Line #195 VideoGame/CastleCrashers


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6	''Castle Crashers'' is a BeatEmUp available on the Platform/XboxLiveArcade, Playstation Network, PC, and Mac. Created by Creator/TomFulp of Creator/TheBehemoth, creator of {{Platform/Newgrounds}} and ''VideoGame/AlienHominid'', it maintains the comedic style and artistic look you might find on his web site.
7
8	You (and up to three of your friends) are gallant knights, fighting off a barbarian horde, lava beasts, the undead and the like to rescue four beautiful princesses who have been abducted. That's the extent of the story for this game. It's all about playing an oldschool-style hack-and-slash on high-definition gaming technology, with cheesy (and at times disgusting) humor.
9
10	First released on Platform/XBox in 2008. In 2015, the game was remastered for the Platform/XboxOne and PC. Then in 2019, the remaster was brought over to the Platform/PlayStation4 and Platform/NintendoSwitch.
11	----
12	!!''Castle Crashers'' contains examples of:
13	[[foldercontrol]]
14	[[folder:A -- F]]
15	* AbsurdlyHighLevelCap: Each character maxes out at Level 99. One can beat the game at around Level 30 as long as you didn't neglect strength. Those extra levels come ''real'' handy in [[HarderThanHard Insane Mode]], however. The game has up to about 30 playable characters (unlockables and DLC included).
16	* AdamSmithHatesYourGuts: You'll need quite a few playthroughs in order to be able to afford all the weapons and Animal Orbs in the game, with the Insane Store having costs of up to 5500 gold. The Insane Store's costs were greatly toned down in the Remastered Version, however, the highest price being 1500 gold. A more specific example is that the Castle Keep shopkeeper still charges you to buy items, even though you just beat up a bunch of Barbarians that were threatening him.
17	* AdvancingBossOfDoom: Several times, you are running away from a troll large enough that its eyes alone are the size of two players each. The first time it is encountered, [[EscapeSequence you simply run]]. In a following sequence, this troll becomes a type A boss, which you will fight in a variant of the MinecartMadness level.
18	* AgentPeacock: Pink Knight uses ThePowerOfLove-based magic, and has a valentine motif. He kicks ass with the rest of the group.
19	* AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield: The Wizard's Castle has one hell of an odd background. It's all swirly and purple and black and... whoa.
20	* AnachronismStew: Despite being set in a medieval time period, there are things outside of that era in the game, though it's likely because of RuleOfFunny:
21	** Some of the weapons are clearly from outside the era, such as the Conehead's Light Saber, the Chainsaw, and the Cattle Prod.
22	** Hidden in the background of an early phase of the Ninja Pirate battle is [[spoiler:a giant squid fighting a robot]].
23	** The very existence of the [[spoiler:Alien Ship, granted it's a reference to ''VideoGame/AlienHominid'']].
24	** [[spoiler:The Painter boss is one giant case of this, with his room containing a TV screen, and how he's in overalls and has a toolbox for a head. Not to mention he speaks in a robotic voice]].
25	** While pianos and organs aren't really out of place, a prop-up keyboard akin to modern day ones can be seen in the ending sequence.
26	* AndIMustScream: The Weapons Frog (just look at its eyes!), but it's untied for the ending sequence.
27	* AndNowYouMustMarryMe: The leader of the Coneheads is attempting to forcibly marry the Green Princess against her will when you show up. The other princes may or may not be holding the other Princesses for marriage.
28	* AnnoyingArrows: Played straight for enemy arrows, and both subverted and played straight for players' arrows. Being that just about everyone is MadeOfIron in this game, arrows seem to do very little damage to people, and if you're fighting a whole mess of Thieves, arrows are more than enough to drive someone mad. If a player increases their Agility during their level-ups, however, their arrows can do a decent amount of damage comparable to magic damage. In fact, [[BadassNormal some characters' "magic"]] ''is'' dropping a volley of arrows on their opponent's heads from on top of them, thus actually requiring ''magic'' increases to get stronger.
29	* ApatheticCitizens: Used ''painfully'' straight in the beginning of the game, then subverted later in the swamp level, where the peasants, encouraged by your violent bravery, join you in fights — and even then, you have to lure the [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext Corn Boss]] into attacking them to actually have them join you in fighting the monstrosity.
30	** The Peasant, and his buddy The Civilian, can also be unlocked as playable characters.
31	* ArtAttacker: The Painter. Although he doesn't directly attack you with his brush.
32	* ArtInitiatesLife: The Painter uses his brush to bring his artwork to life.
33	* ArtShift: The Painter's creations are rendered in a less-refined, non-shaded style similar to many early 2000's animations.
34	* AuthorGuestSpot: Many of the minds behind Newgrounds appear [[spoiler:imprisoned in the alien's spaceship, floating in large tubes [[OffscreenStartBonus behind the level's starting point]]]].
35	* AvengingTheVillain: [[spoiler:The Conehead leader's death causes Cyclops to attack you... well, after he runs away with the Green Princess and you chase him down. Justified; the conehead leader is his ''son''.]]
36	* BadassAdorable: All of the characters are cute little guys, but special mention goes to the [[RealMenWearPink Pink Knight]], who wears pink armor, smiles constantly, and uses rainbows and stuffed animals as his magic attacks.
