Monster Business
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Monster Business | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Eclipse Software Design |
| Publisher | Ascon |
| Programmer | Fabian Hammer |
| Artists | Michael Grohe Tim Lange Sven Bauer |
| Composers | Laurens Tummers John Tonnard |
| Platforms | Amiga, Atari ST |
| Release | 1991 |
| Genre | Platform |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
Monster Business is a 1991 vertically scrolling platform game developed by Eclipse Software Design and published by Ascon that was released for the Amiga and Atari ST.
The Mad Meanies, a group of mutated monsters, have invaded construction sites owned by Mr. Bob, stealing the worker's tools and preventing work from being done on the sites. Mr. Bob hires the Beastie Busters, led by Leroy, to clear the construction sites of monsters and retrieve the stolen tools.[1]
Gameplay
Monster Business is a vertically-scrolling platformer wherein the player takes the role of Leroy, the leader of the Beastie Busters, and must remove monsters from a construction yard by inflating them using a pump.[1][2] The player must platform to the top of each level before the time limit runs out, while also defeating all monsters in the level and avoiding hazards such as holes in the scaffolding.[1][2][3] While climbing diagonal slopes, the player is vulnerable to monsters as the pump cannot be used on slopes, and if the player stops moving while on a slope, they slide down to the bottom and become temporarily stunned.[2][4]
The game spans forty-five levels which increase in difficulty as the game progresses, and new monsters are introduced in later levels.[5] When the player runs out of lives, they are given the option to continue four times, after which if they die again, they lose the game, and must start over from level one.[4] To inflate monsters, the player must get close to them without being hit and start pumping. The inflated monsters slowly float skywards and knock other creatures off the construction scaffolding if they are hit.[2] When a monster is defeated, it drops tools that Leroy can collect for additional points.[2] Crates spread throughout the level have bonuses that give varied positive effects to the player when collected, such as a temporary boost in jump height.[1] The game has two-player alternating multiplayer, with the second player beginning their turn once the first player loses.[4]
Development
Both the Amiga and the Atari ST versions of the game were bundled on the same disk,[4] not released separately. A prototype Commodore 64 version was tested by Tilt magazine,[6] and was set to release in mid-July 1991,[7] but never materialized.
