Line #29 VideoGame/Socket


1	[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Socket_Screenshot_4129.gif]]
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3	Released for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis (Mega Drive) in 1993 by Creator/VicTokai, ''Socket'' (known as ''Time Dominator'' in Japan) is a 2D PlatformGame that attempts to strike gold with the MascotWithAttitude craze that was in full swing at the time. The eponymous duck is tasked with putting a stop to the evil Time Dominator, who is interfering with time and wrecking havoc to {{Take Over The World}}. To do so, he must journey through seven stages, each with three acts.
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5	Socket is powered by electricity - he has a cord with a plug on the end as a tail, and plugs himself into a machine at the beginning and end of each stage. During gameplay, his energy constantly depletes. Collecting the lightning bolts scattered throughout the levels will build his energy back up.
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7	* The first act is a High-Speed Area that represents time travel. Enemies and obstacles are at a minimum and the emphasis is on running very fast. All High-Speed Areas are themed to resemble futuristic cities.
8	* The second act is the Athletic Area. This act introduces a unique theme for the level and is typically a general platforming stage, with equal parts running, jumping, fighting, and exploring.
9	* The third act is the Labyrinth Area, which continues the theme the previous act set, specializes in exploring and finding the correct path, and ends with a boss fight against Time Dominator.
10	* In addition to these three level types, Athletic and Labyrinth areas also contain doors Socket can enter. Inside these doors are miniature levels, each with a unique gimmick. Some act as level warps, some are required to access further sections of the stage, and others [[BonusLevel don't]] [[RedHerring lead]] [[GuideDangIt anywhere]]. The boss fights are also accessed via doors.
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12	While it does have a few fans, ''Socket'' is unknown to most and generally considered to be simply a ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' knockoff by the majority of those who ''do'' know about it. With neither the acclaim of Sonic or the {{Hatedom}} of VideoGame/{{Bubsy}}, Socket remains merely another failed [[TheNineties '90s]] mascot to add to the pile of failed '90s mascots.
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15	!!This video game contains examples of:
16	* AlienSky: Emerald Forest has two moons in the sky.
17	* AnimalMecha: Stone Age is home to several robot dinosaurs.
18	* AntagonistTitle: The Japanese title, ''Time Dominator'', is the name of the game's main villain.
19	* BatOutOfHell: The Time Dominator appears to be a six-limbed (wings and arms) anthropomorphic bat in purple SpaceClothes with a top hat and monocle.
20	* BigBad: Time Dominator.
21	* BossRoom: Every boss fight takes place in a special boss room, accessed via a door.
22	* CastFromHitPoints: Socket's only means of offense is an electrically-charged kick. Your energy drops faster if you use the kick frequently.
23	* CriticalAnnoyance: A very loud, constant beeping starts up whenever Socket's health gets low. It speeds up the closer he is to death.
24	* DownTheDrain: Level 5, Antiquity.
25	* DualBoss: The boss of Level 6 is the only boss that doesn't involve Time Dominator. Instead, you fight two robots. One looks like Frankenstein, is invincible, and hops around trying to land on you. His compatriot is a round, slow-moving, flying robot. To win, Socket needs to dodge the Frankenstein robot and attack the round one. After enough hits, Frankenstein explodes and the round robot begins attacking directly.
26	* DugTooDeep: Level 3, Olien Cavern.
27	* FloatingPlatforms: As you'd expect, there are a lot of them, many of which move. SelectiveGravity applies.
28	%%* GiantMook[=/=]HeavilyArmoredMook: The robot dinosaurs in Level 4.
29	%% Tropeslashing is not allowed. Choose one or the other.
30	* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: The final boss battle begins with you going up against Time Dominator one last time. However, something is off - he flies around and doesn't actually attack you (although he can still hurt you with CollisionDamage). Upon his defeat, you are suddenly confronted by an enormous never-before-seen cat-like creature that is much more dangerous. Kill him, and you face a ''second'' Space Flea when a small red creature with one eye appears and begins zipping around the arena at high speed.
31	* GravityScrew: Level 6, Future.