37	* BadassNormal: The Grey Knight and several of the other unlockable characters (most notably the civilian and peasant) have no magic, gadgets, or special high-tech equipment of any kind. They make do.
38	** EmpoweredBadassNormal: They did, however, has access to mundane "magic" such as conjuring bombs, and also launch upwards to get on to the castle during the ascending castle climax.
39	* BaitAndSwitchBoss: The first boss appears to be just a simple {{Giant Mook}}. Then, the door behind him that's three times his height (for reference: he's twice yours) breaks down, crushing him, and the ''real'' boss comes out. He barely fits through the giant door.
40	* BanditMook:
41	** The Thief can take away both the foods and gold laying on the ground.
42	** In a few levels, Imps can steal bags of gold that are lying around if they don't get picked up quickly enough.
43	* BearsAreBadNews:
44	** The bear tribe you encounter shortly after Catfish.
45	** Subverted early in the game. A bear gets ready to attack you from behind a bush, but quickly gets scared off by [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever a much more threatening enemy]].
46	** The Bipolar Bear will attack ''anyone'' with low health. Yes, even its owner.
47	* BeeBeeGun: The Beekeeper uses bees for magic attacks.
48	* BigBad: The Wizard is the one who steals the crystal from the King and sets the game in motion.
49	* BishonenLine: [[spoiler:The final battle. The Wizard fight has six stages!]] Also, the Necromancer, the Wizard's [[TheDragon second-in-command]] and most powerful minion, is humanoid, whereas his two lesser underlings are monstrous.
50	* BlackComedy: Sometimes, there are rather sadistic situations that are really hard not to laugh at.
51	* BlackKnight: The Necromancer. Averted with Stove Face and Conehead for being common {{mooks}}, though they at least look the part.
52	* BlobMonster: Slimes can be found in a few cave-based levels.
53	* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: The Blue, Green, and Red Princesses, respectively.
54	* BonusDungeon: Insane Mode fits the trope, even if it isn't a dungeon. Enemies have many times their normal HP, and do crazy amounts of damage. You, on the other hand, only get as strong as stat caps will let you.
55	* {{Bookends}}: The game starts and ends with the characters partying in the Home Castle.
56	* BossRoom: [[spoiler:The Painter, the Necromancer, and Recyclops in the final castle.]] The Barbarian Boss applies here too.
57	* BoringButPractical: For the easiest time it's generally recommended that you pick one offensive stat and then defense to distribute your stats between when leveling up. Enemies get very damaging and very tanky so the ability to dish out damage reliably and take it are considered essential.
58	* BossRush: A set of brand-new fights right before the final battle.
59	* BowelBreakingBricks: Several animals in the Thieves' Forest.
60	* BrickJoke: The deer being propelled by his BowelBreakingBricks will later be seen flying into the sky in the Full Moon level.
61	* BringMyBrownPants: In the Thieves' Forest area, there are instances where an owl, a deer, and even a bear, soil themselves in fright at some creature stomping around the woods. In the Abandoned Mill immediately following, you see the huge creature firsthand, and have to ride one of the deer to safety. The deer may or may not have the runs ''as'' it runs.
62	* TheBrute: [[spoiler:The Recyclops plays the muscle to the Necromancer.]]
63	* BubblegloopSwamp: The swamp and Medusa's Lair are set in an area with murky green water that you'll sometimes have to traverse through.
64	* CallASmeerpARabbit: The armless, dinosaur-like mount in one level is simply known as "Crocodile".
65	* CampyCombat: The Pink Knight's magic has him hurling rainbows at enemies while posing in a very camp manner.
66	* CardCarryingVillain: Most of the villains... [[MeaningfulName as implied by their names.]]
67	* CatsAreMean: The Catfish. The Giant Troll looks a bit like a huge cat too.
68	* CastingAShadow: The Skeletons, Cult Minions, and the Necromancer all use Shadow Magic.
69	* ChainsawGood: A chainsaw happens to be an unlockable weapon after you beat the game. Better hope you've saved your Gold, though...
70	* CharacterLevel: As you level up, your character will learn new combos and gain 2 stat points until after Level 20, when it's reduced to one stat point.
71	* CharacterCustomization: Players can specialize in strength, magic, defense, agility, or any combination of them. Can result in characters becoming a JackOfAllStats, a MightyGlacier, a FragileSpeedster, and more. With significant patience and leveling, characters can even reach LightningBruiser levels, which is usually what you get after spending enough time in [[HarderThanHard Insane]] [[NewGamePlus Mode]] rather than the normal mode.
72	* CherryTapping: The Shovel can hit an enemy twice in one use, but it can be difficult to time, and it's often not that worth it. The Horn can send opponents flying in the same manner, but it's a bit easier to time.
73	* ChestMonster: [[spoiler:During the final boss fight, the usual treasure chest falls onto the boss the same way it did for every other boss; however, opening it releases a more powerful form of the boss!]]
74	* ChromosomeCasting: All playable characters and villains are male; this includes the [[RealMenWearPink Pink Knight]]. While there are princesses, [[SaveThePrincess their only purpose is to be saved]], there's no other interaction with them, and [[spoiler:one of them turns out to be [[{{Platform/Newgrounds}} Tricky the Clown]]]].
