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.

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