History Videogame / DynamiteHeaddy

''Dynamite Headdy'' is a PlatformGame by Creator/{{Treasure}} with the unique feature of taking place in and behind the scenes of a puppet show. You control Headdy, a puppet with a [[LosingYourHead detachable head]] that can be used as a projectile, on a mission to confront King Dark Demon, a BigBad who has, quite literally, stolen the show. On your way you meet helpers such as Hangman, an animate handhold; Headcase, a walking box with a rotating selection of power-up heads inside; Beau, a visitor from FluffyCloudHeaven who points out [[AttackItsWeakPoint bosses' weak points]]; and Heather, a mysterious woman with detachable hands.

* RobotClown: The Puppeteer boss is a clown puppet. While all the characters are puppets, this character looks particularly robotic because he has a propeller where his waist and legs should be.

* CosmeticAward: Getting all the Secret Bonus Points or beating the BonusBoss does not affect gameplay in any way, and in fact all you get in either case is [[AWinnerIsYou the game briefly acknowledging that you've done so]].
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: The BonusBoss is the incredibly greedy boss of the theater, and his two henchmen. In the Japanese version, he is actually supposed to be [[TakeThat the President of Konami]].

** '''Money''' when the BonusBoss throws it. (Yes, you read that correctly).

* ImprobableWeaponUser: The BonusBoss and his henchmen attack with dollar bills.

* SequelEscalation: Parodied during the BossBanter before the BonusBoss in the Japanese version. [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall Headdy will have none of it.]]

* VisualPun: The BonusBoss if you get the complete code is indeed a boss, but now it's [[spoiler:a '''corporate''' boss]].

* BigBad: King Dark Demon[=/=][[spoiler:Smiley]].

* BonusStageCollectables: The four digits collected in the intermission bonus games are used to open the door to a BonusBoss at the end of the game. There are seven chances total.

* JustForPun: Most of the levels in the international version are puns of popular movies (e.g. [[Franchise/StarWars Stair Wars]]), and TheDragon that looks like a cat but is really a bear is called "Trouble Bruin".

* PunnyName:

* DubNameChange: Nearly everything when translating from Japanese to English had a name change.
** Mokkun to Headcase
** Fukkun to Hangman
** Yakkun to Beau
** Fingy to Heather
** Maruyama to Trouble Bruin
** Bounty Boundy to Mad Dog
** Jacqueline Dressy to Wooden Dresser
** Rebecca to Mons Meg
** Motor Hand to Spinderella
** Mitsuru to Baby Face
** Yayoi to Gatekeeper
** Izayoi to Nasty Gatekeeper
** Rever Face to Twin Freaks
** King Dark Demon to Dark Demon

* MythologicalAndReligiousThemeNaming: In the Japanese version of the game, the four puppets shown running with Headdy in Act 1 are named Matthew, Mark, Lucas, and John.

* BonusBoss: After the end credits have finished rolling, a numerical keypad appears. Entering the correct randomly-generated four-digit password (whose digits you discover by beating the bonus game once per digit) allows you to fight an extremely difficult boss, presumed to be the greedy manager of the theater the show takes place in, or [[TakeThat the President of Konami]], depending on which version you're playing. Fortunately, against this boss, you have infinite lives.

* KamehameHadoken: Dark Demon has a beam attack that fills most of the screen.

* LethalLavaLand: Act 3, Scene 1. Subverted in that it ends with Trouble Bruin bursting through the background and pulling Headdy backstage, where the rest of Act 3 takes place. Also subverted in that the lava, like everything else in the game, is fake.

* ObstructiveForeground: Coupled with Baby Face's 3rd form's BeamSpam.

** Played with in that it's a boss fight, not a cutscene.

* UnexpectedShmupLevel: Act 6 is a flying level with a space shooter feel.

* WarmupBoss: The first fight with Trouble Bruin, especially in the Japanese version where the balls of light don't do damage, though he's not a danger in the international version either given he has 2 HP and you will have at least 14. Mad Dog, the boss of Act 2, probably counts as well; she has more health and a variety of attacks, but compared to the rest of the game, still a cakewalk, especially with all the goodies Headcase brings to the fight.

* YourHeadASplode: What happens when you die. Also used to your advantage with Bomb Head.

** After what looks like a BreatherLevel in 7 you beat an easy boss then suddenly the background turns dark, revealing the enemy's castle, evil music starts playing, and [[DifficultySpike the Nasty Gatekeeper]] arrives.

* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: Trouble Bruin in the original Japanese version was called Maruyama, was purple and had wide round eyes and a goofy smile. The international version colored him brown and turned him into a PerpetualFrowner. The color change might just have been so you could tell he's supposed to be a bear and not a cat, though a lot of people just thought he was a brown cat, especially as he seemed to a lot of people to say "m-m-meow" when he turned up (it's actually saying "Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Maruyama). Also, the American game cover compared to the European and Japanese ones. Many of the bosses within the game receive a similar change.

* BaitAndSwitchBoss: At the end of the second world it seems that Headdy is going against Trouble Bruin's Octopus Trap machine, but as soon as he starts moving, Mad Dog, the real boss, falls from the sky and crushes Trouble Bruin, who gets stuck under Mad Dog for the entirety of the fight!

* BigBad: King Dark Demon / [[spoiler:Smiley]].
* BitchInSheepsClothing: The Gatekeeper offers false praise and thanks to Headdy for all of his hard work once he reaches her and implores him to leave as the location they are in [[BlatantLies is not King Dark Demon's castle and dawdling here would put everyone in danger]]. Heather promptly shows up and calls the Gatekeeper on her lying, beginning the battle.
* BonusBoss: After the end credits have finished rolling, a numerical keypad appears. Entering the correct randomly-generated four-digit password (whose digits you discover by beating the bonus game once per digit) allows you to fight an extremely difficult boss, presumed to be the greedy manager of the theater the show takes place in, or [[TakeThat the President of Konami]], depending on which version you're playing. Fortunately, against this boss you have infinite lives.

* VisualPun: The BonusBoss if you get the complete code is indeed a boss, but now it's [[spoiler:a '''corporate''' boss]].