75	* ClassicalCyclops: The Cyclops is one of the Evil Wizard's servants. He is the greyish-brown hulking humanoid wearing purplish armor, and he uses knives as a weapon. He has [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes a close relationship]] with the Conehead Groom, helping him with the ArrangedMarriage with the Green Princess, and when the heroes kill the Groom, Cyclops ends up [[AntagonistInMourning mourning his death]]. Later, in Cyclops' Fortress, he tries to [[AvengingTheVillain avenge the Conehead Groom]] by killing the heroes, only to fall into lava after defeat. He later gets brought BackFromTheDead by the Necromancer in undead form. In this form, he fights the heroes in the Evil Wizard's castle, together with the undead version of the Conehead Groom, before he and the Groom are killed for good by heroes, after which their [[WingedSoulFliesOffAtDeath winged souls fly off]].
76	* ColorCodedMultiplayer: Red, blue, green, and orange knights in four-player action with many secret characters to unlock.
77	* ComedicSociopathy: In-Universe and out, some people can't help but laugh at some of the ways people die in this game. Even when players are fighting each other in the Arenas, sometimes the winner character will point and laugh at the dead loser. [[BackFromTheDead And they usually come back for the next level or match, of course.]] Even if they [[OffWithHisHead lost their head in the fight]].
78	* ContinuingIsPainful: Dying kicks you back to the world map so you can restock items and restart at the latest checkpoint. You don't need to kill all the bosses in the Wizard's Castle in a row, too. However, you must kill an end boss before you quit the game, or you'll be sent back to the beginning of the current level set when you come back.
79	* ConvectionSchmonvection: One of the greatest examples is the Cyclops boss: after his defeat, he falls into a pit of magma and is buried there. When the necromancer resurrects him as Recyclops, he doesn't look anywhere ''near'' as burned as he should be (his GlowingEyelightsOfUndeath look molten, and that's about it).
80	* CowardlyBoss:
81	** The Industrial Prince runs away from you at every point up until the battle with [[spoiler:his giant mechanical contraption]]. Then he runs again, but gets zapped by the wizard instead of getting a ride. You can [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential smack him off the tower of his castle]] for some satisfying revenge. The moment can be even more hilarious depending on what means you smack him with. [[ImprobableWeaponUser The shovel. The horn. Anything works.]] For maximum laughs, bring along Bipolar Bear.
82	** The Painter, who uses his elevator to hide behind his hordes of enemies. When you deal enough damage to him, the elevator breaks, and the Painter runs around screaming "FOILED!", at which point his drawings start to die in one hit each.
83	* CPRCleanPrettyReliable: If a teammate loses all his HP and has no potions left, you can revive him via CPR.
84	* CrosshairAware: Whenever sub-bosses use cannons, you'll see a [[PowerGlows glowy red cross]] on the floor. Makes no sense, because the cannons don't have crosshairs themselves.
85	* CycleOfHurting: In cases where enemies spawn en masse, they may stunlock you until your health runs dry. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF4d4o-FUlI And even then, it may take them awhile to stop.]] Also, the Blue Knight has a certain melee combo (Light, Light, Light, Heavy) that (after striking an enemy three times in succession) freezes that enemy with a heavy blow; this combo deals absolutely massive amounts of damage and can be spammed repeatedly on a single enemy if you have the proper timing skills.
86	* DarkIsNotEvil: While the Necromancer normally falls under DarkIsEvil, he is also available as a playable character via DownloadableContent, and attacks enemies and bosses instead of acting like one, therefore putting the trope into play.
87	* ADayInTheLimelight: The Grey Knight is one of the King's RedShirts.
88	* DeathMountain: Full Moon is set on a large, rocky brown mountain, with rolling rocks and tons of enemies to boot. The mountain's elevation is high enough that it transitions into the [[SlippySlideyIceWorld snow world]] at the top.
89	* DefeatMeansFriendship: Defeating Pipistrello causes him to shrink down into the Bitey Bat Animal Orb.
90	** A few Animal Orbs are gotten by defeating their original users (the Bear Boss for Rammy, and a Beefy Brute for Cardinal).
91	* DegradedBoss: The big, squarish Troll from the early-game forest level appears later in normal fights a few times.
92	* DemBones: Skeletons appear as mooks and a potential playable character. They take minor damage from magic. Oddly, they can become beefy even if they're, you know, skeletal.
93	* DevelopersForesight: The Gray Knight's projectile magic lets him throw a bomb. Said bombs look like and can actually be used in place of the ones the player buys normally.
94	* DisneyVillainDeath: The Industrial Prince, [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential if you so desire]].
95	* DistressedDamsel: Four, one for each of the main characters' colors.
96	* TheDragon: The Necromancer, [[spoiler:the Painter, and Recyclops]] to the Wizard.
97	* EliteMook: There's a Conehead wearing a backpack to help him avoid getting juggled.
98	* EnemyMine: You can outfit your PlayerCharacter with enemy designs, each with their own unique magic attacks.
99	* EscapeSequence: The first encounter with the giant Troll. This is the original reason for the poor deer's... uh... propulsion.
100	** Also happens on the [[spoiler:Alien Ship]], which you must escape from before it blows up. Otherwise, you take heavy damage.
101	* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: The Conehead Groom and the Cyclops are real close.
