Robot Wars: Extreme Destruction (GBA)

For the PC and Xbox release with the same title, see Robot Wars: Extreme Destruction (PC/Xbox).

Robot Wars: Extreme Destruction
GBA Cover
Production Information
Developer	Warthog Plc
Publisher	BBC Multimedia
Release Date	October 25, 2002
Game Information
Series	US Season 2
Platform	Game Boy Advance
Genre	Action
Ratings	ELSPA: 3+

Robot Wars: Extreme Destruction was the last of the five Robot Wars video games to be released. The Gameboy Advance version of the game was created by Warthog Plc and released by BBC Multimedia in 2002. Despite having the same name as the PC and Xbox version of the game, the gameplay and available robots are very different from those of the console version of Extreme Destruction.

Arenas

The game features six different arenas, each with a variety of hazards including the Pit, Floor Flipper, Angle Grinders, pressurised Jets set into the floor (which varied between arenas), and the newly-added Drop Zone and Disc of Doom. The arenas are as follows:

• Studio - The Series 6 (and US Season 2) version of the Robot Wars Arena, with flame/CO2 jets set into the floor.
• Melting Pot - A foundry-themed arena with flame/sulphur jets, and a large central pit filled with boiling molten steel.
• Acid Bath - An arena themed to a chemical plant, with corrosive acid/sulphur jets, as well as a large central pit of toxic acid.
• Deep Freeze - An arena set in what is presumed to be an Arctic weather station, with Nitrogen/CO2 jets, and slippery floors.
• Desert Storm - An arena located within an Oil refinery in the middle of the desert, with Sand/Acid jets.
• Red Planet Rumble - An arena located on the surface of Mars, with sand/flame jets, and much weaker gravity than the other arenas, allowing flippers to potentially throw opponents extremely high.

Features

Making a Robot

Unlike the console version, there is no money or credits system. Instead, you get an unlimited supply of whatever components are available. Some components start out locked and become unlocked when you win a certain event.

Robot Battles

You fight robots in championships in order to unlock features in the game. Every event has the option of choosing bronze, silver, or gold, depedning on what level of difficulty you prefer. Initally, only the bronze level is available and silver and gold must be unlocked. Specific robots are fought against in each difficulty level. The modes of play are:

• Quick Battle - A one-off battle where you and your opponent are randomly selected; silver and gold are initially unlocked, and no unlockables can be gained from here.
• Tournament- Four one-on-one battles.
• Mayhem - A four-way melee.
• Bash N' Dash - All three oponents are teamed up against you; you only need to survive to the end to win.

The Bash N' Dash and Mayhem can both be played multiplayer with up to four players. There is also a mode called Grudge Match, exclusively for two players, in which each person gets to choose a robot to battle with.

There is also the Gauntlet mode, in which your robot must perform tasks within a time limit. Like the battle mode, each challenge features a bronze, silver, and gold level. The Gauntlet challenges are:

• Slalom- Guide your robot along a slalom. You may not touch the cones or go off the path.
• Skittles- Knock down all the bowling pins within the time limit.
• Long Jump- Drive your robot onto the floor flipper, and land in the end zone to win.
• Sumo Basho- Push Shunt out of the ring or immobilise him. The amount of time you have to do so varies between levels (From 1:30 on Bronze to only 0:30 on Gold), and Shunt is allowed to use his axe on the gold level.
• Dump- Push all the scrap into the pit. You lose if you fall in yourself or run out of time.
• Drop Zone- Four Drop Zones are constantly dropping barrels; you must destroy a specified number to win. Green barrels damage your robot.

Playable Robots and House Robots

There are many playable robots, most of which must be unlocked to use. Also listed are the difficulty levels each robot can be fought against. Note that Stinger can only be played as and is never fought against.

• 101 (Bronze)
• Bigger Brother (Bronze)
• Dominator 2 (Bronze)
• Firestorm 3 (Bronze)
• Thermidor 2 (Bronze/Silver)
• Wheely Big Cheese (Bronze/Silver)
• Tornado (Bronze/Silver)
• Chaos 2 (Silver/Gold)
• Pussycat (Silver/Gold)
• Hypno-Disc (Silver/Gold)
• Destructive Criticism (Gold)
• Panzer Mk. 4 (Gold)
• Propeller-Head (Gold)
• Razer (Gold)
• Rosie the Riveter 2 (Gold)
• Tricerabot 3.0 (Gold)
• Stinger

Interestingly, only three of the top four finishers in the second series of Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors (Panzer Mk. 4, Tricerabot and Destructive Criticism) feature in the game, with Falcon not appearing for unknown reasons. Propeller-Head and Rosie the Riveter also appear, despite having made less progress in the competition than Falcon.

Refbot, Mr. Psycho, and Growler do not appear in the game, but Dead Metal, Shunt, Sir Killalot, Matilda and Sergeant Bash do.

Voice Artists

Though there is no commentary in this game, Jonathan Pearce can be heard calling out "3... 2... 1... Activate!" at the beginning of each match and "Cease!" at the end.

Notes

• Propeller Head and Panzer Mk 4 are equipped with srimechs in order balance out the game, since every other robot is either invertible or can self-right.
• Interestingly, Rosie the Riveter, Tricerabot, Thermidor 2 and Wheely Big Cheese are incapable of running inverted, even though they can in real life.
• Despite the immense power of the robots' flippers, OotAs are not possible because every arena, including the main one, is completely enclosed.
• If you complete a type of battle on a Gold difficulty level and play it again, you will face the house robots instead of normal competitors.