Blast Chamber
| Blast Chamber | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Attention To Detail |
| Publisher(s) | Activision |
| Platform(s) | DOS, PlayStation, Saturn |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) | Players: 1-4 |
Blast Chamber (Kyu-Bakukku) is a video game released on PC, Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn.
Single-Player Game
In the single player game, the player navigates through 40 different cube-shaped puzzles, known as chambers. The player must collect crystal orb and drop it off in the reactor before time runs out or the player explodes and must start over. The game places heavy emphasis on the ability to kick the walls of the cube at certain points which causes the entire chamber to rotate, which is vital to that player reaching the end of each puzzle. Getting to the end of each puzzle gets progressively more difficult and more and more obstacles stand in your way. These range from platforms, to spike pits, to giant fans. In addition, some "kickers" (switches in the form of green arrows) are placed on some walls to mislead the player. There are even some flashing platforms that will rotate the chamber 180 degrees when the player jumps on them. Once the crystal is dropped off in the designated zone (the reactor), the player then moves on to the next level. After each level, the player is awarded 100 points for each second remaining on their timer. 10,000 points win the player an extra life. If the player makes it through all 40 chambers without using any cheat codes then s/he is treated to an animation at the end. If even one cheat code is used, the player is prompted the message: "You made it! You're alive! You cheated. You're outta here." Single player mode is always 'Red Player'. On a second note, the four characters are never named, nor even given a gender as the body looks more or less androgynous.
Eliminator Mode
This mode will have the player face off against up to three other computer or human controlled players in 1 of 20 different chambers. The goal is to stay alive the longest, and the winner is the last one alive at the end. Staying alive proves to be difficult, as each player has C4 strapped with a timer continuously counting down. However, when a player possesses the crystal, that
player's "Kill Clock" Freezes Until s/he puts it in a reactor or loses it via being pushed or falling. Each player has a small pyramid holochamber assigned to them (one on each "side" of the chamber belonging to each of the players and color-coded to match (Red, Yellow, Green, Blue) in which they can bring a crystal that is dropped at the beginning of the level to extend the amount of time on their timer. The other players will try to grab the crystal from you though, by pushing you and by causing you to fall by rotating the chamber. Alternatively, a crystal can be dropped in a different players chamber to cut off time from their timer. How much time is gained or lost when a crystal is placed in a reactor depends on the difficulty. Also, on Conflagration or Thermonuclear difficulty, if a player blows up and another player is standing too close, both players are blown up simultaneously. Once an orb is dropped off into a chamber, falls on spikes, falls in a pit, or blows up via the "Crystal Bomb" powerup, another one will appear.
Free-For-All Mode
This mode is very similar to Eliminator Mode, except that there is a fixed amount of time that the game will go on for, in which the player who dies the least amount of times is the winner. It is highly unlikely that players will tie in this game, unless the difficulty is set to Conflagration or Thermonuclear, in which case the BUYB (Blow Up Yer Buddy) tactic can easily cause a draw game. Adding and losing time on your timer is the same as in Eliminator Mode, where the crystal is dropped off in different players squares.
Powerups
In Both Multiplayer chambers and Solo Survivor chambers, players will encounter powerups in the form of floating ellipses.
Mag Boots (Blue Triangle): This allows the player to temporarily walk up onto the walls and ceiling. However, if the player jumps off of these surfaces, the mag boots will fail and the player will fall to the floor
Gravity bomb (Upside Down Eject Symbol): In multiplayer only. Gravity for all other players shifts, forcing them to walk on the ceiling. However, there is a glitch with this powerup. If any player rotates the chamber after this powerup has been activated, then the players whose gravity has shifted will stay directed towards the wall that was the ceiling
Paralyzer (Zigzag): Very short duration, but all other players are frozen completely (relative to the chamber of course, so if the player initiates a rotation, the frozen players will be suspending sideways or upside-down until the powerup wears off. If a frozen player has the crystal, it will be impossible to get the crystal from that player until this powerup has worn off
Mercury (Fast Forward): Temporarily gives the player super speed
Hi-jump (Red Arrow): Allows the player to jump really high. Each time the player jumps, a sound effect that says "Hi-jump" will play
Extra time (old fashioned phone dial): Self-explanatory.
Time bomb (lines protruding outward from the center): Subtracts time from all other players' clocks.
Psy-bomb (X): Reverses the other player's directional buttons. In single player mode (it occurs once) it reverses THAT player's directions.
Reactor Swap (Kind of like Windows symbol): Randomly switches the reactors' colors (multiplayer only)
Vice Grip (fist): Allows the player to hold onto the crystal even when being pushed or after falling.
Crystal Disruptor (solid crystal): Causes the crystal to warp to another location.
Crysal Magnet (horseshoe): Draws the crystal to the player, regardless of where it was before.
Crystal Bomb (broken crystal): The crystal begins to smoke more and more violently until it explodes. If a player is holding the crystal when it explodes, they go with it. If the crystal is smoking when a player puts it in a reactor, the next incoming crystal will also smoke. If the player who activated the crystal bomb explodes before the crystal does, the powerup is deactivated.
References
- Blast Chamber (PlayStation) at GameSpot (Infobox details)
- Blast Chamber (Sega Saturn) at GameSpot (Infobox details)