp that does the same thing. Some of the combos and grappling moves require the same buttons to activate but their outcomes are slightly different. A clothesline might be replaced with a headbutt, a suplex replaced with a piledriver, etc.

Spidey and Luke can't match the Maestro's raw strength. However they can slow him down with their double-team attacks and allow the military capture squad a chance to trap him with their stasis beams and shield generators. When Spidey shoots webbing at the head of the Maestro we actually see webbing splash across the screen, making it hard for the player to see what's going on. If the player doesn't put distance between the Maestro and Spidey, or strike him, then Spidey will keep shooting his webs until the entire screen is covered. The webbing goes away if the Maestro continues fighting. Spidey is very fast and difficult to hit, the player has to set up an attack (rather a distraction) by throwing an object at Spidey and quickly following-up with a punch.

Luke Cage is slower than Spidey but a good hand-to-hand fighter. He's stronger than Venom and can throw cars at the Maestro to keep him at bay. His skin is super-dense and can survive gunshots and even fire. Every time Spidey blinds the Maestro you can expect Luke to pummel him with a combo attack or throw him into the path of a stasis beam.

For those not familiar with the Maestro, he comes from the story "Future Imperfect" by Peter David, illustrated by the great George Perez. All comic book fans should have a copy of the TPB. In it we see a future where mankind is ruled by a despot named the Maestro, a version of the Hulk that has gone mad from radiation and power. In the future there are no Marvel heroes or villains left to challenge his rule. There is a trophy room where an ancient Rick Jones keeps souvenirs of the fallen legends. Captain America's shield, Thor's hammer, the Silver Surfers (broken) surfboard, Wolverine's skeleton, Doctor Octopuses arms, Professor X's wheelchair, Cyclops' visor, the Ghost Rider's motorcycle, Dr. Strange's cloak and amulet, a Sentinel head... on and on including the ashes of other heroes. The trophy room puts the whole Marvel Universe in perspective.

Do you like this sudden turn of events for a game? They say that the Marvel universe always has to be in balance, if the Hulk follows Nightmare into a different dimension then does that allow his alternate future-self to enter ours? I've always been fascinated with the ability to play the bad guy in a game, like Venom in Ultimate Spider-Man. Not enough games allow us that luxury. The Maestro has all the same powers as the Hulk and is even stronger. There is no learning curve for the players. This sudden appearance allows us to explore the classic "what if?" What if the Hulk was a force for evil, could he be stopped by anyone else on Earth? Let's let the Hulk, ahem, Maestro loose and find out.

The heroes have always theorized that the only way to defeat the Hulk would be a planet-ending event... and even then it might not be enough. In case you were wondering about the red and gold colors for the clothing, it was deliberate. It's a jab at DC's Captain Marvel aka SHAZAM! I got nothing against little Billy or his alter-ego, hell, I love that character compared to Superman. But the title of Earth's Mightiest Mortal belongs to the Maestro.

Did you ever think you'd be playing a game as the bad guy? With the Maestro sharing the exact same moves as the Hulk players would be able to just keep on rolling through the story. Do you like this turn in the game? Tell me in the comments section. As always if you enjoyed this blog, and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

The Big Game Idea: Level 3 End - A 1UP classic from Oct 05, 2006

Below is a series that I originally ran on 1UP in 2006. In it I proposed an original video game based on the Incredible Hulk. I called it "The Big Game Idea." Over a few weeks I described the graphics, game play, visuals, and plot from beginning to end, including bonus features. I made a few minor edits, but it is more or less exactly the same as it was almost 20 years ago. I hope you enjoy it.

Hello everybody. I'm sure some of you think the last part of level 3 was crazy. Jumping from moving planes, fighting a dragon during the middle of a thunderstorm? What else can we do to make the game more challenging and exciting? Read on true believers!

