is a video game released in 1994 by Sega

Sega

, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...

 and produced by Treasure. It was released on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis system, with ports to the Sega Game Gear

Sega Game Gear

The was Sega's first handheld game console. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and the TurboExpress....

 and Sega Master System

Sega Master System

The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....

. A port for the Sega 32X

Sega 32X

The Sega 32X, codenamed Project Mars, is an add-on for the Mega Drive/Genesis video game console by Sega. Its aim was to increase the lifespan of the aging Mega Drive/Genesis system, which was facing stiff competition from the SNES...

 was planned, but due to the system's low popularity, the port was canceled. It was released for the Wii

Wii

The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...

's Virtual Console

Virtual console

A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...

 on July 30, 2007.

The style of the game is platform

Platform game

A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...

/action

Action game

Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...

.
In the game the player controls the star puppet Headdy who can attack his enemies by shooting his detachable head at them.

Dynamite Headdy is one of three games included with Gunstar Heroes

Gunstar Heroes

is a run and gun video game developed by Treasure and published by Sega.Treasure's debut game was originally released on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in late 1993, and later on, ported to the Game Gear by M2. On February 23, 2006, Gunstar Heroes was released as part of the Gunstar Heroes: Treasure...

: Treasure Box Collection, a compilation of Treasure-produced Mega Drive games for the PlayStation 2

PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...

.

The game made its latest appearance in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection

Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection

Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, known as the Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection in PAL regions, is a compilation of video games developed by Backbone Entertainment for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles...

(AKA Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection) for Xbox 360

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

 and PlayStation 3

PlayStation 3

The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

.

Storyline

Headdy, the central protagonist of the game, arrives in North Town to find that the evil puppet King Dark Demon is in the midst of attacking the puppet town to select which of the peaceful toys should live and which should be converted into his evil minions. Headdy is captured and rejected by D.D.'s forces, and is dropped into the dust cargo to be thrown into the incinerator. However, Headdy escapes the clutches of Dark Demon's minions and sets off to defeat the evil king.

However, trouble is afoot. Not only is the puppet world filled with Dark Demon's minions, but to reach the evil overlord's castle Headdy must defeat Dark Demon's Keymasters, who serve as the king's elite guard. To make matters worse, Headdy is followed by Trouble Bruin (Maruyama), a puppet jealous of Headdy's success. Trouble Bruin wants to be the star instead of Headdy, and will stop at nothing to get rid of him.

Gameplay

The game is played over a series of "scenes" and "acts" like Sonic the Hedgehog, the end of which is often typified by a big boss battle. Headdy's special ability is his launchable head. This can be fired in eight directions: up, down, left, right, and the four diagonals in-between. Launching it at enemies can damage or destroy them.

His head can also be used to hold on to a "HangMan", a character that acts like a hook. By grabbing a HangMan with his head, the player can then use it to hurl itself in its direction, as if connected by an elastic band. Headdy can also swap his head for a special head, if he attacks a HeadCase. Depending on the symbol that the HeadCase is showing, Headdy will get a different head with a different special power. Some of these powers include making Headdy's attacks stronger, becoming temporarily invulnerable, shrinking in order to reach smaller spaces and sucking up all items and enemies on screen. During flight stages, Headdy can switch between three types of flight head. Collecting a Bonus Head enters a bonus stage which, if cleared, gives the player part of a keycode which, when inputted at the end of the game, grants access to a secret ending.

Scattered across the levels are a number of Secret Bonus Points. These can be collected by performing a strange or skilled action, such as finding a hidden item or defeating an enemy using a certain tactic.

Characters

- The protagonist. His head is able to be sent flying from his body, and can be exchanged for all kinds of different heads with different powers. - A girl with floating hands. She has an interest in collecting the keys left behind by the Keymasters Headdy defeats. - An evil emperor wanting to take over the world of puppets. - A bounty hunter who wants to defeat Headdy and upstage him. In the US/European version, he is brown with angry eyes, while in the Japanese version he is purple with wide eyes. He appears in various colours with wide eyes in the Game Gear version, where he represents nearly all of the bosses instead of the Keymasters. - One of Headdy's friends. He walks around areas with a revolving selection of heads that Headdy can use by hitting him. - Another one of Headdy's friends, who hangs off various platforms. By grabbing it, Headdy can launch himself upwards. He can also be used to pull some obstacles like floating platforms. - The third of Headdy's friends, who shows up during boss fights, pointing to a boss's weakness and yelling 'Target'. - An odd person with big ears who appears from time to time. Hitting him often rewards a secret bonus point. - The first Keymaster. A huge toy like dog. He attacks with a basketball, a caterpillar, and a ball of dogs. - The second Keymaster. A huge wooden puppet figure that has the ability to become any costume it wants to be. - The third Keymaster. A giant floating ball with extendable arms. - The fourth Keymaster. A baby head on a pole. After taking enough hits he changes into the boys head, the man's head, and finally an old man's head. - An evil robot that guards Dark Demon's castle. She becomes angrier and whacks you wildly with her extendable claw. - A monkey-like head. When he's green, he's happy, but when he's red, he's angry. - A medallion who claims to belong to the greatest puppet in the world.

Reception

Reviews for Dynamite Headdy are generally positive. NintendoLife gave the game an 8/10, saying that it "isn’t just a great game, and one of the best platformers on the Mega Drive, but it also has the distinct advantage of being a new experience to most people, one that’s well worth the time and effort." PixelSurgeon calls it "Perfect in every way", claiming that it "has more imagination in its opening demo than most developers manage to get into their entire output" and that it "belongs to and for the people playing it." Racketboy claims that it "was one of the most graphically impressive Genesis games in its day."

External links

• Treasure official website
• A fanmade walkthrough for Dynamite Headdy (US/European version), hosted by Webs.com.