Line #33 VideoGame/MDK


1	[[quoteright:348:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mdk_7337.jpg]]
2	''MDK'' is a third-person shooter game developed by Creator/ShinyEntertainment and released in 1997 by Playmates Interactive Entertainment in North America and Creator/InterplayEntertainment in Europe for the PC, Macintosh, and subsequently Platform/PlayStation. It was one of the first PC games to require a Pentium or equivalent processor, and did not initially have a GPU requirement. The game soundtrack, composed by Music/TommyTallarico, was also separately released.
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4	The game tells the story of its human protagonist, Kurt Hectic, and his attempts to rescue Earth from an alien invasion of gigantic strip mining city-vehicles named 'Minecrawlers', that are not only removing all of earth's natural resources but are also flattening any people and cities that get in their way. The game combined action with a sense of humour. It featured a "sniper mode" that allowed the player to zoom in on enemy targets.
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6	A sequel, ''VideoGame/{{MDK2}}'' was developed by Creator/BioWare and released by Interplay for the PC and Platform/SegaDreamcast in 2000, and later for the Platform/PlayStation2 (titled ''MDK 2: Armageddon'') in 2001. An enhanced HD remake of ''[=MDK2=]'' was released at the end of July 2012.
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10	!!This VideoGame contains examples of:
11	* AliensInCardiff: The targets of the city Minecrawlers are Laguna Beach, Lindfield, Livingston, Kirkaldy and Sparrow Pit.
12	* AllThereInTheManual: Most of the plot of this game, as well as the characterizations, for it doesn't show a proper beginning movie. ''VideoGame/{{MDK2}}'' also begins with a recap of the story, with some key details from the manual being put in.
13	* AlmightyJanitor: Kurt Hectic, who is literally a janitor who prefers to shirk the eyes of the public.
14	* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: Can be induced on a room of enemies with "The World's Most Interesting Bomb", which is an otherwise unremarkable grey box they all just walk over to investigate once thrown.
15	* BadassBookworm: Kurt.
16	* BigBad: Gunter "Gunta" Glut.
17	* BigGood: Dr. Hawkins.
18	* BottomlessMagazines: Kurt's Chaingun.
19	* TheBrute: Gunta.
20	* TheCameo: In some places (including at least one secret area), there are some ''VideoGame/EarthwormJim'' heads lying around. Furthermore, if you touch one, a cow will appear and fall on an enemy (or you, if there is none).
21	* DropTheCow: See TheCameo above.
22	* ExcusePlot: Aliens are attacking, and only Kurt Hectic can save the day!
23	* TheFaceless: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] with Kurt, as you can see his face during his IdleAnimation, [[TimedMission but most people tend not to wait around for long enough to see.]] Completely [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in [[VideoGame/{{MDK2}} the sequel]].
24	* FatBastard: Gunta.
25	* FunWithAcronyms: Applies to [[VideoGame/{{MDK2}} the sequel]] as well, for neither [[Creator/ShinyEntertainment Shiny]] nor Creator/BioWare have explicitly said what the [=MDK=] in the title stands for, but popular theories/jokes include ''Murder Death Kill''[[note]]a possibility, as it was released four years after ''Film/DemolitionMan'', which featured the phrase extensively[[/note]] and, in the spirit of the original game's release date, ''Mother's Day Kisses''.
26	** Seems WordOfGod confirmed it ''does'' stand for Murder Death Kill, but ExecutiveMeddling forced it out of confirmation for years.
27	** Do note that the names of the main characters are '''M'''ax, '''D'''r. Hawkins, and '''K'''urt.
28	** In addition, the title of Kurts original mission in MDK is "'''M'''ission: '''D'''eliver '''K'''indness".
29	* GainaxEnding: The original releases ended with...[[spoiler:a music video]] of all things. [[spoiler:You end with a music video of French musician ''Billy Ze Kick'' performing a cover of ''Non Non Rien N'a Changé'', a French song ''written to protest the Vietnam War''. [[YouBastard Take that]] [[WhatTheHellHero as you will]].]] Later releases, such as the Platform/PlayStation version and even the Platform/{{Steam}} re-release, removed this, [[AWinnerIsYou but left a sense that it was incomplete as a result]].
30	* TheHero: Kurt.
31	* InitialismTitle: Possibly one of the more famous examples. See FunWithAcronyms, above.
32	* KnightOfCerebus: Gunter "Gunta" Glut is legitimately more serious than the BigBad of the sequel.
33	* TheLancer: Max/Bones.
34	* MadScientist: Dr. Hawkins is a benign example - after being ridiculed for his "Flange Orbits" theory, he avoids the whole TheyCalledMeMad routine and instead decides to leave Earth and reside in the [[CoolShip Jim Dandy]] until he comes up with definite proof to back up his theories.
35	* MookMaker: Some enemies come out of these in most levels. In most cases, they do not have to be destroyed, but doing so makes going through the level easier.
36	* MythologyGag: A ''meta'' one to another Shiny's game. As noted above in TheCameo not only are there VideoGame/EarthwormJim's faces lying around, if you collec one [[DropTheCow a cow falls on one of your enemies]]. Or you if there are none around.
37	* SpritePolygonMix: Just about everything is polygonal except Kurt himself, who's a large digitized sprite (in the main segments; he has a proper model when making planetfall).
38	* SubsystemDamage: In Sniper Mode, Kurt could target individual locations on enemies for increased damage and possibly crippling them as well. It was even possible to score a OneHitKill on some of the bosses using a head shot with certain ammo types.
39	* TimedMission: There is a certain amount of time you have to complete the level before everyone dies (as represented on a green line gradually turning red around the health counter). You can still complete the level after time runs out, but it results in Dr. Fluke Hawkins saying you failed. Don't worry, you still go to the next level anyhow.
40	* VagueHitPoints: When an enemy is hit, their LifeMeter is displayed but there's no exact numeric value of how many HitPoints the enemy has, nor how much damage has been dealt.
41	* AWinnerIsYou: Some re-releases of this game removed [[spoiler: the music video at the end]]. So we see [[spoiler:the Minecrawler base being destroyed]], Kurt jumps on the ''MDK'' logo and...the credits roll. Fortunately, ''VideoGame/{{MDK2}}'' gives us something closer to a proper ending in its [[PreviouslyOn recap]] of this game.

Context VideoGame / MDK