The Ooze
Developer(s)	Sega Technical Institute
Publisher(s)	Sega
Designer(s)	Stieg Hedlund
Release date(s)	1995
Genre(s)	Action game
Mode(s)	Single player
Platform(s)	Mega Drive/Genesis

The Ooze is a Mega Drive/Genesis game, created by Sega Technical Institute in 1995. Image File history File links Screenshot of Ooze File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates computer or video games. ... The Sega Technical Institute was a video game development division of Sega based in the United States, unlike the AM divisions which were based in Japan. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Sega Corporation ) is an international video game software and hardware developing company, and a former home computer and console manufacturer. ... A game designer is a person who designs games. ... Stieg Hedlund (born 1965 in Portland, Oregon) is a computer and video game designer, artist, writer, game producer and level designer. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Sega Mega Drive ) is a 16-bit video game console released by Sega in Japan in 1988, North America in 1989, and the PAL region in 1990. ... The Sega Mega Drive ) is a 16-bit video game console released by Sega in Japan in 1988, North America in 1989, and the PAL region in 1990. ... The Sega Technical Institute was a video game development division of Sega based in the United States, unlike the AM divisions which were based in Japan. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Ooze is based on an algorithmically-generated cellular automaton. As such, the main character can be split apart and reformed like a viscous liquid. The gameplay is reminiscent of the Bitmap Brothers' game The Chaos Engine (Soldiers of Fortune in the U.S.). The art style evokes a cartoony (necessitated by the constraints of the medium) H.R. Giger. The story recalls The Toxic Avenger. Some of the programming was fairly advanced for a 16-bit system, for example the speed powerup effect was actually created by decreasing the viscosity of the character. A cellular automaton (plural: cellular automata) is a discrete model studied in computability theory, mathematics, and theoretical biology. ... Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a fluid to deformation under shear stress. ... A liquid will usually assume the shape of its container. ... The Bitmap Brothers logotype Bitmap Brothers is a UK based video game developer. ... The Chaos Engine is a top-down run and gun computer game developed by the Bitmap Brothers and published by Renegade Software in 1993. ... Soldiers of Fortune is an album by American southern rock band The Outlaws, released in 1986. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Birth machine Hans Ruedi Giger (pronounced: GEE-ger) (born at Chur, Grisons canton, February 5, 1940) is a Swiss painter best known for his design work on the film Alien. ... The Toxic Avenger, first released in late 1985, is the most famous movie made by Troma Entertainment, known for producing low budget B-movies with campy concepts. ... Upon contact with this Super Mushroom, Mario earns 1000 points and doubles in size In video games, power-ups are objects which add extra abilities to the game character, and/or increase the players score upon being collected. ...

Story

The Ooze starts with Dr. Caine, an excellent scientist who invented an achromatic odorless toxic gas and its antidote. He sneaked into the research lab where he worked in order to find evidence that crimes were being conducted by using the toxic gas he created. He was discovered by his colleagues and disposed of, by means of chemical waste. Little did his former colleagues know that the chemicals did not kill him, but altered him into The Ooze.

Gameplay

The game takes place from an overhead view. The main character is a puddle of ooze with a head. He can move around and has two attacks. One is stretching out a steerable psuedopod of ooze whose length is only limited by how much ooze he currently has to attack, and it can also be guided around with the control pad. He can also spit gobs of ooze, although this takes off a bit of his puddle. Enemy attacks can cut off a bit of the ooze, and the player will die either if his puddle of ooze is reduced to a very small amount or if his head is attacked directly. He can also die by dropping off the edges of certain areas, or staying on a drain for too long. Ooze can be any muddy or gooey substance, or something of similar consistency. ...

Initial Reception

The Ooze was intended to be bundled with the Sega Nomad, which was essentially a hand-held Genesis and Screen. Unfortunately this device overran its timetable significantly and The Ooze hit the market at the extreme tail end of the Genesis' lifecycle. Since budgets and attention were focused almost exclusively on the launch of the Sega Saturn, very little marketing was done, so the game was all but unknown until word of mouth spread from those who had picked the game up, likely from retail bargain bins. The Sega Nomad was a handheld game console sold in North America and South America, mainly in Brazil, essentially a mini-Genesis console, based on the Japanese Mega Jet and featuring a built-in color screen. ... The Sega Saturn ) is a 32-bit video game console, first released on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America and July 8, 1995 in Europe. ...

Cult Status

The game's status as a cult classic is confirmed by its inclusion in Sonic Mega Collection Plus. It is unlockable in two ways: In the Xbox and PlayStation 2 version, it can be unlocked if you have a Sonic Heroes save. In the Japanese version of Sonic Mega Collection, this was also an unlockable by playing any game on the disc for 30 hours (this method also works on Plus). Sonic Mega Collection Plus is a compilation of video games in the Sonic the Hedgehog series from the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and Game Gear so they can be played on the Sony PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Xbox consoles. ... Xbox is a sixth generation era video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. ... The PlayStation 2 (PS2) ) is Sonys second video game console, the successor to the PlayStation and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3. ... Sonic Heroes (ソニックヒーローズ) is a video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. ... The main menu screen in Sonic Mega Collection. ...

It was also included in Arcade Legends Sega Genesis 2, together with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Ecco the Dolphin, where it has gained further popularity from a new audience. Sonic the Hedgehog 2, or simply Sonic 2, is a platform game developed and published by Sega for the Mega Drive/Genesis. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ...