Dr. Muto

Dr. Muto
Developer(s)	Midway Games
Publisher(s)	Midway Games
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance
Release date(s)	PlayStation 2 & Xbox NA November 19, 2002 PAL March 21, 2003 GameCube NA December 17, 2002 Game Boy Advance PAL March 21, 2003
Genre(s)	Platformer
Mode(s)	Single-player

Dr. Muto is a 2002 platforming video game developed and published by Midway Games. It was released for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox on November 19, 2002^[1][2] and later released for the Nintendo GameCube on December 17, 2002 ^[3] and Game Boy Advance on March 21, 2003.^[4]

The game follows Dr. Muto, a maniacal and genius mad scientist whose latest experiment has accidentally destroyed his own home planet. In order to rebuild his world, he steals organic matter from neighboring planets. Dr. Muto uses his invention, the Splizz Gun, to mutate and morph into other organisms to complete his tasks.^[5] Overall, the game received mixed reviews by critics.

Gameplay

In the game, Dr. Muto has the ability to morph into many creatures, and use a variety of gadgets to get through the game.

Morphs

Dr. Muto is able to turn into 5 different creatures with the use of the Splizz Gun in the game. These can be unlocked by collecting items like isotopes and animal DNA. These morphs also have special extras.

• Gerbillous Doctorus Mouse or Rat

The first morph in the game. It allows you to enter small spaces, and attack enemies with his tail. It resembles a mouse. With 30 charks Rat.

• Docgantor Gorilla or Mech Gorilla

This morph may be slow and clumsy, but it is super-strong, can create a powerful "butt-bounce", climb walls and hang on to bars. It resembles a cross between a gorilla and a dinosaur. With 30 tarfish Mech Gorilla.

• Arachnidoc Spider or Roach

This morph allows you to enter in small spider holes, and climb webbing on the walls. Also, it can throw powerful spider eggs that act as mines, and attack enemies. It resembles a deformed spider. With 30 peliquis Roach.

• Spiny Docfish Guppy or Electric Eel

This morph allows you to swim underwater, and attack enemies with a powerful spike attack. It resembles a blue fish. With 30 airbags Electric Eel.

• Terodoctyl Flying Squirrel or Bat

This morph allows you to fly in the sky, complete flying ring courses, and shoot slimy hairballs at flying enemies. It resembles a flying squirrel. With 13 tarantulas Bat.

Gadgets

There are seven different gadgets Dr. Muto can use.

Splizz Gun

You get the Splizz Gun at the start of the game, it allows Dr. Muto to extract DNA from enemies, electrocute and shoot lasers at enemies, and allows him to morph into five different creatures.

Pocket Rocket

This gadget allows you to either shoot rockets at enemies in third person mode, or guide your own rocket in first person mode.

Super Boots

These are boots which allows Dr. Muto to jump higher than normal. You get them at the start of the game, but there are just one or two more per planet.

Rocket Boots

You get them at the start of the game, but there is just one more per area.

Invisibility Generator

This gadget will allow you to go past enemies unnoticed for a short time.

Invulnerability Field

This gadget equips you with an iron armor that will protect you from enemy damage and some hazards for a limited time. However, it cannot protect you from falling from great heights or being crushed by machinery.

Planets and Levels

Midway

The home of Dr. Muto. He is the only person left on Midway because he destroyed the rest of the world by accident. There is only one chunk left of this planet, floating in space. Named after the software house, Midway Games. There are only 2 bits of terra and 100 isotopes. The only genetor piece is the sink and to get it you use a blast for a few times.

Totltec

A junkyard of a planet. Is contaminated and filled with toxic, green goo. Totltec is inhabited by Vinny, a boss cyborg, mutant insects, and his security forces. In here, the Goonimator is stored, and Dr. Muto must destroy it. This planet acts as Burnital Industries' junkyard. The levels here are The Junkyard, The Vats, The Factory, and Vinny's Dump'.The isotopes number is 900 and 21 bits of terra for the genetor 9000.

Aqeum

The least polluted planet of Burnital Industries. This is where the insane and deranged mutant mermaid Carla McPhearson inhabits the water, along with mutant fish, "Charks", and Carla's henchmen. Some areas of this planet are polluted by oil, coming from Burnital's gigantic oil rig. The levels are The Lagoon, The Oil Rig, The Hydro Station, Water Works, and Carla's Hole. There are 1200 isotopes and 28 bits of terra for the genetor 9000.

