is a video game developed and published by Hudson Soft

Hudson Soft

, formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973...

 in 1985

1985 in video gaming

-Notable releases:* Brøderbund releases Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, the first game of the prolific Carmen Sandiego series* Nintendo releases Super Mario Bros. on September 13, 1985, which eventually sells 40 million copies making it the best-selling video game of all time until 2008.*...

 for the Nintendo Famicom

Nintendo Entertainment System

The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...

.

History

The game was originally planned as a port of the ZX Spectrum

ZX Spectrum

The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...

 video game Stop the Express

Stop the Express

Stop the Express is a ZX Spectrum video game made by Hudson Soft in 1983. There were also versions for the Commodore 64 and the MSX.- Gameplay :...

(later released for the Commodore 64

Commodore 64

The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...

 and MSX

MSX

MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...

), which was released by Sinclair Research Ltd

Sinclair Research Ltd

Sinclair Research Ltd is a British consumer electronics company founded by Sir Clive Sinclair in Cambridge. Originally incorporated in 1973 as Ablesdeal Ltd., it remained dormant until 1976, and did not adopt the name Sinclair Research until 1981....

 in 1983

1983 in video gaming

-Events:* A major shakeout of the video game industry begins. By 1986, total video games sales will decrease from US$3.2 billion to US$0.1 billion.* MCA Universal files suit against Nintendo, claiming that the latter company's video arcade hit Donkey Kong violated Universal's copyright on King Kong...

. Stop the Express only contained the first train level, and 3 levels were added for the release of Challenger. The game's title screen displays the slogan "Realtime Action Adventure."

The game is uniquely constructed, where the levels consist of a side-scrolling platform game

Platform game

A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...

, a top-view scrolling shooting game, and a fixed-screen action game

Action game

Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...

. The game was also unique for its 100-screen map, which was extensive for its time. The game has been re-released as a mobile phone application, and was made available on the Nintendo

Nintendo

is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....

 Wii

Wii

The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...

 Virtual Console

Virtual console

A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...

 for 500 Wii Points

Wii Points

Nintendo Points are a currency that Nintendo uses for its Wii and Nintendo DSi systems through the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop respectively...

 in May, 2007

2007 in video gaming

-Events:*March 14: Microsoft announces Games for Windows - Live, a version of Xbox Live for the Windows platform. The service launched on May 8.*March 27: Microsoft announces the new "Xbox 360 Elite" stock-keeping unit . The revision comes with a bigger hard drive and the ability to output HDMI...

. The game was also coupled with Milon's Secret Castle

Milon's Secret Castle

Milon's Secret Castle, known in Japan as , is an action-adventure game released by Hudson Soft for the Nintendo Famicom on November 13, 1986, the Nintendo Entertainment System in September 1988.-Plot:...

( in Japan) and released for the Game Boy Advance

Game Boy Advance

The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...

 as part of Hudson Best Collection Vol. 3 Action Collection compilation on December 22, 2005. A Mobile version was released in 2005

2005 in video gaming

-Events:*March 6 — The television show 60 Minutes tackles issues within video game controversy. This segment of 60 Minutes has been criticized by video game players for encouraging video game censorship....

 with several changes in gameplay.

Plot

The title character, Challenger, is an archaeologist

Archaeology

Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...

 who seeks to rescue the princess, Maria, from the hands of the evil boss, Don Waldorado, in the land called Pleasio Land. The setting of the character as an archaeologist is an homage to the Indiana Jones franchise

Indiana Jones franchise

The Indiana Jones franchise is an entertainment franchise, based on the historical fantasy adventures of Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones, a fictional archaeologist. It began in 1981 with the film Raiders of the Lost Ark. A prequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, followed in 1984 and the sequel...

.

The scene in the first level where the princess is taken away by the villain is programmed as part of the level, and it is impossible to catch up to the princess no matter how quickly the player progresses. The background music for this level is an arranged version of the well-known military march by Franz Schubert

Franz Schubert

Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...

.

