History VideoGame / IonMaiden

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ion_maiden_header.jpg]]
''Ion Maiden'' is an upcoming first person shooter developed by Voidpoint and published by Creator/ThreeDRealms. It's a prequel to 3D Realms and Interceptor Entertainment's ''VideoGame/{{Bombshell}}'', and is meant to be a throwback to older shooters like ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'', ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'', and ''[[VideoGame/ShadowWarrior1997 Shadow Warrior]]''. In fact, it even uses a heavily-modified version of the [[GameEngine Build Engine]], making it one of the first commercially released games since Team TNT's ''World War II GI'' (released 1999) to use the engine.

Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison earned her codename as a bomb disposal expert for the Global Defense Force. When transhumanist cult mastermind Dr. Jadus Heskel unleashes a cybernetic army on Neo DC, Shelly decides it’s time to start chucking bombs rather than defusing them.

The game is available for purchase on UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} through Early Access, with an exclusive Preview Campaign available to play in that period. The final game will be released on PC, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch sometime in the second quarter of 2019, with physical copies courtesy of 1C Publishing, who have partnered with 3D Realms to co-publish the game.

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!!This game contains examples of:
* ActionGirl: Shelly.
* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: '''H'''eskel's '''H'''ouse of '''H'''orrors.
* AntiFrustrationFeatures: Just before reaching a PointOfNoReturn, the game will tell you how many secrets you've missed up until that point, so you don't miss your chance for a 100% completion.
* BoomHeadshot: Shooting enemies in the head deals extra damage, and may cause their heads to [[YourHeadAsplode blow apart like watermelons]].
* BondOneLiner: Much like [[VideoGame/ShadowWarrior Lo Wang]], Shelly is fond of spouting out one-liners after killing enemies.
* CardCarryingVillain: Dr. Heskel has a recruitment poster for his evil organization, down to having 666 and "Evil" in the number.
* {{Cyborg}}: Most of the enemies are this.
* DerivativeDifferentiation: Inverted. The game embraces Shelly's original intention as a DistaffCounterpart to ''Duke Nukem'', complete with the gameplay being more like ''3D'', rather than the top-down shooter her own self-titled game was.
* GatlingGood: One of the weapons is a minigun ripped from the Warmech. It's only available in the game's horde mode (where it's the only weapon you have, albeit with infinite ammo), and in Heskel's House of Horrors. It is powerful enough to [[LudicrousGibs tear enemies to shreds]].
* GunsAkimbo: As of the "Heskel's House of Horrors" update, you can dual wield [=SMG=]s if you find a second one.
* HotterAndSexier: Inverted. Both this game and ''Bombshell'' has fewer sexual overtones than ''Duke Nukem 3D''.
* KillerCop: Shelly is quite fond of excessive force.
* KillerRobot: The Warmech is this.
* LawmanBaton: Shelly's melee weapon of choice.
* LudicrousGibs: As is standard for '90s [=FPSes=], body parts tend to fly everywhere, ''especially'' when explosives are involved. You even get ''rewarded'' for causing this-- armor shards spawn from gibbed enemies.
* NintendoHard: If you're familiar with the Build engine games of old, then it will not come as a surprise this one is also hard as nails, with even the lowliest mooks being able to quickly dish out massive damage, especially on higher difficulties.
* NoTranshumanismAllowed: The reason for Dr. Heskel's turn to evil, following an [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul unpleasant consequence]] of his cyborg technology leading to a ban.
* {{Prequel}}: The events of ''Ion Maiden'' take place before ''VideoGame/{{Bombshell}}''.
* {{Retraux}}: ''Ion Maiden'' is made to look as much like an old-school FPS as possible, down to using the old tools and methods of the time and even having palette emulation.
* RevolversAreJustBetter: Bombshell's starting gun is the "Loverboy", a [[HandCannon ridiculously oversized]], ''three-barreled'' revolver. Unlike most starting guns, it isn't completely useless, doing a decent amount of damage per shot.
* SecondaryFire: Every single weapon in the game has one. For example, the hammer of Shelly's "Loverboy" revolver can be fanned for maximum damage, and the Disperser shotgun can switch to a grenade launcher with a press of the button.
* SeveredHeadSports: Taking a page from ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'', you can kick around the still-bloody skulls of gibbed foes.
* ShoutOut:
** The [[http://voidpoint.com/public/ion_maiden_menu_wallpaper.png main menu art]] is an homage to the title screen of ''VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D''.
** Similarly, [[http://www.ionmaiden.com/img/IonMaiden_BG.jpg this key art]] for ''Ion Maiden'' is fashioned after [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/doom/images/0/0a/PSXDoomBoxArt.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20080515055048 the box art]] for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation version of ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}''.
** [[spoiler: One of the secrets in the game (or at least the Preview Campaign) is a test chamber lifted right out of the ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' games, complete with a Companion Cube and a fake cake. Shelly even mutters to herself, "They promised me cake..."]]
*** [[spoiler: In the same secret, it's written in the wall "Cops Are Pigs". Clear reference to ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'']].
** [[spoiler: Another secret is a room containing hanged hooks and a bloody mattress with a spinning block coming from the inside from ''Film/HellboundHellraiserII'', Shelly shouts "Holy shit!", quoting Tiffany]].
** [[spoiler: There's a secret trash-covered hideout which references ''Film/{{Aliens}}'', containing Casey, Newt's head doll. Shelly quotes Hudson by saying: "I wonder if there's a sharp stick?"]]
** [[spoiler: As another secret, there's the very same red room from ''Series/TwinPeaks''. Shelly comments with a quote from ''[[Film/TwinPeaksFireWalkWithMe Fire Walk With Me]]'': "Now ain't this dreamy?"]]
** A whole lot of graffiti around the maps are shoutouts to [=FPSes=] of the 90s.
*** More specifically, there's poster promoting Jadus Heskel's homicidal services, that has a set of six pictograms depicting various ways to die. All six come from the original ''VideoGame/RiseOfTheTriad'''s quit messages.
** One of the one-liners that Shelly spouts to the enemies is "[[Film/TheMatrix Dodge this!]]"
** When infiltrating the titular building in the Heskel's House of Horrors map, Shelly quips [[Series/BreakingBad "I am the one who knocks"]].
** [[spoiler:In one secret area in Heskel's House of Horrors, you can find the dead body of [[VideoGame/DangerousDaveInTheHauntedHouse Dangerous Dave]].]]
* TakeThat: [[spoiler: Duke Nukem's outfit can be seen in a store window before the preview Campaign bossfight, to which Shelly can remark "Where's that big head of yours? Don't answer."]]
** A poster in a ladies restroom takes a jab at a [[Creator/{{MTV}} certain TV station]]: "WTF: We were cool when coke was cheap!"
* TamerAndChaster: Bombshell's actual incarnation from her [[VideoGame/{{Bombshell}} eponymous game]] and Ion Maiden is very much less sexualized than her previous ones from the 90s when she's supposed to be VideoGame/DukeNukem's partner in his [[Videogame/DukeNukemForever latest game]].
* ThrowDownTheBomblet: Bowling Bombs are an iconic weapon in Shelly's arsenal and can be tossed around (or rolled around if you're crouching) in a similar fashion to dynamite in ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'' -- that is, the longer you hold the fire button down, the farther the bombs are thrown. What's more, if your enemies are thinking of running out of the blast radius, that ain't gonna happen -- the bombs ''[[HomingProjectile home in on them]]'' before exploding. However, the laws of physics still apply, and the bombs will eventually roll to a halt if they don't hit anything, but you can pick them back up, should that happen (or just toss another bomb at them).
** The Heskel's House of Horror update added an alternate fire to the bombs where Shelly lights the fuse before throwing, making them function similar to traditional [=FPS=] grenades, and added a power-up that gives you unlimited bowling bombs and maxes out your throwing power for its' duration.

