Bad Mojo Review

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            Bad Mojo

Review by MrLipidDecember 2003

Yuck! I’ll Take It!

Bad Mojo’s original publicity spin asked players to imagine Myst, directed by David Lynch and scripted by Franz Kafka.  While arresting, the blurb is more than a bit misleading. Players expecting a creepy/weird point-and-click, first-person experience a la Myst found instead a creepy/weird third-person (or should that be third-roach?) adventure driven by nothing but the cursor keys. Spin aside, for those with a taste for the creepy/weird and a willingness to see through the grime of the world into the heart of the spirit, Bad Mojo is an extraordinary adventure.

The Roach Game, as it became known, embodies what Drew Huffman, Pulse Entertainment’s founder and president, calls the “Booger Principle”: something really disgusting will attract and hold lots of attention without generating too much backlash. It worked.  I remember picking up my copy of Bad Mojo back when it was first released in 1996. It was given a full end-of-rack display … and there were even Bad Mojo gimme caps!

Bad Mojo wore its disgustingness like a yellow plaid sports coat, daring players to confront all that crawls in the walls and sewer pipes (and kitchens!) of all the seedy bars in all the seedy neighborhoods in all the cities of the world. (For whatever reason, Bad Mojo made a particularly big splash in Germany. No comment.)

Our Story So Far …

Bad Mojo begins in a bank of moonlit clouds. There is a crack of thunder. A noirish voiceover begins as the camera sweeps down past a bridge, then into a rundown riverside neighborhood and finally through the upstairs window of Eddie’s Bar: “All my life I’ve felt helpless, cheated, stepped on. I was always the little man, the square peg, the forgotten one. So I decided to do something about it.”

The voice belongs to Roger Samms, an unhinged entomologist who specializes in developing new ways to exterminate one of the world’s oldest life forms: roaches. He’s gotten his hands on enough money to live the good life in a poor country and is about to make his break. And then he picks up his mother’s amulet. Turns out to be an amulet with magical powers: a mojo. It turns Roger into a roach.  Oops. Bad mojo?

I’m Crawling as Fast as I Can …

What was once Roger now faces a challenge of enormous proportions.  A room a human could stride across in seconds is now a vast expanse of potential danger. Can he, as a roach, learn what he needs to know to return to human form by exploring the shabby rooms (among other places) of Eddie’s Bar? It’s a daunting journey for something as weak and fragile and small as a roach. There are creatures that would gladly turn Roger into an tasty snack. There are sticky patches that could become his final resting place. There is fire and water and electricity. It is a world filled with threats and peril.

It is also a world filled with unexpected kindness. The creatures who don’t want to put Roger on their menu (a list that includes a slug, ants, a termite queen, a silverfish and a moth) supply him with advice and guidance in the form of surreal oracular rhymes delivered by a woman who looks familiar.

Unable to have more than the mildest effect on the world he skitters across, Roger slowly uncovers the truth about himself. And with that truth comes responsibility. Can Roger, on his way to becoming human again, do the right thing?

Less (And More) than Meets the Eye …

When Bad Mojo was first released, “unique” was the word most often used to describe it. This uniformity of response can be considered a variation of the “Booger Principle” in action: make something disgusting enough and people won’t pay a lot of attention to how it actually works. Reviewers were so stunned by the content that few noticed that Bad Mojo’s gameplay is essentially a combination of two old standbys: the maze and the warehouse. The player must find safe passage (the maze) and can only push things (the warehouse).

Player control begins in the sewer. While there are six pipes leading to various rooms in the building that houses Eddie’s Bar, there is only one pipe open at the beginning. As players discover how to move from room to room within the building, the other pipes open to become a sort of roach rapid transit system.

There are points throughout the game when Roger’s travels trigger QuickTime clips of Eddie, the bar’s owner, going about his lonely life in his rundown establishment. These clips remind us of the gulf that opened between Roger’s old and current life following his transformation. As Eddie walks into the bathroom, it’s almost impossible not to yell, “Watch out! If you’re not careful, you might flatten the odd guy that rents that lousy second floor walk-up of yours!”

While the gameplay mechanics are hardly unique and the QuickTime clips as grainy as ever, the richly grimy background visuals and the haunting soundtrack create a compelling, albeit unlikely, venue for a quest. Toss in the highly articulated roach animation (the antennae can be turned on or off in the game preferences) and Bad Mojo remains, for those willing to face it, an unforgettable experience.