Gameplay

The player controls the main character, Challenger, and must head towards the goal in each level. The player can attack by throwing knives, but some enemies are invulnerable to this attack, and require a power-up item or the assistance of a hidden character to defeat. In levels 1, 3, and 4, touching any of the enemies results in a loss. The player can jump in the side-scrolling scenes, and can also duck by pressing down on the keypad in the first level. In most other games, the A button is used to jump, and the B button is used to attack, but in Challenger, the controls are reversed, where the A button causes the character to attack, and the B button causes them to jump. The player also falls off the train and loses if they throw a knife while they are on the connecting area between train cars.

A life gauge is used only during the second level. The player receives damage whenever they touch enemies, and loses only when their life gauge reaches zero. There is no jump button for the top-view level, but the player can venture across the island to search for items. A timer is displayed on the upper right corner of the screen during all of the levels, and the player also loses a life when this timer reaches zero. Falling off of very high places or getting caught in traps also results in a loss, and the player is taken to the game over screen when there are no lives remaining.

Difficulty

The player can also choose the game's difficulty from 16 different settings on the title screen. The number of enemies decreases for lower level settings. However, the player must defeat certain special enemies in order to gain items required to complete some levels, and the decreased number of enemies on the lower difficulty settings actually makes it more difficult to finish the game. Therefore, the lowest setting is not necessarily the easiest difficulty setting.

Levels

The first level (or "scene") is titled "STOP THE EXPRESS!". The villain, Don Waldorado, has abducted Princess Maria, and is escaping on a special express train. Challenger heads for the front train car while avoiding Waldorado's cronies, but Waldorado cuts off the connection between the rear train cars and escapes after pushing Challenger off the train.

The second level is titled "SEARCH PRINCESS!". The challenger arrives at Waldorado island in search of the princess, and ventures through an extensive 4-directional scrolling game map. Entering certain caves or buildings allows the player to advance to the second and third levels, but others may be dangerous trap zones which can cause instant death.

The third level is titled "GET KEYWORD!". The princess is now being held captive in a pyramid, and Challenger must gather the three keyword items (a key, a ring, and a crown) that are spread throughout the third level in order to enter the pyramid. The level takes place in the inside of a cave, where Challenger must use the gushing fountains of water as steps to cross over to the other side. There are several entrances to level 3 located on Waldorado island, so the player can head for the pyramid by going back and forth between the second and third levels.

The fourth and final level is titled "RESCUE PRINCESS!". Challenger arrives at the pyramid after collecting the three key items, and must jump across several dinosaur-shaped rocks to reach the top floor, where he will face Don Waldorado in the final battle. The player returns to the first level after the conclusion of the fourth level, and the game's difficulty increases by 2 settings.

Enemies

The main antagonist of the game is the leader of an evil secret organization called Bloody Whacker, and abducts Princess Maria in the first level. He is impossible to defeat in his first appearance on the express train (touching Waldorado on this level does not result in damage). Challenger must defeat him in the final showdown in level 4, where he can be defeated with four throwing knives.

These large bird-like enemies appear in all 4 levels, and can be killed with throwing knives. They appear on difficulty settings above 3 for levels 1, 2, and 4, and difficulty settings above 9 for level 3.

These enemies are small automobiles with propellers which appear in the first level. They travel alongside the train, and suddenly rise up into the air. They cannot be defeated by throwing knives, but only appear for difficulty settings above 9.

These enemies are thunder clouds which occasionally attack by transforming into lightning bolts. They are not affected by throwing knives, and the background music changes when they appear in level 1. They appear on difficulty settings above 3 for level 1, and difficulty settings above 9 for level 3. There is no animation for when these enemies are killed, so when the character touches them while invincible in the first level, they turn into the skeleton enemy before disappearing.

These bearded enemies appear in levels 1 and 2, and wear distinct green clothing. They can be killed with throwing knives, and appear for difficulty settings above 3 for both levels.

These enemies are fireballs that appear on all of the levels (but not on level 3 for difficulty settings below 2). They cannot be killed with throwing knives.