CINEMA: When the Hulk pulls the wings off of Fing Fang Foom they both come falling through the clouds back to the island. The island turns out to be hollow as the Hulk and Foom crash through the ground and into a massive underground cave. Foom melts into a silvery goo and drains into the cracks in the ground. In the background a massive battle is waging between the Mole-Man's Moloids and the stone legionnaires of Tyrannus. The Hulk stands and looks around. The rain comes falling in through the hole above. We can see Yagan floating down through the hole as well.

"I sense the demon is nearby." Yagan calls out. Other aborigines appear out of thin air. The Hulk looks at them as they approach him. "We cannot get any closer. The demon will surely destroy us if we do." They place their hands on the Hulk. The snake tattoo appears and fades away once more. "we believe in you Hulk, Betty believes in you..." Yagan and the others fade away.

The Hulk turns and begins walking toward the battle.

Level 3 End
Location: Nightmare Island Caves
Objective: Defeat Mole Man, Giganto and Tyrannus.
Learn: Grapple moves can be used to turn opponents into blunt weapons.
Unlock: Running frenzy, a move that clears a path of destruction through dozens of opponents.
Level Design: The caves are illuminated by a lava flow in the cracks on the floor as well as backlit by glowing magma in the distance. The floor of the cave is mostly flat. The armies of Tyrannus and the Mole Man are literally facing each other when the level starts. Once the Hulk gets close to them they begin attacking, they fight each other and the Hulk as well. The Mole Man and Tyrannus fall back and rely on their armies for the fighting. This is easily the biggest mob battle for the Hulk, with hundreds of opponents to fight in one location.

The soldiers of Tyrannus look like ancient Roman sentries, with glowing swords, however their skin appears to be made out of shiny marble. Tyrannus was the last Roman Emperor and banished to live in the Subterranea, he discovered the fountain of youth while exiled and has been alive for centuries. He's mastered both magic and technology and is using it to control the vast expanse of caves and tunnels connecting the underworld of the Marvel Universe. The Mole Man's army consists of yellow-skinned Moloids, short, skinny citizens of Subterranea. The Moloids are armed with electrically charged crystals that explode on contact with opponents. The Mole Man seeks to control all of the monsters in the Marvel Universe and has been in pocket battles with Tyrannus from time to time. This battle seems to be the largest yet.

Tyrannus also has catapults and spear launchers that shoot fireballs and explosives toward the Moloids. Mole Man has access to large monsters to fight the artillery, the biggest of which is Giganto. He was the monster on the cover of the first Fantastic Four comic book. Although he appeared in a Fantastic Four videogame, he didn't really look like the beast Jack Kirby had designed. This game returns the classic monster and allows him the freedom to cut loose on a legion of warriors. The explosives used against Giganto just bounce off his enormous frame. Of course this inclusion also allows players to know what would happen if the Hulk ever had to battle a thousand ton, 50-foot tall monster.

The lessons learned from SotC return here. We limit the size of the level so we can have more characters on the screen at once. Not only that, but by setting it in a dimly-lit cave and during a storm, we also limit the draw distance so we can have a single massive polygon model sharing the screen with hundreds of smaller characters. For this battle we keep the camera tight and low on the Hulk and reinforce the image of Giganto in the background at every turn. We can see Giganto deflecting fireballs from the catapult and flattening a dozen enemies with a single step. As the Hulk dispatches both armies, players know that eventually they are going to have to face off against that monster in the distance.

Giganto is not a character that the Hulk can just go up to and begin punching. Giganto's skin is thick and rubbery, it would be akin to punching a truck tire. The Hulk has to target lock and take out his joints in order to bring him down. Once down the Hulk can lift and throw Giganto in a mini game by rapidly pushing the buttons.

If the player successfully clears both armies and Giganto this is what follows.

CINEMA: The defeated sentries of Tyrannus melt into the ground. However the Moloids do not. The Mole Man runs over to Giganto to check his status. Giganto gets up slowly and the Moloids retreat into the caves. "I'll never forgive you for this Hulk!" The Mole Man shakes his fist and calls out as he accompanies his troops into the caves.

