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Robot Unicorn Attack - TV Tropes

  • ️Mon Dec 10 2012

Robot Unicorn Attack (Video Game)

"Is your masculinity threatened? Then you're not man enough to play."

Robot Unicorn Attack is a free Adobe Flash game from [adult swim] developed by Spiritonin Media. You're a rainbow-adorned robot unicorn who runs across a pink, sparkly, brightly colored world, collecting fairies, jumping onto platforms, and dashing about while a happy, upbeat Award-Bait Song plays in the background. There are only two buttons: Z to jump and X to dash. Did we mention that they had a developer devoted entirely to "sparkles and unicorn tears"?

Play it here. There are iPhone and Android ports available for wish-chasing on the go. Three expansion packs are also now available, one of which, Robot Unicorn Attack: Heavy Metal Edition, is... not as harmonious as you know it to be.

In February 2012, a sequel was released: Robot Unicorn Attack Evolution. In this game (available on Facebook), the gameplay remains mostly the same; however, there are added additions of daily challenges, the ability to purchase powerups for the game using earned currency, and the like. The most notable addition is that for every three stars you smash in succession (And trust us, it ain't easy), you evolve into another creature and teleport to another world where there are more pixies to collect. Play the Adult Swim version here and the Facebook version here.

In December 2012, another version was released: Retro Unicorn Attack. Identical to the original, but now in 8 bits! Was later followed up with Retro Unicorn Attack: Challenge Edition, which introduces fairy and star-laden Bonus Stages to jack your score to previously unseen heights.

In April 2013, a true numbered sequel was released for iOS platforms. Robot Unicorn Attack 2 borrows many elements from Evolution, but also includes a rank system that allows you to unlock power ups, daily/community challenges, and unicorn parts as you complete certain objectives (such as reaching a certain score or dashing a certain number of stars in a single wish). Said unicorn parts allow you to modify your unicorn both visually and functionally, altering things such as your acceleration rate, speed, dash length, and even gives you the ability to fly. At a certain level it also has you join either Team Rainbow or Team Inferno; each day the teams compete to smash the most Stars, with the winning team being awarded a random amount of Tears, the in-game currency. Finally, it introduces a new stage hazard: Giants, which are basically huge Stars that fire Frickin' Laser Beams at you.

Robot Unicorn Attack 3 is now available for iOS in the App Store. The game features multiple robot unicorns that can be fused or cannibalized for parts, new monsters, and stars and fairies in regular or RADIANT! colors. Despite the changes, it maintains the flavor and addictiveness of the original game, while managing to make the inevitable crash less frustrating.

Has nothing to do with Gundam Unicorn.

Hold ooooonnnnn... to the niiiiight... there will beeeee noooo shaaaaammmmmeeeee...~

Tropes displayed by Evolution not present in the original:

  • Breath Weapon: The Dragon form does this simultaneously with its Dash attack.
  • Canis Major: The third-tier form.
  • Darkest Africa: The Sabretooth Tiger form (Facebook version) or Rhino form ([adult swim] version) travels through an African Savannah.
  • Fake Difficulty: If you jump immediately after an evolution, it has a slightly more 'forward' and less 'upward' arc than usual. If you happen to smash your third consecutive star right at the edge of a platform, and the next platform is more 'upward'... Have a Nice Death.
  • Green Hill Zone: The Unicorn form's environment could be considered this considering that you start out in it, and it's a grassy area, except it's entirely purple.
  • Jungle Japes: The Gorilla form travels through a jungle.
  • Level in the Clouds: The Dragon form travels through a night sky with an aurora with cloud platforms.
  • The Lost Woods: The Panda travels through a bamboo forest.
  • Morphic Resonance: The Panda, Wolf, Gorilla, and Dragon all still have unicorn horns.
  • Our Dragons Are Different: The Rainbow Robot Unicorn Dragon, the final form.
  • Rolling Attack: The Panda form seems to do this for its dash attack.
  • Scenery Porn: The background art is quite detailed.
  • Slippy-Slidey Ice World: The wolf form travels on a snowy mountain.
  • RPG Elements: The Facebook version of Evolution has a level-up system that earns experience as you play and unlocks new abilities as you level up.
  • Tele-Frag: If you're using the Portal power-up from Evolution, there's a chance this will happen.
  • Winged Unicorn: The "Glide" powerup adds wings to the Unicorn, but it only lengthens the jump instead of allowing for flight.

Tropes displayed by RUA2 not present in the original:

  • Boring, but Practical: Sticking to the topmost route if you're going for a high score. Granted, you get less points for killing Giants since there aren't as many up there, but it also makes it the safest route, so you can still get a high score by simply surviving a really long time (as opposed to having your run cut short by a wayward Solar Beam).
  • Bribing Your Way to Victory: You can buy such things as a Tear Doubler (which doubles the amount of tears you earn in-game), permanent Fourth Wish, and giant gobs of tears to buy all the boosts and Unicorn Parts you need. Other than the permanent Fourth Wish, though, none of them is really game-changing.
  • Bullet Hell: All of the levels become this eventually, with some screens having as many as three Giants firing lasers at you at the same time.
  • Difficult, but Awesome:
    • Flying. It replaces your double-jump and allows you to hover indefinitely in the air once you reach top speed. While it has a rather steep learning curve (thanks in no small part to copious amounts of Damn You, Muscle Memory!), it can lead to astronomical scores for those who can stay in the air long enough to gain massive multipliers from hoops.
    • The Ice World. The level layouts are far less forgiving than the Sky World, but there are a ton more scoring opportunities to be found.
  • Energy Weapon: The Giants fire "solar beams" at you that will kill you unless you dash through them.
  • Pinball Scoring: In previous games in the series, a six-digit score is worthy of considerable praise. In RUA2, the top scores go well into the millions thanks to all kinds of new scoring opportunities.
  • Randomly Generated Level: Instead of being entirely random like in previous games, the game instead picks a random fixed level from a list each day. Justified in that the levels in this game are far more complex with branching paths aplenty.
  • Shout-Out: One of the shifting backdrops for the 'Ice World' level is a pair of giant hounds sculpted from crystal and ice who are standing guard over a large jewel. Or, to put it another way, you could call them the diamond dogs.
    • One of the unlockable unicorn trails is called the 'Automatic Deception'. It even mimics the classic blue-red-white gradient of the old cartoon's title!
    • Another unlockable unicorn called the "Pretty Princess" has thicker hooves and a heart on its flank. It bears a striking resemblance to another set of colored horses.
  • Space Whale: A space whale unicorn appears in the background from time to time.
  • Unintentionally Unwinnable: Using embers can let you resume a failed wish, but sometimes the game will reposition you to a place where you'll end up crashing into the environment again.

HARMONY HARMONY OH LOVE~
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