These rabbit-like enemies are fairies wearing helmets. They can be killed with throwing knives, and only appear on level 2 for difficulty settings above 3.

These enemies are yellow, roundish robots. They can be killed with throwing knives, and only appear on level 2 for difficulty settings above 3.

These enemies are shaped like animal skulls. They can be killed with throwing knives, and only appear on level 2 for difficulty settings above 3.

These enemies are walking plants that eat humans. They can be killed with throwing knives, and only appear on level 2 for difficulty settings above 3.

These skeletons appear in level 2, where they guard the entrances to the third and fourth levels by passing back and forth quickly in front of the entrance. They cannot be killed by throwing knives, and the player will lose a life regardless of their remaining health if they come in contact with them. However, it is possible to avoid them by slipping into the entrance at the right timing. They only appear for difficulty settings above 3.

Items, objects, and traps

These whales' names are a play on (the Japanese name for the sperm whale

Sperm Whale

The sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus, is a marine mammal species, order Cetacea, a toothed whale having the largest brain of any animal. The name comes from the milky-white waxy substance, spermaceti, found in the animal's head. The sperm whale is the only living member of genus Physeter...

), and appears above certain water surfaces in level 2. Challenger's life gauge refills while they appear on screen, and they can also be killed off with the throwing knife for 400 bonus points (they are resurrected if the player scrolls away from the area). They are treated as enemy characters in the game's memory, and count towards the kill count needed to obtain the power sword and power jewel items. For difficulty settings below 2, the only enemies that appear on level 2 are the invincible fireballs, so the only way to obtain the items are to continue killing the whales. A hovering whale can also appear in level 2, and killing this whale awards the player an extra life. Killing the hovering whale in level 1 causes Challenger to become invincible.

Power-up items

A power sword or power jewel appears in level 2 if the player kills 4 enemies in a row without missing with a knife shot. Challenger can obtain the item by hitting it with a knife, but he will receive damage if he comes in direct contact with the item. Obtaining the power sword causes Challenger's sprite color to change for a short period of time, during which his walking speed increases, and he gains the ability to kill any of the enemies on the screen with his throwing knives. Obtaining the power jewel causes all of the enemies on the screen to die instantaneously. The skeleton enemy that guards the entrances to levels 3 and 4 is impervious to throwing knives, so either one of the power-up items must be obtained in order to advance to the next levels. Like the Mattōkujira, the power-up items also cause the player's life gauge to refill as long as they remain visible on screen.

Mystery zone

This trap area is a small, square-shaped zone with four holes. Stepping into any of the holes results in an instant loss. The background music changes when the player enters this area, and they can only escape using the power sword item.

Sand pit trap

This trap area has a large vortex pattern on the floor, which drags the player towards the center. Falling into the center hole results in a loss of one life. The background music changes when the player enters this area, and they can only escape using the power sword item.

Trap island

A fake pyramid is located on this island. Entering the fake pyramid results in a loss of one life.

Mobile version

An i-appli mobile application version of Challenger was released on August 1, 2005 for cellphones supporting i-appli in Japan. The game is currently available on the EZweb network as well. There are two modes in the mobile version; a classic mode, which is identical to the Famicom version of the game, and the arranged mode, which features improved graphics and character design along with several changes in gameplay. The changes from the classic mode to the arranged version are as follows:

• The difficulty settings were decreased from 16 settings to 3 settings.
• Conversation scenes are shown between characters in-between levels.
• Challenger has a life gauge for all of the levels, meaning he cannot die from a single hit from an enemy.
• The level 2 game map was completely remade, and the player may view the map in the game's sub menu.
• Challenger can move in the diagonal direction for the top-view second level, and Challenger can throw knives while jumping in the three other levels. The jump-throw motion is required to defeat the arranged version's Waldorado.
• Waldorado is tougher and sports several new attack patterns in the arranged version. Hitting Waldorado several times causes him to change color and fly, and the player must throw knives while jumping in order to hit the flying Waldorado.
• An ending screen is added instead of the level-cycle loop of the classic version.
• A save option was added to both the arranged version and classic version.