"Where is Betty?" The Hulk grabs Tyrannus around the neck and lifts him into the air.

"Foul beast, release Tyrannus, your lord and master." Tyrannus strikes the Hulk with his sword but does no damage. The Hulk begins squeezing his neck. "Release... release..." Tyrannus begins kicking and flailing.

"WHERE IS BETTY?!" The Hulk begins shaking Tyrannus violently.

"Argh!" Tyrannus stops flailing and begins to change color. His clothes turn jet black then dark green. His blonde wavy hair changes into black spiky hair and his skin becomes the color of ash. "You have found me Hulk... Did you get a haircut?" It is Nightmare, the demon that feeds on fear and traps souls in his nightmare kingdom.

"HULK WANTS BETTY!" He shakes Nightmare.

"I don't have her any more." Nightmare says. The Hulk begins squeezing. "I swear to you I do not." He begins coughing.

"Then Hulk will smash you and smash this island until Hulk find Betty."

"N-no. Hulk I will show you where she is, but even I cannot give her to you... I swear." Nightmare looks more pale than usual. "Please release me."

"If you trick Hulk, Hulk will know." He snarls.

"Fair enough." Says Nightmare. The Hulk drops him. Nightmare stands up and creates a magical portal. "The soul that you seek is in another dimension." He holds his neck and steps forward. "This way Hulk." The Hulk walks through the portal with one hand on Nightmare's shoulder. Both disappear.

FADE OUT

END OF LEVEL 3

So there you have it people. We are almost halfway through the game! Three levels in and the conspiracy is exposed! Nightmare did trap Betty on his island at the end of the Tempest Fugit storyline. The plot of which was never resolved. Now the game will have us creating the rest of the arc, giving players a chance to redeem or destroy Bruce Banner.

Do you like the game so far? I imagine this level and the Absorbing Man levels are what the studio would show game journalists to get them hyped. After all, let's say that a few years down the line the press is invited to Activision's premier party. As usual the journalists are filled with oh's and ah's for Tony Hawk's Project X, Gun II and Call of Duty 4. Over in the corner is a secret game to be released when the Hulk movie drops on DVD. The game has nothing to do with the movie so journalists are skeptical. After playing through the Absorbing Man level and then seeing the Tyrannus and Mole Man level they are filled with shock and awe. "Sleeper hit?" Maybe. I figure they'll get the word of mouth out and call this game "God of War... on STEROIDS" Yeah, I can see it now... typical.

So do the challenges get any easier? Where is Betty? What is Professor Crawford up to? Find out the answers to this next week when Level 4 kicks off!

Have you heard of any of these classic Marvel characters featured today? Who are your favorite rare villains? Tell me in the comments section. As always if you enjoyed this blog, and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

The Big Game Idea: Level 3 Middle - A 1UP classic from Oct 04, 2006

Below is a series that I originally ran on 1UP in 2006. In it I proposed an original video game based on the Incredible Hulk. I called it "The Big Game Idea." Over a few weeks I described the graphics, game play, visuals, and plot from beginning to end, including bonus features. I made a few minor edits, but it is more or less exactly the same as it was almost 20 years ago. I hope you enjoy it.

CINEMA: Joe Fixit and the Professor turn to silvery goo and sink into the cracks of the volcano. The volcano erupts in a violent display of smoke and fire. From the peak a gigantic dragon rises from the smoke. It is Fing Fang Foom, the first dragon. He flies by the Hulk and sets him on fire, then skies upward into the night.

The Hulk runs up the side of the Volcano and jumps. He lands on the back of a bomber circling the island.