* NintendoHard: If you're familiar with the Build engine games of old, then it will not come as a surprise this one is also hard as nails, especially in higher difficulties.

* HollywoodCyborg: Most of the enemies are this.
* HotterAndSexier: Inverted. Both this game and Bombshell has less sexual overtones than Duke Nukem 3D.

''Ion Maiden'' is an upcoming first person shooter developed by Voidpoint and published by [[Creator/ApogeeSoftware 3D Realms]]. It's a prequel to 3D Realms and Interceptor Entertainment's ''VideoGame/{{Bombshell}}'', and is meant to be a throwback to older shooters like ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'', ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'', and ''[[VideoGame/ShadowWarrior1997 Shadow Warrior]]''. In fact, it even uses a heavily-modified version of the [[GameEngine Build Engine]], making it one of the first commercially released games since Team TNT's ''World War II GI'' (released 1999) to use the engine.

* GatlingGood: One of the weapons is a minigun ripped from the Warmech. It's only available in the game's endless mode (where it's the only weapon you have, albeit with infinite ammo), and in a secret in Heskel's House of Horrors. It is powerful enough to [[LudicrousGibs tear enemies to shreds]].

* NintendoHard: If you're familiar with the Build engine games of old, then it will not come as a surprise this one will also be hard as nails, especially in higher difficulties.

* AntiFrustrationMeasures: Just before reaching a PointOfNoReturn, the game will tell you how many secrets you've missed up until that point, so you don't miss your chance for a 100% completion.

* AlliterativeAppeal: '''H'''eskel's '''H'''ouse of '''H'''orrors.

** When infiltrating the titular building in the Heskel's House of Horror map, Shelly quips [[Series/BreakingBad "I am the one who knocks"]].