The Deadly Tower of Monsters
A metafictional B-movie parody with a continuous tower climb.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
The Deadly Tower of Monsters, a 2016 action-adventure game for Windows and PlayStation 4, was created by ACE Team and released by Atlus USA. It spoofs science-fiction B movies from the golden age of midnight cinema, complete with exaggerated superhero archetypes and a metafictional twist. Gameplay blends beat 'em up and twin-stick shooter mechanics from a fixed, top-down camera angle, with the core challenge being a nonstop ascent up the exterior of the game’s namesake tower. A jetpack helps players reach higher ledges. The Windows version later added a four-player cooperative hard mode in March 2016 and a survival mode in October of that year.
The story follows three actors inside a fictional space opera film of the same name. Jonathan Digby plays Dick Starspeed, an astronaut who crash-lands on the alien planet Gravoria under the rule of a tyrannical emperor. Stacy Sharp portrays Scarlet Nova, the emperor’s daughter, while The Robot plays Robot, Starspeed’s co-pilot and sidekick. The framing device is a recently released DVD of a 1970s B movie, complete with a director’s commentary track from in-universe filmmaker Dan Smith. This commentary serves as both a tutorial and a meta-commentary, explaining why typical shooter elements—like breaking boxes for items—appear in what is supposedly a film.
Development was announced on June 12, 2015. ACE Team co-founder Carlos Bordeu noted the game was originally conceived as a dungeon crawler set in a vertical labyrinth with a more generic fantasy theme. The team changed direction because they wanted something “completely different.” Inspiration came from 1950s and 1960s science fiction, including the Godzilla franchise, *Forbidden Planet*, *Plan 9 from Outer Space*, and TV series *Flash Gordon* and *Lost in Space*. Scarlet Nova’s design was modeled after Jane Fonda’s Barbarella from the 1968 film. Dan Smith’s exaggerated personality drew partly from *Mystery Science Theater 3000* and cult filmmaker Ed Wood. Some enemies were animated using stop motion and rotoscoping. A trailer debuted on December 2, 2015, and the game launched on January 19, 2016.
Reception was mixed to average across both platforms, according to Metacritic. Destructoid called it a fleeting experience that no B-movie fan should miss.
Quick Facts
- Title
- The Deadly Tower of Monsters
- Developer
- ACE Team
- Publisher
- Atlus USA
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 3
- Platforms
- Windows · PlayStation 4
- Released
- 19 January 2016
- Genre
- Action-adventure
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer (PC)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Deadly Tower of Monsters follows three actors in an in-game space opera movie: Jonathan Digby as Dick Starspeed, an astronaut hero; Stacy Sharp as Scarlet Nova, daughter of the evil Emperor; and The Robot as Robot, a co-pilot and sidekick. The frame story presents the game as an early 1970s B movie recently released on DVD, with director's commentary by in-universe director Dan Smith, which serves as both tutorial and meta-commentary, explaining why typical shooter elements appear in a film.
Development was announced on 12 June 2015. ACE Team founder Carlos Bordeu stated the game was initially planned as a dungeon crawler in a vertical labyrinth with more generic fantasy, but the concept changed because the team wanted something completely different. Inspiration came from 1950s and 1960s science fiction films including Godzilla, Forbidden Planet, and Plan 9 from Outer Space, as well as TV series Flash Gordon and Lost in Space. Scarlet Nova was modeled after Jane Fonda's Barbarella. Dan Smith's personality was partly based on Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Ed Wood. Some enemies were animated using stop motion and rotoscoping.
Gameplay focuses on a continuous climb up the tower, using a jetpack to reach high areas. A 4-player cooperative and hard mode released on 14 March 2016, and a survival mode on 4 October 2016, both exclusive to the Windows version.
Reader's Guide
The Deadly Tower of Monsters received 'mixed or average reviews' on both platforms according to Metacritic. Destructoid described it as 'a fleeting experience, but one that no B-movie fan should go without.' PlayStation LifeStyle noted, 'Just like the movies it tries to emulate, the game is so bad with its special effects, dialogue, and set-pieces that it's rather good.' Hardcore Gamer said, 'Minor issues aside, The Deadly Tower of Monsters is a pleasant surprise indeed and a particularly impressive budget action game showcasing a lot of creativity.' The game's significance lies in its successful emulation of B-movie aesthetics through metafictional framing, with the director's commentary providing a unique tutorial and narrative device. Its legacy is as a niche title that appealed to fans of campy science fiction, though its mixed critical reception and limited platform availability (with extra modes exclusive to Windows) kept it from mainstream prominence. The game stands as a creative experiment in blending genres and parody within the action-adventure space.
Did You Know?
- The game's director's commentary is provided by an in-universe director named Dan Smith.
- Scarlet Nova was modeled after Jane Fonda's character Barbarella from the 1968 film.
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