Grabbed by the Ghoulies

Grabbed by the Ghoulies
Developer(s)	Rare
Publisher(s)	Microsoft Game Studios
Composer(s)	Grant Kirkhope
Platform(s)	Xbox, Xbox 360
Release date(s)	Xbox NA October 21, 2003 EU November 21, 2003 Xbox Originals February 16, 2009
Genre(s)	Action, Beat 'em up
Mode(s)	Single-player
Rating(s)	ESRB: E PEGI: 3+
Media	DVD-ROM
Input methods	Gamepad

Grabbed by the Ghoulies is a video game released on October 21, 2003 by Rare for the Xbox gaming console. It was the first Rare game to be released under the Microsoft banner (discounting the Game Boy Advance release Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge) after being bought from Nintendo (it actually originated on the Nintendo GameCube). It is forward compatible with the Xbox 360. It was also re-released on the Xbox 360 as a downloadable Xbox Originals title on February 16, 2009. ^[1]

Ghoulies follows a teenager named Robbie Chance who sets out to rescue his girlfriend, Amber, from Ghoulhaven Hall. This mansion is full of supernatural creatures, and Robbie will receive help along the way from the many hired hands that work there.

Development

The game began life as a name before anything else. The developers came up with the name as a title for a game, and then decided to create a game from that title. Early on, before any details of the game were publicised, it was widely considered that Grabbed by the Ghoulies would be the subtitle to the next Conker the Squirrel game, after Conker's Bad Fur Day. This game was initially going to be released on the Nintendo GameCube. After the Microsoft buyout, Rare began the task of porting the game over to the Xbox, along with a couple of minor graphical additions such as adding an Xbox package in the Games Room. Grant Kirkhope, the composer for this game, admits to sneaking in a live guitar solo in the soundtrack. It can be heard in the Ballroom Disco track.

Plot

Robbie and Amber are seen searching frantically for civilization since Robbie took a wrong turn as opposed to his map. Then, a storm begins and both are forced to seek shelter in a mansion nearby. Once there, Robbie looks at his map again but is unaware that someone is watching them. Baron von Ghoul looks down from his window and orders his two gargoyles to retrieve them for him. Amber gets kidnapped and is sent to the Ghoulie Mansion. Robbie then runs after her and enters the mansion. There, he realizes that Amber is nowhere to be seen in the Grand Hallway but he meets the mansion's butler, Crivens. He tells him to go to the Archives where he Amber is held. While going there, a huge group of boxing skeletons challenge Robbie to a boxing match. Robbie punches all of them and is victorious. Robbie goes there but finds out that a mad scientist is present, Dr. Krackpot. He then shoots Amber with his laser gun and she transforms into a horrible creature. Robbie runs for help and goes into the kitchen. Ma Soupswill is delighted to help but Robbie must retrieve the 3 ingredients: Glowing worms, brown stew and an Easter egg. After that, Ma Soupswill creates a potion to reverse the effects on Amber. However, she accidentally puts the wrong sauce and this transforms Amber into a hideous monster. Robbie defeats her and Ma Soupswill arrives with the correct sauce and Amber is subsequently turned back to her normal self. Then, both attempt to escape the mansion but is stopped by Mr. Ribs (Ma Soupswil's assistant). He tells them to help free other poor kids who are chained all over the mansion. Robbie goes to Crivens and he tells him that only Baron has the key to free them. In order to get to his room, Robbie must get the 3 pieces of a ryhme which opens the door to Baron's room. Once there, a battle ensues and Robbie emerged victorious. Then, he goes on with Mr. Ribs to free the kids and they finally reach the exit of the mansion. There, imps knock Robbie and Mr. Ribs out but Ma Soupswill drops in and defeats them. Robbie gains consciousness and he and Amber leaves the mansion despite the workers preferring to stay. As both walk towards a small town, Baron can be seen riding on his plane towards the town. This creates speculation of a sequel (see below).

Cameos

Many Banjo characters make cameo appearances in this game because Ghoulies was developed by the same team. This included the goldfish Roysten, an Xbox keep case of Banjo-Tooie, a Banjo-Kazooie case, Captain Blackeye's barnacle remover, and a note on a board that reads: "Collect Ice Key. Collect 4 Eggs. Open secret level." The latter is a reference to Stop 'N' Swop.

Characters

Humans

• Robbie Chance: The hero of the game, Robbie bravely enters Ghoulhaven Hall after his girlfriend Amber is kidnapped by a couple of ghostly gargoyles.
• Amber: Robbie's girlfriend is a headstrong young lady, but that doesn't mean that she won't get kidnapped!
• Crivens: The mild-mannered butler of Ghoulhaven, Crivens offers Robbie his assistance wherever he can, although there may be more to him than it seems...
• Ma Soupswill: An eccentric chef who has left samples of her stews around the mansion which give Robbie special powers.
• Mr. Ribs: The only friendly Ghouly in the mansion, Mr. Ribs is Ma Soupswill's helpful assistant.
• Fiddlesworth Dunfiddlin: The groundskeeper of Ghoulhaven, who's afraid to do his job thanks to the resident Ghoulies!
• Babs Buffbrass: A hard-nosed housekeeper who gets furious at all the mess that she has to clean up throughout the mansion.
• Dr. Krackpot: An insane genius who certainly lives up to his name. He's the Baron's right-hand man and the source of all the Ghoulies.
• Baron von Ghoul: The Baron is partly eccentric, partly evil, and wholly insane! The aristocratic heir to Ghoulhaven, Baron von Ghoul spends his days in his pajamas imagining himself as a pilot.

Supernatural Creatures

• The Reaper: An agent of death who roams Ghoulhaven's halls to bring the souls of the undead ghoulies, and anybody who gets in his way, into the afterlife. He appers when you break one of the rules or do not finish within the time limit. He occasionally pretends to play a guitar using his scythe, which sounds like a real electric guitar plugged in to an amplifier.
• Hunchback: A disfigured ogre of a man who Baron von Ghoul has taken in. He's very protective of his (perceived) handsome face.
• Warlock: An elderly practitioner of black magic who resides in Ghoulhaven and likes to hide in cupboards and other assorted tight spaces.
• The Captain: The leader of the pirate zombies, The Captain was a drunkard who couldn't defend himself in a fight with Robbie and was "done in."
• Roger the Cabin Boy: A tiny imp who was recruited by The Captain to serve in his fleet. He met a violent end when he decided to pester Fiddlesworth.
• Dropper Shocker: A gelatinous blob who drops down from the ceiling to give one of the game's button-mashing Super Scary Shocks.
• Gwenyth: A ghastly green-haired specter who is known to appear outside of windows and frighten passers-by.
• Clive: A giant red serpent who was turned to stone and became part of the decor of Ghoulhaven's walled garden.
• Roysten the Goldfish: This long-suffering goldfish gets a bit of peace and quiet in Ghoulhaven Hall's classroom (also in the game Banjo-Kazooie).

Reception

Gamespot 6.5

IGN 7

Gamestats 7.3

Ghoulies was nominated for the awards of 'Console Family Game of the Year'^[2] and 'Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition'^[3] by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences in 2004. Game Informer lists the game among the worst horror games of all time^[4], although Rare didn't even intend to make Ghoulies to be a survival horror game.

Sequel

The end of the game is left open for a sequel, but due to the game's extremely poor sales at retail, a sequel seems unlikely. This game is often referred to being a poor seller in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts. Interestingly, on February 20th, 2009, Rare expressed interest in beginning work on a sequel to the game, Grabbed by the Ghoulies II.

References

External links

• Grabbed by the Ghoulies at MobyGames