Total Carnage

[BBH]

I've been playing this a lot lately in MAME. I've also managed to do what I always believed was impossible... finished it with one credit. Then with a little more work I managed to reach the Pleasure Dome on one credit too. I'm satisfied now, especially since I don't know of anybody else who's claimed to have done it.

but it also makes me wonder again. In the Pleasure Dome's ending, it says that an even better ending is possible if you can pick up all the prizes in the Pleasure Dome. Problem is, it's IMPOSSIBLE with 1-player, since you can't scroll back and the prizes are laid out in such a manner that you're stuck going one direction. You'd have to have two players to get every prize on the screen (including the ones that are "hidden")

then again, I also kinda suspect that the text in that ending was put there to try to get people to play the game again. I mean, if you fuck up the end and don't capture all the Akhboob's running away, you get a bad ending. Capture the Akhboobs and fry him in the electric chair, you get a not-quite-good ending if you don't have enough keys for the Pleasure Dome. Neither of these endings have a staff roll, but the Pleasure Dome ending does, which kind of implies that it's the best possible ending. Besides, it wouldn't be the only time that Midway tried to fool people by putting in outright lies in their games. (Kano Transformations in MK2...)

anybody know if Mark Turmell or any of the other designers ever said anything about that extra ending possibly being a "red herring" that was put in to get people to play the game more? Or am I the only one here bothered by it?

 

[qube]

God you're good at videogames.

Loser

 

[BBH]

God you're good at videogames.

Loser

 

[qube]

 

[RAINBOW PONY]

Is this different from Maximum Carnage?

 

[TemJin3000]

Is this different from Maximum Carnage?

yes. completely different.

btw, sorry to go OT...but, i always wondered when we are going to hear about a Smash TV remake, seeing how Midway has been going remake crazy as of late...it will probably be for next generation...and will probably be as crazy looking as Capcom's "Dead Rising"...but eh...that just my practical projection.

 

[Magnaflux]

BBH I hate you.

I tried like nothing else to get enough keys for the Pleasure Dome. I worked on that game for some six weeks and still couldn't do it.

My friends suck at video games and 2P couldn't even make it happen.

 

[aria]

but it also makes me wonder again. In the Pleasure Dome's ending, it says that an even better ending is possible if you can pick up all the prizes in the Pleasure Dome. Problem is, it's IMPOSSIBLE with 1-player, since you can't scroll back and the prizes are laid out in such a manner that you're stuck going one direction. You'd have to have two players to get every prize on the screen (including the ones that are "hidden")

then again, I also kinda suspect that the text in that ending was put there to try to get people to play the game again. I mean, if you fuck up the end and don't capture all the Akhboob's running away, you get a bad ending. Capture the Akhboobs and fry him in the electric chair, you get a not-quite-good ending if you don't have enough keys for the Pleasure Dome. Neither of these endings have a staff roll, but the Pleasure Dome ending does, which kind of implies that it's the best possible ending. Besides, it wouldn't be the only time that Midway tried to fool people by putting in outright lies in their games. (Kano Transformations in MK2...)

anybody know if Mark Turmell or any of the other designers ever said anything about that extra ending possibly being a "red herring" that was put in to get people to play the game more? Or am I the only one here bothered by it?

THANK YOU! I'm glad someone else has this same opinion. I played the game relentlessly in the arcade (Smash TV was and still is one of my favorites of all time) and I could never get the damn Pleasure dome to work with all the hidden crap. I could never get a 2nd player who was nearly at my level to even make an attempt. The Midway Arcade classics version only made me more angry when I replayed it.

Remember, if you ever want to auto-cut to the Pleasure Dome, the password is AZAZ

Is this different from Maximum Carnage?

LOL... wow.

 

[RAINBOW PONY]

Hey, 2 player, picking up prizes, sounds like a beat-em-up.

 

[BBH]

THANK YOU! I'm glad someone else has this same opinion. I played the game relentlessly in the arcade (Smash TV was and still is one of my favorites of all time) and I could never get the damn Pleasure dome to work with all the hidden crap. I could never get a 2nd player who was nearly at my level to even make an attempt. The Midway Arcade classics version only made me more angry when I replayed it.

Remember, if you ever want to auto-cut to the Pleasure Dome, the password is AZAZ

Good to know I'm not the only one that thought this way then. Hell this has been bugging me since the first time I reached the Pleasure Dome in the arcade, which was... 13 or 14 years ago? christ I'm old.

I have used the password on MAME and tried controlling both players myself, but for some reason that big door at the end opened earlier than I thought it would and couldn't get all the prizes. Guess I'll have to try again... (a cheat for permanent speed-up sure would come in handy too)

BBH I hate you.

I tried like nothing else to get enough keys for the Pleasure Dome. I worked on that game for some six weeks and still couldn't do it.

My friends suck at video games and 2P couldn't even make it happen.

while it's definitely easier to collect keys with 2 players, it's certainly not impoosible to do it 1 player, I got 242 out of the required 220 keys. Here's some tips (which might be obvious stuff you already knew but just in case)

* You have to play the entire "long" way through the game. Don't use either of the warps that are labelled "shortcuts", but do take every other "warp zone" along the way (you know, the ones that give you a free life and then force you to fight a lot of enemies before you can leave)
* When the road splits up on the first stage (right after you missile strike the tank being driven by a mutant), take the path to the right.
* Obviously a lot of keys are hidden by background elements. Walk under every tree (especially important at the beginning of the third stage when all the tanks/trucks are coming out), walk behind the walls on the first stage, walk up and down the hangar entrances located on the left and right sides of the screen during the second stage, etc. Basically anything that looks like it might obscure the view of your character needs to be checked.
* The jets that you can missile strike halfway through Stage 2 usually have two keys each, one located around the cockpit area and another around the wings. Of course, it's dangerous to walk all around the jet with all those pesky mines, but if you're credit-feeding it shouldn't be much of a concern right? There aren't as many hidden keys in the optional second jet scene on Stage 3 though, but there are still a few.
* Any keys that were located on the main stage will "respawn" once you come out of a warp zone. This is especially important on Stage 2 since those hangar entrances have up to 5 keys that you can collect again.
* You probably have a good chance of making it to the Pleasure Dome if you can open up the "secret path" in Stage 3. Once you've destroyed the "Baby Milk Factory" gate and the screen has been scrolled up to that leaking nuclear reactor, missile strike it. If you have enough keys (I'm not sure of the exact amount), it'll say "Secret path here" and point behind the reactor. This secret path has a few more keys that should hopefully give you enough to push you over the required amount.

of course, luck can also play a big part in all of this since keys are randomly given as items during the game, and it's possible to have a game where they don't give you that many. but if you're playing the long way and picking up all the "hidden" keys, you should still be able to get enough.

Good luck!