102	* EverythingTryingToKillYou: Barbarians, thieves, trolls, sharks, fish, bears, demons, sandworms, slimes, and more.
103	** And those are just the ones that make sense. One boss is a [[spoiler:giant ear of corn who attacks rather viciously with his husk]].
104	* ExcusePlot: The Wizard invades the King's Castle to steal the large magical crystal off the throne and the four princesses. Wizard flies off on it, and the King yells at the Knights to bring them all back. That's your story, now go hit stuff.
105	* ExpressiveMask: The knights manage to be pretty expressive despite wearing cold steel helmets. Sometimes they even sprout mouths through the helmet.
106	* TheFaceless: The Orange Princess's face is never seen throughout the majority of the game. Even when you're fighting the first boss (where all four princesses are seen in the background), her face is obscured by lots of ropes.
107	** Several other characters fit this, such as the Royal Guards, the Black Knights, the Wizard's Cultists, the Coneheads, the colored knights...
108	* FighterMageThief: Players can specialize in either melee, magic, or bow damage.
109	* FireIceLightning: Three out of the four playable characters available from the start are an [[AnIcePerson ice magic user blue knight]], a [[PlayingWithFire fire magic user orange knight]], and a [[ShockAndAwe lightning magic user red knight]].
110	* FiveSecondForeshadowing: When the Treasure Chest falls onto a boss, the boss does not see it coming due to either being dead or on the verge of death. [[spoiler: The Wizard does a WildTake at it because he's pretending the fight is over to take you off guard.]]
111	* FlunkyBoss: Several bosses, including the Barbarian Boss and Pipistrello, constantly summon regular mooks. The Necromancer deserves special mention, as he summons two waves of 10+ enemies each.
112	* FloatingContinent: The Wizard's Castle... [[LoadBearingBoss which falls during the last two phases of the final battle]].
113	* FunnyBackgroundEvent: See BrickJoke.
114	[[/folder]]
115
116	[[folder:G -- M]]
117	* GainaxEnding: The ending seems normal enough as the warrior takes the orange princess back home, but... [[spoiler:the princess turns out to be a clown in disguise. She dances around in a psychedelic background and then the game ends. How weird!]]
118	* GangplankGalleon: [[spoiler:The ninja pirate ship level.]]
119	* GetBackHereBoss: [[spoiler:The Evil Corn's]] battle becomes little more than an annoying game of Whack A Mole when it's low on health.
120	** [[spoiler:The Painter]] dodges you for the first half of his bar by only coming down from his spot to create more minions. Eventually, his elevator breaks and he runs around screaming for help.
121	** [[spoiler:The Frost King]] is also hard to catch, seeing as [[spoiler:the battle arena's floor is completely made of slippery ice, and he also pops in and out similarly to The Evil Corn as his health runs out]].
122	* GiantMook: Several enemies in the game are beefed up versions of the mooks.
123	* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: [[spoiler:The dragon at the end of Lava World.]] [[spoiler:The Painter in the Wizard's Castle]] also fits, as does [[spoiler:the big angry corn husk]], and [[spoiler:[[{{Platform/Newgrounds}} Tricky the Clown]]]].
124	* GoKartingWithBowser: At the end of the desert level, just after you slaughter dozens of Saracens, you play a friendly game of volley ball with some survivors. And even then, you can ''still'' beat each other senseless.
125	* GoodWingsEvilWings: The [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Necromancer]], as if his [[BadPowersBadPeople power]] and his black armor was not enough to unambiguously label him as evil, also has a pair of bat wings.
126	* GorgeousGorgon: Medusa fits this category quite nicely. Just don't get [[TakenForGranite caught in her stare.]]
127	* GottaCatchEmAll: Collecting all the animal orbs and weapons.
128	* HammerOfTheHoly: The church that the wedding-battle takes place in has hammers instead of crosses in its iconography, overlapping with the {{Bowdlerize}} trope.
129	* HarmlessFreezing: The Blue Knight and several other characters can freeze a good number of enemies, even the Icekimos. They'll thaw and come right back after you.
130	* HeartIsAnAwesomePower: The Pink Knight's magic consists of rainbows and plush penguins/weasels. The rainbows are the longest reaching splash attack in the game and, when hit, enemies make a peace sign for a split second. And it is ''awesome.''
131	* HeavyMithril: The four knights are head banging and moshing when the story begins.
132	* HighAltitudeBattle: The fight against the Wizard happens as his castle crumbles around you all and the chunks of it begin to plummet back into the crater he left by pulling it from the ground.
133	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Medusa is turned to stone after her defeat. The Ice King isn't luckier as he slowly turns to ice, [[AndIMustScream screaming all the time.]] The Cyclops falling in the lava grave he dug for his friend/son may count.
134	* HyperactiveMetabolism:
135	** Food acts as recovery, especially the drumsticks.
136	** Corned Beef sandwiches grand 10 seconds of SuperMode.
137	* IAmYourOpponent: The Barbarian Boss makes his entrance like this in hilarious fashion: a typical GiantMook Barbarian appears, and screams at you. The giant door he's standing in front of then gets knocked down, crushing him, and out comes a much, ''much'' larger barbarian to throw down with you.
138	* IcePalace: The Ice Prince's castle.
