History VideoGame / TheDenpaMen

* IncorruptiblePurePureness: [[spoiler: Crystal goes through a '''lot''' throughout the three games, being kidnapped twice by people trying to get her to tell them where she hid the [[ArtifactOfDoom Dark Orb]], usually by using an AgonyBeam on her. This doesn't work, at least when it only involves her. [[SmugSnake Sleeky Serpent]] also comments that "she's got guts..." She even seems to be stronger willed than the hero, who gives Aflama the Dark Orb and Idols once he invokes ForcedToWatch, which ''coincidentally'' also involved her. The second incident, with the Evil Witch, instead has the hero respond by [[UnstoppableRage getting kind of angry]]. Also, the fact that the Dark Orb is given to her take care of, as opposed to someone else like Squelch/The King of Evil, or other Denpa Men suggests that the kind of thing that happened to Squelch may happen to anyone else who keeps it. This also explains why the hero doesn't hold on to it between the games. Why the hero wouldn't know that his wife it in some mysterious place, however, remains a mystery.]]

'''This game series contains examples of:'''

* TheDragon: The Holy Dragon who stands in your way before you fight the [[spoiler:Evil Witch.]] He oddly serves little significance aside from that of the [[spoiler:penultimate boss before the first ending.]]

** A more emphasized example of this appears in the third installment in the form of [[spoiler:Crystal's mother Mary, who was known in her adventuring days as the 'Monster Catcher'. This makes sense, due to her Catch antenna. She seems to be quite famous, too, as even the Gaurdians know who she is. If you bring her to the Gaurdian Tower for the cutscene introduction to the Gaurdians, the Queen comments on this, saying that the guardians would ''really'' fight with all of their strength in your trial against them because they had heard of Monster Catcher Mary before. Mary proceeds to call them "nïeve", noting that their statement indicated that the Gaurdians wouldn't have fought with all of their strength had she not come along.]]

* ChildhoodFriendRomance: The third game reveals that the hero and Crystal have this. [[spoiler:If you talk to the hero is his house, he will prove this by saying that Crystal is getting cuter, and asking if you think she likes him. This seems to be one sided in the third installment, since Crystal never makes any mention of a relationship with the hero, aside from the platonic one that came into being due to the fact that he saves her from Aflama. It is also a rather humorous note that if you enter the hero's house and talk to him with Crystal in your party and talk to him, he still asks the question of whether you think that Crystal likes him or not, along with insisting that you not to tell her about it. ''Well, I won't say a thing, but she's standing right behind you.'']]

* ChildhoodFriendRomance: The third game reveals that the hero and Crystal have this. [[spoiler:If you talk to the hero is his house, he will prove this by saying that Crystal is getting cuter, and asking if you think she likes him. This seems to be one sided in the third installment, since Crystal never makes any mention of a relationship with the hero, aside from the platonic one that came into being due to the fact that he saves her from Aflama. It is also a rather humorous note that if you enter the hero's house and talk to him with Crystal in your party and talk to him, he still asks the question of whether you think that Crystal likes him or not, along with insisting that you not to tell her about it. "Well, I won't say a thing, but she's standing right behind you."]]

* ChildhoodFriendRomance: The third game reveals that the hero and Crystal have this. [[spoiler:If you talk to the hero is his house, he will prove this by saying that Crystal is getting cuter, and asking if you think she likes him. This seems to be one sided in the third installment, since Crystal never makes any mention of a relationship with the hero, aside from the platonic one that came into being due to the fact that he saves her from Aflama. It is also a rather humorous note that if you enter the hero's house and talk to him with Crystal in your party and talk to his, he still gives the question of wether you thought Crystal likes him or not, along with telling you not to tell her about it. Well, I won't say a thing, but she's standing right behind you.]]

* ChildhoodFriendRomance: The third game reveals that the hero and Crystal have this. [[spoiler:If you talk to the hero is his house, he will prove this by saying that Crystal is getting cuter, and asking if you think she likes him. This seems to be one sided in the third installment, since Crystal never makes any mention of a relationship with the hero, aside from the platonic one that came into being due to the fact that he saves her from Aflama. It is also a rather humorous note that if you enter the hero's house and talk to him with Crystal in your party and talk to his, he still gives the question of wether you thought Crystal likes him or not, along with telling you not to tell her about it. Well, I won't say a thing, but she's standing right behind you.

* ChildhoodFriendRomance: The third game reveals that the hero and Crystal have this.

* BossInMookClothing: Some of the enemies are ''very'' tough. Hydraplant enemies get multiple attacks each turn and can attack your whole party for merciless damage. Dragons have multiple damaging attacks. Ghosts are invincible to physical attacks. The list goes on..

** The sequel also has silver, gold, and [[RealMenWearPink pink]] Denpas, most of whom can only be found by using paint to change a Denpa's color (though Silver Denpas appear very rarely in the wild). Silver Denpas have a slate of resistances and weaknesses, in addition to [[MightyGlacier huge defensive stats]]. Gold Denpas resist every element [[KillItWithFire except Fire]], and boost the amount of gold you get from enemies. Pink Denpas are weak to all elements, but they naturally charm enemies, making it possible enemies will be "charmed and cannot move" for a whole turn.