Level 3 Middle
Location: Nightmare Island
Objective: Destroy the bombers and defeat Fing Fang Foom.
Learn: Air lock, air dash, and the "Critical Pain" flying headbutt.
Unlock: Ability to mega jump anywhere.
Level Design: This level takes place in the air and consists of themes from the first level. As with the Orion missile the Hulk can target parts of the bombers and tear them apart. As with the aircraft carrier and battleships from the second portion of level 1 he can target lock and jump a great distance between them. For those that can't imagine what I'm talking about here's a diagram of the ocean fight from Level 1.

The Hulk could jump between the battleships and aircraft carrier. The only ship that moved was the submarine as it patrolled the waters. The Level 3 battle takes this formula up a notch. There is no stationary platform to land on, the two bombers and Foom are circling the island. While the Hulk can still target lock and jump great distances between them, cloud and rain particle effects limit the draw distance, thus making it harder to lock onto the targets and time jumps.

One plane circles the island clockwise while the other goes counter-clockwise. Foom flies between the two in a figure 8 pattern. The Hulk is shot at while on the plane and while jumping between targets by the gunners on the bombers. The high-powered anti-aircraft rounds do light damage to the Hulk. Foom can grab the Hulk, set him on fire and throw him at the bombers which does far more damage.

In case you're not familiar with Fing Fang Foom let me bring you up to speed. He's 150 feet long, knows magic, martial arts and can bring himself back from the dead. He mostly hassles Iron Man or Doctor Strange. This is one of the rare times he fights the Hulk.

So what happens if the Hulk falls while jumping between targets? The first two times we see the Hulk land at the edge of the volcano and jump back to the target. The third time he hits the lava hard and sinks into the core of the volcano... game over! Players learn not to fall or else! Aside from destroying the bombers the Hulk has to make his way up the spine of Foom and tear off his wings in order to finish the level.

The unique camera angles used on the Orion missile level return here. When riding the back of the planes or Foom they will twist and bank, we might catch a shot of the island below or the horizon line in the distance, these shots help add a sense of vertigo.

Those familiar with Shadow of the Colossus know that this fight was inspired by the Phalanx (flying serpent) level. Of course we can expect Kratos to have some sort of wicked flying-based adventures in God of War II. The Hulk, being my answer to the epic hero, has to battle both the classic flying monster and the modern flying monster. We make the fight more interesting by adding the weather elements and timing between jumps.

So is Foom the demon that stole the soul of Betty Ross Banner? Tune in tomorrow to see the conclusion of level 3!

I love dynamic stage battles. What about you? Tell me in the comments section. As always if you enjoyed this blog, and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

The Big Game Idea: Level 3 Beginning - A 1UP classic from Oct 03, 2006

Below is a series that I originally ran on 1UP in 2006. In it I proposed an original video game based on the Incredible Hulk. I called it "The Big Game Idea." Over a few weeks I described the graphics, game play, visuals, and plot from beginning to end, including bonus features. I made a few minor edits, but it is more or less exactly the same as it was almost 20 years ago. I hope you enjoy it.

Hello everybody. Today we look at the first part of level 3, I think action game fans are really going to love this level.

CINEMA: We see that the Hulk is sailing through the air. He lands on top of a mountain and pushes off for another leap. Now he is somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. An airliner is in the distance, the Hulk catches up to it, lands on the wing and leaps forward again. The plane rattles and we can hear a radio transmission "This is the captain speaking, sorry for the turbulence."

"You are almost there." Yagan appears in front of the Hulk pointing toward the ocean.

The Hulk drops a few thousand feet, stomps down on an oil tanker and leaps forward again. The oil tanker sounds off an alarm in the distance as the Hulk sails far from it. The clear blue skies over the Pacific give way to dark gray. The Hulk enters a violent thunderstorm when he passes through the cloud. It is now dark as the Hulk lands in the ocean during a tempest. A volcanic island is near. In the distance we can see a few bomber planes flying around the island.

"The demon that stole Betty lives on that island." Yagan floats above the Hulk.

