VAIN (Videogames Are Extremely Niche) - Round 2
Questions by Mike Bentley
1) A sequel to this game added training modes like shooting explosives falling down a cliff and a light-gun version
of Missile Command. A 2005 remake of this game cast David Duchovny as protagonist Ethan Cole. Its sequel, Site
4, was included with Maximum Force in some combined cabinets. The original centered on STAAR and had you
killing lots of aliens. For 10 points, name this on-rails shooter set at a Nevada military facility.
ANSWER: Area 51
2) Expert Bloggers for this site include Matt Matthews and Bryan Ma. Every week, its main page contains a link to
IndieGames.com’s Best of Indie Games round-up. This site’s namesake network includes a site for students that
contains a periodic Game Design Challenge; that sister-site is Game Career Guide. For 10 points, name this website
devoted to the “Art and Business of Creating Games”, a play on a classic Hindu work about love.
ANSWER: Gamasutra
3) One creature of this type could gain health by singing to glyphs and gains the ability to attack the Vortex thanks
to a 55 million year old Asterite. That creature of this type appeared in a Dreamcast game subtitled Defender of the
Future. It was the codename for the Nintendo Gamecube, and the tutorial level in Wave Race 64 is named for a
park of this name. For 10 points, name this type of animal, exemplified by Sega's Ecco.
ANSWER: Dolphin
4) In some versions of this game, it’s possible to obtain 255 extra lives by killing all but one of the enemies and then
intentionally squashing oneself. The theme from Astro Boy plays when players defeat all five Alphamonsters to
collect the phrase “EXTRA” in this game. Players can use the titular clown’s power ball to attack, and strive to
collect cherries. For 10 points, name this classic arcade digging game not to be confused with Dig Dug.
ANSWER: Mr. Do!
5) A PSP version of this game added the new modes of Jailbreak and Dilapidated, while the original featured levels
like Sugar Cove and The Great Gorge. The best player on the losing team in this game can elect to be the Big
Chicken, although by default players start as a villager. Players can defend the title people by feeding them more
cake. For 10 points, name this PSN game titled for some obese royalty.
ANSWER: Fat Princess
6) The player is told “quit trying to cheat!!” if CPU mode is used to beat it, while it included profiles of characters
like Blargg, Wiggler and Poochy. The English version of this game was a re-branded version of the Japanese
release Panel de Pon. Its gameplay was re-visited in Pokemon Puzzle League, although it was originally released
using characters from Yoshi's Island. For 10 points, name this SNES variation on a popular Russian videogame.
ANSWER: Tetris Attack
7) In one of this game's Mystery Modes, players can play a Space Invaders-like Aerobics with the chief enemies.
Other modes sees the antagonists attempting to straighten the Leaning Tower of Pisa and battling a "secret weapon"
in the form of a giant Abe Lincoln. It shared a technology with a Phantom Menace game; that technology was the
holographic Pinball 2000 feature. For 10 points, name this sequel to an alien invasion pinball game.
ANSWER: Revenge From Mars
8) Alfredo and The Fettucini is one of the unplayable modes in this game, while the developer offered over
$100,000 for beating Level 5 of Ooze, which was impossible due to a glitch in this collection. The Angry
Videogame Nerd devoted two episodes to this game, including an entire episode on the characters of the last game
on the menu, Cheetahmen. With an MSRP of $199, for 15 points, name this NES collection of a bunch of terrible
games.
ANSWER: Action 52
9) This character can first be seen as a silhouette walking on a bridge, and may have worked on the development of
the atomic bomb. Created by Jonathan Blow, this character ventures through levels like Hesitance, where he obtains
a ring that slows down objects located close to it. Beginning with the first world, Time and Forgiveness, he has the
ability to rewind time. For 10 points, name this protagonist of Braid.
ANSWER: Tim
10) These creatures, which come in forms like Ila and Namuci, appear in the only game besides Homeland to feature
online play on the GameCube. They have attributes like IQ and SYNC which are affected by feeding them items
like Trifluid, Moon Atomizer and Monomate. They differentiate after Level 10, turning into classes like Force,
Hunter or Ranger. For 10 points, name these creatures that hover around players in Phantasy Star Online.
