Icarus Proudbottom in: The Curse of the Chocolate Fountain
is an independent Flash-based game developed the members of the chiptune band 1-2-3 Blast On!, created as a submission for the Something Awful Game Development Challenge V, with one unifying theme to base it on: You can't stop pooping.
The game itself follows the journey of the titular hero Icarus, who one-day discovers that his rear end has become a neverending torrent of excrement, and he's being flung through the air by it at subsonic speeds. On his journey, he is joined by a bird, who just so happens to be a magical spirit animal and can transform himself into a katana, named 'Blood Destiny', with which Icarus himself can defend against birds, geese, Neo-Nazis, and a helicopter piloted by Barack Obama.
We really don't even have to say it, do we?
The game still enjoys a bit of cult popularity for its ridiculous premise and surprisingly clever and funny writing, along with an 8-bit design aesthetic and great chiptune background music.
An Updated Re-release is announced for Steam, bundled with Icarus Proudbottom Teaches Typing, Icarus Proudbottom Is Dead! (A.K.A. Icarus Proudbottom's World of Typing Weekly), and Icarus Proudbottom’s Typing Party.
This game has examples of:
- Bait-and-Switch: The first two cutscenes between levels set up different explanations as to why Icarus is endlessly pooping. Only in the third cutscene is the truth revealed. It wasn't a Chinese buffet or crashing into a laxative truck, but a curse he gained after accidentally running over an old gypsy.
- Catchphrase: "Holy Wow!"
- Gypsy Curse: How Icarus began constantly pooping.
- In Medias Res: The game begins with Icarus already flying through the air pooping. There are cutscenes after the first three levels depicting the events leading up to this.
- Long List: In the first intermission, Icarus lists off all the food available at the Chinese buffet, culminating with "four gummy slices of pizza".
- No Name Given: Icarus's rival.
- Non-Human Sidekick: Jerry the owl.
- Repeating So the Audience Can Hear: Icarus's phone conversation in the cutscene after the first level.
- You Can't Go Home Again: Since Icarus can't stop pooping and had killed Barack Obama, the only option left is to explore the universe.