Flotos

Flotos is a gaseous planet in which you must use Teradoctyl to get around the planet and lower its defenses. The setting is a group of facilities that are remaining on Flotos. All of its crust was used for valuable fuel. The stages are The Sphere, The Cube, The Furnaces, Jupiter City, and Steele's Garage. There are 1600 isotopes and 28 bits of terra for the genetor 9000.

Mazon

Professor Burnital's planet in which Dr. Muto defeats him. This is Burnital HQ, where Burnital lives. This planet is an underground factory. Before you can fight Professor Burnital, you need to find the key to his lair in his workshop, then solve an alien puzzle device that leads to his lair. The stages are The Workshop and Burnital's Lair. There are only 450 isotopes and just 7 bits of terra for the genetor 9000.

Plot

Dr. Muto, a mad scientist, built a machine that would provide free, renewable energy for his home planet of Midway. However, the machine was sabotaged by Muto's rival, Professor Burnital, causing it to malfunction and destroy the planet. Dr. Muto and his laboratory survived. Now, Dr. Muto plans to build a machine called the Genitor 9000 that will rebuild Midway. However, the pieces necessary to assemble and run the machine are scattered across a number of neighboring planets and must be collected. There are 4250 isotopes and 86 bits of terra and they are all needed to complete the game.

Characters

• Dr. Muto

The protagonist of the game. Dr. Muto can use a Splizz Gun to morph into a mouse, gorilla, spider, fish, and flying squirrel, each of which has unique abilities that enable him to complete different stages of the game. This character is of no affiliation with Dr. Mudo, a prominent scientist in the Midway game, Defender.

• AL

Muto's computer and guide. In the game, he needs the isotopes to power up the Genitor 9000. AL also helps Muto in his adventures and was seen on a map screen to know where Muto is. AL is a parody of HAL 9000 from 2001 A Space Odyssey.

• Jankey

Jankey is Dr. Muto's servant. He is a parody of the stock character Igor. Jankey has a wheel for feet, and is very strong, but grotesque looking and stupid. However he is very loyal to the doctor and has a good heart.

• Vinny "The Tool" Bino

The boss of the Totltec world, Vinny was a spoiled child, and failed school because nobody was "good enough for him". In Totltec, Vinny creates a device called the Goomatron. In his boss battle, he uses a bulldozer-like suit. The death animation for Bino shows his suit malfunctioning before he falls into a vat of acid and dies.

• Carla "Squid Kisser" McPhearson

The boss of the world Aqeum. In her boss fight, she uses a robotic squid with one switch to control it. Carla's death animation shows that she can't control the squid, then crashes into one of the generators and dies.

• Steele, uh, just Steele

The boss of the world Flotos, Steele plans to use his ship to take over Flotos. In his boss fight, Steele uses a jet pack to fly. His death animation shows his jet pack malfunctioning and he falls, but ejects and begins parachute to safety. However, his parachute rips, and Steele falls into a black hole.

• Professor Burnital

The boss of the world Mazon and main antagonist of the game. Burnital vows revenge against Muto for humiliating him in front of the military, his teacher, the rest of the world, and wrecking his life. He has wrinkly, leathery skin, and is short-sighted. Burnital plans to create a super laser machine to finish off Muto once and for all. In his boss fight, Burnital uses a robot that can stick to the floor. His death animation shows the robot going haywire, while Burnital makes an escape with the escape pod. He tells Muto that he will fight him another day. While inside the escape, Al catches him, because the escape pod was designed by Muto. Burnital then dies when the pod crashes with him in it.

• SOBs (Servants of Burnital)

Burnital has created these minions to finish Muto once and for all. These exist in every level but Midway.

Reception

Scores
Aggregate scores Aggregator Score GameRankings PS2: 72.2% (39 reviews) [6] GC: 70.2% (15 reviews) [7] Xbox: 73.0% (27 reviews) [8] GBA: 68.0% (2 reviews) [9] Metacritic PS2: 67% (21 reviews) [10] GC: 63% (6 reviews) [11] Xbox: 70% (13 reviews) [12] Review scores Publication Score GameSpot 6.5 / 10 [13][14][15] GameSpy [16] IGN 8.5 / 10 [17][18][19]

The game received overall positive critics, having a Metacritic score of around 70%.

References

External links

• Official website (from the Internet Archive Wayback machine)
• PS2 | Xbox | GC | GBA at GameSpot
• PS2 | Xbox | GC at IGN