139	* AnIcePerson: The Ice King, the Blue Knight, and the Icekimoes.
140	* IHaveManyNames: Forest Knight / Swamp Trooper / Vine Knight / Medusa Minion / Medusa ''Knight'' / Tree Knight / [[OverlyLongGag Grass Knight]] / Druidic Knight / [[SomeCallMeTim Snakey]]
141	* ImprobableWeaponUser: Any player, really, given the variety of weapons that become available to you.
142	** Let's see, a spoon, a fish, a lightsaber, a frozen chicken, a few different kinds of sticks, a lollipop, a carrot, a boomerang, a horn... you get the idea.
143	** Some enemies aren't better: the first boss you face attacks you with a colossal spiked [[ShieldBash shield]].
144	* InexplicableTreasureChests: Small ones can show up in certain levels, and a huge one full of money drops after every boss that guards a princess. [[spoiler:The chest the Evil Wizard drops, however, contains his [[EldritchAbomination more monstrous form]].]]
145	* InstrumentOfMurder: One boss plays a pipe organ with cannons for pipes.
146	* IronicNurseryTune: The theme for the Conehead Groom fight, called "Till Death Do I Impart", is a distorted version of "Here Comes The Bride".
147	* JokeItem: A good amount of non-conventional weapons. Honestly, did you expect a ''fishing rod'' to do anything but lower your stats?
148	* {{Kiai}}: Consuming a Sandwich causes the eater to emit a groaning scream as they become Beefy.
149	* KingMook: The Barbarian Boss, the Conehead leader, the bear tribe mini-boss, and possibly Pipistrello.
150	* LethalLavaLand: Lampshaded, it's actually called "Lava World."
151	* LiterallyShatteredLives: Invoked with Medusa, as she [[TakenForGranite turns to stone]] and must be hit and shattered to complete the level. Upon smashing her to bits, she drops a sword.
152	* LoadBearingBoss: [[spoiler:The Wizard, whose castle gradually falls apart as you fight him. Justifiable, as he's going OneWingedAngel on you.]]
153	* MadeOfIron: Pretty much everyone. Getting shocked, set on fire, or sliced and diced is only a small injury that you can get back up from.
154	* MagicKnight: All the characters can cast magic and beat stuff up, but you need to upgrade attack, defense, AND magic for this to be an extremely effective build.
155	* MarathonBoss: On Insane Mode, all of the bosses get a huge health increase, although ''special'' mention goes to [[spoiler:The Frost King]], who can take about ''30 minutes'' to beat alone.
156	* MedievalEuropeanFantasy: The whole game takes place in a medieval setting, although there's a factory and a spaceship in the mix as well.
157	* MineralMacguffin: The King's giant crystal.
158	* MiniBoss: Several, although they seem to disappear after you cross the ocean after the fight with the [[spoiler:Alien Hominid ships]].
159	* MiniGame: All You Can Quaff, a massive eating contest. Also, volleyball atop the Sand Castle. The Remastered patch adds Back-Off Barbarian, a survival game where you move by moving the control stick in changing directions as shown on the tiles.
160	* MirrorBoss: The Bear miniboss, and the Necromancer. Both of which can become [[MirrorMatch literal]] {{Mirror Boss}}es through unlocks.
161	* MonsterArena: Several throughout the game. [[spoiler:Beat them to be able to play as the enemies you fought. Well, except for the Peasant Arena, which unlocks the Villager.]]
162	* MultiMookMelee: Pretty much every level. The Necromancer sends a few giant waves of mooks at you when you fight him, too.
163	** During the [[spoiler:Alien Ship]] level, you wind up fighting ''50'' enemies in one screen. They all die in one hit, but they also have ranged attacks.
164	* MonsterClown: A doodle based on [[http://newgrounds.wikia.com/wiki/Tricky Tricky the Clown]] is something the Painter boss can summon. [[spoiler:The Orange Princess turning out to have the same face is [[FridgeHorror rather suspicious]].]]
165	* {{Mook}}: And some of them are unlockable characters.
166	* MookChivalry: Mooks tend to try to melee you one or two at a time, with the rest staying out of your reach or peppering you from afar with occasional arrows or magic.
167	** Averted in some of the arena fights. You will really appreciate your shield after it has defended you from a throng of 5 or 6 Iceskimoes all whaling on you with clubs.
168	* MooksAteMyEquipment: The Thief can eat both the foods and gold laying on the ground.
169	* MookMaker: The large, squarish Trolls constantly release hordes of smaller Trolls.
170	* MutuallyExclusivePowerups: Transforming into your beefy self renders you unable to shoot arrows or cast magic... or do anything but smash stuff, jump, and block, really.
171	[[/folder]]
172
173	[[folder:N -- S]]
174	* NamelessNarrative: No one is named.
175	* {{Necromancer}}: [[ShapedLikeItself The Necromancer]], natch.
176	* NewGamePlus: Insane Mode unlocks after beating the main "[[ExcusePlot story]]" levels, and allows you to play these same levels over again, only the enemies are harder to defeat this time around.
177	** To an extent, starting the game as a new character also counts. You start at the beginning, but can use all the Animal Orbs, weapons (with proper leveling), and special items (except the horn) that were gotten in a previous playthrough.
178	* NightOfTheLivingMooks: Skeletons.