(Pointless Scholarship Corner: While much has been made of the obvious links between Pulse Entertainment’s Bad Mojo and Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis—both feature guys who wind up transformed into insects; Roger Samms becomes a roach and Gregor Samsa awakens as a “monstrous verminous bug”—that’s pretty much the beginning and end of it. Once Roger is a roach, he’s a roach. Once Gregor is whatever he is, he’s a bug the size of a man. And Gregor, at least for a while, can talk. For those interested in reading Kafka’s masterpiece, it can be found here.) The End

The Verdict

The Lowdown

Developer: Pulse Entertainment Publisher: Acclaim Release Date: February 1996

Available for: Windows Macintosh

Four Fat Chicks Links

Player FeedbackMrLipid’s Bad Mojo Redux Review

Screenshots

Click to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlargeClick to enlarge Click to enlarge

System Requirements

PC: 486/66 MHZ 8 MB RAM 20 MB free hard disk space 2X CD-ROM drive Super VGA graphics (256 colors; 640×480) Windows 3.1 or Windows 95 QuickTime 2.0.3

Mac: 68040/33Mhz processor or Power Mac 8-bit color monitor 8 MB RAM 2X CD-ROM drive System 7.1 or higher

Where to Find It

Prices/links current as of 12/29/03Links provided for informational purposes only.  FFC makes no warranty with regard to any transaction entered into by any party(ies).

      Copyright © Electric Eye Productions.  All rights reserved.  No reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission.

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14 Responses to Fear Factor

  • Fear Factor | Tap-Repeatedly.com | Reality Topics Blog

    […] nobody@flickr.com (graftedno1) wrote a very interesting post today.   Here’s a quick excerpt:My greatest fear is to be trapped alone in a confined space with a blind human, in total darkness. They have a heightened sense of smell and hearing, and. […]

  • Matt "Steerpike" Sakey

    Lewis, you made me think of the scariest moments I’ve experienced in gaming, and we’re very similar people.

    Bioshock had two moments – the dentist and the flooded room filled with mannequins.

    Thief had Return to the Cathedral, which was terrifying to me. Thief 3 had Shalebridge Cradle, which is so scary it ought to be fined.

    System Shock 2 kept me on the edge of my seat, but it was more lonely panic than true fear.

    Korsakovia was so scary that I uninstalled it.

    And STALKER. Oh, god, the haunted labs in STALKER. The latter two games don’t have scares like that. Few games do.

    It’s especially rare for a game to have more than mere “moments” – for a game to be scary from beginning to end, that’s a triumph.

    Wonderful article. As if Gregg’s review wasn’t enough to convince me that Penumbra is not something I have the courage to play!

  • DPenn

    I’m with you Lewis … I’m a bit of a puss. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of dread as entertainment.

    Still, I’m drawn to dark stories when they have something interesting to say, whether it’s a game like Thief or a film like, say, Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible. So I’ll push through, sometimes peering through my fingers.

    The trouble with games, though, is that if you look through your fingers, you’re probably just going to have to play through the scenario again. :~)

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    I wanted to play this game. I downloaded the demo but the controls were just too wonky for me to get my head around. I liked the atmospheric vibe a lot. I think I’m a bit desensitized from an overdose of horror movies in my youth so I don’t so much get the dread thing from these games as a nice creepy vibration. If only the controls were better…

  • Lewis B

    @ Mike, what’s wrong with the controls bud? As someone who despises poor control schemes, Penumbra’s is just like any other FPS, except to examine things you right click on them.  To use things you left click.  I’m not sure that can be considered difficult 🙂

  • Gregg B

    @Steerpike: Yeah my greatest shit-scared moments were with those games too. A few spoilers below people, so beware.

    Bioshock – Haha, I remember the dentist. I didn’t really find the game that scary overall but the bit where you go into the wine cellar and notice a mannequin facing the wall and after upgrading your weapon it’s stood directly behind you motionless and quiet just for a moment before attacking you. I shat a brick. I also missed that bit originally until Lew told me about it.

    System Shock 2 – same as you really, more unremitting tension all the way through rather than specific terrifying moments. Oh actually, theres a bit where you call a lift and it breaks then you realise a service droid is coming to fix it… I do remember having sleep issues after my first encounter with the cyborg ninjas though.

    Thief: The Dark Project – The Sword and Return to the Cathedral and Down in the Bonehoard and well, loads of them. The Sword made me break out into goosebumps though because there was a bit where you could hear this creepy giggling which seemed like it was following me about then it suddenly changed to this horrible throaty noise. What made matters worse was that the EAX (bless you Creative) made my foot steps sound like somebody else was there with me. That level was incredible, a bit too incredible as it seems I missed great chunks of it because I was so eager to leave.

    Thief II: The Metal Age – Trail of Blood where you end up in that opening with those damn tree beasts. God the first time I saw one of those hurtling towards me I actually died shortly afterward. Do you remember that Mechanist child walking around on one of the levels? That was a little creepy.

    Then there’s Penumbra: Overture – quite a few bits but I’m not mentioning them here.

    Oh and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. – The brain scorcher lab just because it was so damn quiet. My imagination seriously got the better of me there. Those stuffed animals and heads I’d seen in various buildings led me to believe that those creatures were lurking somewhere in the Zone, specifically that lab.

