games where protagonist transforms / changes in time

[marenja]

Which games give you ability to

• change protagonist during game except picking up weapons and power ups

• Protagonist enters some vehicle.

• select protagonist with different skills before or during the game

I think we should exclude all the games where you play different genres on different stages like Batman the movie and Terminator.

• But additional list for games like Army moves, Navy moves, H.A.T.E., Star dust etc.:
  Protagonist changes for different levels though game genre stays the same or almost the same.
  But the player has NO CHOICE.

Player should be able to change protagonist on the same level or before the game / level.
Please mention if it is the last no-choice case as it is hard to find out this fact if you are not familiar with the game.

Protagonist transformations:
Transformers (you play with a robot or a car)
Vixen (you play with a woman or a vixen)
Ikari warriors (you play as a soldier / tank when you enter / leave tank)

Protagonist selection:
Silkworm (jeep or hilicopter)
Golden axe (you select your character with different weapons / skills / magic before the game)
Head over heels (you select character with different skills during the game)


The genres that should be excluded from this list
chess and other board games
RPG games - you use different horoes by design
wargames - almost any of them uses a pack of units with different 'skills' like infantry or cavalry

[equinox]

Life is short and I might not be following your green-text rules precisely, but I hope this will help: (I will explain more if you need it)

Protagonist transformation: of course Knight Lore (you become a werewolf), and similarly Werewolves of London. In Moonwalker you are quite a different character between levels, although I guess in theory they are all Michael Jackson? Nobody knows.

Protagonist selection: If you mean "choose who you want to be", then that's really broad: you mentioned Silkworm, so there's the sequel SWIV (tank or chopper), or games like Rod-Land (Tam or Rit), or even the ancient Ant Attack (boy or girl), and many many more. Paperboy 2 also allows selection of boy or girl. Any number of games where you simply choose a player, like Gauntlet or Golden Axe. I could list them all night.

More interestingly, I will add Hammerfist (you can swap between the muscular guy and the athletic girl), and Terminus: The Prison Planet (there are four different characters with different movement abilities: you can switch whenever you find a teleporter: I think this is the most interesting character-swap game I have seen on the Spectrum, although some characters are so difficult to control that they make the game unsolvable). May also be true in Octagon Squad, not sure. Also Survivors, a cool Boulder Dash style puzzle game where you switch between abilities: one can push rocks, one can dig the earth, etc. and you might trap one by using the other. Also maybe Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles (although your Turtle choice has no effect on gameplay really -- BUT you can enter a vehicle and drive around, which seems to count as a transformation for you). Also Countdown to the Death (again, character choice has no effect and they are just "lives"). Mega Twins was never released, but offers the choice.

A very rare example in the text adventure genre is Double Agent. But I don't know why we didn't do this more, because if Heels can push a crate for Head to stand upon, then a text game world with two— oh I see, we didn't have enough memory to handle that.

Haha I've edited this post 100 times and it's the best I've ever made. Now: why do you need the info?

[marenja]

Terminus: The Prison Planet (there are four different characters with different movement abilities: you can switch whenever you find a teleporter: I think this is the most interesting character-swap game I have seen on the Spectrum, although some characters are so difficult to control that they make the game unsolvable).

I have found a game titled Terminus and screenshot says it is the one you mention.
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/5 ... m/Terminus
Then i have watched half of video but ... it looks like you play with the same spaceship during all the game.

Haha I've edited this post 100 times and it's the best I've ever made. Now: why do you need the info?

I think this is mainly curiosity. I have read your description of Terminus once more - i think this game is worth playing to understand its switching mechanics.

[equinox]

I have found a game titled Terminus and screenshot says it is the one you mention.
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/5 ... m/Terminus
Then i have watched half of video but ... it looks like you play with the same spaceship during all the game.

I think this is mainly curiosity. I have read your description of Terminus once more - i think this game is worth playing to understand its switching mechanics.

You don't play with a spaceship at all. It's a maze game. There are four different characters: one can jump, one can fly, etc. -- it's real strategy with the teleporter.

When you lose 3 lives you are stuck with "Spex", the guy who can only bounce off the walls... ohhh... game over, man, game over!

[arjun]

Which games give you ability to

• change protagonist during game except picking up weapons and power ups

• Protagonist enters some vehicle.

• select protagonist with different skills before or during the game

Here are some more:
Mailstrom - You can enter/exit the van.
Thundercats - You can enter/exit the flying vehicle (whatever it's called).
Enigma Force - You can switch characters during the game.
Where time stood still - Switchable characters.
Terramex - You can select a character to play at the start of a game.

[Vampyre]

Pyracurse
Everyone's A Wally

[firelord]

• select protagonist with different skills before or during the game

First game(s) that come in my mind is MASK series -parts 2,3 https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/3 ... um/MASK_II.
You choose heroes with different skills/vehicles.

[sn3j]

Lunar Jetman

The Covenant

[Lee P]

Thunderbirds (you switch between Thunderbird 1 and Thunderbird 2 during the game)

[zup]

El Poder Oscuro comes to mind. Protagonist may go on foot, inside a small flying ship and into the Mazinger-Z like robot.

Gauntlet should be included. You said the protagonist must change in time, but also you said that it may be a selectable character at the start. Also, if gauntlet may be included, many RPGs like Heroes of the Lance will fit that description too.

Xenon. On some stages (i.e.: the first stage) you can change between a tank and a ship almost at will.

Could you change between protagonists in Hammerfist? I remember reading that on magazines at that time, but I never played the game. Also, you could change between characters in Ke Rulen los Petas.

[equinox]

Could you change between protagonists in Hammerfist?

