Muppet Monster Adventure

Lore & Background

The game's plot begins with Robin the Frog delighted that he and the Muppets are going on a vacation, but his hopes are dashed when he realizes their destination is a creepy castle. His Uncle Kermit reminds him they had to accompany Dr. Bunsen Honeydew to hear the reading of his uncle's will. After becoming frightened and the castle door being opened by a mysterious figure, Robin faints. He wakes up to see Pepe the King Prawn, Beaker and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew in an underground laboratory, where Honeydew explains that after Robin fainted, the group was ambushed and many Muppets were transformed into monsters by the castle's 'evil energy', which has begun infecting the surrounding village. Honeydew gives Robin a special 'Power Glove' and backpack to free the village from the evil energy. Robin fights through the castle and surrounding areas—including a forest, desert, and snowy mountains—facing off against and rescuing other Muppets: Gonzo as the vampire 'Noseferatu', Fozzie Bear as the 'Wocka Wocka Wearbear', Kermit as 'Ker-Monster', Clifford as the Muck Monster, and Miss Piggy as the 'Ghoul-friend of Ker-Monster'. After saving his friends, Robin returns to the castle center to find Baron Petri von Honeydew himself, who has the appearance of Erik from The Phantom of the Opera. Robin turns the Baron's projectiles against him and lays his mad soul to rest. He awakens again by Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, with all other Muppets seemingly unchanged. The figure Robin fainted at was the butler, Chives. Robin exclaims he had a dream, but as the group ascends stairs past a painting of the late Baron, the painting appears to move and the Power Glove reappears on Robin's hand, suggesting the adventure may have been real.

Reader's Guide

Muppet Monster Adventure draws heavy inspiration from 3D platformers like Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, and Super Mario 64. The gameplay consists of Robin using several context-specific transformations inspired by the monster transformations the Muppets themselves undergo. Robin can use the transformations once he has collected all four pieces of an amulet bearing the relevant Muppet's face. Noseferatu's amulet grants gliding, the Wocka Wocka Werebear's enables climbing, the Muck Monster's allows diving underwater, Ker-monster's permits pushing and pulling large blocks, and the Ghoul-friend of Ker-monster's gives door-smashing karate chops. Each level requires a certain amount of 'evil energy' to open, and only three may be unlocked before a boss has to be fought. Bosses require 'Muppet Tokens' collected from levels and minigames. The game received average reviews according to GameRankings. GameSpot's Scott Steinberg called it 'surprisingly polished and enjoyable' but was unimpressed by the sound effects and 'forgettable' soundtrack. Jeremy Conrad of IGN disagreed on the soundtrack, deeming it 'probably the best part of the entire game', but found the gameplay 'isn't really anything we haven't seen before'.

Did You Know?

• The game was developed under Psygnosis' licence of The Muppets franchise.
• Bosses require Muppet Tokens rather than evil energy to be accessed.
• The final boss, Baron Petri von Honeydew, has the appearance of Erik from The Phantom of the Opera.