32	* GreenHillZone: Level 1, Emerald Forest.
33	* HighClassGlass: Time Dominator, complete with top hat.
34	* IdleAnimation: Socket glares at you and makes some sort of odd motion with one hand if you leave him alone too long.
35	* InvincibleMinorMinion: The green, spiky plant-like objects found in one of the mini-levels, the strange cannon-like things in the trees of Stone Age, the rolling balls, the exploding balloons from Antiquity, and the jack-in-the-boxes from Time Castle.
36	* ItsAllUpstairsFromHere: One of the mini-levels consists of Socket running full speed back and forth to reach the top of a tower before it sinks into lava.
37	* KidsLoveDinosaurs: Dinosaurs are also featured prominently on the game's boxart and in the credits sequence, despite not being important in gameplay at all - a clear case of using dinosaurs to attract kids.
38	* LethalLavaLand: Level 4, Stone Age, as well as the aforementioned tower climb.
39	* LuckBasedMission: One mini-level forces Socket to choose one of many switches. Hitting a switch triggers a caterpillar-like platform that follows a set path. Socket must continually move to stay on the platform. Some of the platforms lead directly into traps, and there's no way to know which without prior experience.
40	* TheManBehindTheMan: See GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere.
41	* MascotWithAttitude: Socket himself. The [[http://segaretro.org/File:Socket_md_us_cover.jpg back of the U.S. box]] for the game boasted about how he's fast enough to [[UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli switch off the lights and get out of the room before it turns dark]] and how he has more alternating current than the electric company.
42	* TheMaze: Future's Labyrinth act, and most of the other Labyrinth acts to a lesser extent.
43	* MechaMook: Every single normal, killable enemy.
44	* PlaceBeyondTime: Probably the location of Time Castle.
45	* PowerUp: The usual suspects here - [[InvincibilityPowerUp invincibility]], a shield, and of course the OneUp.
46	* {{Prehistoria}}: Stone Age.
47	* ProjectilePlatforms: One fairly common stage element is the ability to ride small rockets to access new areas.
48	* RecurringBoss: Time Dominator.
49	* [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Ridiculously Anatine Robots]]: It's not necessarily obvious from looking at his sprite (although the plug-tail is a clue), but Socket is a robot that just happens to be shaped like an anthropomorphic duck.
50	* RiseToTheChallenge: The tower-climbing mini-level.
51	* RoofHopping: Another mini-level has Socket carefully hop his way along the tall edges of buildings. Most of the platforms are temporary and the threat of [[BottomlessPit falling]] is ever-present.
52	* ScoreScreen: After every act.
53	* SequentialBoss: The second-to-last boss fight has two phases, the final boss has three.
54	* SpikesOfDoom: A common obstacle. Some of them appear and disappear. Occasionally you'll run into drills which work similarly.
55	* StatusLine: The HUD is located at the bottom of the screen. It includes the score, an {{energy meter}}, and the level you are in.
56	* SupervillainLair: Level 7, Time Castle.
57	* TakeOverTheWorld: Time Dominator's goal.
58	* TemporaryPlatform: Three variations are present:
59	** Instant-collapse platforms appear in Stone Age and Time Castle.
60	** Fixed-interval platforms are seen in the roof-hopping mini-level.
61	** Delayed-collapse platforms are seen in a few of the mini-levels.
62	* ThreateningShark: One of the enemies is a robotic shark.
63	* TimeLimitBoss: Every boss fight. There's no physical timer, but Socket's health system and the fact that lightning bolts never appear in boss arenas lends a sense of urgency to the battle.
64	* TimePolice: Socket. The ending implies that Socket is only one of an organization of robots with this purpose.
65	* ToothyBird: Socket has teeth.
66	* {{Wackyland}}: One of the mini-levels features particularly trippy imagery and music. Socket has to jump back and forth between the foreground and background, avoiding lasers and strange dancing green things that pelvic thrust in your direction should you get too close.
67	* WizardNeedsFoodBadly: Socket apparently has a very short battery life.

Context VideoGame / Socket