CarnEvil (v1.0.3) - MAME machine

Arcade Video game published 26 years ago:

CarnEvil © 1998 Midway Games, Incorporated.

CarnEvil is a horror-themed rail shooter arcade game. It utilised a light gun that could be pumped to reload rather than needing to be shot off-screen. One rainy night a man called Spooky Sam is hosting a ghost tour in Greely Valley, Iowa, with five teenagers tagging along. When he points out the grave of Professor Ludwig von Tökkentäkker, one of them leaves the tour early and summons CarnEvil.

TECHNICAL
Midway Seattle hardware

Main CPU: R5000 (@ 150 Mhz)
Sound CPU: ADSP2115 (@ 16 Mhz)
Sound Chips: (2x) DMA-driven (@ 16 Mhz)

Players: 2
Control: lightgun
Buttons: 2

TRIVIA
CarnEvil was released on October 31, 1998 in North America just in time for Halloween.

The title of the game is a pun for 'The Carnival of Evil'.

The following movies are referenced in the game in some sort of way: Carnival of Souls (1962), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981), and Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988).

The following poem appears at the start of the game:
When the moon is full and the trees are bare-
Walk through the Cemetery if you dare.
Where skeletons rot and corpses fester-
Locate to the tomb with the skull of a Jester.
Feed him a token all shiny and new-
It is then that CarnEvil will return for YOU!

Rob Zombie's 'Superbeast' is used for one of the attract sequences in the game.

The characters from "Trog" make a cameo in the Freak Show section, where the cavemen are frozen in a block of ice, the label states 'Frozen in time!'. The Dinos of Trog are enemies in the Rickety Town level.

It is said to be 'perhaps the most twisted video game ever' by the LA Weekly.

Jeff Matza holds the official record for this game with 2,083,180 points on February 19, 2000.

TIPS AND TRICKS

• Crazy Hats & Afro Haircuts:

Choose the Haunted House stage and then shoot five times before the stage starts. You will see that the zombies and other characters will have crazy hats and even afros on their heads!

• Easy Kills:

When starting the game don't go to the haunted house, either go to the freak show or the other one. After you beat the other stages go back to the haunted house and keep on shooting the mini-boss in the face mask until his mask comes off - then shoot him in the arms until you see one blow off. The next time you battle with him shoot him in the head and the missing arm that will give you a chance to survive him. After that you will encounter the main boss. Start to shoot her clothes off, that will make her weak so that you can beat her easily {you can do this on any boss or mini-boss}.

• Defeat 'Hambone' Easily:

The main weak point of Hambone, level one end-boss, is his large Gatling gun. That's right, just keep shooting as fast as you can at his gun and you will waste his energy and keep him from shooting at you. During the brief moments when he is not shooting, fire at either his head or legs but be sure to keep shooting the gun. As the screen moves from the right side of the hallway to the left, grab the shotgun that appears! Marksman lose very little energy on Hambone.

• Defeat 'Hambone the Revenge' Easily: Like his precursor, Hambone the Revenges' weak point is his Gatling gun (For this battle though, you should definitely have the machine gun). Unload on his gun, which shoots skulls instead of bullets. If you are playing alone, only three skulls should be fired; but with two players Hambone may fire six. Hambone the Revenge is probably the only end-boss that is best tackled alone.
• Defeat 'Evil Marie' Easily:

At the beginning of the battle, shoot at either Evil Marie's body or head until her clothes have fallen off or her face has been bloodied. Thereafter, focus on her weak point the hickey on her neck. Marie is a formidable foe who is best attacked with a friend.

• Defeat 'Krampus' Easily:

Krampus, the fourth level end-boss, is probably the toughest enemy that you will have to face. Shoot at his head and chest until these areas are bloodied. Then concentrate on his chest, which will open and expose the heart his main weak point. Krampus' legs and groin are also vulnerable. And in 2-player games, it's best for each character to train his firearm either above or below the torso.

• Defeat 'Eyeclops' Easily:

To defeat Eyeclops, you will need to shoot every eye on his body. Although this sounds difficult, it really isn't. Rapid fire (and a decent aim) is the key. Shoot the eyes on his chest first, then go for the extremities!