179	* NinjaLog: The pirate ninjas drop a wooden dummy version of themselves whenever they teleport.
180	* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: You fight ninjas. That have a pirate ship. Yes, ''really''.
181	* NoNameGiven: Barely any of the characters have actual names and are named for... well, what they are. The Evil Wizard is... an [[EvilSorceror evil wizard]], Necromancer is a necromancer, the (insert color here) Knights are knights with armor of a certain color... the list goes on.
182	* NoHeroDiscount: A shopkeeper in the castle still charges you for his goods, even though you saved his life not two minutes before. Technically, there ''is'' a hero discount. The health potions he sells cost 1 GP less than health potions anywhere else. But it's still not much.
183	* OddNameOut: The boss lineup in the final level consists of [[spoiler:a knight with bat wings and an awesome curved sword with magic capable of raising the dead, an undead cyclops swinging the coffin of his friend/son around as a weapon, a persistent and evil wizard with a powerful blade, and... a somewhat burly painter with a toolbox for a head, a robotic voice, and a disturbing imagination]]. One of these kids is not like the others.
184	* OffWithHisHead: One of the ways just about any character (including players when fighting each other) can die in this game. {{Mooks}} and bosses can't do this to players, though, because players (when in Co-Op mode) need to be able to be revived, and that's rather difficult to do if you're minus a head.
185	* OhCrap: The Evil Wizard has an epic one [[spoiler:when the giant treasure chest is about to fall on him and squish him flat. Subverted when he comes out of it as a floating GiantSpider]].
186	* OldSaveBonus: You can unlock the main character of ''VideoGame/AlienHominid'' on the Xbox 360 version if you've downloaded it from the Marketplace and have at least one achievement on it.
187	** And, in a curious case of a retroactive OldSaveBonus, buying ''VideoGame/BattleblockTheater'' on Xbox Live Arcade or Steam and earning an achievement in that game unlocks Hatty Hattington as a playable character here.
188	* OminousFloatingCastle: [[spoiler:The Wizard's castle.]]
189	* OneHitKill: Pipistrello's tongue attack on Insane difficulty deals 999 damage. It's possible to have more than 999 health, but that requires a specific setup, and even then, any scratch beforehand will likely put you below 999.
190	* OneStatToRuleThemAll: If you don't upgrade your defense, you will die. If you do, the game becomes incredibly easier.
191	* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler:The fourth stage in the Wizard fight. You kill the third stage and a chest drops down like any other defeated boss. Inside? A GIANT FLOATING LOVECRAFTIAN SPIDER-LIKE HORROR. He then properly subverts that by changing back into an orb, then changing back to his normal form and pulling out the [[{{BFS}} Dragon Sword]].]]
192	* OurDragonsAreDifferent: [[spoiler:The one in Lava World has a socket puppet on his left hand.]]
193	* PacifistRun: Played with. There is an achievement for clearing the game up to the first boss without attacking a single enemy, but you ''have'' to have at least one other person playing with you to kill the bad guys, or you're not going anywhere without busting some heads.
194	* PapaWolf: [[spoiler:Given that the Conehead Groom was the Cyclops' son, the Cyclops is very much this, attacking you in a tearful rage.]]
195	* PeopleJars: The EasterEgg on the ''VideoGame/AlienHominid'' spaceship level features the dev team inside individual cryo tubes.[[note]]Simply walk to the left at the start of the level to find it.[[/note]]
196	* PlayerMooks: Pretty much every character you can play as aside from the four starters and downloads.
197	* PlayingWithFire: The Orange Knight and the Fire Demons both use fire magic, and the Fire Demons are nigh-immune to fire.
198	* PolarBearsAndPenguins: Snow World contains penguins, Eskimos, and [=BiPolar Bear=], a polar bear-like animal orb.
199	* PowerUpMount: A total of four. The "crocodile", camel, and the king's horse all increase speed, enable standard attacks while moving, and have a different strong attack (a bite for the crocodile, spit for the camel, and regular strong attacks for the horse). The deer, meanwhile, is only useful for outrunning the Giant Troll in the Abandoned Mill.
200	* PuzzleBoss: The Catfish has incredibly high defense when its teeth are clenched. To beat it, you have to protect the King's ship from its furballs so that he can fire a cannon at it, causing it to open its mouth temporarily so you can deal a lot of damage.
201	* {{Qurac}}: The desert area. Filled with camels, the Saracens, and so on.
202	* RageAgainstTheAuthor: The demo game posted on Newgrounds, ''Castle Crashing: The Beard'', is a single boss game which requires defeating Tom Fulp.
203	* RankScalesWithAsskicking: The King is a badass and stands in the front lines for a couple of levels. Shame he doesn't stick around for the latter half of the game.
204	* RealMenWearPink: The Pink Knight.
205	* RedShirtArmy: The Grey Knights, who die left and right. Subverted since they're actually pretty helpful (and competent) despite their short lifespans, and two of them are playable.
206	* RemilitarizedZone: The first level takes place during a barbarian siege on the [[FirstTown Home Castle]]. In the background, you can see massive armies clash (well, at one point; the rest of the level's background is parts of the armies rushing ''toward'' the battle), and broken equipment and bodies are everywhere.
