Grabbed by the Ghoulies
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| Grabbed by the Ghoulies | |
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| Developer(s) | Rare |
| Publisher(s) | Microsoft Game Studios |
| Release date(s) | October 21, 2003 |
| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Everyone (E) |
| Platform(s) | Xbox |
| Media | DVD-ROM |
Grabbed by the Ghoulies is a video game released in 2003 by Rare for the Microsoft Xbox gaming console. It is historic in that it was the first Rare game to be released under the Microsoft banner (discounting the Game Boy Advance release Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge) after being bought out from Nintendo. It also has the dubious distinction of being the biggest flop in Rare's history.
Ghoulies starred a young teenager named Cooper who set out to rescue his girlfriend, Amber, from Ghoulhaven Hall. This mansion was full of supernatural and otherwise unpleasant creatures, and Cooper would receive help along the way from the many hired hands that worked there. Ghoulies also had a mini-crossover with another Rare franchise, Banjo-Kazooie, via the small cameo by Roysten the goldfish.
[edit] Release details
The game began life as a name before anything else. The developers came up with the name as a title for a game, and then decided to create a game from that title. Most games are created with a concept first, then get a finalised name later in the design process. Early on, before any details of the game were publicised, it was widely considered that "Grabbed by the Ghoulies" would be the subtitle to the next Conker the Squirrel game, after Conker's Bad Fur Day. This game was initially going to be released on the Nintendo GameCube. After the Microsoft buyout, Rare began the task of porting the game over to the Xbox, along with a couple of minor graphical additions such as adding an Xbox package in the Games Room. Grant Kirkhope, the composer for this game, admits to sneaking in a live guitar solo in the soundtrack. It can be heard in the Ballroom Disco track.
Many Banjo cameos appear in this game due to the fact that the game was developed by the same team. This included the goldfish, an Xbox keep case of Banjo-Tooie, a Banjo-Kazooie case, Captain Blackeye's barnacle remover, and an note on a board that reads: "Collect Ice Key. Collect 4 Eggs. Open secret level." The latter is a reference to Stop 'N' Swop.
The end of the game is left wide open for a sequel, but due to the game's extremely poor sales at retail,[1] a sequel seems unlikely and the cliffhanger will remain unresolved.
Grabbed by the Ghoulies was nominated for the awards of 'Console Family Game of the Year' [2] and 'Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition' [3] by The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences in 2004.
In the more successful game for the Xbox 360, Viva Piñata, a model of the mansion from the game is used as a house for the piñata species 'Crowla'. Click here for more information.
[edit] Characters
- Cooper: The hero of the game, Cooper bravely enters Ghoulhaven Hall after his girlfriend Amber is kidnapped by a couple of ghostly gargoyles.
- Amber: Cooper's girlfriend is a headstrong young lady, but that doesn't mean that she won't get kidnapped!
- Crivens: The mild-mannered butler of Ghoulhaven, Crivens offers Cooper his assistance wherever he can, although there may be more to him than it seems...
- Ma Soupswill: An eccentric chef who has left samples of her stews around the mansion.
- Mr. Ribs: The sole good Ghouly in the mansion, Mr. Ribs is Ma Soupswill's helpful assistant.
- Fiddlesworth Dunfiddlin: The groundskeeper of Ghoulhaven, who's afraid to do his job thanks to the resident Ghoulies!
- Babs Buffbrass: A hard-nosed housekeeper who gets furious at all the mess that she has to clean up throughout the mansion.
- Dr. Krackpot: An insane genius who certainly lives up to his name and who's the source of all the Ghoulies, and the Baron's right-hand man.
- Baron von Ghoul: The Baron is partly eccentric, partly evil, and wholly insane! The aristocratic heir to Ghoulhaven, Baron von Ghoul spends his days in his pyjamas imagining himself as a pilot.
- The Reaper: An agent of death who roams Ghoulhaven's halls to bring the souls of the undead ghoulies, and anybody who gets in his way, into the afterlife.
- Hunchback: A disfigured ogre of a man who Baron von Ghoul has taken in. He's very protective of his (perceived) handsome face.
- Warlock: An elderly practitioner of black magic who resides in Ghoulhaven and likes to hide in cupboards and other assorted tight spaces.
- The Captain: The leader of the pirate zombies, The Captain was a drunkard who couldn't defend himself in a fight with Cooper and was "done in."
- Roger the Cabin Boy: A tiny imp who was recruited by The Captain to serve in his fleet. He met a violent end when he decided to pester Fiddlesworth.
- Dropper Shocker: A gelatinous blob who drops down from the ceiling to give one of the game's button-mashing Super Scary Shocks.
- Gwenyth: A green-haired ghastly spectre who is known to appear outside of windows and frighten passers-by.
- Clive: A giant red serpent who was turned to stone and became part of the decor of Ghoulhaven's walled garden.
- Roysten the Goldfish: This long-suffering goldfish gets a bit of peace and quiet in Ghoulhaven Hall's classroom. (Also in the game Banjo-Kazooie)
[edit] External links
| Banjo-Kazooie games | Banjo-Kazooie • Banjo-Tooie • Grunty's Revenge • Banjo-Pilot • Banjo-Kazooie 3 |
|---|---|
| Battletoads games | Battletoads • Battletoads (Game Gear) • Battletoads & Double Dragon • Battletoads in Battlemaniacs • Super Battletoads |
| Conker games | Conker's Pocket Tales • Conker's Bad Fur Day • Conker: Live & Reloaded |
| Donkey Kong games | Donkey Kong Country / Land • Donkey Kong Country 2 (GBA) / Land 2 • Donkey Kong Country 3 (GBA) / Land III • Donkey Kong 64 • Diddy Kong Racing (DS) |
| Perfect Dark games | Perfect Dark (GBC) • Perfect Dark Zero |
| Killer Instinct games | Killer Instinct • Killer Instinct 2 • Killer Instinct Gold |
| Sabreman games | Sabre Wulf (GBA) • Underwurlde • Knight Lore • Pentagram • Mire Mare |
| Jetman games | Jetpac (Refuelled) • Lunar Jetman • Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warpship |
| Other games | Blast Corps • GoldenEye 007 • Jet Force Gemini • Star Fox Adventures • Grabbed by the Ghoulies • Kameo: Elements of Power • Viva Piñata • It's Mr. Pants |