• Defeat 'Junior' Easily:

Junior, the last end-boss, is the easiest to defeat. It's quite possible to beat him without getting a scratch. You will need to shoot every part of Junior's pudgy body until it turns red which means targeting the head, limbs and even his diaper! During one of his tantrums, when he rips apart the roof and vomits, make sure that you shoot the last morsel of yellow upchuck (If you don't, Junior's last meal is on you!). When he's all red, shoot the darker leg and give him his final spanking!

• Arcade operators can replace Junior with a boss called Deaddy in the game's additional adjustments menu.

STAFF
Based on a concept by: Jack E. Haeger

Executive producers: Neil Nicastro, Kenneth J. Fedesna
Production manager: Paul Dussault
Programming: Samuel Christian Zehr, Jason Blochowiak
Art: Scott Pikulski, Samuel Lewis Crider, Martin Murphy, Rowan Atalla, Martin Martinez, Jack E. Haeger
Lead game code programmer: Samuel Christian Zehr
Background movies (Direction and animation): Samuel Lewis Crider, Rowan Atalla
3-D character design: Scott Pikulski
3-D character animation & Motion capture: Martin Murphy
Original score & Sound effects: Kevin Quinn, Jason Blochowiak (Special Thanks)
Opening & closing cinematics by Blur: Stephanie Taylor (CG producer), Aaron Powell (CG supervisor / animator), Kirby Miller (animator), Eric Prinkel (animator), Tim Miller (creative director)
Texture paintings: Martin Martinez
Cabinet graphics: Daniel Vincent Bigelow
Gun & cabinet design: Chris Bobrowski, Tom Kopera, Dave Link (Special Thanks)
Voice talent: Phoebe Fuller-Spichiger, Marc Falkenberg, Scott Pikulski, Stephanie Eckles, Martin Martinez, Rob Berry, Mary Lin Muscolino, Jack E. Haeger, Bethann Smukowski, Frank Welker (Enemmies voice)
Motion capture talent: Jack E. Haeger, Martin Murphy, Carlos Pesina
Hardware support: Sheridan Oursler, Rosalind Dugas, Leroy Brown, Pat Cox
Creative media: Christa Woss, Dave Paulus, Jennifer Chervenick, Patrick Fitzgerald, Bethann Smukowski (Beth Smukowski), Matt Derner, Tim Moran, Dave Grossman, Andy Lycke, Jim Tianis (as Jim Tiannis), Chris Skrundz
Game testers: Brian Lebaron, Paulo Garcia, Mike Vinokour, Eddie Ferrier, Alex Gilliam
Midway sales: Mark Struhs, Rachel Davies, Jenifer Gloria, Ron Baum, Lenore Sayers, Mark Chan, Joe Bundra, Vince Moreno, Michael Sengelmann, Marty Glazman

Special Thanks To: Greg Schwem, Stan Adams, Betsy Shepherd, JTC Advertising, Todd Ford, Dan Bransfield, Dave Tobey, Quincy Gourguechon, Bob Boulin, Linda Hansen, Casey Kundert, Michael Goss Photography, Ravenswood Studios
Game testers (Special Thanks): Darren Walker, Charmaine Pitchford, Black Sheep
Midway Sales (Special Thanks): Sasao Ohata
Many Thanks: John Root, Sheila Quinn, Ryan Quinn, Sal Divita, Yu Gu, Dr. Seuss, Jim Gentile, Princess Serenity, Mark Guidarelli, Kristin Ersland, Nellie King, Ed Keenan, Amy Atalla Hill, Kevin Day, Nik Ehrlich, Pat Goschy, Mike Lynch, Carol Decroix, Jack August H., Paul Martin, Cary Mednick, Mark Meyers, Herman Sanchez, Tom Anderson, Matt Booty, Yan, John Madeya, Rico Encarnado, Norma Rodriguez, Brian Eddy, Pfutz, Jason Skiles, Bill Dabelstein, Cindy Martinez, Steve Correll, Marshall, Don Knapp, Dio, Andy Eloff, Dewey Gosnell, Janice Becker, Dieter, The One Armed Man
The Big Bunyan Riders: Rob Berry, Vince Pontarelli, Jon Hey, Rich Carle, Kevin Quinn

PORTS
Despite its popularity in the arcade department, the game itself was never made compatible for home consoles or computers.

CONTRIBUTE
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