Level 3 Beginning
Location: Nightmare Island
Objective: Defeat the military protecting Nightmare Island.
Learn: Shockwave stomp and hammer toss large objects.
Unlock: Defense power up.
Level Design: Nightmare Island is as unique a level as there has ever been. This level actually begins in the middle of a raging storm out in the ocean. The Hulk has to swim toward the island, around the wrecked ships (both modern and ancient) sitting on rocks jetting from the water, all the while he is tossed about by big waves. Right before he gets to the island a tentacle drags him underwater where he has to fight an alien-looking giant squid in a mini-game. Once the Hulk tears off one of the weird glow-in-the-dark squid's tentacles he can swim the rest of the way to the island.

The island is mostly a grassy plain with some rolling hills and a few trees. There are some foxholes, bunkers, sandbags and barb wire fences. Nightmare Island is defended by a military convoy. The soldiers on the island all look odd, they lack color, that is to say they are all in a grayscale. They have no skin tones, no camouflage color, no color at all. Not only that, the soldiers, their uniforms and their weapons are all from World War II. They do not appear like zombies, all of their weapons and clothing look brand new. These are the soldiers that died during the Pacific campaign... their restless souls continue to fight unseen monsters. Circling overhead are some old WW II bombers that let paratroopers out over the island.

There is little the soldiers can do to stop the Hulk. Their tanks can only slow him down. Every time the Hulk beats a soldier or destroys a tanks it melts like mercury and rolls uphill. These puddles of mercury eventually reform near the peak of the volcano, which the Hulk has to reach.

CINEMA: Soldiers melt in the ground around the Hulk. The silver goo begins to coalesce and takes a smaller mirror shape of the Hulk.

"I always knew the army men were soft. Just never this soft." One of the silver figures turns full-color, it is "Joe Fixit," the Hulk's gray persona. He takes a punch at the Hulk. The Hulk stays planted and lets out a roar.

"You can't injure the salad brain like that." A second blob turns into the "Professor," a smart version of the Hulk. Over his shoulder is a large cannon. He pulls the trigger and a beam of energy knocks the Hulk back.

Objective: Defeat Joe Fixit and the Professor.

The Joe Fixit and Professor battle is more complex than previous boss battles. While neither character can go toe-to-toe with the Hulk, they make up for it by double teaming and fighting dirty. Fixit has some brawling moves that the Hulk doesn't know and the Professor can keep the Hulk at bay with his energy cannon. The player has to figure out how to damage both impostors at the same time.

The cues from the wreckage, ocean and weather surrounding the island are taken from the Ship's Graveyard in Hydro Thunder. The stormy weather and lightning help add a layer of depth to the stage. Although the soldiers the Hulk fights lack the strength in artillery they make up for it in numbers and unique weapons. They have flamethrowers which add a unique dynamic to the combat engine. While the Hulk cannot be injured by traditional weapons, the fire can stick to his skin and it ends up illuminating the dark island and scorching the grass as the Hulk progresses.

If he grabs a soldier while he's on fire they will also catch fire and burn. These soldiers will scream as he throws their flaming carcass. A bit violent I know, but these are not real people but rather illusions.

The Nightmare Island and various encounters for this level were inspired by the challenges the Hulk faced in the story arc "Tempest Fugit" by Peter David. Hulk fans and comic book fans in general should pick up the trade paperback, the revelations in that book helped spawn the idea for this game.

Are you enjoying my game idea so far? Tell me in the comments section. As always if you enjoyed this blog, and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

The Big Game Idea: Level 3 Cinema - A 1UP classic Oct 02, 2006

Below is a series that I originally ran on 1UP in 2006. In it I proposed an original video game based on the Incredible Hulk. I called it "The Big Game Idea." Over a few weeks I described the graphics, game play, visuals, and plot from beginning to end, including bonus features. I made a few minor edits, but it is more or less exactly the same as it was almost 20 years ago. I hope you enjoy it.

