Line #53 VideoGame/WayOfTheWarrior


1	[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/89695_way_of_the_warrior_1994universalusu1sb1002_r1h_2.png]]
2	->''The balance of the world will lay in the hands of only one. Find the way, noble challenger! Find The Way of The Warrior!''
3
4	One of the many [[FightingGame fighting games]] [[FollowTheLeader that tried to copy]] ''Franchise/MortalKombat''.
5
6	Released by Universal in 1995 for the [[Platform/ThreeDOInteractiveMultiplayer 3DO]], ''Way of the Warrior'' was one of the first Creator/NaughtyDog creations. It was largely made in basements and houses of the developers, using their friends to represent the digitized, live-action fighters.
7
8	The plot revolves around a one-on-one fighting tournament in a mountaintop citadel in the Himalayas. The tournament is held once every century to determine the best fighter in the world. Said fighter is then given an entry in the "Book of Warriors," a compilation of the life stories and fighting techniques of the world's greatest fighters. The rest of the world either prospers or falls into despair in line with the good/evil alignment of the last winner. This now presents a problem as there is only one more blank page in the book, and the final winner will tip the scales towards good or evil forevermore.
9
10	The game's soundtrack is by Music/RobZombie, specifically the ''White Zombie'' album ''La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1''
11	----
12	!! This game provides examples of:
13
14	%%* ActionGirl: Nikki-Chan and Crimson Glory. (zero context examples)
15	* AllThereInTheManual: The instruction book had fairly fleshed out bios for the cast, many of whom knew each other to various degrees before being invited to the tournament. Among other things, the Ninja is pals with Major Gaines, and long-time enemies with both Konotori and the Dragon.
16	%%* AnimeChineseGirl: Nikki-Chan. (zero context example)
17	%%* AwesomeAussie: Shaky Jake. (zero context example)
18	%%* BadassBiker: Crimson Glory. (zero context example)
19	%%* BadassInANiceSuit: Fox. (zero context example)
20	* BreathWeapon: Shaky Jake [[PlayingWithFire shoots fire out of his mouth]]. Blame the Jim Bean.
21	* BruceLeeClone: If not this, what else would you call Dragon?
22	* CastFromHitPoints: Major Gaines loses life while roided up.
23	* TheCoatsAreOff: Fox and Crimson Glory's intros have them removing their jackets, before the fight begins.
24	* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: High Abbot and Kull can cast every Skull Magic spell.
25	* ConvectionSchmonvection: One stage is set on a platform floating on a pool of lava.
26	%%* CoolShades: Fox. (zero context example)
27	* CultSoundTrack: One of the selling points about this game was the soundtrack by [[Music/RobZombie White Zombie]].
28	* DemBones:
29	** Kull the Despoiler is a giant animated skeleton.
30	** The guardian of the Book of Warriors, also the announcer, is a disembodied talking skull.
31	* DemonicPossession: Gulab Jamun possesses the bodies of Dragon, Major Gaines and Fox, making them each fight you as Black Dragon, Major Trouble and Voodoo, respectively.
32	* {{Determinator}}: Kull, who is not actually part of the tournament ladder and seems to come back through sheer willpower.
33	-->'''Kull:''' Not even ''death'' shall keep my name from the Book of Warriors!
34	%%* DigitizedSprites: Since the game was designed to outdo ''Mortal Kombat'', after all. (Does not describe the digitized sprites.)
35	* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: The ninja character bears the descriptive moniker of... ''Ninja''.
