Aqua Teen Hunger Force, a TV show with a rabid cult following, but never any success outside of the television realm. The movie bombed, and any and all tie-ins with the show have bombed as well. Despite that, Midway decided to step up to the plate with their latest AQHF show, titled Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am.
Believe it or not, it’s a golfing action racer. The game’s story revolves around Shake finally gaining access to a country club he’s always wanted to get into. After getting in, he obviously decides to golf it up. With Shake golfing, Frylock and Meatwad play support roles. With simple commands, you can have Frylock charge the ball which sends it further, or have Meatwad envelope the ball and control it after it lands (like Tiger’s spin control on crack).
The combat comes in between golf shots. Unlike other, boring golf games, in this one you walk to your shot. Between hitting the ball and getting to where it landed, you’ll be assaulted by a variety of enemies from the Aqua Teen show, and some new ones. These fights play like a brawler, with Shake serving as the melee and Frylock serving as a ranged shooter; Meatwad can morph into food and distract enemies, but you can’t control him.
Shake uses a variety of weapons, including a sword, a chainsaw, gases, sprays, a golf club, and more. After defeating the enemies on your way to the shot, you hit the ball again.
When you land on the green, you’re encountered by bosses (in this demo, we had to fight Carl). They’re much harder than the cannon fodder you usually fight, but they’re entertaining.
For fans of the show, there are plenty of hidden gems, lovable characters, and cool unlockables. For one thing, before each hole you get to listen to Scott Van Pelt (of ESPN) discuss the upcoming game with the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future. It’s hilarious, and the back and forth is much more entertaining than the typical Madden fare.
The game is also "packed with VOs," as Midway described it. There are constant talking characters, and the story of the game (as well as the dialogue and cutscenes) were created by the original creators of the show. In conjunction, you can also unlock three full episodes for your viewing pleasure, one of which is completely original for the game. There’s also a live action short written by the AT creator starring the Brood Witch.
Oh yeah, you’re probably wondering where the racing comes in. The game features 12 levels: 9 golf holes, 1 tutorial, and you guessed it, two races. The racing is basically a watered down Mario Kart, with the three guys driving a golf cart in a race against the frat boy aliens. Unfortunately, you’re only given two power-ups: a missile, and a booster. At this point, the racing was also extremely slow, but Midway said that’s one of their top priorities before the final game is released, which is likely this October or November for the PS2.
