History VideoGame / MercenaryKings

An UpdatedRerelease, ''Mercenary Kings: Reloaded Edition'', with new playable characters Frigg and G-Zar, was released on February 2018 on all major platforms (UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita, and UsefulNotes/XboxOne) and on PC via UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}.

** Can veer straight into AwesomeYetPractical or even GameBreaker territory once you can build the Kage biomods[[note]]+150% raw damage to knives at the cost of one less bullet in the mag and slower reload. And like all biomods, this bonus stacks.[[/note]], unlock the CQC proficiency, and forge a non-elemental knife strong enough. Not even [[ThatOneBoss the Prime Soldiers]] will be able to last more than ''seconds'' under this Stun+Stab strategy!

Oh, and if the sprite work looks familiar, you may recognize it as the work of Paul Robertson, aka the same guy who worked on ''VideoGame/ScottPilgrim'' the game and some episodes of ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls''.

* XMeetsY: It's ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'' meets ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'', with the art style of ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim''.

* XMeetsY: It's ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'' meets ''MonsterHunter'', with the art style of ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim''.

** The Peashooter pistol receiver, which is MegaMan's arm cannon. It's very weak, but its biggest advantage is that it doesn't run out of ammo or need to be reloaded!

* {{Hammerspace}}: Played with. You can only carry your gun and up to two different item types, they all have weight and themore weight you're carrying, the slower you move. However, you still seem to pull all your equipment out of thin air.
** Completely averted with King, who is never without a rather large backpack. Empress however, keeps everything in her shorts.

* GiantMecha: The Steel Soldier and Titan Trooper bosses.

* RetiredBadass: Colonel Tasker typically just stays at camp and doesn't get in on any action, but it's mentioned that he was a real {{Badass}} back in his prime. [[spoiler: He's also one of two people who stays behind when Camp Crown is attacked, and even beams into the center of a CLAW facility just so he can personally finish off Commander Baron.]]

Now, empowered by the serum and armed with a plethora of weapons, King and Empress are redeployed to Mandragora Island to deliver some well deserved payback to CLAW and save the world!

* AffectionateParody: The games whole theme and setting is a tribute to 80's and 90's action movies, such as ''Film/{{Commando}}, Film/{{Predator}}, Film/{{Alien}}'' and the like. Some events in game are even direct references to scenes from those films.

* AllOrNothingReloads: Played with. If you’ve run out of all bullets from your current weapon, you will eventually reload automatically. However, it’s also possible to reload at any time with a minigame where a tri-colored bar scrolls above your head and you need to stop it at the right moment. Stopping at yellow simply reloads it, stopping at grey inflicts a reloading cooldown, while stopping at green makes the reloaded bullets inflict 10% more damage.

* CreepyTwins: The Runway Brothers, who speak in perfect unison at all times, are never apart and own a big floating monolith that emanates an unknown power and ''talks to them''. Fortunately they're on your team.

* DeadlyLunge: Some Mandrakes hop around at rather leisurely pace, than rapidly jumps towards you once you’re close.

** Electrocutioners. They've got 5500 health compared to most enemies' 500 - 1200 and fire damaging electrical bolts in a rather complex pattern. Fortunately they are immobile and serve more like obstacles.

* NiceHat: Ironside wears one. It's got a two way radio built in ''and'' [[BaldOfAwesome covers up his bald spot.]]

* ImplausibleFencingPowers: You can deflect bullets with your knife.
** Runner type enemies are also capable of using their knives to deflect bullets fired at them from the front.

* SequelHook: [[spoiler:The ending has Tasker, King and Empress leaving their team behind to go underground and fight the Company.]]

* {{Expy}}: Cadillac looks a lot like [[TeamFortress2 The Spy]] without his mask.

* {{Gainaxing}}: Empress's boobs bounce. A lot. ''Constantly''. Probably a shout-out to Angel from the old NeoGeo game ''VideoGame/ShockTroopers'', who did the same. Of course, pretty much [[WorldofBuxom every single female character has a sizable bust]] that bounces when they move.

* XMeetsY: It's ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'' meets ''MonsterHunter'', with the art style of ''ScottPilgrim''.

* AceCustom: All of the Kings' guns, as they're 100% certified "Lawless Originals".

* ShoutOut: Dozens. Far too many to list in their entirety.
** The radio conversations are straight from the ''Franchise/MetalGear'' series, more specifically ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'''s "talking heads" Codec chatter.
** King looks a lot like a gruffer, scruffier version of ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'''s Marco, down to the bandanna and backpack. Speaking of ''Metal Slug'', there's also the "Mission Complete!" voiceover and the "Brass Snail" enemies, which even lampshade in their description the reference.
** The Wooden Sword. [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI "It's dangerous to go alone. You should take this."]]
** The "Peashooter" reciever is Franchise/MegaMan's arm cannon. It works on multiple levels: In the first three games (and GameBoy games) it's denoted in the Weapon Menu as the "P" weapon (or P-shooter, if you will), and the description itself is a dead giveaway (designed by Light Industries, made to fight for everlasting peace).
** The "Bolt" (read: Colt) 45's description references Billy Dee Williams' commercials for Colt 45 beer: "''Works every time''".
** One knife in the game is named [[VideoGame/{{Dishonored}} Corvo]]. It’s decent, but nothing special.
** Another knife is just called "Snake". [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid It's described as being solid.]]
** There’s also a pickaxe that is visually identical to one in ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}''. It’s nearly the worst melee weapon available.
** The Pheasant is quite similar to a full-grown bird from ''Tiny Wings''.
** The Violence Kings come from Robertson's animation ''WebAnimation/KingsOfPowerFourBillionPercent''.
** The Horse pistol, which is essentially [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure Emperor]], complete with the description "perfect for a mercenary on a bizarre adventure."
** The description of the Black Thorne gun stock: "[[Film/ArmyOfDarkness This is YOUR boomstick. Available in all great S-Mart locations.]]"
** The description of the Broken Bottle: "[[Film/RoadHouse Pain don't hurt]], but this one will."
** One of the ornaments that can be made by the Runway brothers is a pizza, described as "[[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles The teenaged turtle's favorite meal.]] Reunites all food groups!"
** T-Bone the cook was a former soldier and has to be rescued in a mission named "[[Film/UnderSiege Under Siege]]", after the StevenSeagal film wherein he plays a former Navy SEAL turned cook.
** One of Empress' color schemes is very similar to [[Franchise/ResidentEvil Jill Valentine's]].
** Another knife is named [[DannyTrejo Trejo]], with the flavor text stating that it was "used by [[Film/{{Desperado}} desperados]], [[Film/OnceUponATimeInMexico once upon a time in Mexico.]]"
** The Sabotage sniper rifle informs the player [[Music/TheBeastieBoys "This sniper rifle is no mirage, we are telling you it's a sabotage."]]
** One mission is titled "[[Film/TheHurtLocker The Hurt Lockers.]]"
** Yet another knife: [[Wrestling/UltimateWarrior Warrior: The ultimate blade, forged in Destrucity itself!]]
** When the cosmic Violence Kings are defeated they regress into fetuses floating in bubbles, much like the infamous ending of ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey''.