    @Mike: My control setup was perfect after some tweaking (as well as the simple weapon swing fix). If you ever fancy giving it another go, give me a shout and I’ll let you know my setup.

  • Lewis B

    I’m not sure why guys, but one of my starting paragraphs had gone missing, even though I copied it straight from the original source, and It was fine earlier. 

    Incase you missed it due to some technical issue you might want to re-read just after “Well no she wouldn’t in truth, but in Penumbra: Overture you don’t want to move anyway.” at the very start for those who’ve already read the article. Apologies 🙂

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    Lewis, it was the weapon swing. It had this terrible, unresponsive feel to it, like trying to hit through molasses. I couldn’t stand using it. I tried the .ini fix as mentioned in the review but it didn’t seem to help. Of course this was the demo…but that shouldn’t have made any difference. I might try the second game instead as I guess they did away with the weapons thing.

    I’m see your first paragraph just fine. It’s the dialogue, right?

  • jdeuel

    I like the argument that weapons can remove fear, but even loaded to the teeth with ammo in AVP’99 the Marine missions were frightful because the enemy was anywhere at any time.

    As for Penumbra Overture, if the controls are anything like the original Penumbra they need to hack in some Wii-Remote 3d controls. I did not like using my mouse for 3d movements.

  • Gregg B

    @Mike: I’ve read that many people avoided conflict altogether in Overture which incidentally is something forced upon you in Black Plague. As somebody who has been renovating a house over the last 6 months with no DIY experience I can safely say that swinging a hammer is significantly easier in real life than it is in Overture without the fix. The fix balanced that for me.

    I’d highly recommend completing the first Penumbra because it’s one big build up to Black Plague which spoils the ending to Overture in the intro. And it’s a great ending too. Just so you know!

  • Lewis B

    @ Steerpike, those moments you mention are all my worst too!!  Do you remember the Robot labs in SS2? Absolutely terrifying, waiting for robots to burst out on you! 🙁 oh and have you ever player Condemned?

    @ Mike, The use of weapons in Penumbra is different to say HL2, where the player is physically holding the weapon, as in Penumbra it floats slightly infront of you.  However, if you change the control method to normal weapon swing, it’s no different!  Speak to Greggi and he’ll tell you what to do 🙂

    @ jdeuel, AVP the original and its sequal were scary however what type of fear do you think it is? I don’t think it’s anything more than sheer tension.  Having a Smart Gun makes you feel incredibly powerful.  I can honestly say in Penumbra the fear is sheer unrivalled terror, where you actually have to force yourself to play on.  It genuinly is that scary! 🙂

  • Jason Dobry

    It’s so true, an arsenal of weapons and ammo rapidly deflates any sense of horror or uneasiness in any game for reasons you already mentioned. Sakey, I thought Bioshock was more “lonely panic,” while I was pretty much always terrified in System Shock 2. I really, really, REALLY did not want to enter The Many’s nursery, and my weapons were so unreliable and ammo so scarce that I never felt safe.

    Silent Hill was terrifying for the same reasons. Ammo was rare and I frequently had to rely on my pipe for self-defense.  Even when I had ammo, the game mechanics prevented my character from being anything other than marginal with any firearm.

    Fear had one moment for me: I was climbing up a ladder, and as I reached the upper platform, my guy briefly looked down as he climbed off. As my perspective looked up again, that Ring-esque little girl was RIGHT THERE, reaching for me. I screamed and she was gone.

    What else…the original Aliens vs. Predator sent me into a locker room and I could only hear the facehuggers scurrying about somewhere within. I had to go in there. I advanced about three steps before the damn thing screamed and filled up my screen with its repulsive underside as it implanted me with its spawn. My roommate made fun of me for weeks for screaming like a girl child.

    Korsakovia–meh.  I was too annoyed and frustrated by the box rearrangement/jumping puzzles to be scared. I uninstalled it after an hour of play, I think. Maybe the scary parts were later, but I doubt it.

    As for Penumbra, I did play through about half of it before other games distracted me. I remember unease and creepiness, but no sweaty fear. I think I’m to blame here, or, more precisely, my daughter, who was still an infant at the time and generally allowed me only to play during the day for 45 minutes at a time. I was denied total immersion and the fear effect suffered. Maybe I should give it another go after I finish Call of Pripyat since she sleeps through the night now. With any luck, Penumbra will keep me from doing the same.

  • Gregg B

    I played the demo of F.E.A.R. but that ladder scare is the only bit I remember. Christ, that made me jump. I’m not too good with cat scares.

    Also I felt exactly the same about Korsakovia. It was creepy at first but then it began to irritate me far too much and it just soured the experience. I stopped playing as a result. Not to mention, when I realised I could bash those smoke-things with my crowbar they didn’t bother me nearly as much.

  • Online Up

    Great article. I look forward to reading more in the future.

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