Art Samedi D'Insecte D'Arcade : Grimpeur Fou [ AFAS

<p><img alt="crazyclimberflyer.jpg" src="http://kotaku.com/assets/resources/2007/10/crazyclimberflyer.jpg" width="478" height="643" class="postimg center"/>We're going all the way back to 1980 for this week's Arcade Flyer Art Saturday feature, Crazy Climber. Produced by Nihon Bussan Co. Ltd., credited to Nichibutsu (whos name appears on all the buildings n the game) and eventually licensed by Taito, Crazy Climber will surely be remembered by arcade denizens of years past. Crazy Climber was an early relative of the ever popular Rampage and had the player controlling a man who for some unknown reason enjoys scaling the sides of 200 story buildings. The control was done with two joysticks, each one controlling one of the climber's hands, so some ambidextrous coordination was definitely involved while playing this one. It was eventually ported and remade for several home systems, but nothing could quite recreate that two joystick feeling.</p><p>Unlike in the real world, climbing the sides of buildings in Crazy Climber was fraught with much danger. Tin cans, soda bottles, flowerpots, fruit baskets and buckets of water were all potential hazards, dropped haphazardly out of random windows by a crazed bald headed guy with an apparent penchant for littering. Other hazards included an egg laying, pooping condor, King Kong, falling girders and signs, electrical wires, and dumbells. Opening and closing windows also posed a threat, but as long as you had one arm on a non-dangerous window, you would be fine. Certain levels contained a balloon that, if you were lucky enough to catch it, would take you up ten stories and add a nice number of points to your bonus. Once your climber finally reached the top a helicopter would swoop in to pick you up and carry you away... to the next giant building to begin your adventure anew.</p> <p>We've seen quite a few flyers on the past that have mixed their mediums, but this one really goes the distance. We have a photo realistic painting as central image framed by comic book looking graphics and then embellished with real photographs of the cabinet and screenshots. Talk about an overload. The central image is a bit misleading as it presents a Towering Inferno-like scene of helicopters rescuing people off the top a burning building while the fire trucks below try to extinguish the flames. The side images also promote this "fire" theme with the illustrated climbers ascending clouds of smoke. Flames are also seen in the game's logo and smoke clouds are represented on the cabinet art, but no sign of a fire threat is present in the actual game leaving one to wonder if it was originally supposed to be part of the game and eventually exorcised for whatever reason. Or maybe it was just back story, who knows.</p> <p>As an added bonus to this week's feature, iIhave included a YouTube video of some of the gameplay so you can relive the magic for yourself. Enjoy!</p> <p></p> <p>[Flyer courtesy <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.arcadeflyers.com">TAFA</a>]</p>
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