Challenger (video Game) - Items, Objects, and Traps

Items, Objects, and Traps

Mattōkujira (まっとうくじら?)

These whales' names are a play on Makkōkujira (マッコウクジラ?) (the Japanese name for the sperm whale), and appears above certain water surfaces in level 2. Challenger's life gauge refills while they appear on screen, and they can also be killed off with the throwing knife for 400 bonus points (they are resurrected if the player scrolls away from the area). They are treated as enemy characters in the game's memory, and count towards the kill count needed to obtain the power sword and power jewel items. For difficulty settings below 2, the only enemies that appear on level 2 are the invincible fireballs, so the only way to obtain the items are to continue killing the whales. A hovering whale can also appear in level 2, and killing this whale awards the player an extra life. Killing the hovering whale in level 1 causes Challenger to become invincible.

Power-up items

A power sword or power jewel appears in level 2 if the player kills 4 enemies in a row without missing with a knife shot. Challenger can obtain the item by hitting it with a knife, but he will receive damage if he comes in direct contact with the item. Obtaining the power sword causes Challenger's sprite color to change for a short period of time, during which his walking speed increases, and he gains the ability to kill any of the enemies on the screen with his throwing knives. Obtaining the power jewel causes all of the enemies on the screen to die instantaneously. The skeleton enemy that guards the entrances to levels 3 and 4 is impervious to throwing knives, so either one of the power-up items must be obtained in order to advance to the next levels. Like the Mattōkujira, the power-up items also cause the player's life gauge to refill as long as they remain visible on screen.

Mystery zone

This trap area is a small, square-shaped zone with four holes. Stepping into any of the holes results in an instant loss. The background music changes when the player enters this area, and they can only escape using the power sword item.

Arijigoku (蟻地獄?)

The name of this trap area is the romanized Japanese word for the antlion. The trap area has a large vortex pattern on the floor, which drags the player towards the center. Falling into the center hole results in a loss of one life. The background music changes when the player enters this area, and they can only escape using the power sword item.

Trap island

A fake pyramid is located on this island. Entering the fake pyramid results in a loss of one life.