Toki - Television Tropes & Idioms

Toki (original title JuJu Densetsu, "Legend JuJu") was an arcade Platform Game made by TAD Corporation in 1990, that never received any sequels but was ported to a few systems a short time later. It is a simple little game, that was well received and still remembered to this day in Retro Gaming circles.

The Excuse Plot tells the story of a tribesman, Toki, whose girlfriend Miho was kidnapped by the evil witch doctor Vookimedlo, who also turns Toki into a cartoonish little chimp. Toki then has to fight through five dangerous environments and Vookimedlo's lair to regain his love and humanity. Luckily, the transformation gave him the ability to spit energy globes from his mouth, that are also his main weapon.

A HD remake of this game by Golgoth Studio is supposedly in the works

Tropes that can be found in Toki:

1-Up: In some versions, these exist.
"Blind Idiot" Translation: The descriptions of the levels are full of little mistakes, the most amusing example is possibly the one for the third level:
MADE BOLD BY HIS RECENT CONQUESTS, TOKI ENTER THE BLAZING HART OF THE CAVERNS OF FIRE IN SEARCH OF MIHO. HERE, HE WILL FACE A DEADLY TEST AGAINST MOGULVOR *
should be Mogulvar, by the way
THE BEASTLY GUARDIAN OF THIS UNDERGROUND INFERUO.
Bottomless Pit
Breath Weapon: Toki's various forms of spit, including a 3-way shot, a charged shot and an actual fiery breath.
Call a Rabbit a "Smeerp": The most common enemies are bouncing monkeys called Geeshergam.
Cursed with Awesome: How many monkeys can spit out glowing balls of death from their mouths?
Cutscene Power to the Max: Not really a "cutscene", but in his victory animation after defeating the bosses, Toki jumps really high.
Death Throws: Toki and a few enemies. Most of them get disintegrated.
Distressed Damsel: Miho.
Everything's Better with Monkeys: Of course!
Faceless Eye: Rambacha can be described as a floating, teleporting Michelin Man with a giant eyeball for a face.
Flying Seafood Special: Flying trilobites that give you coins when killed!
Goomba Springboard: Sometimes, jumping off of enemies can help you reach powerups.
Goomba Stomp: Toki's other means to defeat enemies.
Guilt-Based Gaming: The continue screen shows Miho's face, appearing on some sort of mystical TV screen, pleading the player to drop in another coin or else she'll be killed.
Heart Container: In the US NES version.
Improbable Weapon User: Second boss Rambacha uses his endless supply of bouncing giant eyeballs to attack Toki.
Invincibility Power-Up: Found only in the Genesis version of the game. Makes Toki intangible rather than invincible.
Jungle Japes: Level five, "Dark Jungle".
Law of 100: Toki needs to pick up 50 coins to gain an extra life. 50 pieces of fruit in the Genesis version (fruit is present in the arcade game too, but there has only the purpose of Scoring Points).
Lethal Lava Land: Level three, "Caverns of Fire".
Mercy Invincibility: In the US NES version.
Mutually Exclusive Powerups: You can't have both the jumping shoes and football helmet at the same time.
One-Hit-Point Wonder: Toki, unless he finds the awesome football helmet or in the US NES version.
One-Winged Angel: Vookimedlo turns into some kind of giant as soon as you reach him, and then shows his gross real self.
Patchwork Map: A Ghosts N Goblins-styled one, which, as videogames often do, makes no sense (a tropical jungle right next to a glacier and a volcanic area).
Pun-Based Subtitle: The Sega Genesis edition of the game is titled "Toki - Going Ape Spit", which also counts for Getting Crap Past the Radar. *
"Going Apeshit", get it?
Reformulated Game: The Genesis port of the game has much longer and completely reworked levels, with a bigger emphasis on platformic skills.
Save the Princess
Slippy Slidey Ice World: Level four, "Ice Palace".
Spikes of Doom: They come in two flavors, normal spikes and mounds of spiky balls that explode all over the place when destroyed.
The Spiny: Some of the enemies cannot be jumped on.
Temporary Platform: The game has a few ledges and platforms which collapse.
Timed Mission
Under the Sea: A big part of level two, "Lake Neptune". In the background one can see some Underwater Ruins as well.
Wacky Sound Effect: The "boing" sound of the bouncing Geeshergam, and other examples.
Witch Doctor: Vookimedlo and also the first boss Boloragog, which has a very stereotyped appearance.