207	* RetiredBadass: The Blacksmith informs you about basic combat. This is not only because he manages the weaponry you find, but because he is revered as a warrior of legend. And, assuming the player buys the DLC, he decides to step out of retirement.
208	* TheReveal: The Orange Princess (see TheFaceless) shows up after the credits, her face this time covered by an orange veil. As you move in to kiss her like all the other princesses, she finally reveals her face... [[spoiler:and it's actually Tricky the Clown]]!
209	** [[spoiler:If you look carefully during the Painter boss, some of the pictures are of the orange princess with a sword through her, suggesting that either she was killed and replaced by Tricky or, as Castlepedia suggests, that, even though the Evil Wizard didn't kill her ''yet'', he did have that intention.]]
210	* RockBeatsLaser: When you encounter the [[spoiler:VideoGame/{{alien\|Hominid}}s]] in the desert, they fall pathetically easy to medieval weaponry, and their own weapons can barely scratch the player. Even their big scary hovering ships [[FakeUltimateMook go down after a few good smacks.]]
211	** This is possibly a reference to the original [[spoiler:''VideoGame/AlienHominid'']] being a OneHitPointWonder in its own game.
212	* RocketJump: The characters can use the magic of their choice to drastically boost their jump height.
213	* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: The King is a downloadable playable character, but even if you aren't playing as him, he still shows up to help you defeat the Catfish.
214	* RuleOfFun: The tons of unlockable characters each with unique abilities give the game a lot of replay value.
215	* RuleOfFunny: A lot of the stable Newgrounds humor comes across as this.
216	* SavageSpikedWeapons: Barbarian and Demon enemies commonly wield spiky black maces to emphasize their violent and evil backgrounds.
217	* SatiatingSandwich: They make you grow into a guy that can break heavy doors off their hinges and fight active volcanoes to the death, in fact.
218	* SaveThePrincess: Four of them and a giant crystal, in fact.
219	* SchizoTech: The Industrialist and his {{mooks}} seem awfully ahead of the times in terms of tech.
220	* SecretAIMoves: Enemy characters can perform an UnnecessaryCombatRoll after being knocked down or when they're far away from player characters. They're completely invulnerable during the roll. They can also end a roll with a hop, and if a player character is nearby, the enemy will strike in midair. They're ImmuneToFlinching during the hop, so trying to swat them out of the air will result in your character being knocked flat on their back.
221	* SequentialBoss: [[spoiler:[[BossBonanza The three bosses right before the Wizard battle]], then the six or so stages of said fight.]]
222	* ShieldBash: It's tricky to pull off, knocks the enemy back without damaging them, and is a pretty useless ability all around. To shield bash, you have to use your shield ''after'' the enemy starts attacking, but ''before'' the attack hits you. The Necromancer uses this move very frequently, making him difficult to hit.
223	* ShiftingSandLand: The desert and Sand Castle levels.
224	* SinisterScimitar: The Saracens and the Necromancer.
225	* ShockAndAwe: The Red Knight.
226	* ShoutOut:
227	** Obligatory Platform/{{Newgrounds}} cameos, especially during the fight against the Painter.
228	** The Cyclops does the thumbs-up from ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'' after being defeated the first time.
229	** The opening sequence seems to have one to ''VideoGame/RiverCityRansom'' with lead designers Fulp & Paladin.
230	** Also, the [[spoiler:flying saucer]] level is one long shout-out to the game [[spoiler:''VideoGame/AlienHominid'']], from the desert setting mimicing the final levels, the scorpions making the same noises, right down to the [[OneHitPointWonder alien mooks' HP]].
231	*** Also, to ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian'', considering the level is in the middle of a desert sequence, is a total BigLippedAlligatorMoment, and ends with the saucer crashing.
232	** The end credits show the player character (and the orange princess) flying through all the past levels with corpses of previous foes everywhere, similarly to the first ''VideoGame/MetalSlug''.
233	*** The final stage taking place taking place in space, which starts with the player characters flying after it, dodging meteors all the while, is exactly how the final stage in ''Metal Slug 3'' starts.
234	* SixthRanger: The Pink Knight.
235	* SlidingScaleOfSillinessVersusSeriousness: Leaning very heavily towards the silliness side.
236	** Unless you're talking about the soundtrack, which usually contrasts what's happening onscreen by being deadly serious and astronomically epic.
237	* SlippySlideyIceWorld: Lampshaded again, it's actually called "Snow World"... again.
238	* SmashingHallwayTrapsOfDoom: The Industrial Castle has a small section covered by ''spiked pistons'' that repeatedly attempt to smash you.
239	* SmashMook: Cyclops is a Smash Boss. All he does is either attempt to smash you or throw knives. He switches it up a bit when he returns as [[PunnyName Recyclops]], but he's still limited to about three attacks. Beefy characters could also apply here.
240	* SmoochOfVictory: Every princess gives one. To who depends on [[DuelToTheDeath who can outfight the others for it.]]
241	* StationaryWings: The Fire Demons ''have'' wings, but they're purely for looks and never move (except for when they first crawl up from the abyss in the background and jump onto the field to engage you).
242	* TheStinger: [[spoiler:The orange princess at the end, who turns out to be Tricky the Clown.]]
243	* StylisticSuck: The Painter's drawings resemble early 2000's Newgrounds animations, before animation got better over the years.
