Ed Hunter
Encyclopedia
Ed Hunter, a rail shooter video game, was released in 1999, and is based on and accompanied by Iron Maiden
's music. The game objective consists of rescuing the mascot
of Iron Maiden, Eddie
, from a prison
while passing through game settings evocative of the albums. Music from the band completes the game's customizable soundtrack
.
The game passes through various levels, starting in a street, then to a mental institution
, hell
itself, and other various locations. The locations are from the covers of previous Iron Maiden records.
The gameplay itself consists of shooting the appearing enemies with the mouse cursor. The game travels on "a track" and the player has no control over movement apart from occasionally choosing the route he will take through the levels. The player can select which tracks play in the background of which levels.
The package includes 3 CDs. The first CD contains 14 songs, the second CD contains 6 songs and the installation program for the game, and the third CD contains the game data. The soundtrack allegedly consists of the top 20 songs voted for by Iron Maiden fans on Maiden's official website.
The US version has a hidden bonus track of a new recording of "Wrathchild" with Bruce Dickinson on lead vocals, which subsequently received radio play. This track was not present in the initial US pressing of the game, but on runs that featured a sticker on the shrinkwrap stating that the track was included.
A sticker on the compilation album Best of the Beast
originally announced the upcoming release of this game as "Melt, Eddie's own state-of-the-art 3D game".
The Ed Hunter Tour
was the tour supporting the album
and was the first tour with Bruce Dickinson
on vocal duties since 1993, and with Adrian Smith
on guitar since 1989.
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
's music. The game objective consists of rescuing the mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of Iron Maiden, Eddie
Eddie the Head
Eddie, also known as Eddie The Head, is the mascot for the British heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. He is a perennial fixture of the group's artwork, appearing in all of their record covers and in their merchandise, which includes t-shirts, posters and action figures...
, from a prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
while passing through game settings evocative of the albums. Music from the band completes the game's customizable soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
.
The game passes through various levels, starting in a street, then to a mental institution
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
, hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
itself, and other various locations. The locations are from the covers of previous Iron Maiden records.
The gameplay itself consists of shooting the appearing enemies with the mouse cursor. The game travels on "a track" and the player has no control over movement apart from occasionally choosing the route he will take through the levels. The player can select which tracks play in the background of which levels.
The package includes 3 CDs. The first CD contains 14 songs, the second CD contains 6 songs and the installation program for the game, and the third CD contains the game data. The soundtrack allegedly consists of the top 20 songs voted for by Iron Maiden fans on Maiden's official website.
The US version has a hidden bonus track of a new recording of "Wrathchild" with Bruce Dickinson on lead vocals, which subsequently received radio play. This track was not present in the initial US pressing of the game, but on runs that featured a sticker on the shrinkwrap stating that the track was included.
A sticker on the compilation album Best of the Beast
Best of the Beast
Best of the Beast was Iron Maiden's first "best of" album, released in 1996 in three formats: a 34 track vinyl, a 27 track CD, a 16 track CD and MiniDisc .-Background:...
originally announced the upcoming release of this game as "Melt, Eddie's own state-of-the-art 3D game".
The Ed Hunter Tour
The Ed Hunter Tour
The Ed Hunter tour began in Saint John, New Brunswick Canada. Iron Maiden began rehearsals at Harbour Station, the city's largest arena for about a week, then performing there for one night before embarking on the tour...
was the tour supporting the album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
and was the first tour with Bruce Dickinson
Bruce Dickinson
Paul Bruce Dickinson is an English singer, songwriter, airline pilot, fencer, broadcaster, author, screenwriter, actor and marketing director, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden....
on vocal duties since 1993, and with Adrian Smith
Adrian Smith
Adrian Frederick "H" Smith is an English musician and one of three guitarists in the heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. He is also one of the band's regular songwriters and, along with bassist Steve Harris, performs backing vocals on some songs.-Biography:While at school, Smith purchased his first...
on guitar since 1989.
Levels
- London's East End (KillersKillers (Iron Maiden album)Killers is the second album by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 2 February 1981 in the UK, and 6 June 1981 in the US. The album was their first with guitarist Adrian Smith and their last with vocalist Paul Di'Anno, who was sacked after problems with his stage performance arose due...
) - The Shady Pines Asylum (Piece of MindPiece of MindPiece of Mind is the fourth studio album by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was originally released in 1983 on EMI, and on Capitol in the US; it was reissued later on Sanctuary/Columbia Records...
) - The Pits of Hell (The Number of the BeastThe Number of the Beast (album)The Number of the Beast is the third studio album by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 29 March 1982 through EMI and on its sister label Capitol the US. The 1998 re-issue was released by EMI and Sanctuary/Columbia in the US...
) - The Graveyard (Live After DeathLive After DeathLive After Death was well received by the music press, with Kerrang! describing it as "possibly the greatest live album of all time." Allmusic shared this sentiment, describing Live After Death as "easily one of heavy metal's best live albums."...