Hello everybody, I hope you had a good weekend. My brothers and I ate like kings at a great Japanese place. We were celebrating my big brother's b-day. Also got to hang out with the cousins a little and relax. So it was a good weekend.

Right now let's get back into the game, picking up right at the defeat of the Absorbing Man...

CINEMA: The sun is rising, strands of light pour from between the peaks of the mountains. The Hulk is standing before the wreckage of the Absorbing Man.

"Hulk, we must leave." Yagan signals to the Hulk. "Betty is in danger. We must go." Yagan points west and Hulk begins running and jumping.

FADE OUT

A minivan pulls up to a military base just on the border of New Mexico. A soldier walks out from a guard post with his rifle at his side. "This is restricted land." He says. "I'm going to have to ask you to turn around and get back on the main road."

An older man, Professor Crawford, limps out of the van. He is wearing a hat and a Hawaiian print shirt. He looks like a typical tourist. He is barely able to to walk with the help of two canes. "I am sorry son. I got lost. I was just looking for directions. He slowly and painfully makes his way toward the soldier.

The soldier shoulders his rifle. "Were you looking for the 70? We get a few civilians that take the wrong route at least twice a year."

"Oh no, no, not really. I was looking for the rumored Gamma Base." Crawford says as he gets within arm's reach of the soldier. He reaches out and grabs the soldier by the chest. He lifts him in the air and throws the soldier through the guard post. Crawford looks at his hands and sees the dog tag and badge he ripped from the soldier. "Thank you for this." He swipes the card at the post and the gate behind begins to open. He walks to the minivan and drives into the base.

Inside of the base we see rows of computers. Crawford limps over to one and brings a chair close to him with his cane. He sits down and powers up the terminal. When it prompts him for identification Crawford reaches into his pocket and pulls out a number of identification badges. They are all covered in blood. He locates one for Major Talbot. "Ah, here it is." And he pushes the card into the face of the computer.

"Access granted." The computer says.

He presses a button and all of the monitors change to show the darkened cell. We can see a large green shadow, it seems to be asleep, it is the face of the Abomination. "Your freedom will come soon enough Mr. Blonsky." Crawford smirks.

"Now Bruce, I shall learn all of your secrets." Crawford opens the Banner files on the computer. On the rows of monitors in front of Crawford various video clips begin playing. Banner when he started with the gamma bomb project, the Hulk in various battles with the military... and a grainy file that reads "The Maestro." Crawford opens this file and catches a glimpse of the past. He sees a few seconds of film of Banner running on the field of the first gamma bomb test. He grabs a teenager sitting under a tree and forces him to run towards a ditch. Just before the bomb goes off a large creature suddenly appears standing directly in front of the gamma bomb. The blast destroys the last few frames of the film.

"Yes, this is what I was looking for." Crawford rewinds the film and goes back to the final frames. "I see now what you were trying to keep from the world my young student." He looks down to the computer terminal and opens up several pages labeled classified and containing the text on the Maestro. "You cannot stop the inevitable Bruce. The time of the Maestro has arrived."

FADE OUT

Ozymand noticed something about this blog. I forgot to let you guys know who Professor Crawford was and why he could toss people around. Apologies! The good professor is the alter-ego of Ravage. In the comics he was bound to a wheelchair but for the sake of the game I put him with two canes. He suffers from a degenerative disease, he thought that gamma radiation would cure him from his ailments as the Hulk cures Banner from any injuries Bruce may sustain. It helped with his body but unfortunately his demons got the better of him and he went mad with the power of Ravage.

Ravage, Banner and just about all the other super-strong gamma creatures can actually tap into their alter-ego power without becoming them. Banner calls it keeping the Hulk on a short leash. With just a fraction of that power they can remain human yet do amazing things like throw people through buildings or even sucker-punch powerful supervillains.

I suppose I should write in the part where Ravage turns into Crawford and kills a family to steal their minivan...

Tell me in the comments section. As always if you enjoyed this blog, and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!