Zool
Zool is a video game originally produced for the Amiga by Gremlin Graphics in 1992. It was intended as a rival to Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog. It was heavily hyped upon its initial release, including being bundled with the newly launched Amiga 1200. In 2000 the game was re-released as part of The Best of Gremlin compilation.
Zool is a Gremlin Ninja from the Nth dimension sent to Earth. To complete his ninja training, he has to pass seven worlds filled with enemies.
A sequel, Zool 2, was released in 1993.
Zool displays the following tropes:
- Animate Inanimate Object: Most of the enemies you face.
- Distaff Counterpart: the sequel lets you play either as Zool or his (girlfriend? sister? female clone?) Zooz. The two have slightly different abilities.
- Everything's Worse With Bees: Sweets World contains giant bees as enemies. The stage boss is a giant bee that shoots bouncy sweets and missiles.
- Everything Trying to Kill You: Candy, Musical Instruments, Fruit, Toys, Tools, etc.
- Griping About Gremlins: Zool is a gremlin ninja.
- Hopping Machine: The boss of the Toy World.
- Instrument of Murder: The boss of Music World is an electric guitar that rains fireballs on Zool.
- Monster Clown: The boss of the carnival world. It's a clown head hanging from one disembodied eye (that shoots bouncy eyeballs) and has a spring-loaded boxing glove in its mouth.
- Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: Zool is a Gremlin Ninja from the nth Dimension.
- Product Placement: the first, candy-based level is full of Chupa Chups logos.
- Spikes of Doom: They differ by level.
- Super Drowning Skills: Zool takes damage if he touches water.
- Take That: The ending to the Amiga version has Zool kicking away what looks like a blue hedgehog with red shoes.
- There's also a music titled "Sonic Basher". Real subtle there.
- Video Game Settings:
- Sweets World: Level Ate (with Junk food)
- Music World: Band Land
- Forest World: Green Hill Zone/Level Ate (with fruits and vegetables)
- Tools World: Eternal Engine
- Toy World: Toy Time
- Carnival World: Amusement Park
- Desert World: Green Hill Zone (although a desert, it is not a sandy one and looks very green)
- Wall Crawl: Zool can scale up and down walls.