) - The Pharaoh's Tomb (PowerslavePowerslavePowerslave is the fifth studio album by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 3 September 1984 on EMI in Europe and its sister label Capitol Records in the US ....
) - Blade Runner (Somewhere in Time)
- FuturealFutureal"Futureal" is a single from the Iron Maiden album Virtual XI, released in 1998. Just months after this single was released, vocalist Blaze Bayley would part ways with Iron Maiden. The song was voted as one of the most popular Iron Maiden songs of all time in a fan poll taken during the making of...
- Finale
Disc one
- "Iron Maiden (live)Iron Maiden (song)"Iron Maiden" is a song by Iron Maiden on their debut album Iron Maiden. It was written by Steve Harris, and recorded with Paul Di'Anno on vocals, Clive Burr on drums, and Dennis Stratton and Dave Murray on guitars...
" - "The TrooperThe Trooper"The Trooper" is a song written by Iron Maiden bass player Steve Harris. It is Iron Maiden's ninth single, and the second from their 1983 album Piece of Mind. The single was released on 20 June 1983...
" - "The Number of the BeastThe Number of the Beast (song)"The Number of the Beast" is Iron Maiden's seventh single and the second single from Iron Maiden's 1982 album of the same name. The song is inspired by both a nightmare bandleader and bassist Steve Harris had after watching the movie Damien: Omen II, and the storyline of the poem Tam o' Shanter...
" - "Wrathchild"
- "FuturealFutureal"Futureal" is a single from the Iron Maiden album Virtual XI, released in 1998. Just months after this single was released, vocalist Blaze Bayley would part ways with Iron Maiden. The song was voted as one of the most popular Iron Maiden songs of all time in a fan poll taken during the making of...
" - "Fear of the DarkFear of the Dark (song)"Fear of the Dark" is a song written by Steve Harris, bass player and main songwriter for Iron Maiden, as the title track to Iron Maiden's 1992 album Fear of the Dark...
" - "Be Quick or Be DeadBe Quick or Be Dead"Be Quick or Be Dead" is the first single from the Iron Maiden album Fear of the Dark, released in 1992. The song is about several political scandals taking place at the time of its release, including the Robert Maxwell banking scandal, European stock market crashes, and the BCCI case...
" - "2 Minutes to Midnight2 Minutes to Midnight"2 Minutes to Midnight" is the second track from British heavy metal band Iron Maiden's fifth album Powerslave. It was released as the band's tenth single on 6 August 1984 and rose to number 11 in the UK Singles Chart and number 25 on Billboard Top Album Tracks.The song was written by Adrian Smith...
" - "Man on the EdgeMan on the Edge"Man on the Edge" is a single from the Iron Maiden album The X Factor. It was released in 1995. The song is based on the film Falling Down, starring Michael Douglas...
" - "Aces HighAces High (song)"Aces High" is a song by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, written by bassist Steve Harris. It is Iron Maiden's eleventh single and the second from the 1984 studio album Powerslave...
" - "The Evil That Men DoThe Evil That Men Do (song)"The Evil That Men Do" was released in 1988 by Iron Maiden. It is the band's seventeenth single and the second from their Seventh Son of a Seventh Son album. The single debuted at number six in the UK charts and quickly rose to number five...
" - "Wasted YearsWasted Years"Wasted Years" is the fourteenth single released by Iron Maiden and the first from their Somewhere in Time album. It's the only song on the album that features no synthesizers. Released in 1986, it was the first single solely written by guitarist Adrian Smith, who also sings backing vocals...
" - "Powerslave"
- "Hallowed Be Thy NameHallowed Be Thy Name"Hallowed Be Thy Name" is a song written by Steve Harris for the 1982 Iron Maiden album The Number of The Beast.The song includes 2 guitar solos: the first is played by Dave Murray,and second was played by Adrian Smith from 1982 until 1988.From 1990, second solo is played by Janick Gers...
" - "Wrathchild (1999 Version)" - hidden track on the US version
Disc two
- "Run to the HillsRun to the Hills"Run to the Hills" was Iron Maiden's sixth single and the first single from their 1982 album The Number of the Beast. The lyrics clearly discuss the violence visited upon Native Americans in the Nineteenth Century. Several lines appear to address the Sioux Wars, a conflict between the Lakota...
" - "The Clansman"
- "Phantom of the Opera"
- "Killers"
- "Stranger in a Strange LandStranger in a Strange Land (song)"Stranger in a Strange Land" is the second single by Iron Maiden from their 1986 album Somewhere in Time. The song is unrelated to Robert A. Heinlein's novel by the same name. The lyrics are about an Arctic explorer who dies and is frozen in the ice. After a hundred years his body is found...
" - "Tailgunner"
Chart performance
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Dutch Albums Chart | 69 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 27 | |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
94 | |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
43 |