** The third game takes it up a notch by bringing the level cap up to a whopping 199. However, this is balanced out by making level-ups happen faster and making enemies higher-leveled in the postgame: [[spoiler: Master Squelch/Self-made King is Level 100, the three Guardians are around Level 120, Best Malignus is Level 150, and the Havoc Dragon is level 180.]]
* ActionGirl: [[spoiler: After you rescue the Crystal, she can join your party just like anyone else and go exploring with you.]]

* BarrierChangeBoss: [[spoiler: The Evil Witch/Demon Queen in ''Beyond the Waves''. When she takes a set amount of damage, she will change color and element, making it harder to pinpoint a single weakness. Thankfully, what element she changes to and when she does it is constant.]]

* BonusLevelOfHell: [[spoiler: The Inferno]] in the sequel.

* FormFittingWardrobe: Denpa clothes fit the Men perfectly--[[OneSizeFitsAll regardless of their size.]] However, the Denpas' original colors are an aversion--according to WordOfGod, the colorful "suits" the Denpas wear are, in actuality, soft, thin fur.

* FriendlyEnemy: The King of Evil in the second game. Not only did he [[NotMeThisTime not kidnap your wife]], he actually spends most of the game giving you hints on how to ''beat'' the true BigBad. [[spoiler: Just before the final battle, the true BigBad sends him to the Inferno, and the bonus dungeon consists of ''rescuing him.'' Even Crystal says he's become something of a family friend, bizarre as it sounds.]]

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: In the sequel, you can [[FishingMinigame go fishing,]] but in order to catch fish you'll need Bait. Certain types of Bait can catch certain fish--Normal Bait catches normal fish, Goldfish Bait catches Goldfish, etc. As it happens, there are [[TheCatfish legendary fish called Masters,]] who can only be caught with... [[ADateWithRosiePalms Master Bait.]]

* InfinityPlusOneElement: Light type, in the first game. Light-type Denpas have no weaknesses, only a resistance to Dark type (which only enemies use). Very few enemies resist Light, and many are ''weak'' to the element. In ''Beyond the Waves'', Light-type Denpas [[{{Nerf}} gain a weakness to their own element]], but the only enemies to use Light attacks outside of the [[PlayerVersusPlayer Coliseum]] are the Knights (guardians of the Caves of Darkness) and [[spoiler: the Evil Witch]].

* InformedEquipment: Done bizarrely in the first game--your Denpas' "accessory-type" equipment is invisible, but their "clothing-type" equipment ''isn't.'' So while you could equip them with a pair of Roller Skates and Bubble-pattern clothing, only the clothing will be visible. Averted in the second game, where all equipment is visible.

* KungFuProofMook: Ghosts and [[DemonicSpiders Mists]] almost literally so--they're invulnerable to physical attacks, unless your attacking Denpa has the "Ghostbuster" skill or is under the effects of Holy Water.

* {{Mon}}: An unconventional take on this, as you catch the Denpa Men in real life using the [=3DS=]'s AR camera around radio waves. Though due to the way the Denpa Men are generated, and the limited storage space, you are not encouraged to--and it is impossible to--[[GottaCatchThemAll catch 'em all]].

* {{Nerf}}: Two-tone Denpas in the first game had no weaknesses, just a pair of resistances, with the drawback being that they [[MasterOfNone weren't as good as the resistances of pure-colored Denpas]]. In the sequel, however, they have the associated weaknesses of their two elements--but [[JackOfAllStats aren't as weak to them as the pure-colors are.]]

* PlanetHeck: [[spoiler: The Inferno]] in the sequel.

* PuzzleBoss: [[spoiler: The [[BonusBoss True King]]]] is actually really easy if you know the right tactic.

* StealthPun: The MetalSlime enemies are animate teeth with big round eyes and lacy wings. [[spoiler: They're tooth fairies.]]

* StartOfDarkness: [[spoiler: In the third game, after he uses the Dark Orb to augment his power, Squelch starts metamorphosing into the familiar form of the King of Evil.]]

* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: When you beat the King of Evil the first time, he escapes with your girl, and after you beat him again, [[spoiler: your Hero wants to marry the girl and has to find the three Oaths to do so]].

* AmbiguouslyGay: Some of the Denpa Men will ask you to catch more "attractive" Denpas. The same personality type will also occasionally flirt with the player, [[BiTheWay regardless of their gender.]]

* [[HiddenElfVillage Hidden Fairy Village ]]: There is one at the end of the Road to Oasis.

* MarathonLevel: The Guardian Tower in the original. With 10 floors, painfully difficult bosses every other floor, and [[CheckPointStarvation no checkpoints until the very top of the tower]], it fits this trope to a tee.

* {{Mons}}: An unconventional take on this, as you catch the Denpa Men in real life using the [=3DS=]'s AR camera around radio waves. Though due to the way the Denpa Men are generated, and the limited storage space, you are not encouraged to--and it is impossible to--[[GottaCatchThemAll catch 'em all]].

* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Your party in the first game is made up entirely of Denpa ''Men'': the only female Denpa is the DistressedDamsel. Averted in later games, though.