ANSWER: Mags
11) Minor characters on this show included the bodybuilding Meinhart and the Sean Connery-esque King Roario.
Its chief villain was Professor Pester. The first episode saw the two-headed serpents Tina and Teddington attempt
to gather Cocoadile Tears for their garden, and it also starred Franklin Fizzlybear. For 10 points, name this 3D
animated kids’ series based on a series of Rare games for the 360 about some candy-filled animals.
ANSWER: Viva Pinata
12) The second game in this series sees the protagonist have to kill Tom Sheldon in addition to dictator Baby Panay.
Notable gameplay features in this series include jumping from the roof of one car to another and its parachute
sequences. The two games in this series have taken place on Panua and San Esperito islands. For 10 points, identify
this sandbox series starring Rico Rodriguez, which shares its name with the 1989 US operation in Panama.
ANSWER: Just Cause
13) The ninth and latest version of this game included vehicles designed by Van’s and Cirrus. Developed by
Laminar Research, its use of blade element theory allows for great customization of vehicles than its chief
competitor, developed by Microsoft. Some of its more unusual vehicles include the V-22 Osprey and the Space
Shuttle. For 10 points, name this flight simulator series, named for a type of flight test vehicle.
ANSWER: X-Plane
14) After beating one of his games on veteran mode, players can enter the last name “TheTick” to turn everyone into
ticks. His second game was developed by Rare, while in his first game he played alongside characters named for
punk rockers and Nintendo employees. The title of his second game derives from a real-life score from first base he
made in 1995. For 10 points, name this athlete whose Winning Run was the subject of an SNES baseball game.
ANSWER: (George) Kenneth “Ken” Griffey, Jr. [prompt on “Junior”]
15) The vocal sample “pad one please” was featured in a Commodore 64 game named for a Space ones of these.
Wings and a supersonic horn could be added to one of these in the game Smashing Drive. They are driven to
locations like KFC and the Gap by people like Gena and B. D. Joe in one notable series. For 10 points, name these
vehicles which are Crazy in a certain Sega series.
ANSWER: Taxies [or Taxi Cabs]
16) An evil plot in this game involves a virus developed by Springvale Pharmaceuticals. Commentary in this game
is provided by Greg Proops and John DiMaggio, who voice Buckshot and Kreese Kreeley. Its protagonist, Jack
Cayman, wields a chainsaw in one arm and is a contestant on the DeathWatch game show. For 10 points, name this
ultra-violent black and white Wii game.
ANSWER: MadWorld
17) A game title for one of these places was originally called Story of Bubble Bobble 2. Sparrow Wing, Jr. hangs
out in one titled Wing in a Wii flight sim. One of these places was the setting of the home versions of Wonder Boy,
while one titled Wuhu will be the setting for the 3DS Pilotwings game and was also the setting of Wii Sports
Resorts. For 10 points, name this type of place where Master Higgins has “Adventures” in a series of NES games.
ANSWER: Islands
18) “Tossed in Space” and “Baaa-Loon Pop” are two mini-games in a party game based on this movie series.
Besides that Mania game, a 16-bit platformer set in this universe had the protagonist using a pullstring whip. The
most recent videogame entry in this series was hyped for its free-play mode and, in the PS3 version, let players play
as Emperor Zurg. For 10 points, name this movie franchise, whose games often let you play as Jessie, Woody and
Buzz.
ANSWER: Toy Story
19) Penta Penguin is the fastest playable racer in this game, although with a Gameshark players can play as the even
faster boss character, Oxide. This “survival of the fastest” has players hitting time crates in Relic mode. It contains
levels like Hot Air Skyway and Roo’s Tubes, in addition to the title character’s Cove. For 10 points, name this
Mario Kart rip-off for the original Playstation starring characters from a Naughty Dog platformer, including a
bandicoot.
ANSWER: Crash Team Racing
20) In the manga, this character offers a prize to the winner of the Vermillion City Surfing Competition before
renegging and trying to demolish the city. He teams up with Clair to fight you in a tag team battle in HeartGold and
SoulSilver. Known for training Aerodactyle, Gyarados and other dragon type Pokemon, for 10 points, name this
leader of the Elite Four in Red and Blue, fought before you face your rival.
ANSWER: Lance [or Wataru]