Hammerfist and Gauntlet: scroll up and click the button marked YES, CORRECT, SOMEONE ALREADY SAID THIS, I DIDN'T READ THE DAMN THREAD.
I wish you a fine afternoon

''Ke Rulen los Petas'' I would never have thought of, even if Crash had included it in "we wish we had these Euro colour attr games" which they didn't.

Next week: Czech stuff, and "was Dizzy really worth anything" -- hosted by Towdie.

[Lethargeek]

Antiriad - enter-leave the suit
Draconus - morph into swimming form
Metamorphosis - eat and evolve

...and maybe
Exolon - upgrade the armour
Extreme - different at the each level
Ghosts'n'Goblins - lose the armour when hit

[marenja]

Draconus - morphs into water beast
Antiriad - you can wear or drop armour and use it as a vehicle

First game(s) that come in my mind is MASK series -parts 2,3 https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/3 ... um/MASK_II.
You choose heroes with different skills/vehicles.

Do you mean Mask 3, Venom strikes back count? Players sprite does not change at all, even no minor change like in exolon when you get a suite with double barrel gun. It looks like you just use another weapon or power up for Venom. You can change a mask on the air e.g. after you jump and so this totaly looks like power-up though gives you not only weapon and heal, but abilities too, penetrator, jackrabbit.

[firelord]

Do you mean Mask 3, Venom strikes back count? Players sprite does not change at all, even no minor change like in exolon when you get a suite with double barrel gun. It looks like you just use another weapon or power up for Venom. You can change a mask on the air e.g. after you jump and so this totaly looks like power-up though gives you not only weapon and heal, but abilities too, penetrator, jackrabbit.

Maybe you are correct. I can't remember Mask 3 . In Mask II each character controlled his own vehicle.

[blucey]

Spy Hunter?

Any Pac-Man clone (when you eat a power pill)

[Lee P]

If we're allowing stuff like Exolon then Starquake must count too.

[Lee P]

Hell, let's have JSW just for the Nightmare Room screen.

[Lee Bee]

Should this be merged with the Games Where The Main Sprite Changes thread from a few months ago? Or is there a difference between the topics?

[equinox]

Should this be merged with the Games Where The Main Sprite Changes thread from a few months ago? Or is there a difference between the topics?

Good call. There is a difference between changing sprite, and switching character, although it's tedious to outline the difference.

It is pretty clear (TO ME) that Willy's Nightmare Room escapade is not a case of "we are suddenly no longer WIlly, but a horse" -- it just Matt Smith on drugs.

[Lee Bee]

There is a difference between changing sprite, and switching character, although it's tedious to outline the difference.

Oh I think I get it now. This thread is about being able to traverse the same level with a choice of different characters or vehicles. For example, Glider Rider where you can play as a glider or a bike.

That makes this different to the other thread, which was about a single character changing appearance, such as Sam Cruise in disguise.

[Lee P]

Oh I think I get it now. This thread is about being able to traverse the same level with a choice of different characters or vehicles. For example, Glider Rider where you can play as a glider or a bike.

That makes this different to the other thread, which was about a single character changing appearance, such as Sam Cruise in disguise.

Yeah. That makes it clearer. I guess stuff like Starquake, Exolon and Knight Lore can go in the other thread.

[sludge]

Gunfright?

Lunar Jetman?

[marenja]

I try to search the games where you play as different characters, not a single character with misc power ups. I think these cases are valid:

• 1 swap protagonist to other one during the game, like in Head over Heels.
  My first idea was about different characters with different skills. But i don't think we have a lot of such games. So this list will contain just games with characters swapping (i think RPGs should be excluded).
  You ideally have 2,3,4... characters on the map at the same time. But at least you have avatars for every your character and it is clear you play with different characters and not .
  not change with meaning `upgrade' or `get more skills` ... so this is not the case for picking up weapons and power ups

• 2 transform. Your character turns into obviously other object or creature like Transformers or Draconus.
  Same restritions as in prevous case apply - you change your skills not with picking up weapon, armour, key, pass card or clothes.

• 3 vehicle. Protagonist enters some vehicle. This is another case of transformation.
  Like tanks in Ikari warriors.

• 4 choice. You select protagonist with different skills before or during the game.
  You play all the game with single character, but you can select that character before the game. It is not just a skin for your player. Passing shot (tennis) does not count, you can play as a man or a woman but the game is the same. Golden axe counts because with selection of your character you also select different attacks and different magic strength. So

• 5 no choice. A list for games like Army moves, Navy moves, H.A.T.E., Star dust etc.:
  Protagonist changes for different levels though game genre stays the same or almost the same.
  But the player has NO CHOICE of what character to be.

[marenja]

Fernandez Must Die - vehicle, you can use jeep
Dragon Breed - vehicle, you ride a dragon but you can leave it an step into small island

Spy Hunter?

As i see this is 5th case - changing protagonist between levels and no choice.

Any Pac-Man clone (when you eat a power pill)

No, you just get additional skills but do not even change your sprite.

If we're allowing stuff like Exolon ...

A very very complex case in my opinion. You can put it on but the game doesn't have a visible object, separate sprite for suite. You only see the dress room but not the suite. You have no option to take it off. And it is used as a shield. Antiriad's suite is more close to a vehicle.

Arkanoid/Batty - length of bat alters, changes into a laser gun, booster rockers added.

Not my case as the object stays the same identity all the rime.

[blucey]

As i see this is 5th case - changing protagonist between levels and no choice.

Well, some of the time it is optional if you go to the water and there are no levels as such. It's seemless pretty much as if your car transforms. Which I guess fits into the whole 007 sort of Spy thing.