* TooLongDidntDub: The English version title notably calls them "Denpa Men," instead of "Radio People." Presumably because "Denpa Men" [[RuleOfCool sounds cooler if you speak English.]]

** Among the most notable examples is the skill Breath Plug in the second game. It prevents enemies from using [[BreathWeapon breath-based attacks.]] At first, that sounds extremely situational... until you realize that most breath attacks are a TotalPartyKill, and nearly every DemonicSpider in the game uses at least one if not more. It then sounds like an ''extremely'' powerful [[StandardStatusEffect silencing]] ability that can save you a lot of hassle and unnecessary deaths.

* ActionGirl: [[spoiler: After you rescue the lone Denpa Girl, she can join your party just like anyone else and go exploring with you.]]

* ElementalPowers: The color of a Denpa Man indicates what element it resists/is weak too, while its antenna shows what powers it has. Some Denpa Men wear striped clothes that indicate multiple resistances.

** The sequel also has silver, gold, and [[RealMenWearPink pink]] Denpas, most of whom can only be found by using paint to change a Denpa's color (though they do rarely appear in the wild). Silver Denpas have a slate of resistances and weaknesses, in addition to [[MightyGlacier huge defensive stats]]. Gold Denpas resist almost every element [[KillItWithFire except Fire]], and boost the amount of gold you get from enemies. Pink Denpas are weak to all elements, but they naturally charm enemies, making it possible enemies will be "charmed and cannot move".

* LostWoods: Path to Oasis

* TakesOneToKillOne: In the sequel, Light (white) Denpas are weak to their own element.

* UnusableEnemyEquipment: In the first game, not only were enemies the only users of the Dark type, the Reflect status attribute, which not only nullifies magical attacks, but ''reflects them back,'' were only used by enemies (and Reflect in particular only by one enemy type and bosses). In the second game, Dark Denpas (both in terms of color and in terms of having dark-type skills) became available, and the Reflect status attribute became its own skill.

* DisconnectedSideArea: In the first dungeon, there is a room filled with treasure chests that can only be reached through the Tower of Evil.

* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Your party is made up entirely of Denpa ''Men'': the only female Denpa is the DistressedDamsel.
** Averted in the sequel--there are wild Denpa Women, too.

* AnimateInanimateObject: The Corn Critter is a walking ear of corn.

A third game was announced in the Japanese Nintendo Direct, coming summer 2013.

* BonusLevelOfHell: The Inferno in the sequel.

* EvilTowerOfOminousness: The Tower of Evil and the [[spoiler:Guardian Tower]].

* InfinityPlusOneElement: Light type, in the first game. Light-type Denpas have no weaknesses, only a resistance to Dark type (which only enemies use). Almost no enemies resist Light-type attacks as well, and many are outright weak to them. In the sequel, however, Light was {{nerf}}ed to being weak to... ''itself,'' with Dark becoming its own element for Denpas (that also happens to be rather rare and have many resistances, approaching this trope).
** The sequel also has silver, gold, and [[RealMenWearPink pink]] Denpas, most of whom can only be found by using paint to change a Denpa's color (though they do rarely appear in the wild). Silver Denpas have a slate of resistances and weaknesses, in addition to [[MightyGlacier huge defensive stats]]. Gold Denpas resist almost every element [[KillItWithFire except Fire]], and boost the amount of gold you get from enemies. Pink Denpas are slightly weak to all elements, but they naturally charm enemies, rendering most attacks against them utterly harmless.

* KungFuProofMook: Ghosts almost literally so--they're invulnerable to physical attacks, unless you have a Holy Talisman equipped or use Holy Water.

* MarathonLevel:In the second game, the Evil Cave is essentially this; ironically, the much shorter Palace Tower is the final dungeon and not the dungeon before.

* MixAndMatchCritters: The Oink Rabbit is a rabbit mixed with a pig, the Wolfbear is a wolf mixed with a bear the Octopider is an octopus mixed with a spider.

* MonsterCompendium: The second game's museum keeps track of all the monsters you've fought, and lists their descriptions alongside a record of which of their [[RandomlyDrops drops]] you've managed to collect.

* NostalgiaLevel: Digitoll Cave and Ice Island reappear as dungeons in the sequel. Digitol Cave is very similar to the first game's version, right down to its DisconnectedSideArea, but Ice Island is ''very'' [[RemixedLevel different.]]

* OurGoblinsAreDifferent: They are [[PaletteSwap PaletteSwaps]] of the Oink Rabbits.
* PaletteSwap: Most of the enemies in the later dungeons. However, enemies with similar bases tend to have similar strategies, so you can know what you're in for by looking at their "species." Some bosses such as the [[spoiler:True King]], Ice Demon, and any boss after Road to Oasis.

* PuzzleBoss: The [[BonusBoss True King]] is actually really easy if you know the right tactic.

* RandomlyGeneratedLevels: And party members, for that matter.
* ShoutOut: It's possible to find a Denpa Man named [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Bort]].

* TakesOneToKillOne: In the sequel, Light and Dark type Denpas are weak to their own element, but resist the opposing element.