244	* SugarApocalypse: [[spoiler:The heroes]] wind up causing one of these, as [[spoiler:the victory cutscene]] makes quite clear.
245	* SuperPersistentPredator: The Giant Troll apparently believes that Knights make an excellent meal, as he'll chase after them though a whole abandoned mill [[spoiler:and later on the way to the Cyclops' fortress]].
246	* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: A sign in the middle of Lava World claims the area has "No active volcanoes!" Guess what the mini boss is.
247	[[/folder]]
248
249	[[folder:T -- Z]]
250	* TakenForGranite: Medusa. [[spoiler:On both ends.]]
251	* TechnicolorBlade: The Dragon Sword.
252	* TechnicolorToxin: In this case, we have Green poison.
253	* TimedMission:
254	** After [[spoiler:getting far enough into the Alien Ship, one of the aliens activates a self-destruct. You'll need to get to the escape pods (and grab an Animal Orb) before everything blows up, or you'll take a lot of damage]].
255	** The player has to chase after a Saracen in the desert chase level if they want the Zebra Animal Orb; take too long, and they'll both retreat into the sand castle.
256	* ToiletHumour: There is a lot of humor around a lack of bowel control, especially in the Thieves' Forest level.
257	* TorchesAndPitchforks: You lead a handful of pitchfork-wielding peasants into battle with you in one level.
258	* ToughBeetles: [[ScarabPower Scarabs]] encountered in the Desert level have strong, muscular builds, have a lot of health, and can dish out a lot of damage with their hand-to-hand fighting skills.
259	* TrickBoss: [[spoiler:The final boss. After smashing a few crystals and taking down a form that shifts between magic and melee vulnerability, the Wizard suddenly floats up off the ground and goes in circles, dropping magic bombs. After killing the pathetically weak form, the usual end-of-boss-fight giant treasure chest squishes him, except when you open it... well, see the OneWingedAngel entry.]]
260	* UniversalPoison: The Green Knight, Medusa, and the sandworms use poison that has a green color and does a little extra damage over time. Poisoned characters are green and emit bubbles.
261	* TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon: The Wizard's Castle. Well, a giant castle just [[spoiler:flew off into the sky, the last princess is there, the villain we've been chasing the whole game is holed up there]]... couldn't get much more obvious.
262	* VictoryPose: The characters dance or pose upon winning an Arena match.
263	* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: Aside from the VisualPun, there's also a literal sand castle you can destroy; the builder isn't there to cry about his loss, though.
264	* VillainForgotToLevelGrind: Throughout the game's run, you will notice that the {{Necromancer}} summons several undead skeletons to fight you, and even resurrect a boss to fight you later in the game. When you actually fight the Necromancer himself, fighting his [[NightOfTheLivingMooks resurrected Mooks]] aside, his combat magic and strength are quite pathetic. At most, he is a StoneWall, with a bit of running speed thrown in for good measure.
265	* ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption: However, there are many different '''kinds''' of violence.
266	* VisualPun: The Sand Castle. It's a castle in the desert... ''made of sand''. See also the Catfish boss, who's half cat, half fish. ''Seriously.'' And the Weapon Frog, who's been tied to the Blacksmith's anvil... by the tongue. So he's, you know, [[spoiler:tongue-tied]]!
267	* WeaponsKitchenSink: Maces, swords, axes, tree branches, [[ShamuFu fish]], ''[[LaserBlade lightsabers]]''...
268	* WeddingSmashers: Hell, the level is ''named'' "Wedding Crashers".
269	* WingedSoulFliesOffAtDeath: This occurs with one of the late-game bosses ([[spoiler:The undead Cyclops and Conehead Groom]]).
270	* WombLevel: The Blacksmith stores your weapons inside of the Weapons Frog, a gigantic amphibian with antlers.
271	* TheWorfEffect: The original demo shown at presentations ended with the Barbarian camp being led by a Beefy Barbarian as the boss. In the public demo and full game, the Beefy Barbarian is immediately, ''offhandedly'' killed by the Barbarian Boss
272	* WorldOfBadass: Everyone can kill anything. Even a peasant can decapitate you. With a '''wooden spoon'''. Every character can also cast magic, ranging from an electrical shock to a rain of arrows to a wave of buzzsaws.
273	* WorthyOpponent: The Necromancer fights like one after you've dealt with his waves of ZombieMooks. He fights a lot like a moderately powerful coliseum opponent, and is bound by all the rules the player characters are bound by. However, since there's just one of him rather than a large mob like in the coliseums, he's vulnerable to being stun-locked by repeated stomps.
274	* XRaySparks: Happens to victims of the Red Knight's lightning attack. Strangely, electrocuted enemies are shown to have square skulls, despite [[DemBones enemy Skeletons]] having round skulls.
275	* YouALLLookFamiliar: Characters of the same faction all look exactly the same. Every Conehead is identical, every Thief is the same, etc.
276	* YouKilledMyFather: Inverted with the Cyclops, as you kill his son. On his wedding day, no less.
277	* ZergRush: The primary strategy of the [[spoiler:Alien Hominids]]. They die in one hit, but there's so bloody many of them that it still feels like a challenge.
278	[[/folder]]

Context VideoGame / CastleCrashers