36	* {{Expy}}:
37	** ''Mortal Kombat'' pastiches are: Ninja (based on the Ninjas (Scorpion, Sub-Zero, etc.), but also given the ability [[ShockAndAwe to perform Lightning attacks]] similar to that of Raiden), Konotori (Having an appearance similar to that of the aforementioned thunder god, but having a play style and techniques much like those of [[WeaponizedHeadgear Kung Lao]] and [[CombatHandFan Kitana]]) and, to lesser degrees, Fox (based on Jax), Dragon (based on Liu Kang, but is a CompositeCharacter with Johnny Cage in sharing a background as an actor and having a cocky attitude), and Nikki-Chan (sharing the same special move with the aforementioned thunder god that involves flying at the opponent and pushing them against the wall, and fatality with Kano that involves [[BeatStillMyHeart ripping the opponent's heart out]]). [[FinalBoss Kull the Despoiler]] also has several elements of [[EvilOverlord Shao Kahn]]. One might also claim Shaky Jake as being a copy of Kano, but it is an aversion and [[HilariousInHindsight merely coincidental]] as Kano wasn't portrayed as being Australian until the 1995 ''[[Film/MortalKombatTheMovie Mortal Kombat]]'' movie and in canon in 2000's ''Videogame/MortalKombatSpecialForces''.[[labelnote:Technicality]](Granted, Special Forces was later Retconned as CanonDiscontinuity, thus making the first canonical game of Kano as Australian as 2002's ''Videogame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance'', regardless the point still stands.)[[/labelnote]]
38	** ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFight'' pastiches include Nikki Chan (Chun-Li), Major Gaines (based on Guile), [[SecretCharacter Gulab Jamun]] (based on Dhalsim), and Crimson Glory (Poison). In addition, there is also the sub-boss character, High Abbot, a greenish-gray colored dragon-like creature[[labelnote:Tidbit]](High Abbot was made by taking a UsefulNotes/McDonalds Happy Meal ''Film/JurassicPark'' velociraptor toy that was modified by adding spikes along its back and painted over with different colors)[[/labelnote]]who fights in a savage manner and can even roll into a ball and launch himself at opponent. He is basically Blanka (minus electrical shocking abilities) as a velociraptor.
39	** Nobunaga is likely a tribute to some characters from the ''Videogame/SamuraiShodown'' series by Creator/{{SNK}}.
40	** The aforementioned Shaky Jake is an obvious copy of Film/CrocodileDundee, even including the paraphrasing of one of Dundee's iconic lines as "This is a Knife!"
41	* {{Foreshadowing}}: The graveyard stage comes up early in the tournament ladder; the final boss is in the background.
42	* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Nobunaga...[[UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga Nobunaga, Hm...]]
43	* HurricaneOfPuns: The entire cast went heavy on the puns, except for [[TheVoiceless Fox.]]
44	** The fatalities seem to attract this:
45	--> '''Konotori:''' [Decapitating the opponent] "What's the matter? Lose your head?"
46	--> '''The Ninja:''' [Disemboweling the opponent] "You don't have the guts."
47	--> '''The Ninja:''' [Electrocuting the opponent] "Shocking!"
48	--> '''Shakey Jake:''' [[[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice Impaling the opponent on his staff]]] "Stick with it!" and "Ah. Shish kebab."
49	** To a lesser extent, Skull Magic:
50	--> '''High Abbot:''' [[Performing the shrinking spell] "''Low'' Abbot!"
51	%%* IaijutsuPractitioner: Nobunaga. (zero context example)
52	* JumpPhysics: The characters leap like they're on the ''moon''.
53	* MalcolmXerox: Fox's full name is [[PunnyName Malcolm Fox]].
54	* MeaningfulName: Major Gaines gets major (muscle) gains from his super mode.
55	* MirrorMatch: Referred to as a "Shadow Match," your character's mirror is a translucent shadow instead of the traditional pallet swap.
56	* NotDrawnToScale: The game tried to mimic ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'''s scaling backgrounds and combatants depending on their distance from one another, but there's very little consistency in how the fighters get zoomed. At one point, one character will tower over another; the next they will be evenly sized.
57	* OverlyLongFightingAnimation: Dragon has one of the longest win poses in fighting games, consisting of him repeatedly stretching and cracking his neck before striking a final pose. It takes five whole seconds to complete.
58	* PunnyName: Gulab Jamun is named after an Indian sweet made of a solid form of milk and coated in syrup or honey.
59	* ShapedLikeItself: Kull the Despoiler's fighting style is listed as "Despoiler." The announcer also announces the beginning of the fight against him as "Kull!" instead of "Round 1."
60	* SigilSpam: A [[http://www.goatstore.com/photos/Other/3DO/463032_Way-of-the-Warrior_logo+disc_00.jpg three-sided Yin-Yang]] is featured prominently in the game, including on the announcer's forehead. The third side is red and bleeds over the other two. He helpfully explains that it represents good, evil, and the suffering caused by the conflict between them.
61	* ShoutOut: The Book of Warriors is the Necronomicon from ''Franchise/EvilDead''.
62	* SuperMode: Major Gaines, thanks to modified steroids, can grow bigger and stronger using a special command.
63	%%* UnderwearOfPower: Gulab Jamun.
64	* TheVoiceless: Fox, who's voice track consists of various grunts. He was supposed to have normal spoken lines, but the voice actor became unavailable at the last minute and they decided to go with the grunting.
65	%%* WalkingShirtlessScene: Dragon and Major Gaines. (zero context examples)

Context VideoGame / WayOfTheWarrior